The Ninth Doctor

Christopher Eccleston took over the helm of the TARDIS for the series' revival in 2005.

For the new series, Russell T Davies presented what has been described as a 'stripped down' version of the previous Doctors, an effort to reintroduce the character to a brand new audience. The Ninth Doctor was different again, speaking with Ecclestone's distinct Northern accent, and dressed in a dark leather jacket and jeans. Far less eccentric than some of his predecessors, subtle elements of his personality began to emerge, revealing aspects of character that were definitely not human...

This particular Doctor lived solely for the present, keen to share his life with Rose (Billie Piper) but somehow avoiding discussing his own past because "there's some pain there". This series would later reveal the reason why -  he carries guilt about the Time War which saw the destruction of his own race, the Time Lords, occurring sometime before the series relaunch. The reintroduction of the Daleks during this year's run and in the concept of regeneration in "The Parting of the Ways" makes this a very powerful series. Although Eccleston's Doctor only ended up featuring in ten stories (thirteen hour-long episodes), handing over to David Tennant at the end of the final show, his characterisation gave the show a very strong relaunch.