BBC admits to Dr Who gaffe

The BBC has admitted it failed to speak to actor Christopher Eccleston before revealing he was going to quit Dr Who after the first series.

It was originally claimed the star, who has appeared in television drama Cracker and hit film Shallow Grave, feared he would be typecast if he stayed on.
And the actor was believed to have found filming the series gruelling.

In a statement the BBC credited Eccleston with saying: "The audience's response for the new Doctor Who has been incredible and I am really proud to be part of it and I hope viewers continue to enjoy the series."

But last night the corporation revealed it had not consulted Eccleston before issuing the statement.

Jane Tranter, BBC head of drama commissioning said: "The BBC regrets not speaking to Christopher before it responded to the press questions on Wednesday March 30.

"The BBC further regrets that it falsely attributed a statement to Christopher and apologises to him."

The BBC spokesman said a mutual agreement was made between the corporation and Eccleston in January this year that the fact he was not making a second series would not be made public.

But after journalists quizzed the press office, the news was confirmed.

"Contrary to press statements Christopher did not leave for fear of being typecast or because of the gruelling filming schedule," said Ms Tranter.

"The BBC is delighted by Christopher's performance as Dr Who. He has brought iconic status and contemporary vision to this classic role, reinvigorating it for a new generation of fans.

"We look forward to working with him again on future projects."

Dr Who launched its new 13-part run at Easter weekend on BBC1, following a 16-year hiatus.

A second series of the show has been commissioned by the BBC with Billie Piper returning in the role of the Time Lord's assistant, Rose.

The corporation confirmed it was in talks with actor David Tennant, the star of the drama Casanova, which is currently showing on BBC3, as a possible replacement for Eccleston.