Matt Smith: 'Eccleston could return to Doctor Who'

Matt Smith thinks Christopher Eccleston would return for a 'Doctor Who' special.

The show celebrates its 50th anniversary next year and it has previously been speculated a special episode featuring as many of the surviving actors who have played the Timelord would return, and though Christopher - who had the lead role for one series in 2005 - has distanced himself from the programme, its current lead star thinks he would come back.

Asked about the possibility of the seven surviving Doctors returning, Matt said: ''It's a [good idea], yeah. But that's easier said than done I would have thought.

''Chris will be alright. Well, I mean, who knows? I'd love it. I'd love him to come back.''

Matt is a big fan of how Christopher portrayed the Timelord and thinks his own character would lose in a fight to him.

He added: ''I love his Doctor. I really do. He was from Manchester. Proper hard. Leather jacket. He'd give my Doctor a bit of a whopping, wouldn't he?''

Matt also revealed he writes thank you notes to the 'Doctor Who' guest stars after being gifted a box of personalized stationary by the show's then-executive producer Piers Wenger when he joined the programme.

He told Esquire magazine: ''I thought it was a very nice gift. Now each actor that comes in, I write them a little note of thanks. I say, 'Thank you for your hard work.' Not to all of them. To some of them.''