In the autumn of 2003 , it was announced that the series would be resurrected beginning in 2005 ; the casting of Piper as Rose Tyler , a traveling companion to The Doctor ( to be played by Christopher Eccleston ) , was announced in May 2004 .
In May 2004 , it was announced that Piper was to play the character Rose Tyler , companion to The Doctor , played by Christopher Eccleston , in the long-running BBC television series Doctor Who , beginning in 2005 .