TORCHWOOD.tv

The Miracle!

2011-08-02T01:37:00.005+01:00

Starz has had a successful launch of the new Torchwood series, Miracle Day. New episodes of Torchwood: Miracle Day air Friday nights at 10:00.

Recently, Starz brought the cast of Torchwood to San Diego Comic Con where they participated in a screening of the third episode as well as a panel. You can take a look at that panel here:

There were also plenty of wonderful interviews that happened over the course of the Comic Con weekend. If you're interested, leave a comment saying so, and I'll gather a collection of them in an upcoming blog post.

For those lucky viewers who have Ipads or Iphones, you can check out the original motion comic Torchwood: Web of Lies. The series is written by Jane Espenson and features the voice talents of John Barrowman, Eve Myles, and Eliza Dushku. Web of Lies is an interactive, enhanced story that gives away clues to the sinister forces behind the "miracle" of Miracle Day. Go check out the first episode on You Tube here:

For more information on Web of Lies, including how to download each new episode that will be released in tandem with new episode airings of Miracle Day, check out this website.

For those of you who still pine for some more traditional Torchwood tales, there are three BBC Radio Plays that take place just before and just after the Children of Earth mini series. There are also three new novels in the works. Stay tuned for more information on those.

Torchchat!

2010-08-11T06:56:00.002+01:00

Starz has just launched a new branch of their forum just for Torchwood fans!

http://community.starz.com/t5/Torchwood/Welcome/td-p/59535

Here's the official place to go and talk Torchwood. You can also follow @torchwood_starz on twitter for updates, including a look at the first publicity posters for Torchwood: The New World. The photos are recycled from Children of Earth, but it's still pretty cool.

Torchwood: The New World

2010-08-07T21:18:00.005+01:00

This morning, Russel T. Davies and Julie Gardener shared some information about the upcoming series of Torchwood. "Torchwood: The New World" is slated to premiere on the Starz network in the summer of 2011. That new world branches out from Cardiff and into Washington DC and Los Angeles. Davies confirmed that Eve Myles, John Barrowman, and Kai Owen will be returning for the new season. No word as of yet about Gwen's baby or the nature of Jack's return.

Gardner did say that this series would be a reboot ("Children of Earth" was often called a "relaunch" by the production team) in order to welcome new audiences. She didn't expand on what reboot would mean for any returning viewers. It was also mentioned that the 10-episode season would be similar to the "Children of Earth" mini series format. Each episode is supposed to crammed full of action and story and all the episodes are very tightly knit together.

Spoiler TV reports: "The new story will follow a CIA agent (Rex) and analyst (Ester) who tackle an alien-related global issue. Torchwood, having been destroyed and disbanded, is "like a legend now ... it's like something that's ceased to exist and is now spoken of only in whispers." Soon, Rex and Ester are on the run and are seeking out the help of Captain Jack and Gwen."

( Read more: http://www.spoilertv.com/2010/08/torchwood-official-season-4-title.html#ixzz0vxC1Im5H )

Just a few days before this press release, it was announced that John Shiban (X-Files, Supernatural), Jane Espenson (Buffy, Warehouse 13, Caprica), John Fay (Torchwood: Children of Earth days 2, 4) and Doris Egan (Tru Calling, House) would be on the Torchwood writing team. Whatever your feelings about Torchwood may be, there is no denying that this is an impressive line up of writers working on the upcoming season.

Fans have felt very passionate about the future of Torchwood. People have stated many opinions on whether they wanted to stand by the series or not. So, readers, what do you think of this new season so far? Has anyone been swayed by the promise of such a fantastic writing team? Do you prefer the original tone and format over the fast-paced mini-series?

Starz Brings in the Next Chapter of Torchwood

2010-06-07T19:12:00.006+01:00

The internet is full of buzz this morning about Starz' acquisition of Torchwood! The US cable network is teaming up with show runner Russel T. Davies and the BBC to produce a 10 episode season to air summer 2011 on both Starz and on BBC One. The new series will star John Barrowman as Captain Jack and Eve Myles as Gwen Cooper along with other new characters.

Ianto's Back, Baby! [Sorta]

2010-04-15T12:38:00.003+01:00

The new issue of the official Torchwood magazine – on sale 15th April – plays host to an exclusive Torchwood comic strip penned by Torchwood star and fan-favourite, Gareth David-Lloyd!

David-Lloyd's character, Ianto Jones, who died in Captain Jack’s arms in the recent Torchwood five-part series 'Children of Earth', gets a new lease of life and takes centre stage once again in this exclusive comic strip - a move that will delight all fans of the criticallly acclaimed Doctor Who spin-off.

Talking exclusively to the official Torchwood magazine, David-Lloyd said, "I feel I know this character implicitly. The narrative of this comic focuses predominantly on Ianto, and integrates a number of characters who have been missed by Torchwood's ardent followers."

The story, titled 'Shrouded', is made up of two parts and is as diverse as it is thrilling. Ianto, who struggles with his tumultuous feelings for Captain Jack from the offset, has his world turned upside-down by the visit of a familiar face from the future. Additionally, he is set a mission that could alter the course of life, as he knows it, forever...

'Shrouded' is illustrated by Pia Guerra, the critically acclaimed artist of Vertigo Comics' ground-breaking series, Y: The Last Man and more recently, Doctor Who: The Forgotten. Pia won Outstanding comic book artist for 2006 at the Joe Schuster Awards.

Torchwood Magazine #21

On-sale April 15 in the UK

On-sale May 11 in the US

Desperate for John

2010-01-29T21:43:00.002Z

The internet is buzzing with the news that John Barrowman will be guest starring on Desperate Housewives as a "villain". The rumor has been going around for months now but was finally confirmed by the Daily Mail and shortly thereafter by Barrowman's web team. Filming is scheduled for March and April in the US. The episodes (they did say plural!) will air in the spring for US audiences and some time around May or June for UK audiences.

John will no doubt have just as much fun filming as we all will watching him. Now readers, I wonder, how do you picture his character on that show? What do you think he'll be like?

On another note, thank you to everyone who gave so many thoughts on the future of Torchwood a few posts ago. It's great so see so many people sharing their opinions!

The End of Time (and Captain Jack?)

2010-01-01T21:32:00.006Z

While news on the "Torchwood" front has been conspicuously absent recently, the same cannot be said for its parent program. Just over two hours ago, BBC One transmitted the final moments of David Tennant's run as the Tenth Doctor in the two-part "Doctor Who" special finale, "The End of Time".

The finale saw the return of several of the Tenth Doctor's friends and foes, and -- since we can always link things back 'round to Torchwood SOMEHOW -- it's no surprise that Captain Jack made an appearance!

(We posted back in April that John Barrowman had been spotted in costume as the Captain around the Who set. He later denied those claims, but his explanations sounded fishier than, well, a Blowfish driving a sports car.)

For non-Brits, you can catch "The End of Time" on BBCAmerica and/or Space Channel Canada tomorrow, January 2, 2010. (Thus ensuring your New Year's festivities will end with you watching television and grabbing furiously for a box of tissues by your side.)

As a result of this delay, I won't divulge any further spoilers regarding Captain Jack's role in the special, but feel free to discuss the events of the show in the comments below.

And if you're a Torchwood fan who has never seen "Doctor Who", why not take advantage of this TW-free period to start watching the series that brought us Captain Jack and Torchwood in the first place? The two shows are inextricably linked!

If you begin with Series 1, starring Christopher Eccleston as the Ninth Doctor, you can even catch a couple Torchwood cast members (BESIDES Captain Jack!) in before-they-were-famous roles!

Episode 1x03, "The Unquiet Dead", guest-stars Eve Myles/'Gwen' as a 19th century English maid with unusual powers, and the following episode 1x04, "Aliens of London", features Naoko Mori/'Toshiko' in a bit part as "Dr. Sato" (and it also explains the origins of the "space pig" comments Tosh and Owen made in their last minutes of 2x12 "Exit Wounds"). And yes, episodes 1x09 and 1x10, "The Empty Child" and "The Doctor Dances", introduced the world to Captain Jack Harkness (perhaps you've heard of him?).

When Tennant took over as the Tenth Doctor the following year, the second series' theme was "Torchwood", as Russell T. Davies was in the process of developing our favourite spin-off at the time. That finale even included the Doctor visiting the doomed Torchwood One in London, aka the previous workplace of Ianto Jones (although he is not seen or mentioned on-screen).

Series 3 of "Doctor Who" featured Martha as the Companion, and its three-part finale saw Captain Jack return to help out the time-travelling duo. The episodes 3x11/3x12/3x13, aka "Utopia"/"The Sound of Drums"/"Last of the Time Lords", took place between the end of Torchwood's first series and the beginning of its second, and also gives context to Jack and Martha's cryptic inside jokes when she visits Torchwood halfway through TW Series 2.

Most obviously, Tennant's fourth season finale involved the first official Torchwood/Doctor Who crossover, as Ianto and Gwen both spoke with the Doctor, and Captain Jack again re-joined him in the TARDIS, in the epic battle to realign the planets and destroy the Daleks.

Now that David Tennant and Russell T. Davies have both left the TARDIS, and a new showrunner and production team has taken over "Doctor Who", it remains to be seen whether future episodes of "Who" will involve Torchwood and/or Captain Jack. Today's final Tenth Doctor episode may very well be the last time Captain Jack Harkness and his team of Cardiff-based alien-fighters are included in the world of the Doctor.

Today's "Doctor Who" episode truly marked the end of an era.

And now I will try to stop tearing up every time I think of the Tenth Doctor, and shall instead try to keep a positive attitude towards the future of our favourite sci-fi characters and shows.

In the words of the Tenth Doctor: "Allons-y!"

Oh When Will We See Owen?

