They Punish the Earth Defenders

John Barrowman is interviewed inside the latest edition of the Radio Times, which is out today. He talks about his disappointment at having Torchwood's third series cut down from thirteen to just five episodes: "I'm going to get a little political and I'll probably get into trouble for it," he says, "but... we were the most successful show on BBC 3, ever. We moved to BBC 2 because the ratings were so good; the ratings were great again and we were beating shows that had been on BBC 2 for a long time. The decision was made to go to BBC 1 - and then we were cut."


He goes on, "The five episodes, the miniseries as I call it, are incredible - I have no doubt about that - but personally, I felt like we were being punished. Other shows move from BBC 3 and 2 to 1, and they don't get cut. So why are we? It felt like every time we moved we had to prove ourselves."

It's a good point. Have the BBC an agenda against the series? What form will series 4 take (if commissioned...)? And just how will Russell T Davies move to America - as he confirmed to Mark Lawson during an interview with Front Row last night - have upon the series' future?

Torchwood: America anybody...?

The Radio Times also has a complete production rundown, that begins January 2008 with the initial scripts being planned, to the completion of post-production earlier this month.

Buy the listings magazine for £1.10. Most of the week's other television and radio periodicals contain information about the show, with interviews with various members of the cast and crew.

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In day two of its Torchwood: CoE preview, DigitalSpy talks with Kai Owen.

T Minus 7 Days!

It's only a week to go now until Torchwood: Children of Earth debuts on British television - and the good news for Australian fans is that the episodes show Down Under the exact same day (8:30pm on UKTV, don't you know). In the build up to launch, the BBC have released another trailer for the serial, that has been running inbetween a hell of a lot of post-watershed programming.

Tomorrow's edition of the Radio Times is expected to have a Torchwood themed cover, and will have interviews with the cast and crew. Check back here tomorrow for a full report on what you'll find inside it.

After that, Wednesday/Thursday/Friday see (well, not technically...) the three brand spanking new Torchwood audio adventures air on Radio 4. They are:

Asylum (Weds @ 2:15pm)
Written by Anita Sullivan, directed by Kate McAll.

When PC Andy arrests a teenager for shoplifting, he thinks it is going to be a routine case. Then he sees the weapon she is carrying and decides to call in the Torchwood team. Under questioning from Gwen, the girl remembers her name but little else, and when she speaks it is in a strange mix of English and Scandinavian, but with a Cardiff accent. Then the girl's blood tests come through and the team is faced with a dilemma.

Jack ...... John Barrowman
Gwen ...... Eve Myles
Ianto ...... Gareth David-Lloyd
PC Andy ...... Tom Price
Freda ...... Erin Richards
Security Guard ...... Matthew Gravelle
Policewoman ...... Sara McGaughey
Dog Walker ...... Dick Bradnum
Girl ...... Isabel Lewis

Golden Age (Thursday @ 2:15pm)
Written by James Goss, directed by Kate McAll.

The Torchwood team are led to Delhi on the trail of a dangerous energy field. As the field grows, they witness the simultaneous disappearance of hundreds of people. Jack discovers that the field centres on an old colonial mansion, Torchwood India. Shocked to find that Torchwood India is still going strong after he shut it down himself over 80 years ago, he is even more surprised to find that its members, including his old flame the Duchess, haven't aged a day.

Jack ...... John Barrowman
Gwen ...... Eve Myles
Ianto ...... Gareth David-Lloyd
The Duchess ...... Jasmine Hyde
Mr Daz ...... Amerjit Dew
Mahajan ...... Ravin J Ganatra
Gissing ...... Richard Mitchley

The Dead Line (Friday @ 2:15pm)
Written by Phil Ford, directed by Kate McAll.

When a Cardiff hospital is inundated with patients who have fallen into coma -like trances, Torchwood move in to investigate. The trances appear to have been triggered by phone calls, all received on retro phones and made from a number that hadn't been active for over 30 years. Determined to find out who has been calling the unfortunate victims, Jack rings the mysterious number, but the line is dead. But then it calls Jack back.

Jack ...... John Barrowman
Gwen ...... Eve Myles
Ianto ...... Gareth David-Lloyd
Rhys ...... Kai Owen
Stella ...... Dona Croll
Jan ...... Eiry Thomas
Bob ...... Matthew Gravelle
Tyler ...... Brendan Charleson

Also, don't forget to check out the new series of Torchwood original fiction novels from BBC Books - which include The House that Jack Built, Bay of the Dead and Into the Silence. Amazon currently has them for around a fiver, or alternatively you can pick them up in Waterstones' current summer 3 For 2 offer. (Thanks to Katie from eBury for this, and apologies it's taken so long for me to report!)

