Eccleston on Whiley, Mayo

Jo Whiley

New Doctor Christopher Eccleston appeared on Jo Whiley's programme on the BBC's new music station Radio 1 this afternoon, appearing between the records for about half an hour between 12 midday and half past. After being played four audio clips of monsters from the old series to try and identify (Cybermen, Daleks, Zygons and Ice Warriors - he got them all wrong apart from the Dalek, claiming that the Ice Warrior was an Ogron!) he then discussed the new series in some detail.

Chris revealed that he does not meet the Cybermen when Whiley asked him about that monster, although he did say that he meets one "in a glass case" in one episode. When asked what his favourite monster from the new series is, he claimed it was "the creatures who come through a crack in time in episode eight". He also said that this particular episode was his favourite, as it deals with Rose going back in time to meet her dead father, who she never knew.

Chris explained that he will not be doing a regeneration scene, and discussed how his casting means that the next Doctor could be "anybody". He talked, as he often has, of his admitation for Russell T Davies' writing, and how his characterisation of the Ninth Doctor is "a car crash between me and Russell T Davies". When asked if he had any previous favourite Doctors, he said that he liked Patrick Troughton, who he thought seemed very alien, but also said that Tom Baker had had "a pop" (made unpleasant comments) about him.

Towards the end of the interview Whiley read out questions e-mailed and texted in by listeners. Chris said that he was unlikely ever do attend a convention, and on the subject of a second series said that he was "reserving judgement", claiming that he and Davies had only ever initially discussed one series. Whiley ended the interview by reading out a message from a woman called Anna who apparently worked on the beginning of the filming last year, saying that Eccleston had promised to take the entire crew out to dinner if he ever said a certain phrase. Whiley asked what the phrase was, and Eccleston laughed and replied that it was: "Trust me, I'm a Doctor!"

The programme is available to Listen Again online at the BBC's website here; Chris appears a little over two hours into the programme.

Simon Mayo

Christopher Eccleson made his second BBC radio appearance of the day to promote the new series this afternoon when he appeared on Simon Mayo's afternoon show on the Corporation's news and sport talk station, BBC Radio 5 Live. Coming on just after the news and sport at two o'clock, Eccleston was present for the majority of the hour, and began with a good-natured argument with the sports correspondent after he was told by Mayo that he disliked Doctor Who. The sports correspondent outlined why, and Eccleston suggested that he had a lack of imagination!

Eccleston then talked about previous Doctors such as Pertwee and Baker seeming too much like authority figures which was why he had never been drawn to them, and made the comparison with Sean Connery being his favourite James Bond actor because he spoke with a Scottish accent rather than a typical 'RP' voice. The sports reporter chipped in again at this point and insisted that Roger Moore was the best Bond, which resulted in more banter between the pair of them.

Simon Mayo then asked Eccleston how "your Bond" differed to previous ones, a slip of the tongue cheerfully pointed out by Eccleston. "Bond is my dream!" he joked, saying he would be a big-eared James Bond! He then went back to serious Doctor Who talk, saying how it's different but key elements have been kept, particularly the TARDIS interior which he is very proud of. The "soul of the TARDIS" is apparently a key concept in the series.

Mayo then introduced a series of clips from the new series, which mostly consisted of various shouts, screams and monster roars, with an excerpt from the "Run for your life!" scene and a few lines from Richard Wilson as Doctor Constantine. After the clips, Eccleston talked about Russell T Davies huge fandom for the series, and how he'd always apparently dreamed of the TARDIS appearing in Swansea when he had been a child, and going off and becoming the Doctor's assistant.

He then discussed how it was a "balancing act" having to appeal across the generations, and how he had to make sure he seemed like a hero so that the children would not be frightened by the peril the character is often in. The Doctor is not frightened "except for when the Daleks arrive."

Mayo then introduced a caller on the phone, 13 year-old Johnston from Macclesfield, who asked about a second series. Eccleston says it depends on ratings and then asks him what he likes about the Doctor's character. Johnston replied that it's the mystery of the character that appeals, and Eccleston found this interesting.

Mayo then asked if Eccleston ever found himself laughing at some of the things he had to go in the series, and the actor says he didn't, but that some people had found some of the humour, and one scene from episode on in particular, "too broad." He uses this to move on to talk about what they've done with the Doctor's character: "We can do what we like with this Doctor... we're not going to be pinned down...Pulling the Doctor and his image out of shape and re-inventing it."

He said that he thought the programme as a whole was a "brilliant idea by Sydney Newman," and praised the cast and crew who had worked on the new series. He said that he was publicising the show because he thinks it's so good, the implication being that if he didn't think much of it he wouldn't be doing all of these interviews!

An American lady e-mailed and asked if they can see it. "They seem to be hanging back," Eccleston replied, mentioning that Canada had already bought the show. "Please don't watch the pirated episode one... it doesn't show us in our best light and is also illegal."

Mayo and Eccleston the talked about how many Doctors there had been, after one listener e-mailed in and claimed that Eccleston was "the eighth or tenth Doctor," as they hadn't counted "Christopher Lee from the films." Both Mayo and Eccleston pointed out that this was in fact Peter Cushing, and Eccleston specifically mentioned that the listener must have forgotten "the brilliant Paul McGannn." He then joked about 'canon' being a hot topic of debate amongst fans of the show: "This thing about Doctor Who fans, is it canon?"

