Former Doctor Who star Christopher Eccleston revealed he's open to returning to the BBC sci-fi series in the future -- so long as he doesn't have to share the screen with any other Doctors.

Eccleston discussed the possibility of portraying the ninth incarnation of the Doctor once more, in a recent interview with Doctor Who TV. "The Ninth Doctor, in particular, is a one-man band. Definitely, " said Eccleston. "So he doesn’t work with other Doctors. If you want me back, you'd get me on my own."

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Eccleston further shared why he was so adamant about not appearing in a Doctor Who episode or special that saw him star opposite multiple versions of the character. "When I worked on the series, I had really strong ideas about what works and what doesn't, and I always think that multi-Doctor stories are a bit of a cash-in, and a bit of exploitation," explained the actor. "Creatively, they never worked for me. I looked at the script for the 50th anniversary [special] and I felt as soon as I said I wasn't doing it got better because, well, if I'm not in it, it's better."

Eccleston also had kind words for his most recent Doctor Who successor, Jodie Whittaker, branding the Thirteenth Doctor "the greatest Doctor." Whittaker is departing Doctor Who this year, after headlining a series of specials intended to serve as the swansong for her five-year tenure as The Doctor. Executive producer Matt Strevens recently described the last of these three specials as "a really good send-off" for Whittaker, saying "The final story is a massive, feature-length epic -- it was huge to shoot -- with lots of surprises for fans of all ages... I think it will push everybody's buttons."

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Whittaker isn't the only major departure from the Doctor Who cast and crew, either. Showrunner Chris Chibnall is also exiting the series following the release of the last of Doctor Who's 2022 specials. Former showrunner Russell T. Davies will replace Chibnall, returning to the series he successfully relaunched back in 2005. "I wouldn't go back [to Doctor Who] if it wasn't feeling new. But that's the thing about Doctor Who -- every episode is new. Every single episode," said Davies, of taking the reins as Doctor Who showrunner for the second time.

The next Doctor Who special, "Legend of the Sea Devils," arrives this spring on BBC One in the UK and BBC America in the US.

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Source: Doctor Who TV