Finally, a sneaky ten hints as to what to expect from next Monday night onwards.

More from us throughout the week!!

A Little Bit of Cardiff in America

So, dear readers, I have returned out of the ether to add the Yank's view of Torchwood, and I came across a great opportunity for anyone to learn a little bit more about Wales, home to Torchwood, amongst many exciting artisans and craftspeople.

The 2009 Smithsonian Folk Life Festival in Washington, DC is featuring Wales this year as the country being showcased. The annual festival gives visitors a chance to learn all about Wales from attendants chosen by the Welsh Assembly to showcase the creativity and ingenuity of the Welsh people.

From organic farmers, to animators, the festival offered much to see and do. I had the good fortune to chat with many there, and one of the more common subjects discussed is that Americans have become more curious to learn about Wales because of the airing of Torchwood here in the United States.

So I wondered, "WWCJD?" (What would Captain Jack do?) Since I was with my family, randomly snogging aliens seemed right out, so I found myself befriending a pint of Cwrw Braf, while enjoying some smoked ham and Y-Fenni. (My new favorite I may add.)

The Folk Life festival is FREE all you need to do is come to Washington DC between now and July 5th and stand physically somewhere between the United States Capitol Building and the Washington Monument to experience a little bit of Wales for yourself. Oh, and while you're there, tell the artisans how much you love Torchwood! (They love to hear that you've been watching, they are proud of their show!)

For more info: http://www.festival.si.edu/2009/wales/index.aspx

Enjoy!
-Tremas

RTD talks 'Torchwood' and, um, that other show

Another day, another Who-related interview pops up. But for a change, this one isn't with John Barrowman! (pause for the audience to gasp dramatically!)

In a piece published the other day, American TV critic Alan Sepinwall spoke to our main man Russell T. Davies about both 'Doctor Who' and 'Torchwood: CoE'.

Even though the article was written as a tie-in to the American premiere of a DW special, the article contains a surprising amount of Torchwood talk. RTD speaks about the possibility of a fourth series (and what format it could take), his own use of the word "epic", and whether or not Jack really is The Face of Boe. (Answer: C'mon, it's RTD!)

The full article is found online here.

Official Site Updates and Australia's Simulcast

Torchwood's Official Site has been revamped. The previous, spare website that only had a news section and an update section has been replaced with a plethora of new images, videos, and information, as well as the promise of more.

This update also proudly sports the new trailer with the air date, which is a beautiful sight indeed.

The new bio section has quite a few new faces in it as well as the old familiar ones. Be careful reading those if you want to avoid spoilers!

Check it all out here.

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Also, Australia's air date is now listed on their official site as July 7-11. This means they're getting it about the same time as the UK due to time changes. So there will be a simulcast, just not one with the US.

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With all of this, the count down is on for Torchwood: Children of Earth.

10 days and counting...

I'll try to make this a good one...

I hate to have to follow the previous post, which contains pretty much the most exciting news Torchwood fans have heard in a long time. So, regardless of what I post, it will not be as awesome as the recently-confirmed air dates. Sorry.

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First off, Torchwood Magazine #16 was released today in the UK. The issue is available with either regular or 'collectible' covers, the latter of which features a tribute to the Rift War comic strip. The content of both editions is the same inside, though, with exclusive interviews, photos, and spoiler-ific articles in their countdown to CoE. More details on their site here.

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John Barrowman is interviewed in the latest issue of Radio Times, speaking about the three upcoming Torchwood audio dramas. "Tardis And Torchwood Treasures" has excerpts from the article, including another reference to Captain Jack and supermarkets. Ha.

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And just to check up on Torchwood's departed medical team... (Get it? "Check up"? Because they're doctors?! I'll stop now.)

Burn Gorman, who is currently playing the villainous Bill Sikes in the West End hit musical Oliver!, has plenty to sing about: due to record-breaking ticket sales, the production has been extended for another full year, until February 2011.

And good news for Freema Agyeman, who turned down more Who-related gigs for a leading role in Law & Order: UK. Although fans had feared the worst, ITV has just renewed the show for a second full 13-episode series. (And for those of us still waiting with bated breath for the second half of series one, the channel has confirmed that the episodes will air "at a later date". Argh! I need to know now!)

