Looking at the title of this Confession, you might be under the mistaken impression that I don’t like Nine. In fact, just the opposite is true. While my affections were eventually transferred firmly to Ten, Nine was the Doctor who brought me into the fold, and he truly was fantastic. I love him to pieces, and was definitely left wanting more.

So why the grumpy face? Simple. Christopher Eccleston, the actor who so brilliantly portrayed the Doctor’s ninth incarnation, never really bought into the whole bonkers culture that surrounds Who. It wasn’t for him. I suppose I can’t really fault him for that (I know it’s not everyone’s cup of tea), but if you’re not going to buy in, why put yourself in that position? Why take the role and then bail at the first available opportunity?

I rewatched the BBC Breakfast interview included in the Series One extras the other day, and you can tell he’s trying hard to head the critics off at the pass. He was always very complimentary to the fan base, saying that he appreciated the loyalty to the old show and the encouragement he got from the Whovians he had met while filming. Doing his best to avoid coming out with the biggest spoiler of that series (that he would, in fact regenerate at the end), Eccleston still chose to emphasize how what he’d done (“to date!” I’m sure all the viewer were thinking at the time) was already the equivalent of two series on the old show, when they did 25-minute episodes instead of 45-minute ones. You keep tellin’ yourself that, mate…

The interview also clarifies why he wanted the part in the first place. Aside from being excited about RTD’s writing (as, admit it, most of us were for at least the first series or two), Eccleston wanted a professional challenge. He’d been told he couldn’t do funny. He’d been told he couldn’t do charming. Those are key characteristics of the Doctor, and I have to say, I think he pulled it off brilliantly. But I suppose once he thought he’d demonstrated those abilities, it was time to extract himself from a situation in which he “wasn’t comfortable.”

That really leaves those of us who loved his strong-yet-vulnerable, quirky, beautifully mercurial Nine in the lurch. Not only are we forever deprived of further televised stories featuring Nine (almost, but not quite, as bad as the dearth of appearances by Eight), but also means that we get no other media (like audio dramas) from him.

Worst of all, to my mind, is the fact that he will not appear in any sort of multi-Doctor story they might produce for the 50th anniversary in 2013. Eccleston was, in fact, asked point blank whether he’d come back for the big anniversary. The response? An unequivocal negative. He told interviewer Graham Norton that he would “never bathe in the same river twice.” Thus ends the dream of many a neowhovian to see all of “our” Doctors together again.

It reminds one of the less-than-perfect 20th anniversary special The Five Doctors, in which Tom Baker (Four) was notable in his absence (at least William Hartnell (One) had the excuse of having already died; his part was played by a completely different actor, Richard Hurndall). Supposedly Baker’s excuse was that his departure was too recent (a total load of hooey; what fan would not have wanted to see him back?). In my opinion, his absence is a blot on that special that will forever mar Whovian history. And now, with our even more reluctant hero Nine, there’s almost sure to be an even bigger hole in whatever sort of celebratory story they pull out for the 50th anniversary.

Unless, by some miracle, Eccleston decides that just dipping his toes in from the banks would be acceptable.