2009-12-05T03:45:00.002Z

The answer is: very soon. Here's some information from the wonderful people at BurnGormanOnline, care of xenutia1 and the Torch_wood Livejournal community.

" Two New Projects and a Nomination For Burn Gorman

We have a triple whammy for you from BurnGormanOnline, with two new projects for Burn this month and the What'sOnStage award to boot!

First off, we have had word that Burn is to play the Tin Woodman in a new radio adaptation of L. Frank Baum's The Wizard of Oz. This is set to air around the 18th of December but as yet the listings have not been released, so we'll get back to you with details as soon as they are.

Second is a chance to see him live, but hurry, tickets are selling fast! Burn is narrating The Southbank Centre's newest run of Peter and the Wolf, which uses camera projection technology to transmit images of a scaled-down set onto a screen over the stage. The short animated film won in its category in the 2008 Oscars, and this new production features a fresh script from poet Simon Armitage, and an introductory skit (also featuring Burn). You can read the full article or book tickets here. It is only 6 shows, running at both matinee and evenings from 28th-30th December, just perfect to cure the after-Christmas blues!

Last but certainly not least, Burn is currently in the lead in his category at the What'sOnStage awards, but it's a close-run thing so let's vote like the clappers and get him a win! He has been nominated under "Best Supporting Actor In a Musical" for Oliver! John is also way ahead in the "Best Takeover In a Role" category, and for those that were lucky enough to see Oliver!, Jodie Prenger is also leading the "Best Supporting Actress in a Musical" category. "

Thanks to www.burngormanonline.com for the updates.

Beautiful Rumors

2009-11-29T23:04:00.002Z

According to numerous fan postings around the internet, John Barrowman has said that Torchwood series four is on the way with a full 13 episode season! The actor, who plays Captain Jack, insisted it'll be bigger and better than ever. The good news came out this weekend at Collectormania and was reiterated by Kai Owen's official web group shortly thereafter. Other speculations say that production is slated to begin some time in January. The BBC has not made any official statements on the matter at this time, but in the past they've been the last ones to share the good (or bad) news anyway.

Times are looking good for us Woodies. So I wonder what you readers would love to see in series four. What is top on your Torchwood Christmas wish list?

Girl Number 9

2009-09-20T21:02:00.001+01:00

Gareth David-Lloyd (Torchwood), Joe Absolom (Doc Martin, Personal Affairs), and Tracy-Ann Oberman (Doctor Who, Eastenders) star in a upcoming new webseries written by James Moran (Doctor Who, Torchwood, Severance), Girl Number 9.

SYNOPSIS
Vincent Boylan (Joe Absolom) has just been arrested, suspected of being behind the brutal murder of seven girls, but the team only have a limited time to get a confession. If they can't make him talk, he could slip through their fingers. Detective Matheson (Gareth David-Lloyd), who is leading the investigation, is sent to try and get some answers. But things soon take a horrifying turn for the worse, as Matheson and his boss Lyndon (Tracy-Ann Oberman) find out that all is not as it seems. The mystery deepens as everyone is drawn into Boylan's sick mind games, and each twist-packed episode ends on a tantalizing cliffhanger, making every installment a must-see.

Girl Number 9 is a dark thriller created exclusively for the internet in six 5-minute episodes. Production began on 09/09/09. The show premiers on October 30, 2009 at 9pm. The first three episodes are directed by award-winning feature director Dan Turner. James Moran makes his directorial debut in episodes 4-6. Produced by Martin Baker and Pete Coogan. Follow the official website or Twitter for news, photographs, trailers, and more.

eBay Watch

2009-09-08T10:52:00.002+01:00

I was having a gander through everybody's favourite auction site, and noticed a few items some of you may be interested in snapping up :)

Don't ask me how he got 'em, your guess is as good as mine. Probably a contact on the production staff. But I can most certainly vouch for the seller, 'cause I bought a whole bundle of Sarah Jane Adventures goodies from him the other day and they've just arrived this morning, in spectactularly genuine condition!

If you're reading this post a little late, don't be surprised if all of the items above have now ended. But you may have a chance to snap up this little beauty, as it doesn't have a 'Buy It Now' option. Happy bidding!

Newbie, Sweetcheeks, Freckles

2009-08-21T20:46:00.003+01:00

Hi to all Torchwood fans!

Well as the title of this post suggests am newbie - or sweetcheeks/freckles (sorry about that... had to add in some Torchwood series 1 for all those Owen fans out there!).

For people who don't know me well am one of the biggest Torchwood fans on the planet. Quite literally - I have extremally bad withdrawral symptoms! Example, I had a Torchwood marathon for about 48 hours watching all of series one and everything thereafter!!

But enough of me. I'd just like to say that I am very honoured to blog on the site and will (hopefully!) be updating you on the very latest of Torchwood news ASAP.

All my love to devoted Torchwood fans everywhere!

Some Poems Don't Rhyme

2009-07-31T11:23:00.001+01:00

It feels as though I've been building up to this forever. In a way, I have. I announced back in February my intention to leave this site, following the transmission of Children of Earth - but in truth, it goes further back than that.

You see, people talk about 'golden ages' in their lives, rare times when they can sit back and smile knowing how good their life is, or was. Truth is, you often only come to notice a 'golden age' when the moment has passed and you're out of it, looking back and suddenly realising how good you had it. Not this time, because ever since the beginning I've known how lucky I've been working on this site, writing for you lovely people and helping to create a now established corner of Torchwood fandom. My eyes have been open all the time, and so I've been aware since day one that eventually the day would come to say goodbye.

Thing is, I never knew it would be this hard. The programme is on a creative high, and a voice in the back of my head wants me to stay put, report upon the fourth series and so on - but, no. If I don't leave now then I probably never will, and I think I need change. It keeps life fresh and exciting, and so very unpredictable. It's time I go embrace what lies on the horizon waiting for me.

So there we are. Hopefully you've enjoyed reading whatever crap I've disguised as news over the last three and a half years. I've tried to make it as entertaining, informative and honest as I possibly could - you guys and gals are so damn clever that anything else would have just be an insult to your intelligence. You might not agree with the opinions sometimes given, but I hope you appreciate them, and let them inform whatever thought processes you yourself might be forming around the series.

If I'm honest, I have no idea what happens next. TORCHWOOD.tv might continue like normal, with the team of writers hired over the last few months. Three years from now, one of them might be bidding adieu after series six, or whatever. Or maybe this is it, the end of the site. I just don't know. I hope it doesn't just fade away unnoticed. It deserves the very best, and nothing less. Fingers crossed, and good luck to those lucky folk who have the challenge of leading the site forward during its next exciting era.

I'll be sticking with sister site SARAH-JANE.tv for the foreseeable future, so hop along over there for the latest news on all things Sarah Jane Smith (The Sarah Jane Adventures). On a more intimate note, there's my personal blog - Life of Cliché - which I write on pretty much every other day. Pop along and say hello anytime you like.

Any last words? Enjoy Torchwood (whatever future it might have) - plain and simple. One day you'll look back on all this - Captain Jack Harkness, Weevils, Children of Earth, the SUV, hell... even Grey - and you'll realise, this really is a 'golden age'.

Okay, I think that's it. I'm done.

Thanks for reading!

"I wanted a perfect ending. Now I’ve learned - the hard way - that some poems don’t rhyme, and some stories don’t have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what’s going to happen next." - Gilda Radner

"Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened." - Dr. Seuss

Reader Awards 2009 - Results

2009-07-31T04:56:00.001+01:00

Drumroll please!

The moment has arrived at last...

It's what you've been waiting all month long for:

The results of the TORCHWOOD.tv Reader Awards!

Enough of me and my waffle, let's begin shall we?!

***

RATE THE EPISODES

Strange result here - on average, you're under the impression that the show dropped in quality every single night it was on...

All results are an average mark out of ten:

1: "Children of Earth - Day One" 8.89/10
2: "Children of Earth - Day Two" 8.46/10
3: "Children of Earth - Day Three" 8.09/10
4: "Children of Earth - Day Four" 7.28/10
5: "Children of Earth - Day Five" 6.91/10

It gives a series average of 7.926 (I also asked you to mark the "Children of Earth" serial as a whole out of 10, and this averaged 7.854). To put this in its place, the series one average score was 7.416/10 and series two then scored an average of 7.615/10. So, with regards to popularity amongst fandom, it's third time lucky for Torchwood! This has been the most popular series yet...

Here's a league table of all 31 episodes so far broadcast, based upon the average scores you gave them in this and previous Reader Awards:

1: "Captain Jack Harkness" 9.20/10
2: "Fragments" 9.11/10
3: "End of Days" 8.96/10
4: "Children of Earth - Day One" 8.89/10
5: "Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang" 8.48/10

6: "Children of Earth - Day Two" 8.46/10
7: "Exit Wounds" 8.42/10
8: "Children of Earth - Day Three" 8.09/10
9: "They Keep Killing Suzie" 7.90/10
10: "Everything Changes" 7.84/10

11: "Reset" 7.69/10
12: "Adam" 7.65/10
13: "Something Borrowed" 7.53/10
14: "To the Last Man" 7.52/10
15: "Out of Time" 7.49/10

= "Adrift" 7.49/10
17: "A Day in the Death" 7.46/10
18: "Countrycide" 7.28/10
= "Children of Earth - Day Four" 7.28/10
20: "Small Worlds" 7.27/10

21: "Greeks Bearing Gifts" 7.19/10
22: "Dead Man Walking" 7.15/10
23: "Ghost Machine" 7.14/10
24: "Cyberwoman" 7.07/10
25: "Sleeper" 7.03/10

26: "Children of Earth - Day Five" 6.91/10
27: "Combat" 6.84/10
28: "From Out of the Rain" 6.81/10
29: "Meat" 6.66/10
30: "Day One" 6.64/10
31: "Random Shoes" 5.59/10

BEST ACTOR/ACTRESS

Well, the Janto squad were out in force...

