Cracker Chris is the new Dr Who

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• Publication: The Mirror
• Date: 2004-03-20
• Author: Nicola Methven
• Page: 7
• Language: English

TV'S Cracker detective Christopher Eccleston clinched a £500,000 deal yesterday to become the ninth Doctor Who in the first series for 15 years.

The new version of the sci-fi TV show, billed as "contemporary and scary", will be screened next year.

FULL STORY: PAGE 7

Cracker star Chris accepts £500,000 Time Lord role

CHRISTOPHER Eccleston beat off tough competition from stars such as Bill Nighy and Alan Davies to be named the ninth Doctor Who.

The BBC hopes he will give family viewing on Saturday afternoons a massive boost as it brings back the sci-fi series last seen in 1989.

Eccleston, 40, has starred in a string of top movies such as Shallow Grave and TV dramas including Cracker and Clocking Off.

Now he will be paid £500,000 to become the eccentric Time Lord.

The first run of 13 instalments will be screened next year with a second series set to follow in 2006. Filming starts in Wales later this spring.

Eccleston will play a character who is 750 years old. has two hearts and is allowed 13 regenerations.

He follows in the footsteps of William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee, Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy and Paul McGann.

The writer is avid Doctor Who fan Russell T Davies. He penned Queer as Folk and the award-winning Second Coming, in which Eccleston played a Mancunian who thought he was Jesus Christ.

Davies promised fans his version would be "fun, exciting, contemporary and scary".

He said: "Although I'm only in the early stages, I'm aiming to write a full-blooded drama which embraces the Doctor Who heritage, at the same time as introducing the character to a modern audience."

Doctor Who ran for 26 years from 1963. The BBC is still negotiating over rights to bring back baddies the Daleks but the Cybermen are likely to return.

Eccleston was unavailable for comment last night. His film credits include The Others, Gone in 60 Seconds and Jude, starring Kate Winslet.

A BBC spokeswoman said: "I can confirm Christopher Eccleston is the new Doctor Who."

ECCENTRIC: How Chris may look

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• APA 6th ed.: Methven, Nicola (2004-03-20). Cracker Chris is the new Dr Who. The Mirror p. 7.
• MLA 7th ed.: Methven, Nicola. "Cracker Chris is the new Dr Who." The Mirror [add city] 2004-03-20, 7. Print.
• Chicago 15th ed.: Methven, Nicola. "Cracker Chris is the new Dr Who." The Mirror, edition, sec., 2004-03-20
• Turabian: Methven, Nicola. "Cracker Chris is the new Dr Who." The Mirror, 2004-03-20, section, 7 edition.
• Wikipedia (this article): <ref>{{cite news| title=Cracker Chris is the new Dr Who | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Cracker_Chris_is_the_new_Dr_Who | work=The Mirror | pages=7 | date=2004-03-20 | via=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=9 April 2025 }}</ref>
• Wikipedia (this page): <ref>{{cite web | title=Cracker Chris is the new Dr Who | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Cracker_Chris_is_the_new_Dr_Who | work=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=9 April 2025}}</ref>