It seems like only yesterday that multiple generations of Doctor Who had reunited for the 50th anniversary, let alone earlier days of Christopher Eccleston’s more grim ninth doctor. And while fans still place odds on how much longer we’ll have Peter Capaldi, Eccleston claims he wishes he’d stuck with the series longer than a season.

Eccleston famously had difficulty finding the right tone for his Doctor in collaboration with creator Russell T. Davies, ultimately deciding to part ways with the series after one season. The current Leftovers star even declined the opportunity to reprise his role in the 50th anniversary, but now tells 774 ABC Melbourne’s Drive (via io9) he wishes he’d stayed longer:

It was kind of tragic for me, that I didn’t play him for longer. He’s a beautiful character and I have a great deal of professional pride and had I done a second season, there would have been a marked improvement in my performance. I was learning new skills, in terms of playing light comedy. I was not known for light comedy and, again, production did not allow for that.

It’s of interest to wonder where Doctor Who might have gone had Eccleston stayed on, likely costing us fan-favorite star David Tennant and setting the series on an entirely different trajectory. It also remains unclear how much longer current star Peter Capaldi will stay with the series, but might Eccleston ever reunite with the franchise after all?

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