The shocking departure of Ianto Jones, and the subsequent anger from a lot of Woodies, left a real dent in the results. Biggest shock of all... how far down the list one John Barrowman is!

1: Gareth David-Lloyd (Ianto Jones) 54.29%
2: Eve Myles (Gwen Cooper) 22.86%
3: John Barrowman (Captain Jack Harkness) 18.57%
4: Kai Owen (Rhys Williams) 4.29%

At least Kai got more votes this time around...

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR/ACTRESS

Andy Pryor, you did us proud...

1: Peter Capaldi (John Frobisher) 51.39%
2: Paul Copley (Clement McDonald) 11.11%
3: Lucy Cohu (Alice Carter) 9.72%
4: Cush Jumbo (Lois Habiba) 9.72%
5: Liz May Brice (Agent Johnson) 8.33%
6: Tom Price (PC Andy Davidson) 6.94%
7: Susan Brown (Bridget Spears) 2.78%

QUESTION TIME

Winning choice shown:

1: Were you happy with the end of Children of Earth? No (56.3%)
2: Do you think the show will return for a 4th series? Yes (82.4%)
2B: Should another series return to the 13 episode format? Yes (76.5%)
3: Are you a British viewer? No (71.8%)
3B: If 'no' to the above, did you watch the series legally? Yes (58.7%)
4: Would you be interested in an American version of the show? No (87.1%)
5: Can the show continue without John Barrowman? No (73.9%)

THE CHILDREN OF EARTH HALL OF FAME

Securing at least two thirds of the vote it's... GARETH DAVID-LLOYD!

Runners up include Russell T Davies, Euros Lyn, BBC One and other members of the cast and crew.

MESSAGE FROM THE FANS

"'Crapped myself' awesomeness! Loved it!" Shabbs
"Pass the Retcon!" Jennifer S
"Imaginative well acted series arc" Michael R

"Good fun (till Ianto dies...)" Guadalupe
"Terrifying, explosive, yet thought-provoking" Erica
"Heartbreaking honest in it's brutality." Jane

"No Ianto, no series 4!" Sophie
"Gut-wrentching, Fantasticness!" Jon L
"An action-packed thrill ride." Terri

"Happy pills are in order." Wojtek
"Torchwood’s finally grown up!" Steve
"Wouldn't happened under Harriet Jones!" K Faith

"Brilliant start, anti-climactic finish." Aussie 54
"T'was sadly delightful and magical." Jones
"ACTION... SHOCK... ACTION, MORE SHOCK" Joseph

"Best show in the world!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Ann
"RTD punished fans for Janto..." FurBall
"Save the coffee boy please!" Lilith

"Shocking, Stunning Work, want more" Don
"Incredibly overwhelming, sexy, and creepy!" Sander
"Awesome, but not for Ianto!!" Anita

"The best five hour movie EVER!" utini42
"THE SHOW MUST GO ON!" Jon

***

RATE THE AUDIO ADVENTURES

With a mark out of 10:

1: "The Dead Line" 8.78/10
2: "Lost Souls" 7.56/10
3: "Golden Age" 7.07/10
4: "Asylum" 7.00/10

RATE THE (DOCTOR WHO) EPISODE

Just one episode to review this year (average out of 10)...

1: "The Stolen Earth"/"Journey's End" 8.57/10

Here's how it compares to other Doctor Who episodes:

1: "The Empty Child"/"The Doctor Dances" - 9.38/10
2: "Bad Wolf"/"The Parting of the Ways" - 8.92/10
3: "Utopia"/"Sound of Drums"/"Last of the Time Lords" - 8.68/10
4: "The Stolen Earth"/"Journey's End" - 8.57/10
5: "Boomtown" - 7.87/10
6: "The Unquiet Dead" - 7.12/10
7: "Aliens of London" - 6.51/10

BEST TIE-IN BOOK

1: "Almost Perfect" (James Goss) - 35.71%
2: "Pack Animals" (Peter Anghelides) - 21.43%
3: "The House that Jack Built" (Guy Adams) - 16.66%
4: "SkyPoint" (Phil Ford) - 9.52%
= "Into the Silence" (Sarah Pinborough) - 9.52%
6: "Bay of the Dead" (Mark Morris) - 7.14%

ACCESS ALL AREAS - OTHER MERCHANDISE

Alas, there wasn't enough data to put this together, but most things received a score of around 7-7.5, so there's still room for improvement!

***

I'm eternally grateful for everybody who voted. Couldn't have done it without you!

Normally at this point I promise to see you again same time, same place next year... but sob, this is it for me now. Hopefully the new guard at TORCHWOOD.tv continue the tradition, and should a fourth series launch next year, here's to the 2010 Reader Awards!!

For the first time, I'll be one of the fans writing in. Exciting!

There's still time...

2009-07-26T21:01:00.003+01:00

...to get your votes in for the TORCHWOOD.tv Reader Awards, so what are you waiting for? All you've got to do is copy and paste this survey, and send the results through to the usual email address. You have until noon on Wednesday to get that in to me, before the final votes will be counted, double checked and revealed sometime on Friday.

***

In the meantime, can I bring to your attention the efforts of one group of fans who were so unhappy with the conclusion to Children of Earth (SPOILERS for anybody who hasn't seen it yet) that they've decided to start a petition of sorts to bring Gareth David-Lloyd and his now deceased character Ianto Jones back onto the show for the proposed series four.

So far their fundraising has helped raise over £3,000 for the BBC's Children in Need. A massive congratulations to them and their efforts thus far.

Want to save Ianto Jones? Clicky clicky here.

UPDATE: A press release from the organisers of the petition:

IS IANTO JONES REALLY DEAD?

FANS RALLY TO RESURRECT TORCHWOOD CHARACTERFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Fans around the world cried out in grief and frustration when Ianto Jones, a major Torchwood character, met an untimely and unexpected demise. Those who were shocked by the popular character’s death in last week’s Children of Earth season three mini-series on BBC1 are not taking it lightly or quietly. The movement to save Ianto Jones began mere moments after he died, thanks to networking communities such as LiveJournal, Twitter and Facebook.

The campaign is everywhere, it seems. The website www.saveiantojones.com had over 18,000 hits at the time of this writing. There is a movement to send coffee to the BBC offices in Wales, following in the footsteps of successful fan campaigns such as peanuts for Jericho, pencils for the US writer’s strike, and Nerds for Chuck. A LiveJournal community set up to coordinate activities can be found at http://community.livejournal.com/savecoffeeboy, Twitter hashtags include #saveiantojones and #bringbackianto, and Facebook groups are too numerous to list.

It’s not all new media, though. Fans are being urged to send postcards and letters to Russell T Davies, creator of the series, and to the BBC. A number of letters suggest a means of enabling Ianto's return – Torchwood is science fiction, after all.

However, it is important to note that this is not just a campaign to reinstate a popular character on a television show. This is a campaign with a heart and the desire to do good, so at http://www.justgiving.com/iantojones fans are donating to Children in Need in the name of Ianto Jones. They are also using the campaign as a platform to communicate to Gareth David-Lloyd, in the most public way possible, just how much he and his character are loved and admired.

And it’s only just getting started. Children of Earth garnered huge ratings for BBC1 when it aired in the UK. BBC America counts Torchwood as one of the highest-rated shows in its history and will air the mini-series over five nights from July 20, 2009. The power of the internet means that some overseas fans have already heard about Ianto Jones’ death, but there are still many more that have yet to be shocked by the news. It is only to be expected that more fans will join this ground-swell of public protest, although it remains to be seen how the BBC will react to the campaign.

One thing, however, is certain. The fans do not intend to let Ianto Jones go quietly into that good night. They are not going to give up a favourite character without a fight.

For more information, contact Carey-Anne Shiel:
saveianto@yahoo.co.uk -- + 44 (0) 7749 770 147 -- www.saveiantojones.com

***

Updates to follow throughout the week, which happens to be my last as a contributor to this lil' old site. Sob!

Exciting Day, Huh?

2009-07-20T18:44:00.003+01:00

Not only does today happen to be the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landings, but we've also been treated to our first glimpse of Matt Smith's Eleventh Doctor, alongside companion Amy Pond (as played by Karen Gillan) as filming begins on Doctor Who's fifth season, to broadcast at some point in 2010.

On top of that, Torchwood: Children of Earth hits BBC America tonight, from 9:00-10:15P and 8:00-9:15C. Running Monday through Friday, the five day event continues the trend established in the UK and Australia earlier in the month.

For fans in Canada, Space begins airing the serial at 10PM ET. The episodes will be available online for 7 days after broadcast. You can catch the Doctor Who Easter Special on Saturday July 25th at 9PM ET on the same channel.

American and Canadian fans who haven't had a chance to watch the adventure yet... you're in for a treat. And well done for avoiding those pesky spoilers!

Leave your comments about Day One in the comments box below.

John Says Goodbye

2009-07-17T14:29:00.002+01:00

Following the transmission of Children of Earth, things have become very quiet with regards to Torchwood news - until today, that is, when a certain John Barrowman popped up on our television screens on This Morning to wish out-going hostess Fern Britton goodbye. John sang a rendition of "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" (which opened the show).

Fern is replaced by Holly Willoughby - host of Dancing on Ice, on which John appeared during the show's very first series.

***

Gareth David-Lloyd talks to DigitalSpy - SPOILERS for Children of Earth if you haven't watched it yet. During it, Gareth confirms he'll be playing Prince Charming in a Cinderella pantomime this coming December through January in Preston.

Finally, Eve Myles recently spoke to Nicole Powers, and it results in a fantastic interview.

Parting of the Ways

2009-07-11T16:10:00.003+01:00

Children of Earth 'survivors' John Barrowman and Eve Myles are moving away from Torchwood for the time being (?) to head up a couple of individual projects.

