John Barrowman, Come On Down!

Both John Barrowman's official site and the BBC Press Office are now confirming that the star is set to host new BBC One gameshow, "The Kid's Are Alright". The show pits adults against children in a battle of wits: "Four adults compete to win cash prizes but there is one obstacle standing between them and the cash: seven super kids. Aged between nine and 15, these smart and sassy children are determined to see the adults go home with nothing."

A pilot episode was filmed at the end of July. There's no word on when the full series will swing into production, or indeed when it'll eventually air. More news when it comes in.

Back on Torchwood terrority, and Outpost Gallifrey (amongst others) have information regarding three brand new Torchwood novels, due for release in March 2008. They'll be priced at £7.99, and you can read the back cover synopsis for all three adventures below:

SOMETHING IN THE WATER by Trevor Baxendale
Dr Bob Strong’s GP surgery has been treating a lot of coughs and colds recently, far more than is normal for the time of year. Bob thinks there’s something up but he can’t think what. He seems to have caught it himself, whatever it is – he’s starting to cough badly and there are flecks of blood in his hanky.Saskia Harden has been found on a number of occasions submerged in ponds or canals but alive and seemingly none the worse for wear. Saskia is not on any files, except in the medical records at Dr Strong’s GP practice.But Torchwood’s priorities lie elsewhere: investigating ghostly apparitions in South Wales, they have found a dead body. It’s old and in an advanced state of decay. And it is still able to talk.And what it is saying is ‘Water hag’…

[TITLE TBC] by David Llewellyn
Tiger Bay, Cardiff, 1950. A mysterious crate is brought into the docks on a Scandinavian cargo ship. Its destination: the Torchwood Institute. As the crate is offloaded by a group of local dockers, it explodes, killing all but one of them, a young Butetown lad called Michael Bellini.Fifty-eight years later, a radioactive source somewhere inside the Hub leads Torchwood to discover the same Michael Bellini, still young and dressed in his 1950s clothes, cowering in the vaults. They soon realise that each has encountered Michael before – as a child in Osaka, as a junior doctor, as a young police constable, as a new recruit to Torchwood One. But it’s Jack who remembers him best of all.Michael’s involuntary time-travelling has something to do with a radiation-charged relic held inside the crate. And the Men in Bowler Hats are coming to get it back.

THE TWILIGHT STREETS by Gary Russell
There’s a part of the city that no one much goes to, a collection of rundown old houses and gloomy streets. No one stays there long, and no one can explain why – something’s not quite right there.Now the Council is renovating the district, and a new company is overseeing the work. There will be street parties and events to show off the newly gentrified neighbourhood: clowns and face-painters for the kids, magicians for the adults – the street entertainers of Cardiff, out in force.None of this is Torchwood’s problem. Until Toshiko recognises the sponsor of the street parties: Bilis Manger.Now there is something for Torchwood to investigate. But Captain Jack Harkness has never been able to get into the area; it makes him physically ill to go near it. Without Jack’s help, Torchwood must face the darker side of urban Cardiff alone…

Elsewhere James Moran has been discussing the time he met the Torchwood Declassified. Writing on his own blog the Torchwood and Doctor Who writer says that the production crew were around for the majority of filming. It's a step up from last year; could the second series of Declassified be longer than the first? Half an hour, say, instead of ten minute episodes?

BBC America are promoting the Region 1 release of the Torchwood series boxset by giving you the chance to vote on which cover art should be used. Head on over to this page and submit your vote, and you could be in with a chance of winning a boxset all for yourself!

Meanwhile over in the UK the cover art has already been decided for us (no fair). It's a plain design, featuring a large honeycomb Torchwood "T" and you can view the image - and pre-order the DVD - by clicking here. It's released on the 19th November with an RRP of around fifty pounds.

Finally, the latest issue of Doctor Who Magazine (out now, priced £3.99) confirms the running order for the first eight episodes of Torchwood's second series. When DWM went to press, there were still four episodes left to film. One note of interest - "Reset" has shifted in the schedule from episode six to now become episode five:

1: Written by Chris Chibnall; Directed by Ashley Way
2: Written by James Moran; Directed by Colin Teague
3: Written by Helen Raynor; Directed by Andy Goddard
4: Written by Catherine Tregenna; Directed by Colin Teague
5: "Reset" Written by JC Wilsher; Directed by Ashley Way
6: Written by Matt Jones; Directed by Andy Goddard
7: Written by Joseph Lidster; Directed by Andy Goddard
8: Written by Catherine Tregenna; Directed by Andy Goddard

More news when it comes in!