Doctor Who showrunner, Russell T Davies, who was one of the driving forces behind the show coming back to TV in 2005, has spoken fondly of Christopher Eccleston, who played the Ninth Doctor.

Though the relationship between Davies and Eccleston broke down very swiftly while filming for Series 1, apparently one reason Christopher left the role after one season, the actor has generally said how proud he is of his era of the programme. Davies has stayed largely quiet about this breakdown, so it’s nice to hear him talking so warmly of Eccleston.

Davies said:

“I mean, the man is a master. You get to work with a genius – someone who’s still at the top of his game all these years later. That’s what we were lucky to get.”

He also gave an example of how seriously Eccleston took the role:

“I remember walking on set one morning and Chris had discovered in some book or online that the Doctor was allergic to aspirin. Which is something William Hartnell’s Doctor had said.

“So we had this great morning of working out whether we could get aspirin into a plot. I did have to tell Chris, ‘Things that were said in the ’60s aren’t necessarily lore – you don’t have to absolutely follow them’. But that tells you a lot about how he threw himself into it.

“I hope he knows how well remembered he is, as a magnificent Doctor who broke the mould.”

The interview, from the latest issue of Doctor Who Magazine, celebrates 20 years since the franchise hit TV screens again with Eccleston accompanied by Billie Piper playing companion, Rose Tyler.

And Christopher is a magnificent Doctor and actor. He introduced so many people, myself included, to Doctor Who, which is a fantastic thing indeed.