Firstly, Eve Myles will be appearing alongside Trevor Eve in a new BBC One drama commission, titled Framed. According to DigitalSpy, "the programme, adapted from Frank Cottrell Boyce's best-selling children's novel, sees a secretive convoy of men invade a Welsh village." It's expected to air this Winter on the BBC.

Also coming up, John Barrowman will be travelling across the globe as part of this year's Children in Need extravaganza Around the World in 80 Days. Various celebrities will be paired up, and travel segments of the world together. John's partner is the ever lovely (if boring...) Myleene Klass. Other celebs taking part include Lee Mack and Frank "I'm funny me, honest" Skinner. ETA - October/November.

***

5.8 million viewers (26.7% of the available audience) saw the last part of the Children of Earth serial on BBC One last night, making it the 4th most watched programme of the day.

We'll have a full ratings round-up in a couple of weeks when the full data breakdown is released.

In the meantime you can catch Torchwood: Children of Earth on DVD and Blu-Ray from Monday at all good entertainment outlets.

Why don't you follow this blog for all the latest, up-to-date Torchwood news?

The Reader Awards 2009

2009-07-11T14:30:00.002+01:00

Now that the show is over for another year (well, potentially forever) here in the UK and Australia I thought now was the ideal time to launch what has become a TORCHWOOD.tv tradition - the end of series Reader Awards!

The Awards are open to all site readers, so I encourage you to copy and paste the below categories, and then email your responses to this email address.

Closing date for entries is noon on Wednesday July 29th - which gives readers in the USA a chance to vote (for the first time) once the series concludes there on the 24th.

The results will be announced on July 31st, in what'll prove to be one of my last posts for the site.

Good luck, and get voting!

RATE THE EPISODES

Give each episode a score out of 10 - with 10 meaning 'exceptional' and 1 being 'abysmal'. Please, don't just pick one episode; make sure you score them all!

1: "Children of Earth - Day One"
2: "Children of Earth - Day Two"
3: "Children of Earth - Day Three"
4: "Children of Earth - Day Four"
5: "Children of Earth - Day Five"

For a complete overview now mark the story as a whole out of 10:

N/A: "Torchwood: Children of Earth"

BEST ACTOR/ACTRESS

Choose from any one of the regular cast:

1: John Barrowman (Captain Jack Harkness)
2: Eve Myles (Gwen Cooper)
3: Gareth David-Lloyd (Ianto Jones)
4: Kai Owen (Rhys Williams)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR/ACTRESS

Choose from any one of the following:

1: Liz May Brice (Agent Johnson)
2: Susan Brown (Bridget Spears)
3: Peter Capaldi (John Frobisher)
4: Lucy Cohu (Alice Carter)
5: Paul Copley (Clement McDonald)
6: Nicholas Farrell (Brian Green PM)
7: Cush Jumbo (Lois Habiba)
8: Tom Price (PC Andy Davidson)

QUESTION TIME

Simple: Just answer the following questions (all YES/NO)

1: Were you happy with the end of Children of Earth?
2: Do you think the show will return for a 4th series?
2B: Should another series return to the 13 episode format?
3: Are you a British viewer?
3B: If 'no' to the above, did you watch the series legally?
4: Would you be interested in an American version of the show?
5: Can the show continue without John Barrowman?

THE CHILDREN OF EARTH HALL OF FAME

Who, from the whole of the CoE cast and crew, most deserves a spotlight of recognition for their work on the mini-series?

MESSAGE FROM THE FANS

Give a five word (no more!) summary of Children of Earth. The ten best will acompany the results when they're published at the end of the month.

***

RATE THE AUDIO ADVENTURES

Again, a mark out of 10 for these Radio 4 bound stories:

1: "Lost Souls"
2: "Asylum"
3: "Golden Age"
4: "The Dead Line"

RATE THE (DOCTOR WHO) EPISODES

Last year we asked you to give a score to all the previous Doctor Who episodes featuring appearences by the Torchwood cast. Since then, one further adventure has aired. Give it a mark out of 10, and the results will be collected together and then compared against the other episodes already surveyed.

1: "The Stolen Earth"/"Journey's End" (with John Barrowman, Eve Myles & Gareth David-Lloyd)

BEST TIE-IN BOOK

Choose from any one of the following:
1: "Pack Animals" (Peter Anghelides)
2: "SkyPoint" (Phil Ford)
3: "Almost Perfect" (James Goss)
4: "Into the Silence" (Sarah Pinborough)
5: "Bay of the Dead" (Mark Morris)
6: "The House that Jack Built" (Guy Adams)

ACCESS ALL AREAS - OTHER MERCHANDISE

Give the following marks out of 10 - 10 being the highest; 1 being the lowest:
1: The Torchwood Action Figures (Underground Toys)
2: Torchwood - the Official Magazine (Titan Publishing)
3: Something in the Darkness [Series Guide] (Steven James Walker, Telos Publishing)
4: The official website (www.bbc.co.uk/torchwood)

TORCHWOOD.TV

Leave your opinions of the site here. They won't be published on the main site, but will help me and the site's other writer's understand what you, the reader, want to see more/less of - and how successful a job we're doing!

Again, send your results here.

The closing date is 12pm on Wednesday July 29th.

The results will be published Friday July 31st.

Get voting!

Why don't you follow this blog for all the latest, up-to-date Torchwood news?

Torchwood Lives!

2009-07-11T03:27:00.006+01:00

A quick reminder: SPOILERS for anyboy who has yet to see the conclusion to Children of Earth - you have been warned!!

Man, Day Five has provoked some strong reactions. On the one hand there's the corner of fandom who feel utterly, utterly angry about Russell T Davies' finale, feeling that it pushed Jack Harkness into a direction they didn't like. They feel like their favourite show didn't quite end the way it should have, and I can understand that...

...But, sorry, I'm firmly positioned in the second camp - those fans that watched Day Five and thought it was a bloody good piece of drama. Flawed, certainly, but it was still incredibly powerful and moving. The fact that so many of you are pissed that Jack just runs away at the end demonstrates that. They say the best dramas invite response, and for the first time this show offered that, and more.

Somehow, I don't quite think this is the end of Torchwood (desite how things might first appear). Jack's departure prepares the character for his role in the finale to David Tennant's era onboard Doctor Who, and there after he's free to return to Cardiff (or wherever...). Sure, John Barrowman won't be available to film the series until March 2010 at the earliest, due to prior commitments, but that's not going to stop him!

Then there's the fantastic ratings. 6 million people. Read back over that. No, you're not dreaming - 6 million! The BBC would be foolish not to look at those numbers and order some more episodes, with or without Harkness. Plus, it's an ideal opportunity to bring in new characters/actors - actors who might also be on the cheap side to hire! Well, in the middle of a recession every penny matters.

Rumours are abound that the show could be moving across the pond to the USA, or at least an American remake is bound our way. Russell T Davies is the latest in a long line of production personnel to move over to LA (Julie Gardner has gone, too) - and based off of the show's success over there, I wouldn't rule out the Americans wanting a piece of the Torchwood pie.

Online fandom continues to thrive, also. Forums are going into meltdown over events seen in CoE, and brand spanking new sites are being set up by the people who watched this latest series, fell in love with the series and decided to label themselves fans. They own the show now, as do you, and online they'll never let its flame go out.

TORCHWOOD.tv will continue to offer up the latest happenings within the Torchwood community, with a whole host of writers onboard to ensure it stays as one of the top online resources available. Tomorrow sees the launch of our third annual Reader Awards, which everybody is entitled to vote in, and they'll be posted up in time for my own personal farewell at the end of the month. Yep, after three years reporting, it's almost my time to bid fandom adieu as I move onto ventures new. But the site, like the show it follows, lives on.

Why don't you post your reactions to CoE in the comments section below, and while you're at it take a stab at predicting what you think the future holds for the Torchwood brand. Please, remember, the show hasn't been cancelled by anybody; so try to remain positive!

Torchwood: Children of Earth hits DVD/Blu-Ray here in the UK on Monday 13th July.

Why don't you follow this blog for all the latest, up-to-date Torchwood news?

"Shake the Dirt Off My Shoes..."

2009-07-10T16:15:00.005+01:00

My Blu-Ray DVD 'boxset' of Children of Earth has arrived through the post, and this afternoon I sat down to watch the concluding episode of the serial - hours ahead of its official BBC One debut. Normally I'd probably just wait it out, and watch as it goes live - but alas, I'm at work from 7pm onwards so that's never been an option.

HAHA, PROOF! THAT UGLY BLIGHTER IS ME, DON'T YA KNOW?

Here's a quick preview of what to expect. It's pretty light on SPOILERS, but if you want to go into the episode not wanting to know anything at all, I suggest you look away now.

***

1: PC Andy Davidson takes off some clothes...
2: Not only is Captain Jack immortal - a certain well known accessory of his is, too...
3: It's all to do with getting high...
4: Abortion becomes an option...
5: "The Government has sold us out..."
6: Jack's Ret-Con is namechecked (and also, kinda blamed).
7: "They've got kids. Ianto's niece and nephew... Save them"
8: Mr. Frobisher makes an important decision. It's the only option left...
9: Rhys threatens to hit one of the other men in Gwen's life...
10: One cast member's name doesn't feature in the episode's credits - for the very first time since the series started back in 2006.

As for the episode's ending... well, put it this way I'm not too sure what form a fourth series of the show would take. I'm taking the ending as more of a cliffhanger than a definite ending, however. A little bit like how series one ended the story very specifically, but left enough room for series two, and beyond.

More on the episode after it goes out tonight.

Torchwood: Children of Earth - Day Five airs 9pm, BBC One.

Why don't you follow this blog for all the latest, up-to-date Torchwood news?

