Christopher Eccleston nearly missed filming major ‘Doctor Who’ show due to family emergency
After taking the role in the 2005 revival of the show, Christopher Eccleston nearly missed filming one of his most acclaimed episodes of ‘Doctor Who’ due to a family emergency.
Christopher Eccleston nearly missed filming one of his most acclaimed episodes of ‘Doctor Who’ due to a family emergency.
The actor, 61, portrayed the Ninth Doctor in the 2005 revival of the show, was scheduled to appear in ‘Father’s Day’ but was briefly written out when his father fell ill.
Director Joe Ahearne, 58, told the Radio Times: “He wasn’t going to be in it as much as he ended up being in it.
“I seem to remember his dad was ill at the time, so there was a script going round at one point where the Doctor was in another dimension and we just had him in voice only.”
‘Father’s Day’, written by Paul Cornell, 57, and directed by Ahearne, was first broadcast on May 14, 2005. The episode follows Rose Tyler, played by Billie Piper, 42, as she travels back to 1987 to witness the death of her father, Pete Tyler, portrayed by Shaun Dingwall, 53.
When Rose saves Pete from a fatal car accident, she creates a temporal paradox that unleashes the Reapers – monstrous creatures that consume the wounded timeline.
The Doctor ultimately sacrifices himself to protect others, leading Pete to realise he must die to restore the timeline. He steps in front of the car, allowing history to correct itself.
‘Father’s Day’ was filmed in November 2004 in Cardiff, with locations including St Paul's Church in Grangetown.
Despite the challenges posed by Christopher’s personal circumstances, he was able to participate more fully in the episode than initially planned. The production team had prepared a version of the script where the Doctor would be absent from the action, communicating only as a disembodied voice.
‘Father’s Day’ received positive reviews and was nominated for the 2006 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form.
It was one of three ‘Doctor Who’ episodes nominated that year, alongside ‘Dalek’ and the winning entry, ‘The Empty Child’ / ‘The Doctor Dances’.
In 2020, Christopher returned to the role of the Ninth Doctor in a series of audio dramas produced by Big Finish, marking his first time reprising the character since 2005.
In 2025, he and Piper reunited for a new series of audio dramas, revisiting familiar settings such as the Powell Estate and featuring returning characters like Jackie Tyler, played by Camille Coduri, 59.
‘Doctor Who’ continues next Saturday, 17 May, with new episodes available from 8am on BBC iPlayer in the UK and later the same day on BBC One.
The series is available on Disney+ outside the UK.
