A couple of days ago, news crossed my various social media timelines that I had begun to despair of ever seeing for real: Christopher Eccleston has signed on with Big Finish to bring us more Ninth Doctor adventures! Given Eccleston’s well known reluctance to talk much about his time on the show, and outright resistance to the idea of returning, this news feels kissed with a touch of the miraculous.

According to the news item published on the Big Finish website, talks began between Big Finish executives and Eccleston at this year’s Gallifrey One convention. Since the former Doctor even got unexpected pressure (such as it was) from Radio Free Skaro‘s Steven Schapansky, I think it’s safe to say he got the idea that it’s something fans might actually want.

I can understand why he might not want to reprise the role. Although I believe him when he says he loved playing the Doctor, a bad work environment is going to leave a bad taste in anyone’s mouth. Having the corporate entity in charge of the franchise release a statement on one’s behalf—without consultation or agreement—that results in abuse from supposed fans leveled at one’s ailing, aged parent? That’s gonna be even harder to forgive.

But I think he’s finally had the opportunity to learn how very dearly Ninth Doctor fans hold him in our hearts. After so many bad experiences with those just looking to turn a quick buck, his entry into the convention circuit has put him face-to-face with those of us who adore his Doctor, and by proxy adore him for his performance.

I get the sense that we con attendees got to be the Whos of Whoville (how apropos) to Eccleston’s Grinch, showing him the true meaning of our abiding love for this show. That’s what I’m telling myself, anyway. I’d like to think that I am, in some small way, partly responsible for helping bring about this new collection of audio adventures.

So what can we expect? There will be four volumes in the new Ninth Doctor Adventures series, released May, August, and November 2021, and February 2022. Each volume is listed as four discs with a total length of 240 minutes. That likely means four hour-long adventures in each volume, but could mean three adventures and a special features disc.

As for supporting cast, that’s all still under wraps (or, more likely, not yet contracted). I’d be very surprised, though, if we don’t get Billie Piper back as Rose Tyler. During the Gallifrey One 2020 interview panel I alluded to above (in which Schapansky was the interviewer), Eccleston fielded a question about who his potential Companion(s) might be should he ever choose to return to the role in, say, audio format. He responded with, “Well, it could only ever be Rose.”

Given Eccleston’s own inclinations, then, and the fact that Piper has already reprised her role with Big Finish both alongside David Tennant (for three stories in The Tenth Doctor Adventures, Volume 2) and alongside Camille Coduri (Jackie Tyler) and Shawn Dingwall (Pete Tyler), I think there’s a high probability that they’ll get her for at least one of the four volumes of The Ninth Doctor Adventures. But we’ll have to wait to see for sure.

However it pans out, I believe it will be Fantastic.