Heartbreak of Jack & Ianto

2009-07-10T12:38:00.004+01:00

One of the things I've found most satisfying with the whole Children of Earth storyline is how well it's served the Jack and Ianto relationship. Honestly, the tail end of series one their relationship was utterly laughable - but how far we've come since then. Between series two, the recent audio dramas and this run of adventures, I'm at last feeling their love. It's real, and at times it's so convincingly heartbreaking.

Yes, I've seen Day Four at last - but I won't say anything further on the matter, not wanting to spoil anything for readers outside of the UK or Australia. Let's just say, it's another chapter in the "Janto" relationship, and quite an important one...

If you haven't seen the episode yet, avoid the comments section below.

***

Children of Earth - Day Four was watched by 6.2 million viewers; that's the highest figure yet! Normally shows that run across five nights see a drop-off throughout the week. Well, Torchwood is the exception! 27% of the available viewing audience were watching at the time, and it was the 2nd most watched programme of the day.

Our friends at the Doctor Who News Page report that 82,000 watched on BBC HD, and a further 232,000 watched the BBC Three repeat. A great success!

Torchwood: Children of Earth - Day Five is the final part of the serial, and airs tonight at 9pm on BBC One. It follows 15 hours later on Australian television's UKTV Channel.

Why don't you follow this blog for all the latest, up-to-date Torchwood news?

He, Houdini

2009-07-10T03:26:00.006+01:00

I don't know if this is public knowledge yet, or if it is how many people know about it. It might not even be true. I'm just reporting something that has been sent to me by one reader, who's apparently 'in the know' about these things. Only just got the email, having been at work since the afternoon...

In their own words (Can anybody confirm if this is true?):

"Apparently John Barrowman was filming Fifth Gear yesterday and narrowly escaped serious injury when his car rolled over. No one has said anything officially. Just heard about it. Would love to find out if it's true. Captain Jack is really unbeatable! This didn't come from me tho.."

Firstly, if true, John came to no harm whatsoever, so don't worry yourself. Secondly, how much of a real life Captain Scarlet... erm, Harkness even is he?

Updates to follow. Probably.

Why don't you follow this blog for all the latest, up-to-date Torchwood news?

Wait... You Haven't Seen It Yet?

2009-07-09T23:58:00.002+01:00

Day Four, that is. And the only reason why I haven't been able to watch it thus far is because of pesky work getting in the way. It means, however, that I have to stay off all the usual internet forums I read until I do, and I can't even open the comments box for the previous blog entry on this site, scared that it will reveal that Ianto is really one of the Chuckle Brothers, or another such mammoth twist to end all twists.

Wanna know the worst part? I've actually got the Blu-Ray sat right infront of me now, and if I wanted to I could sit and watch both parts and over indulge. But, get this, I'm too tired - so it'll have to save until I'm alive and/or alert enough to watch it tomorrow afternoon. Geez.

Anyhoo, I hope everybody reading at least had fun watching it. Apparently it had a stonking good cliffhanger, that I refuse to know anything about... *fingers in my ears*

I'm not alone of course, because as I write this the episode has yet to hit Australia, for instance. They have another few hours to wait. Still, that's not as bad as the Americans who still have weeks to go until CoE hits their screens (television, that is - I'm sure it's hit a good few computer screens already...). Even Ausiello of Entertainment Weekly hasn't seen what's in store for episode 4 (or 5 for that matter).

So, after reading all this, I'll sum things up in quite a helpful conclusion for you. I haven't seen the episode in question, but you probably have - and for that, I've had my revenge. You see I've made you sit here and read this blog post of mine, when there's no real point to it whatsoever, other than me confirming that I haven't seen an hour of television.

Guess I get the last laugh after all!

Why don't you follow this blog for all the latest, up-to-date Torchwood news?

"The Best 5 Hour Movie EVER!!"

2009-07-09T12:40:00.003+01:00

At least that's how one of our readers is describing Torchwood: Children of Earth so far. I guess they're not alone in that opinion, as the ratings for Day Three indicate that the figures have gone back up to the level they were at on Monday, with 5.9 million people watching. That's 300,000 up from the night before, making the programme the 3rd most watched of the night (after the soaps) with an audience share of 27.1% and an amazing audience appreciation of 90/100 - to put that in its place, anything over 85 is considered exceptional.

The BBC HD figures, BBC Three repeats and iPlayer views also remain very strong.

It's astonishing just how well received this mini series has been thus far. People at my work who used to scoff at the mention of Torchwood before have been coming up to me and saying how brilliant they're finding this adventure, and asking when the next series starts. My family are addicted, too. Oh, and for people on the bus or on the street it's watercooler television, as everybody I hear is talking about it.

Torchwood has become must watch television, great stuff.

Honestly, the BBC would be fools not to recommission the drama now, wouldn't they?

Torchwood: Children of Earth - Day Four airs tonight on BBC One from 9pm, and is also showing across in Australia mere hours later, at 8:15pm on UKTV.

Why don't you follow this blog for all the latest, up-to-date Torchwood news?

They've Come For Your Children!!

2009-07-08T23:15:00.001+01:00

Another explosive episode tonight, huh? I must admit that I'm finding the 456 creature utterly, utterly creepy. It's one of those things that I think they should keep hidden from us as viewers, much like the Alien in the Alien series. As soon as we're granted a full look at the thing, it loses all sense of mystery and horror - because nothing 'real' can live up to what our imaginations might conjure up regarding the thing.

On another note, am I the only one who's noticed how little airtime Captain Jack/John Barrowman has had during the last couple of episodes? They've very much been lite on the character - maybe because Barrowman is off here, there and everywhere filling in as presenter on gameshows, or panel shows, or whatever. I miss him, in a strange way.

***

You can read the blog of Day Three's co-writer James Moran here, and there's also an interview with him over at Den of Geek! for your enjoyment, here.

Let us know what you thought of tonight's episode in the comments section below. If you missed it, it's available via BBC iPlayer (UK only, alas) for the next 7 days.

Why don't you follow this blog for all the latest, up-to-date Torchwood news?

Britain is Taken!!

2009-07-08T09:58:00.004+01:00

The second episode of the five part Children of Earth serial grabbed an average of 5.6 million viewers last night - just 300,000 short of the night before. That's not an all that significant drop in viewers, so I'd say the prospects for a fourth series just got that little bit better...

(That 5.6 million translates to 24% of the available viewing audience... oh, and the show was - for the very first time ever! - the most watched programme of the day. It beat the likes of the soaps, and the Michael Jackson memorial over on BBC 2.)

As for some reactions...

Ed Martin is loving how the series has become 'event' television.

Charlie Jane Anders has some horribly nice things to say about the show.

It's 3 stars out of a possible 5 from DigitalSpy.

***

Torchwood: Children of Earth - Day Three airs tonight on BBC One, at 9pm. In Australia that same episode airs a mere 15 hours later, at 8:15pm on UKTV.

Why don't you follow this blog for all the latest, up-to-date Torchwood news?

John Barrowman's Bum!

2009-07-07T22:29:00.003+01:00

Ever since the BBC forced the Doctor Who production team to cut a scene in the 2005 episode "Bad Wolf" which would have featured the sight of Mr John Barrowman's bum, we've been promised that one day Captain Jack Harkness would find another reason to take his clothes off and show us his peach. Well, fanboys and fangirls (who probably spend too much time wishing this sort of thing into existence) tonight your wishes came true!

That episode really kicked things up a gear or two, huh? Personally I'm loving Lois Habiba, played by the very lovely Cush Jumbo (fantastic name, too!!). If she doesn't find her way into the show's regular cast next series, there's no justice in the world. She's beautiful, clever and has ten times more charisma than Freema Agyeman's Martha Jones ever did. I was watching her tonight, and thought to myself - "hang on, she has more character depth in two episodes than Toshiko Sato did after two whole series!" Another sign of the show's growing confidence and maturity.

Anyhoo, enough from me - what did you guys and gals at home think? Did you too love Cush, or was it John's tush that really had you going? Or Ianto's "Here He Comes in a Great Ruddy Tractor?" (Ben Foster fans will know straight away what I'm referring to there..!) Let us know in the comments section below, why don't you?!

Torchwood: Children of Earth - Day Two is available over the next 7 days via iPlayer.

Why don't you follow this blog for all the latest, up-to-date Torchwood news?

Reactions - Day One

2009-07-07T12:21:00.004+01:00

Children of Earth's opening episode managed a rating of 5.94 million viewers (on average) between 9pm and 10pm last night. Not only does this make Torchwood the 5th most watched programme on British television for Monday July 6th, but it's the show's highest ever rating! And if you're wondering, that equates to 25.58% of the available audience watching!!

We were beaten only by the three main soaps - the pesky Coronation Street, Emmerdale and Eastenders.

It's likely that tonight's installment will see a drop of in figures (as is usual between first and second episodes of any show) and the figure should probably settle at around the 4.5-5 million mark.

***

Elsewhere, reviews are coming in from a number of places. BEWARE, if you haven't seen the episode in question yet the links contain nasty SPOILERS:

Sam Wallaston at the Guardian gives his (mixed) review.

Brian Viner from the Independent offers another analysis.

Keith Watson of Metro is in a playful mood (SPOILERS for episode 2).

Meanwhile Charlie Brooker's You Have Been Watching wants your Torchwood reviews, because next week's episode is dedicated entirely to the show! You can tweet them to Brooker direct through this Twitter page!

Oh, and here's one we missed first time around - it's an interview Eve Myles conducted with Under the Radar magazine. Thanks to Mark Redfern for alerting us to it.

***

Don't forget, Torchwood: Children of Earth - Day Two airs tonight at 9pm on BBC One, or for readers Down Under, that's 8:15pm on UKTV.

Why don't you follow this blog for all the latest, up-to-date Torchwood news?

