Bingowings said:
He could have worn his current new look garb :
and have done all the same survivor guilt stuff the Eccethump did and not be the George Lazenby of Who.
His "current new look garb" predates the 2005 revival of the series. If I am not mistaken, that picture of him in the jacket with the sonic screwdriver is back when he desperately wanted to play the Doctor in the then upcoming new series.
As silly and awful as most of the series one nuWho episodes were, I kind of fell in love with Eccleston in that role. He was goofy, fun, intelligent, and formidable. I am pretty disappointed that he won't be in the 50th. McGann on the other hand... I guess I just can't get the awful taste of the 1996 telemovie out of my mouth.
I tried to listen to one of the Big Finish stories, but I just couldn't get into it. Doctor Who has kind of been a passive interest for me, something I watch in the background while doing other things, for the Big Finish stories, I found my ADHD self unable to focus on them enough to get anything out of them.
It really sucks for McGann, he got a short straw. Imagine scoring such an iconic role in what was meant to be the revival of a well loved series, only to find yourself starring in an absolutely awful film and that being the end of it. You hold onto hope for years that maybe there will be another attempt at bringing back the series and that maybe you'll still get your chance, and finally after so many years it looks like it might be coming a reality, only for the role to be recast out from under you. Salt to the wound: after ten years of you dying to get your chance as the Doctor, appearing at conventions, and making efforts to bring the show back, the new guy who steals the role from you quits one series in and want nothing to do with the series ever again.
But then again, could McGann have really pulled it off? He played a really boring and wooden Doctor. All the previous actors who played the Doctor seemed to have brought something to the table, made the character their own and into something interesting, some more so than others. McGann's Doctor just didn't stand out.