Another listener e-mailed and asked if they will do the famous 'knock knock' joke. Mayo reluctantly suggests this to Eccleston, who surprisingly agrees and they do the old routine. Mayo suggested after this that the nation was probably groaning at their radio sets.

There was then a discussion of the new costume, leather jacket etc, and Mayo asked about the Doctor's sexuality, picking up on a Daily Telegraph article asking if the Doctor would be gay. "Yes and no," was Eccleston's cheeky answer - before adding that "human sexuality is not an issue to him," and explaining that this was one of the factors that attracted him to the character. He moved on to talk some more about the Doctor's character in general, saying that he can be "brutal pragmatist", but is also "very accepting." He thinks that being accepting of alien races is "a clever, powerful message," to have in a show for children.

There was then some discussion of budgets and production values, and Eccleston said that the imaginations of the writers deserved the bigger budgets and better production values to realise the scripts. Mayo said he was surprised at people dying in early evening television, but Eccleston insisted that there is "always a price paid in each episode." He added that darkness appeals to the children because it "throws up strong emotions and strong questions." He likes the idea of the Doctor having shades of grey, saying that this was why he liked Connery's Bond so much.

Mayo then asked about how he got the part, and seemed surprised that he had had to audition instead of simply being given the role straight away. Eccleston talked about his audition after initially joking that it was a "state secret", and jokingly complained that the nasal hair trimmer he had used as a sonic screwdriver prop in the audition had "never been returned to me by the BBC."

An e-mail correspondent asked who will be playing The Master - Eccleston replied that The Master was not in the series, but was also possibly confusing the character with Davros as he went on to say that "Something connected to the whole Dalek lore..."

Another e-mailer wrote in to praise his famous death scene in the early 1990s ITV drama Cracker, and Eccleston praised the work of Cracker's writer, Jimmy McGovern. His belief is "an actor is only ever as good as his writer." He brings this back to Doctor Who by defending some of the criticism of older Doctors, saying that it's it's about the writers, "the writing lost some of its strength...Television is about the writers and the scripts, not actors and directors."

On the subject of the old series, he talked about watching An Unearthly Child after he had got the part, describing it as "a fantastic and original piece of television... Doctor Who works brilliantly in black and white." Later he apparently "got leathered on a couple of bottles of wine" six months into the job and watched Tom Baker - "that is a brilliant Doctor."

Mayo asked if the Doctor really needs a companion figure, and Eccleston insisted that he does. "Our hearts and minds and eyes and ears," are how he explained the role of the companion in the stories.

After the news at half past two, Mayo read out an e-mail from somebody pointing out to the sports correspondent that in Remembrance of the Daleks the Daleks did indeed go upstairs, which was one of the criticisms the reporter had made at the top of the hour when Eccleston was introduced. The sports reporter then says that he actually liked Sylvester McCoy, and recalled the actor "hammering six inch nails up his nose" in his pre-Who career.

Eccleston then praised the crew who had worked a "tough rate" on the series, 13 episodes in eight and half months, 14 hour days. Mayo asks if he ever thought it was too much work and if he ever thought about giving up, and Eccleston said that he did but that "Russell's writing and the idea that I was doing something for kids," kept him going.

Mayo the asked about Michael Grade "I'm pretty sure that we can change people's minds with the writers that we've got," was Eccleston's verdict, but he didn't know whether or not Grade had seen any of the new series yet.

An e-mail was read from somebody asking if he would ever be doing another play at the West Yorkshire Playhouse in Leeds. "Theatre is one of the things I'd like to do next," he replied, also suggesting that he may do something at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield.

'Sue from Stockport' phoned up and enthused about hiding from the Daleks, asking if the new ones will be scary. "There are certain things that they can do now that they didn't used to be able to do," was Eccleston's answer, also saying that the psychology is frightening: "they know a lot more about the Doctor than anybody else... a mental chess game with the Doctor. They change the Doctor's personality in episode six - they drive him mad. He's frightened of the Daleks. It's the psychological interplay."

Another e-mailer asked him what he thinks about his role in 1996's Our Friends in the North. "Very proud that British television would attempt something on that scale with that intelligent. Very proud to be involved in it - again what was most important about that was the writer."

A woman e-mailed to ask if it will be too scary for her five year-old son. Eccleston's verdict was that "it's down to the kid, each five year-old's different - give it a go, let him watch episode one and episode two." He talked about the reaction to frightening things in the programme, and said again that: "The Doctor's attitude to terror is not a typical reaction, except for when he sees the Dalek."

Apparently the origins of the TARDIS looking like a Police Box is discussed in both episode one and at great length in episode eleven. Apparently the Doctor is very fond of it because it's: ***DIRTY HUGE GREAT BIG SPOILER*** "The only remnant of his civilisation."

He then briefly discussed his film career: "I had a go at Hollywood and gave one of the worst performances on record... My art lies with British culture and British television and British life."

Finally Mayo enthuses that "I think you're going to have a very large audience there at seven o'clock on BBC One". Eccleston finishes with "Russell's got a long way to go with this series..." and after the show's travel reporter suggested they might make a film, said that "Maybe an American film and we'll all sell out, you'll have to bring me back and drag me over the coals."

-- Paul Hayes