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Aaaaand to bring this post back around to CoE, there have been some very cool new TV promos recently. The newest one from Australia, an extended preview of Gwen's "this is how the world ended" video, is eerily Cloverfield-esque. BBC America has also come up with a minute-long "behind the scenes" effort, featuring short snippets of the cast (including RTD as his usual humble and modest self! :D)

Finalized Airdate: CoE

Torchwood: Children of Earth has been finalized in the schedule. Finally. Beginning on Monday, July 6 and running until Friday, July 10, CoE will air at 9:00PM to 10:00PM on BBC1. The BBC Press Office has changed their original listing.

The US release date is still on July 20, which coincides with the release of BBCHD. It also begins in Canada on the 20th.

Date FINALLY confirmed!

After weeks of waiting and months of speculation, the BBC would seem to have finally issued us with dates on which the third series of Torchwood will air. Kind of.

According to a press office release this morning on their website, the show has been included in the line up for "Week 27 - July 4th to July 10th". However, all five episodes are still listed as "Unplaced", in terms of exact days or times. Given the fact it will run for 5 straight nights and that it's been understood that it would be broadcast on weeknights, it's a fair guess to presume that this means the show will run Monday 6th to Friday 10th July.

(A bittersweet announcement/prediction for me personally, as I will be leaving for Spain on Friday morning, thus missing the last episode. DAMN YOU BBC!)

The site, as well as giving us some previsional dates, also gives a brief description of all five episodes, (including some minor spoilers if you read down into the fifth episode). This can all be read here!

BBC America is Bringing it ALL to Comic Con International

According to News-a-Rama, BBC America is set to bring the biggest names in Doctor Who and Torchwood to San Diego's Comic Con International, July 23-26. With their latest acquisition of first run rights to Doctor Who as well as the release of Torchwood: Children of Earth, BBCA is bringing show creator/recreator Russell T. Davies, Julie Gardner, and director Euros Lyn for both Torchwood and Doctor Who's panels.

For Torchwood's panel, they have the irreplaciable John Barrowman and for the Doctor Who panel they have David Tennant, fresh out of filming his final scenes as the Doctor.

The Doctor Who panel is on Sunday at 10AM in Ballroom 20. The Torchwood panel (which is partnered with a small bit of Being Human) is also Sunday at 2:15PM in Room 6BCF.

There will also be a back-to-back showing of Doctor Who's "Planet of the Dead" and the final episode of Torchwood: Children of Earth on Saturday at 7:30-10PM.

BBCA will also feature a part of the Doctor Who set at their booth in the exhibit hall.

Read the original article for more information. Please also keep in mind that Comic Con's schedule can be subject to change, especially since this is pre-released information.

BBC Release Torchwood Press Pack

The BBC website has published an offical Torchwood Press Pack ahead of the inevitable third series. It includes plenty of information on the plot, cast and production of the show, as well as interviews with Russell T Davis, John Barrowman, Eve Myles, Gareth David-Lloyd and Kai Owens. While it's all fairly interesting, unfortunatly there is still a distinct lack of confirmation with regards an airing date.

The press pack can be viewed by CLICKING HERE!

BFI: Russell T. Davies on the Future of Torchwood

News abound from the preview screening at the BFI this evening in London. Reviews have begun sparking up as well as chatter about what's to come. The screening of the first of five episodes of Children of Earth was followed by a Q&A with actors John Barrowman and Eve Myles as well as Russell T. Davies himself.

According to this article among other sources, when asked about the future of Torchwood, Russell T. Davies stated that Series 4 is "ready to go". He also has hopes for further crossover with the parent show, Doctor Who. Davies was still tight lipped about the official air date for the series, saying they have it set, but it is still to early for it to go public.

Torchwood Radio Drama Dates

The BBC Press Office has just released the lineup highlights for the week of June 27-July 3, which includes the latest installment of Torchwood radio plays. While these dates have been set in stone for some time (see Audio Dates), we have yet to get an official statement on when Children of Earth will be airing.

There is still much speculation as to whether or not the simulcast between the US and the UK will happen. With the days counting down to the US release date (July 20th on BBC America) and the preview showing wrapping up as I writing this at the British Film Institute in London, there is little time left, I believe, before we get our final answers.

Torchwood Exhibit to Open in Cardiff

Earlier this week, Experience Design and Management Ltd. announced that they will be opening a Torchwood exhibit in Cardiff, pending council approval. Experience Design is more widely known for their work on the Doctor Who Up Close exhibits, one of which is featured at the Red Dragon Centre in Cardiff. The exhibit, which will feature parts of the Hub, as well as props and costumes from the show, does not have a location yet, but is set to open in July.

The exhibit's official website is yet to fully launch, but promises further updates once everything is approved.

