He’s back! After 16 years, plenty of doomed attempts (remember Steven Moffat’s alternate Day of the Doctor script?) and half-measures, Christopher Eccleston has slipped back into the world of Doctor Who, bringing his short-lived Ninth Doctor to life once more for a series of Big Finish audio adventures.

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First up? The Ninth Doctor Adventures Volume One: Ravagers, which sees the Doctor team up with a chef to stop a species of terrifying monsters on a frantic journey through time and space – and if you can’t wait until the proper release on Thursday 13th May, on this week’s RadioTimes.com Doctor Who podcast we’re able to give your our (spoiler-free) first reaction to Eccleston’s return.

“When I listened to him throughout the whole thing, I thought yeah - that's the Ninth Doctor,” RadioTimes.com Sci-Fi & Fantasy Editor Huw Fullerton says.

“He sounds right. In my head I'm picturing 2005-era Christopher Eccleston, running around in a leather jacket.”

“But there's other moments where there are slightly different shades to his performance,” adds Executive Editor Morgan Jeffery. “I think especially because he's talked about how looking back, he wasn't entirely satisfied with how he played the lighter moments, and the bigger moments for the Doctor.

“I think that's where his performance differs slightly here – I think maybe he sounds a bit more comfortable doing that stuff. But your general Doctorishness moments – in those moments, yeah, he does sound exactly as he ever did.”

In conclusion, the whole adventure is a real treat for fans of Eccleston’s too-short tenure in the TARDIS – especially those who’ve been holding a candle for his return this whole time.

“I had this real nostalgic moment when the 2005-era opening theme started playing, and then Christopher Eccleston's there - I had a little flashback to being really excited for that first series,” Huw Fullerton concludes.

Want to hear more about Christopher Eccleston’s grand return? You can listen to the full podcast above, and check back for our full review later this week. Last week’s podcast about some suspicious Doctor Who series 13 leaks can be found here, and our latest Big Finish poll continues here.

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The Ninth Doctor Adventures: Ravagers is available for physical and download purchase on the Big Finish website from Thursday 13th May. Want something else? Check out our dedicated Sci-Fi page or our full TV Guide.

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