Bang Bang Boom!

2009-07-06T22:04:00.008+01:00

Now, that was explosive...

So, Torchwood has blasted back onto our screens at last. Hooray, it's been worth the wait! One of the things I noticed about this opening episode is just how mature it feels. Every season the show grows up that little bit more, and it's working in its favour. Back in 2006 we had brash episodes about sex-addicted aliens, and now instead we have quieter moments with the team and a general intelligence injected into the scripts.

In other words, based off what I've seen so far, I approve of Children of Earth!

What did you make of the episode? Reactions in the comments section below!

***

Catch a trailer for Day Two at the BBCi site (plus an interview with Eve Myles).

Meanwhile, a couple of interviews with the show's cast that ran earlier today:

Eve Myles and Gareth David-Lloyd on BBC Breakfast.

John Barrowman on his favourite chat show, Loose Women.

As ever, if you're new to the site, welcome! Hope you feel at home here, and within the Torchwood community as a whole.

***

Why don't you follow this blog for all the latest, up-to-date Torchwood news?

Tonight's the Night

2009-07-06T14:17:00.003+01:00

(See what I did there? I thought it was clever and highly amusing, anyways...)

Tonight sees the first new venture onto television for the Torchwood team since... would you believe it, April 2008. Children of Earth runs all week long, becoming true 'event' television in the process. But let's face it, for us Woodies it was always going to be an event, wasn't it? After all, we've had over a 15 month wait - not to mention a Doctor Who crossover that's wet our appetites, and four rather accomplished radio plays that have helped bide time.

If you're new to the Torchwood experience, having seen trailers and such over the last couple of weeks and thought you'd investogate further, then welcome! Firstly, to the world of Torchwood - which spins out of Doctor Who, or more specifically Russell T Davies' take on the science-fiction juggernaut. The show is centred around Cardiff's Torchwood team, who investigate strange goings on around the town that are often related to the presense of extra terrestrial beings.

Tonight is the start of the show's third season; although rest assured that you need no more of an introduction than what you'll get during tonight's opening installment.

(And if you do like what you see tonight and during the rest of the week, you should know that the DVD and Blu-Ray boxsets of series one and two are also available now...)

Secondly, welcome to TORCHWOOD.tv! We're a site dedicated to all things Torchwood (but you've probably guessed that, right?) and have been reporting all the latest news, as well as commentary and other such ramblings, ever since the show's commission was first announced back in 2005. On a personal level, I hope you enjoy what you see here and decide to join us on our Torchwood odyssey on a regular basis.

Torchwood: Children of Earth - Day One kicks off at 9pm tonight on BBC One here in the UK, and runs on UKTV in Australia a few hours later, from 8:15pm local time.

Radio Play Wrap-Up

2009-07-06T14:01:00.003+01:00

Well folks, in just a few more hours those lucky people in the UK will be watching the opening credits of Torchwood: Children of Earth's first episode.

But until that time, why not have a discussion of the three most recent radio plays? I have a feeling that any and all coverage from herein on will focus on CoE, but before that let's give the audio dramas a bit of love, hmmm?

So leave a comment or two (or twelve) in this post.

What did you love (or not) about the shows? How did they stack up against Lost Souls waaay back in September? Do you think that CoE will address some of the new canon (especially in regards to Asylum?) Which, if any, do you wish had been made into an actual episode?

And a spoiler-lite refresher:
Asylum: In which it is revealed that Captain Jack's Torchwood eventually becomes firefighters.
Golden Age: Colonialism is most efficient when run with people-power.

The Dead Line: Don't ~~blink~~ answer the phone! ~~Blink~~ Answer the phone, and you're dead.

Thin Dead Line

2009-07-03T13:32:00.006+01:00

Right, that's two down - one to go! By now you've no doubt listened to the two brand spanking new Torchwood radio adventures, that have been airing on BBC's Radio 4 station (Wednesday's "Asylum" and yesterday's "Golden Age"). Well, today's there's one final story to round off the series - "The Dead Line" and from the sounds of things, it's a corker!

Don't forget, ahead of Children of Earth next week various media outlets are running stories regarding the series. SFX Magazine, for example, have published a lengthy interview with the show's creator, Russell T Davies (who, as ever, positively shines during it). Digitalpy have also been previewing the series, and here's just one example of their coverage.

The DVD and Blu-Ray release of CoE has been pushed forward a couple of weeks, to July 13th - meaning that there's an ever so slight chance some fans who have pre-ordered the release will get the boxset ahead of transmission for Friday's finale (depending on when the discs are shipped - there may well be an embargo for even shipping releases until, say, Thursday afternoon).

The Blu-Ray release of series 2 has also hit UK stores, and those across Europe.

More developments surrounding CoE over the weekend, and across next week.

(You can read a 'making of' for the three audio adventures here - thanks to reader J. M. Ferretti)

Takin' Over the Asylum

2009-07-01T14:32:00.003+01:00

Right now, at the very second I'm writing this, the first of three new Torchwood radio adventures is about to go out to listeners in the UK. It's called "Asylum" and it's by award winning playwright Anita Sullivan, and stars John, Eve and Gareth - reuniting them with Tom Price as the returning PC Andy Davidson.

The official synopsis:

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.

I'm hearing a little time travel is involved...

You can download the episode over the next 7 days on BBC's iPlayer service, and after that it'll be available through iTunes and on CD release sometime over the next few months.

***

Don't forget that the latest issue of Torchwood: The Official Magazine is out now - with previews of Children of Earth, as well as interviews with the cast and crew, and various pieces of original fiction. You can pick it up from all good newsagents, priced £4.99.

They Punish the Earth Defenders

2009-06-30T17:36:00.005+01:00

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.

***

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

T Minus 7 Days!

2009-06-29T18:27:00.005+01:00

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

2009-06-29T01:38:00.006+01:00

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

2009-06-28T01:43:00.004+01:00

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

2009-06-26T04:46:00.003+01:00

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.

---

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.

---

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...

2009-06-25T20:52:00.010+01:00

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.

*********

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.

*********

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.

*********

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!)

*********

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

2009-06-24T18:30:00.003+01:00

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!

2009-06-18T13:03:00.005+01:00

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

2009-06-17T17:47:00.006+01:00

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

2009-06-16T16:14:00.003+01:00

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

2009-06-13T00:21:00.006+01:00

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

2009-06-12T15:52:00.003+01:00

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

2009-06-11T19:07:00.003+01:00

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)

2009-06-07T20:49:00.005+01:00

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

2009-06-05T19:45:00.003+01:00

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!)

2009-06-05T15:24:00.006+01:00

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

2009-06-05T03:58:00.004+01:00

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

2009-06-05T00:46:00.003+01:00

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

2009-06-03T17:22:00.003+01:00

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)

2009-06-03T06:31:00.004+01:00

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?

NEW Children of Earth Trailer

2009-05-29T19:18:00.003+01:00

Waking up today was as good as Christmas morning. Awaiting all good Torchwood fans is a new Children of Earth trailer (UK and US) and it is intense. This coincides with BBC America's newly launched CoE web page that is full of 'woodie goodies. Go check it out!

Word from BBC America is that the air date for Children of Earth will be announced in the next couple of weeks. Well, that was the word last Thursday anyway, so it could theoretically be next week, but I wouldn't count on it.

WE ARE COMING.

West End 'Wood

2009-05-20T18:26:00.004+01:00

It's been hinted at before, but now at last there's confirmation that John Barrowman will tread the boards at London's Playhouse Theatre in a production of Jean Poiret's 'La Cage Aux Folles'. He will play the role of Albin, from September 14th through November 28th. After that, he returns to panto until the end of January 2010, then takes his annual month-long Febraury vacation.

We Are Coming... But when?

2009-05-14T22:07:00.006+01:00

Despite the fact that a BBC press release announced that Children of Earth was going to air some time in June, now it's looking like that may not be the case. From the start of Children of Earth's publicity, there was talk of having the mini series simulcast across as many networks in as many nations as possible, especially BBC One and BBC America.

However BBC America has been running teasers, as well as officially announced, that their airdate for the series will be some time in July. Does this mean that the airdate for BBC One will be pushed to July? Or have they just abandoned the idea of the simulcast?

Another article with another "official release" has shown up, saying that July is in fact the month that the broadcast will happen, but after all this back and forth, it's hard be sure. The one date that is known is the special event screening of the first episode slated for June 12th at the British Film Institute, which was sold out to members before it even went on sale to the general public.

Hopefully a solid date will be announced soon, but until then, at least it's safe to say it will air some time before August... We hope.

The show's so vogue

2009-05-10T22:36:00.008+01:00

Captain Jack says that "everything changes" - nothing more so than fashion!

As you're no doubt aware TORCHWOOD.tv has dabbled in fashion before - who doesn't want a TW.tv T-shirt?! - but now at last Woodies across the land can rejoice as Forbidden Planet International have on sale an official licensed Torchwood T-shirt (that puts our's to shame, and then some!) that you can get your hands on right now!*

*I admit that's there's been some recent scandal about online buying from FP International, but I'm assured that this has all been corrected now.

***

In other news, it looks like BBC America won't be airing Children of Earth the same week as BBC One here in the UK. Instead promotional material indicates that it'll go out some time in July - a full month after its mid-June UK debut.

Oh, Baby!

2009-05-06T21:13:00.003+01:00

Big congratulations to Eve Myles who has just announced she is three months pregnant. The very busy actress has wanted to have a child for quite some time and finally decided with her partner to start trying after filming Children of Earth. "I thought, if I put this off any more I'm going to be 65." She said in the What's on TV article. "My partner and I decided this year was going to be the year, and we were blessed that it happened so quickly."

Does this mean she is done with Torchwood? Well, not according to her. "I hope we get a new series. I'd really like to play Gwen as a mother. It's not like I have to really save the world – I just have to sit in make-up!"