The Broken PC (Andy)

The bad luck at Torchsong continues. Tom Price looked the wrong way as he was crossing the street and was hit by a bike- not a car- and broke his arm. He stayed through the convention events on Saturday and then had to head home to rest and see his proper doctor.

John has been virtually attending thanks to a live video feed and has been delighting the fans with his trouble-maker charm.

Just a reminder for those of you who are mourning the troubles of Torchsong, a Doctor Who and Torchwood convention called Hurricane Who is going to be hosting Gareth on Halloween weekend. One day passes are going for $20 each until the end of June and a full weekend is only $55. For those who can't quite make it out to some of the pricier conventions, this could be a good solution. Check it out at their website.

Official Torchsong Statement

Just as I was about to post a little edit to the last article about Torchsong, I got this in my inbox.

"TO ALL OF JOHN’S LOYAL FANS:

We are, all of us, very upset about John’s severe injuries that prevent him from traveling to be in Chicago to participate in TORCHSONG; however, everyone including John, has put in herculean effort to continue what cannot be cancelled 1-2 days before any event.

At this point before any event, the facility (convention center) has been paid, the hotels/banquet hall (food) has been paid, non-refundable air tickets have been purchased, regional and national television ads have been paid for and run, audio/visual equipment rentals have been delivered, as well as a myriad of other event related expenses have been fully paid. Despite what some may believe, there is no pool of funds from which refunds can be paid. As stated on the web site from Day One: “There are NO REFUNDS after March 30, 2009.”

When the star of a Broadway/West End show gets injured, he is replaced by the understudy. After all, “The Show Must Go On!” All of us at TORCHSONG are doing much better than that for you, John’s loyal fans. John will still be at TORCHSONG CHICAGO via live 2-way video conference, known as SkyChat. He will be a part of the programming a number of times throughout the event, including the Cabaret! Further, within a day of our being notified of John’s injuries, we were able to arrange performances from the other TORCHSONG participants, as well as adding Peter Wingfield to the event and Cabaret.

Attending Premiere and Deluxe Members will get a signed photo of John Barrowman from San Diego Comic Con International 2008 (John’s first U.S. convention appearance), as well as Peter Wingfield’s signature and Photo-Op as part of their Premiere/Deluxe package.

All previously purchased John Barrowman Autograph tickets will be honored with the SDCC signed photos. If anyone has brought a special item to be signed by John or Kai, please speak to us directly.

Everyone attending TORCHSONG CHICAGO will receive Peter Wingfield’s autograph, No Purchase Required.

All unredeemed John Barrowman Autograph and Photo-Op tickets, as well as all unredeemed Memberships will be honored at our next event that John attends. Depending upon John’s recovery and rehabilitation, he will then be able to discuss his schedule.

For John’s fans who are attending TORCHSONG CHICAGO this weekend, rest assured that membership tickets to our next John Barrowman Event will be offered to you at a discount.

Thank you for your understanding and patience.

Jonathan Harris & MaryLee Holzheimer"

We'll see how everything sorts out.

Get it while it's hot (and cheap!)

Various online retailers have put up Torchwood: Children of Earth (DVD & also Blu-Ray) on their sites, ready for your pre-orders. Amazon has the series available on DVD for £19.99, and for some strange reason has the Blu-Ray at just £17.59 - they have a pre-order guarentee, so if you place an order at this price, they have to go through with the sale (unlike Play.com, who last year cancelled thousands of orders for series two after they put it up at £17.99 by mistake...).

Be warned! Amazon will likely increase the price, to £24.99 probably, when they realise the mistake they've made - so you've only got a limited time to put the pre-order in at this price.

The cover for the Blu-Ray can be seen below...

In other news, the latest issue of SFX Magazine (number #184) contains a preview of the series, which includes an interview with writer Russell T Davies. There's also a talk with John Barrowman and Eve Myles. You can pick the magazine up now, for £3.99.

Finally, now that it's been confirmed that Torchwood: Children of Earth will air at some point in July across the UK, US and Australia I think that it makes sense that I bid adieu to this site at the end of that month, once all five episodes have aired. So, July 31st it is (aptly, that's the day that Outpost Gallifrey and Doctor Who Forum close their doors for the last time too...)

Rest assured, the site will live on, through the very brilliant team of writers that it has aquired the services of over the last few months.

Torchsong Continued

The people running Torchsong have given this official statement to hopefully clear up some things:

"Space Debris and Chez Lee Productions, promoters of Torchsong Chicago, are as disappointed as our attendees that both John Barrowman and Kai Owen are unable to attend this event. Although he cannot physically be present, John is working with us to make sure that the weekend is still an enjoyable one.

