My 50th Anniversary Tribute: The Ninth Doctor

Christopher Eccleston relaunched Doctor Who in style in 2005. After 16 years off our screens for a regular series, the wonderful show returned. But we were told a lot had happened during the hiatus! Eccleston's Ninth Doctor was clearly damaged, more sinister and darker than any Doctor before him. As his era went on we learned of the Time War, how the Doctor destroyed both the Daleks (or so he thought) and his own race, the Time Lords. He was now the last of his people and throughout his entire reign as the Doctor, Christopher Eccleston portrayed the scars incredibly well. 

His era begins in Rose, where we are brought a new format, a new companion but a familiar foe. Rose was introduced and what a marvellous companion she was! Blonde, beautiful and brilliant. The episode itself was excellent reintroducing Doctor Who through Rose's eyes and Who had clearly been modernised for the 21st century as we meet Rose's mother and boyfriend, something unique at that point in the show. The Autons returned with the Nestene Consciousness and the episode itself kicked off New Who in style! 

The great early standard would continue with two excellent serials- The End of the World where the Doctor came up against Cassandra and met the Face of Boe, and The Unquiet Dead where we had zombies and Charles Dickens! 

The first two-part serial occurred with Aliens of London/World War Three and was very good! The Slitheen were introduced and they were unique, disturbing but good villains. The Doctor also delved into politics for the first real time on screen meeting MPs and the Prime Minister, albeit a Slitheen in disguise. 

Dalek is my favourite Ninth Doctor episode because not only did it bring back the infamous foe, but it just perfectly portrayed how fearsome the Daleks are and how bad the Time War must have been. Bronzed and built for war, the new Dalek design was excellent. This episode saw the Doctor in an alien museum, not for the first time, and he even saw the head of a Cyberman on display! Adam joined the TARDIS in this episode, but the affair wouldn't last long. 

The Long Game saw the brilliant Simon Pegg in Doctor Who as the Editor, an outstanding villain. An all out great episode that saw the first visit to Satellite Five and the departure of Adam from the TARDIS in comical fashion. The Mighty Jagrafess was also featured and was certainly different to say the least! 

Next up was Father's Day and it saw the TARDIS pair visit the not to distant past. Rose met her dead father, the Doctor was swallowed up by a Reaper and the TARDIS became simply a box! A fantastically good episode! 

The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances was an outstanding two-part story! Set in the blitz, the episode was fantastic at having a young boy in a gas mask as the enemy (of sorts)! Perfectly introducing Captain Jack to our screens, he was instantly loveable and seen as a match for the Doctor when it came to decision making! The story was also great due to the fact that everybody lived, this made the Doctor so happy and it made you realise again the effect of the Time War. Jack joined the TARDIS crew and the next story, Boom Town, saw Mickey join up with the trio as they battled against one last surviving Slitheen.

Christopher Eccleston bowed out as the Doctor in some style. The season alias of 'Bad Wolf' finally came to a conclusion and the season finale in general was just incredible. The Doctor was a Big Brother housemate, Rose was beamed at on the Weakest Link and the Daleks returned in mass numbers, they'd survived the Time War. The Dalek Emperor also returned and was brilliant! The Doctor showed no mercy against the Daleks, he'd had enough of them and was ruthless. He sent Rose home, but her will and drive to protect and help the Doctor was incredibly brilliant of the companion, so much so that she opened the heart of the TARDIS and took in the power of the time vortex! She wiped out the Daleks, resurrected Captain Jack and then kissed the Doctor- which took the power from Rose and into him, the change started. 

Christoper Eccleston's Ninth Doctor regenerated in tremendous style and as the season concluded, a new face was inside the TARDIS. 

Overall, Eccelston's 13 episode stint as the Doctor was outstanding, feeling the effects of the Time War he was a damaged man. But still undoubtedly the Doctor, and that's what made him brilliant. I look forward to more Ninth Doctor adventures in the form of novels, I have many to read. The one book I have read featuring the Ninth Doctor, The Clockwise Man, was magnificent so I have a high standard, purely because the Ninth Doctor brings a sense of eeriness and darkness, despite being the hero.