Makes you wonder if Gwen may have her own contribution to the "Children of Earth" on the way by the end of the third series.

The Secret Life of Captain Barrowman...?

2009-05-06T20:54:00.006+01:00

It's Halloween all year 'round for John Barrowman... or so he would have us believe.

A special premiere screening of the first episode of Children of Earth was held today, and while reporters are sworn to secrecy about all the juicy details, that didn't stop them from questioning The Barrowman about his costumed appearance on the Doctor Who set.

His reply? "I actually go to the supermarket dressed as Captain Jack and that was a picture of me running from Tesco to my car and some paparazzi photographed me and they superimposed David there and that's what that is."

Cue the raised eyebrows of, um, everyone who reads that. Far be it from me to call "shenanigans" on his explanation, but just take a good look at his face as he says the same thing to each reporter! One video from Digital Spy here, and another video here.
(And "I'm telling you the honest to God truth, haven't read a script" -- haven't read a script? I think we may have found a loophole the size of the Rift!)

Ianto spills the (coffee) beans?!

2009-05-05T00:00:00.007+01:00

Gareth David-Lloyd was a guest at Vortex, a one-day Who convention held in Belfast this past weekend, and he let slip a few more details about CoE.

One fan's report revealed: "Gareth David-Lloyd was a great presence, he kept a tight lid on the upcoming Torchwood: Children of Earth, but did reveal that we would find out much more about Ianto's past, such as meeting his family, and discovering the reasons he tore apart from them." You can see the rest of her write-up, including photos, here at her blog.

But that's not all he said! As many fans have also reported, Gareth told the gathered crowd that CoE would air in the second week in June.

In addition, UK channel Watch has issued a press release stating they will re-run Torchwood's first series starting an hour after each new CoE episode airs, kicking off Monday, 15th June (from here).

Come on, BBC! Stop with the secrecy already, and make the official announcement confirming what we've already guessed. We promise we'll act surprised when you tell us...!

Blink, and you're dead! Er, I mean, "and you'll miss it".

2009-05-04T02:34:00.009+01:00

If you thought the last Torchwood teaser clip was minimalist, wait 'til you see what those crazy Australians have come up with now!

The show's official website in the land down under has just posted another 10-second promo for CoE. Spoiler-phobes can watch this one guilt-free, because, well... see for yourself.

Imagine having that come on your telly during the commercials! Run and hide behind the couch indeed...

****

The latest issue of UK-based SciFiNow magazine, with plastic-y looking Chris Pine on the cover, features new interviews with Eve Myles and director Euros Lynn, in which they talk about -what else?- Children of Earth.

For those of us unable (or too cheap!) to purchase the magazine, SciFiPulse.net has kindly excerpted parts of Eve's interview, which you can read here.

She reveals that although time has passed since "Exit Wounds", Tosh and Owen have not been forgotten: "There’s a beautiful moment where [their] pictures are still there and Gwen says good morning to them every morning, so they’re still a very strong symbol of life and death in Torchwood.” (Even the most anti-Gwen fans have to admit that's cute.)

And what else can eager fans look forward to in June? "They can expect to see the Torchwood heroes becoming even more heroic. They’ll see devastation, but they’ll also see a huge bit of comedy and the best Torchwood that we’ve ever produced to date. They’re going to get it all, and I dare anybody not to enjoy it."

It's Christmas In Cardiff!

2009-04-30T05:29:00.006+01:00

"We Are Coming"... to traumatize you! Well, sort of. The official Torchwood website has just posted a new 10-second teaser clip of CoE. It was originally cut for Australian television networks (which only recently aired series two), but the Beeb has been kind enough to let international viewers watch it on their site. It's a must-see for anyone who thought that the longer preview didn't show enough creepy children acting creepily (if that's even a word).

EDIT: It appears the clip has now been restricted to UK viewers only. But I'm sure we Torchwood fans are resourceful enough to find it somewhere else...

****

Fandom has been working overtime today with rumors of a certain Torchwood member appearing on the Doctor Who set... but now we have photos to prove it! John Barrowman has been spotted filming for the final specials, and intrepid fan alun_vega has photographic evidence of Jack's return to the Who crew.

The scenes he's shooting now are intended for the final two Tenth Doctor specials, which are slated to air around Christmas 2009. Does this mean Jack will witness the regeneration scene? Because I would pay good money to see his reaction to barely-legal Eleven.

(Also: way to abandon your team again, Mr. I-Came-Back-For-You! Have we learned nothing from 'Last of the Time Lords?')

****

Speaking of The Barrowman (because when are we ever not?), his official site has been updated with news of the BFI's exclusive screening of CoE:

John will join other members of the cast of Torchwood at the National Film Theatre on 12 June for a preview of Torchwood: Children of Earth, followed by a Q&A session. Tickets are expected to go on sale on 5 May (members) and 12 May (general public).

This Weekend In Torchwood

2009-04-27T23:36:00.001+01:00

Last month Kai Owen announced he was in training for the 2009 Flora London Marathon. The marathon was held yesterday, April 26, and Kai was out there running alongside more than 35,000 other participants . He may not have come in first place (you can see his results here) but he did raise over £3500 for the Cancer & Leukemia In Children charity. Congratulations, Kai!

*****

This past Saturday, April 25, saw the release of Torchwood's first graphic novel, "Rift War", compiled from the official magazine's comic inserts. To celebrate the day, Forbidden Planet, London's geek megastore, hosted a special signing with the book's creative team. Even if you couldn't make it to the event, you can still get yourself a signed copy of "Rift War" on their site for £7.99. For the bargain-hunters among us, Amazon.co.uk has regular editions for £2 less.

*****

Do the people behind Sci-Fi Collector ever sleep? Last week they announced their second wave of Torchwood action figures, and now they're back again with the announcement that two of those characters will be released early, in limited-edition.

Ianto Jones and Captain John Hart figures will be available as part of the second wave later this summer, but particularly obsessive fans may be interested to know that both are now available in collectible packaging. The reason for the fancy wrappings? Only 1,000 of each figure were produced, and the majority of these will only be available at upcoming gigs by Gareth David-Lloyd or James Marsters. If you're determined to get your hands on them (the toys, not the actors!), a certain number have been set aside for online-only sales. They can be purchased individually for £14.99 each, or as a set for £29.99, here.

1000 Iantos, 1000 Captain Johns... That warehouse must be Captain Jack's wet dream come true.

CoE Launch Month Announced!

2009-04-27T17:57:00.007+01:00

Well, chalk this one up to the fans. The BBC recently sent out a press release confirming what most diehard Woodies have already guessed: June 2009 will be the month we finally get to see "Children of Earth".

We're still(!) waiting for the exact date to be confirmed. However, the British Film Institute will host a star-studded preview of the first episode on Friday, June 12 in London. (Wow, way to snub Wales.) And not to get too far ahead of myself, but that date seems to make June 15, the following Monday, the best candidate for CoE's transmission.

The BFI has also sent out a spoiler-lite summary of Episode 1:

1965: Twelve children are gathered on a deserted moor, before being surrounded by a harsh, bright light .... and then they are gone!
Today: all over Earth, children stop moving. Stop playing, stop laughing. Then, as one, they begin to speak with the same voice, announcing the imminent arrival of a new alien threat. "We are coming...". As the British government closes ranks, it issues a death warrant against Captain Jack and Torchwood...

In this case, it seems like being "outside the government" isn't exactly something to brag about, hmmmm Captain Jack?

(full news article here)

Anything but exclusive launch details

2009-04-24T00:01:00.004+01:00

Barring any last minute delays, Torchwood: Children of Earth launches here in the UK on BBC One on June 15 and runs through that week, ending June 19th.

For a while I've been saying that there's no way the series can begin until the second series of Ashes to Ashes (which started last Monday) has concluded its run. That series is scheduled to end June 8th - and with comments by John Barrowman on the Jonathan Ross Radio 2 show recently - presented by David Tennant and Catherine Tate - that Torchwood airs sometime in June, that leaves either a June 15th, June 22nd or June 29th launch.

Add into the mix that the current issue of Torchwood Magazine, out today, is full of previews for Children of Earth and that its next issue is out June 25th, with a very spoilery interview with Russell T Davies and set reports from the series, including a look at the mysterious 456, one can deduce that the series is expected to have concluded its run by then.

The only way that'd be possible is a June 15th launch - because obviously June 29th is after that new issue is out (so would completely ruin the series a whole week before transmission) and even June 22nd is a bit of a danger area, as subscribers receive copies of their magazines early. June 15th-19th would be fine, and have concluded by the time the magazine is out.

(The case could be made that the series launch could occur June 22nd, and the contents of that new issue only cover the first half of the series - at this point I've chosen the June 15th launch date because it's the most likely. It's 80/20 in its favour)

Also, you have the June 22nd launch of the Blu Ray, to tie in with hype that the series will have gathered by that point, to maximise sales.

People are under the assumption that the schedules are made up on a whim a couple of weeks before transmission. If you know anything about scheduling, you'll know that's simply not true. It's a very complex affair, and programmes are sometimes slotted into schedule a whole year before transmission - look at Doctor Who, with its traditional Christmas Special, and then following Easter series launch. Of course, though it's that complex, changes are still being made here and there, until the day that listings magazines are given the schedules to print (at which point changes are rarely made).

No doubt some readers will attack me online and in the comments section below for making such a guess with regards to series lauch. So what. Go ahead. Do your worst. I'm merely communicating with you what is now a very educated guess, based upon several truths and realities that we know to be fact.

Pencil in June 15th (and June 22nd to be on the safe side - but it's definitely one of those two dates)!

Golden Age!