Present plans include:
-Peter Wingfield, of Highlander and Holby City fame, attending as a replacement guest
-John to still participate in interactive Q & As via SkyChat over the weekend

We're still sussing out a few other details but the event is still happening and we hope people will come and have a good time.

Sincerely,

MaryLee Holzheimer, Chez Lee Productions
Jonathan Harris, Space Debris"

No word about potential refunds or future events, but I would guess that is an individual matter between attendees and the convention staff. According to the website, the chance for refunds ended on March 30th, but perhaps some exceptions will be made due to the sudden, disappointing turn of events. Unfortunately, running a convention means putting a fair amount of money and risk onto the table and because of that, even a partial refund could be impossible. Regardless, hopefully everyone who goes to the event will still have a fantastic time. I have my fingers crossed for all of you.

Thanks to Space Debris and Chez Lee Productions for this information.

Torchsong Nearly Silenced

Talk about a sting of bad luck. Word from both John Barrowman and Kai Owen's newsgroups have confirmed that they will be unable to attend the upcoming Torchsong convention happening this weekend in the US. John has suffered a harsh ankle injury and is unable to fly. Kai is unavailable for personal reasons. This is understandably a disappointment to both the actors and the fans that are planning to be in attendance. John is going to try and do a video link with the convention and he is very disappointed that he can't make it. The Torchsong website is currently unavailable, no doubt because they are reformatting it to address the changes that have just come up, but their email addresses are fully functional:

spacedebris@aol.com
otherhigh@aol.com

In case anyone attending has a question or concern. I'm currently waiting to hear if they have an official statement on the matter and if they do I'll be sure to post it for you all.

As far as I know, this doesn't affect the remaining list of guest attendees, which includes: Tom Price, Gareth David-Lloyd, Carole Barrowman, Peter Mayhew and Mark Sheppard.

Best wishes to everyone involved.

Audio Dates

News on the Torchwood front keeps pouring in. Thanks to Doctor Who Online for the breaking info.

"Torchwood, the series created by Russell T Davies, is returning to BBC Radio 4 with three brand new extraterrestrial investigations, starring John Barrowman as Captain Jack Harkness, Eve Myles as Gwen Cooper, and Gareth David-Lloyd as Ianto Jones."

Asylum, written by Anita Sullivan: Wednesday 1st July - 2:15pm-3:00pm With PC Andy!

Golden Age, written by James Goss: Thursday, 2nd July - 2:15pm-3:00pm Some of you may know James Goss from his Torchwood novel, "Almost Perfect."

The Dead Line written by Phil Ford: Friday 3rd July - 2:15pm-3-00pm Phil Ford also wrote the Torchwood episode "Something Borrowed" and the novel "Skypoint."

After all this release date fiasco, I refuse to hope that this could mean a Monday July 6th kick off date for Children of Earth in the UK. Wouldn't that be nice, though?

It's a Date! (US)

Well, by internet standards, this is old news, but it is still worth saying. Thanks to our readers who also posted this information.

BBC America has announced their air date for Children of Earth!

"The highly anticipated return of Torchwood: Children of Earth will kick off the first of BBC AMERICA's HD offerings. Told over five consecutive nights starting July 20 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT, the series re-joins Captain Jack (John Barrowman), Gwen Cooper (Eve Myles) and Ianto Jones (Gareth David-Lloyd) as they are still coming to terms with the death of two of their closest friends. Yet despite their pain, they know they have a job to do. This time they are faced with their fiercest threat to date - one which throws the future of Torchwood and the entire human race spiralling into danger. Battling against the odds. do they stand a chance of saving mankind?"

Then on July 28th, Children of Earth (on DVD and Blu-Ray) as well as Torchwood series two on Blu-Ray will be released in the US.

Some fans may be thrilled or disappointed to hear that these dates overlap into San Diego Comic Con (July 23-26), a convention which has hosted BBC America and Torchwood-themed panels for the past two years. Any American Torchwood fans that are attending will have to figure out how to squeeze watching the episodes into their plans (like me). As of now, no information has been released regarding a Torchwood presence at this coming Comic Con. What is known is that BBC has an official booth in the convention's dealers' hall. Hopefully they'll have something special planned for the fans.

Finally, I'm curious to hear from you! Children of Earth is right around the corner and- with a lot of the audience- the remaining Torchwood team members will be mourning the loss of Toshiko and Owen. What were your favorite Tosh and/or Owen moments? What will you miss about them in series three?