Doctor Who alum Christopher Eccleston will return as the Ninth Doctor in an all-new audio series titled Doctor Who: The Ninth Doctor Adventures from Big Finish Productions and BBC Studios.
The new audio adventure series will release as four separate box sets, each containing three episodes. The first box set is scheduled to debut in May 2021. No further details have been released at this time, so the plot is still under wraps for now. The series writers and additional cast will be announced at a later date.
"After 15 years, it will be exciting to revisit the Ninth Doctor's world, bringing back to life a character I love playing," Eccleston said in a statement.
"I first talked to Christopher about returning to the role of the Doctor at a fan convention in February this year. Christopher said he was enjoying meeting the fans and was pleased that his Doctor was remembered so fondly," Big Finish Chairman Jason Haigh-Ellery recalled. "I am so pleased that Christopher has decided to return to the role with us -- and I'm excited to welcome him to the Big Finish family as we discover the new adventures of the Ninth Doctor."
"Working with Chris was a very special time for me. The beginning of my Doctor Who TV career," Big Finish Creative DirectorNicholas Briggs added. "So, writing for and directing him feels incredibly exciting. He's such a powerful performer and it'll be amazing to work with him again."
Doctor Who: The Ninth Doctor Adventures will be available as a collector's edition CD, digital download and limited edition gatefold triple LP vinyl. Each box will be available starting at a price point of $19.99, although the collector's edition box set for the entire series will cost $88 and the full set of downloads will run for $78. Both collections also include behind-the-scenes content.
Each volume of Doctor Who: The Ninth Doctor Adventures runs for approximately 240 minutes. After the first box set releases in May, subsequent volumes are scheduled to release in August, November and February 2022. The series is now available for pre-order on the Big Finish website.
BBC's Doctor Who TV series now stars Jodie Whittaker as the 13th iteration of the titular Time Lord. Whittaker is joined by co-stars Bradley Walsh, Tosin Cole and Mandip Gill in a series spearheaded by showrunner Chris Chibnall. The next episode, "Revolution of the Daleks," will air this holiday season. The new season and all previous 11 seasons are now available on HBO Max.