About 
Bleeding Cool spoke with Molly C. Quinn about the Audible audio mystery series Unlicensed, from the creators of Welcome to Night Vale.
Posted in: BBC, Doctor Who, TV | Tagged: Audio Drama, BBC Radio 4, christopher eccleston, david bowie, doctor who, Harry Treadaway, nic roeg, the man who fell to earth, Walter Tevis
Doctor Who: Christopher Eccleston Set for "The Man Who Fell to Earth"
Christopher Eccleston is taking a break from Doctor Who audio dramas to co-star in BBC Radio 4's new version of The Man Who Fell to Earth.
Article Summary
- Christopher Eccleston stars in BBC Radio 4's "The Man Who Fell to Earth".
- The adaptation is from a novel by "The Hustler" author Walter Tevis.
- Eccleston plays scientist Nathan Bryce, opposite Harry Treadaway.
- The radio drama highlights alien struggles and government intrigue.
To many fans, Christopher Eccleston will always be Doctor Who, and now he's about to star in another Science Fiction classic: a new BBC Radio 4 adaptation of The Man Who Fell to Earth, adapted from the novel by Walter Tevis, who also wrote the original novels which became the Paul Newman movie The Hustler, and the Netflix hit series Queens Gambit. Harry Treadaway will play Thomas Newton, the alien who arrives on Earth, and Eccleston will play scientist Nathan Bryce. The script is written by TV writer Stephen Keyworth.
Not all BBC SciFi needs to be Doctor Who, and BBC Radio has always been very good at putting out more SciFi, better than UK TV. "The alien known as Thomas Newton arrives in Kentucky with a very specific mission. His plan is to use his race's advanced technology to make millions and then build a spaceship to bring the last of his people to live on Earth. But Newton begins to doubt his purpose and finds himself unable to cope with the emotional weight of being human. He finds solace with two fellow outsiders – cheery functioning alcoholic Betty-Jo, who falls quietly in love with him, and widowed scientist Nathan Bryce, who tracks him down after recognising his tech as impossible. Little do they realise that the Government is watching."
Next to Eccleston, who is not a Doctor but a scientist, and Treadaway, Laura Aikman will star as Betty-Jo. The rest of the cast includes Stuart Milligan, Glen McCready, Ako Mitchell, André Refig, Fiona Sheehan, and Alix Dunmore.
The Man Who Fell to Earth is kind of like a sad Doctor Who story without the Doctor. Things don't go well when the Doctor's not around. Nic Roeg made the classic 1976 movie starring David Bowie, and there was that slick but pointless sequel TV series on Showtime in 2022 that nobody watched or remembers. Eccleston never really went away as Doctor Who. After all, he's returned to play the Ninth Doctor in Big Finish audio dramas. The Man Who Fell to Earth will be streaming on BBC Radio 4 when it's released.
Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!
Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!
