This is not a drill: after a 15-year hiatus, Christopher Eccleston is reprising his role as the Ninth Doctor in a new series of 12 Doctor Who audio adventures.

Made by Big Finish Productions in association with BBC Studios, the audio adventures will be released in four standalone volumes, beginning with volume one in May 2021. “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 press release.

Eccleston portrayed the Ninth Doctor in Doctor Who's first revival season in 2005, starring opposite Billie Piper (Rose Tyler), Noel Clarke (Mickey Smith), and John Barrowman (Captain Jack Harkness). He departed the role after the 13-episode season, which successfully relaunched the iconic sci-fi show for the 21st century.

The new audio adventures will reunite Eccleston with Nicholas Briggs, Creative Director of Big Finish, and a voice actor who has portrayed various characters including the Daleks, Cybermen, and Judoon in the Doctor Who TV show.

“Working with Chris was a very special time for me. The beginning of my Doctor Who TV career. 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,” Briggs said.

On Twitter, news that Eccleston is returning to the Doctor Who fold has been greeted with enormous excitement from fans.

https://twitter.com/Valamist/status/1292496934876385281?s=20

https://twitter.com/ReadingAutistic/status/1292507557790195712?s=20

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In the meantime, you can whet your appetite by reading our recent guide to what Eccleston and his Doctor Who castmates have been up to since the show's first season in 2005.

Are you excited that Christopher Eccleston is going to be portraying the Ninth Doctor again?