The new Doctor Who

Christopher Eccleston ponders his future as Dr Who

The new Dr Who, Christopher Eccleston has given the first interview on his new role to Breakfast.

He praised the work of the new series' writer, Russell T Davies - also responsible for Channel 4, hit Queer as Folk - who he described as creating a more contemporary time lord.

Chris revealed: "I don't think he's going to be quite as eccentric and quite as foppish as he was in some of his incarnations."

He also claimed the hats and scarves had been cast aside and suggested, "I think he should have a slight dark side."

And Chris hinted at a "much more intelligent and pro-active" sidekick, called Rose Tyler.

The actress for the role has not yet been chosen, but, according to Christopher, she can hope to see the softer side of the Doctor.

"He's got two hearts Dr Who and they can both be broken", explained the actor, famed for his parts in Our Friends in the North and Clocking Off.

Time lord timeline

Doctor Who is the world's longest running science fiction TV series.

It began, in scratchy black and white in 1963, with William Hartnell playing the time-travelling doctor.

Rather than scrap the children's TV series when Hartnell decided to leave, the producers tried an unusual trick.

The doctor "transmogrified" - into the actor Patrick Troughton.

Since then, he's been played by six different actors, each of whom has brought his own style and idiosyncrasies to the part.

He's battled scores of aliens armed with dozens of secret weapons.

But, for many, the Doctor's most formidable enemy remains the Daleks and their evil genius leader Davros - the only scientist who's ever managed to modify a sink plunger so it can exterminate a fully grown man.

The new chairman of the BBC Michael Grade was responsible for axing the series in 1985, but he has given his assurance he will not do the same again.

Filming for the latest Doctor Who begins in May - but it's not expected to appear on our TV screens until next year (2005).

Click on the link in the top right hand corner to see the exclusive interview Christopher Eccleston gave to Breakfast on BBC One

Or you could go and see Christopher Eccleston in the flesh at the West Yorkshire Playhouse where he is appearing in another Russell T Davies creation, 'Electricity'.