Christopher Eccleston, best known as the Ninth Doctor in Doctor Who, has shared the story behind a famous scene from the TV crime series Cracker.
I was completely captivated by that 90s drama! It was all Jimmy McGovern’s doing – he created and wrote the whole thing. It followed a police team in Greater Manchester as they tackled tough cases, and Christopher Eccleston was brilliant as DCI David Bilborough. He really brought that character to life.
Okay, so this is a bit of a dark one, but it really stuck with me. Bilborough ended up getting killed by Albie Kinsella – Robert Carlyle, who’s fantastic, by the way. The way they did it was just groundbreaking for British TV at the time. He was literally bleeding out while giving this final, desperate message over the radio, like a dying declaration. It was incredibly powerful and shocking, and I still remember it vividly.
In an interview with TopMob magazine about his new Netflix series, Unchosen, the actor discussed why he left the show Cracker.
He said the producers initially wanted him committed to three seasons of the show, but he only agreed to one, wanting to see how it went first. After it proved successful, he was willing to return, but didn’t want to sign on for a long commitment like three seasons, especially wanting to avoid being tied down alongside Robbie Coltrane, who he spoke of fondly.
He went on to explain that this gave Jimmy McGovern, the writer, a unique opportunity. While killing off main characters is common now, it hadn’t been done before in 1994 when he did it.
Neither of us could have predicted how popular it would become, but at the time, with only four channels available, we were reaching 13 million people. The success of the show is entirely down to the quality of the writing.
He went on to explain that the situation led to questions being raised in Parliament, and it finally helped him overcome his unnecessary feelings of guilt about working as an actor.
I really enjoy working with Mr. McGovern and hope he’ll consider hiring me again someday, perhaps at a senior living facility.
Authors
Molly Moss writes about the newest trends in television, movies, and other entertainment for TopMob. She has a master’s degree in journalism and has contributed to major publications like The Guardian, The Times, and The Sun Online.
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2026-04-12 10:05