2009-04-23T00:12:00.004+01:00

We've known for a while now that three brand new Torchwood audio dramas were coming our way, that'd be in the same vein as last year's "Lost Souls". Now Torchwood - the Official Magazine has revealed exclusive details about the forthcoming episodes - which includes story titles, and who's writing them.

"ASYLUM"
By ANITA SULLIVAN
The story of a troubled teen runaway called Freda, who is brought to the attention of Torchwood by PC Andy (played by Tom Price).

"GOLDEN AGE"
By JAMES GOSS
"A story with a twist" according to producer Kate McAll, 'Golden Age' is set in present day India and features a character called the Duchess.

"THE DEAD LINE"
By PHIL FORD
"A series of mysterious phone calls lead Jack into danger, and result in 'a very emotional moment for Ianto'. Listen out for familiar voices! (One possibility is that David Tennant guest stars as one of the callers, using his natural Scottish accent, but that's speculation on my behalf.)

The episodes are all 45 minutes long and will air as part of Radio 4's Afternoon Play slot from 2:15pm (it's likely they'll air all in the same week, in June). It's stated that they're set after "Lost Souls" and before "Children of Earth" - which airs a week or so after the radio series concludes.

(Sorry about the "Children of Time" typo!)

They'll be available through iPlayer and as a podcast. After that, expect a CD release of all three stories some point later in the year.

Meanwhile, two more Torchwood audio books are arriving pretty soon. "In the Shadows" is out on May 7th, and features a script by Joseph Lidster ("A Day in the Death") and will be read by none other than Eve Myles. On June 4th that's followed by another adventure, "The Sin Eaters" written by script editor Brian Minchin and likely to be read by Gareth David-Lloyd.

***

Completing this round of merchandise updating, it's now confirmed that Torchwood's second series will be released on the Blu Ray platform on June 22nd.

News direct from Torchwood - the Official Magazine issue 15, out now!

15 of the Best

2009-04-22T17:11:00.004+01:00

Hmmm. I'm sure I posted this story yesterday, but according to Blogger it was only ever saved as a draft entry. Thing is, the entry was in my "blogs I follow" stream last time I looked. The mystery deepens...

***

Issue 15 of Torchwood - the Official Magazine is out now, and it's a blinder! Honest to God, it's improved ten fold over the last couple of issues. There's still some room for improvement beyond this, but for now it'll do quite nicely.

TORCHWOOD - THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE#15

It's the last issue before Children of Earth launches mid-June, so there's a number of articles to tie-in with the new series, including an interview with John Barrowman that I'll be reporting upon in further detail later this week (if all goes to plan). Then there's an exclusive preview of the five new shows by Russell T Davies, as he comments upon five new photographs released from the show to its official magazine. He states:

Episode One - a picture of Jack and Gwen with a parent, and her child: "Torchwood: Children of Earth begins with every parent's worst nightmare: what if something happened to the kids? Luckily Jack and Gwen are quickly on the case."

Episode Two - a picture of Ianto in a hard hat and builder's get-up: "Who's this rugged fellow in a hard hat and hi-vis jacket? Is it the Health and Safety Village People? No! It's Ianto Jones sporting a rather nasty gash on his cheek, and far from the comforts of good coffee and master tailoring. Curiouser and curiouser..."

Episode Three - shows Rhys in a smart dinner jacket: "Now things are really getting weird! First Ianto is looking like a docker, and now Rhys is all dressed up with no place to go! As his wife puts everything on the line to save the world again, is it time for him to enter the frontline with the rest of the Torchwood team? Some things are always worth fighting for..."

Episode Four - Jack and Ianto, guns blazing, on Floor 13: "Red alert! As Children of Earth moves towards its jaw-dropping climax, Jack and Ianto face off against an unseen opponent in the mysterious Floor 13. As the international situation escalates, UNIT is also on the scene - but will the military taskforce help or hinder Torchwood in their mission?"

Episode Five - Gwen rescuing a child: "The future of the entire human race is in the balence, and the situation is spiralling out of control. Everything depends on the children, but with Torchwood battered and bruised, can Gwen still make a difference, and will it be enough to save the day?"

There's an exclusive set report, taken from last November's filming (so it's likely from the final two episodes) and an interview with Rik Makarem, who plays Doctor Rupesh Patanjali in the specials.

Also in the magazine is a look at the monsters and aliens that the team has faced over the course of the last two seasons, and during its numerous spin-offs; a familiar face (SPOILER!) Bilis Manger returns in part one of a new five-part comic strip, "Broken" by creative team Gary Russell (writer) and Adrian Salmon (artist); and there's a peak at series one adventure "Greeks Bearing Gifts" which includes an interview with guest star Daniela Denby-Ashe.

Other features include a talk with the show's sound mixer, an investigation into whether the show's Pterodactyl could really exist, and a fan inquisition with Eve Myles.

Oh, and for some bizarre reason an index of the first 13 issues of the magazine, just in case you might have missed them...

And lots of adverts for other Titan products - but thankfully this time a good chunk of them are in some way related to the show. Hooray!

More from the magazine and some exclusive news it spills throughout the week. You can pick up the real thing yourself from all good newsagents, for £4.99.

Lets hope they keep up the trend next issue, huh?

Not So 'Undiscovered' After All

2009-04-20T08:28:00.007+01:00

Last Saturday's episode of Britain's Got Talent, the inescapable reality show where 'average' people show off their above-average skills, showcased a preteen whose face may be familiar to die-hard Woodies.

Twelve-year old Shaheen Jafargholi wowed the crowd with his singing voice, but Torchwood's casting directors discovered his talents as an actor almost three years ago. One of his first roles was as "Danny", the young boy Toshiko saves from his father's murderous rage, in episode 1x07 "Greeks Bearing Gifts". (If that doesn't ring a bell: It's the one where Tosh snogs a woman. Yeah, now you remember it.)

No word yet on whether other Whoniverse associates will infiltrate the show and compete for the £100,000 prize. But just between you and me, I've always figured Simon Cowell for an Auton.

(Mirror.co.uk article)

Eager Beavers

2009-04-19T15:33:00.004+01:00

In the middle of filming of what will prove to be David Tennant's last (for now...) appearence as the Doctor, the media are beginning to look to the show's future. John Barrowman has pledged loyalty to new Eleventh Doctor Matt Smith in a number of interviews across the past week.

I USED TO BE WILLIAM HARTNELL YOU KNOW (ANTI-WRINKLE CREAM DOES WONDERS).

DigitalSpy report upon an interview thelondonpap er conducted with Barrowman last week. Upon mrunning into Matt at the BBC by chance, John has this to say, "Matt is an interesting-looking guy and if you are asking do I find him handsome, I would say 'Yes, I do'. He's a really nice guy and I think he's going to be great. But afterwards, I felt like I had been cheating on David."

Afterwards Barrowman elaborated upon the story on the Steve Wright's Radio 2 In the Afternoon show: "I like him. I was doing publicity at the BBC and he was also coming in to do stuff himself. We sat down and had a conversation, he seems like a really nice guy and he's really up for it. I think he'll do really, really well. He said: 'One thing John, I'd really love it if Captain Jack and my Doctor cross paths'. I said: 'Well, we have to leave that up to the writers'. Who knows?"

Indeed. Rumours have it that David Tennant films his last scenes on May 22nd (although he has another mystery 'Who related project lined up...) and Matt Smith then comes in to record the post-regeneration scene in June. He begins full time filming in mid-July.

You can follow Matt Smith on Twitter here.

The Reel Deal

2009-04-18T05:15:00.008+01:00

Good news for anyone who's ever longed for a five-inch-tall blowfish action figure to call their very own! Not just any blowfish, mind you, but a gun-waving, joy-riding, exposition-delivering, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang-appearing blowfish.

The good people at SciFiCollector (think Dalek cookie jars and Cybermen iPod covers) are now accepting pre-orders for their second batch of licensed Torchwood action figures. This set includes The Blowfish, as well as some other less important people named Tosh, Ianto, and Captain John. But seriously, I think we all know who the reel star of this set is. (Get it? 'Reel'? Like, fishing reel? *sigh*)

The set, which is expected to ship this summer, will run you £39.95, and can be ordered here. (And while you're there, would you mind buying me a pack of Tenth Doctor handkerchiefs? I'll pay shipping - although postage within the UK is free!!)

Torchwood recieves two Award Nomintations

2009-04-17T13:38:00.004+01:00

Bafta Cmyru, the Welsh division of the British Academy of Film and Television Awards, have announced the nominees for the 18th Annual BAFTA Cymru Film, Television and Interactive Media Awards. Torchwood has received two nominations. They are:

Best Design – Edward Thomas (For the episode “Adrift”)
Best Costume – Ray Holman (For the episode “From Out of the Rain”)

Meanwhile, Doctor Who received 9 nominations, including ones for Best Drama, Best Screenwriter and Best Director, while The Sarah Jane Adventures has been nominated for Best Children’s Programme.

The full list of nominations can be seen here.

EDIT:
Just on a side note, Torchwood is no stranger to these awards. In 2007, Bafta Cymru gave Torchwood the Best Drama Series award, while Eve Myles won the Best Actress award.

Is Torchwood Getting A Check-Up?

2009-04-16T02:42:00.010+01:00

Another entry for our unsubstantiated rumour department: Some fans are claiming to have recently seen the Torchwood cast filming scenes for the 2009 Doctor Who specials.

No definitive set reports or photographs have surfaced as of yet, so this possible "spoiler" should be taken with more than a grain of salt.

A starting point for these claims may have been last Saturday's "Jonathan Ross Show" on BBC Radio 2. As jackharkness posted last week, David Tennant and Catherine Tate filled in as hosts for the program, with John Barrowman as their special guest. The three actors obviously enjoyed their time together, and at one point made reference to a discussion they had been having "the other day".

Could this be a clue that we may soon see the Hub dwellers getting a check-up from the Doctor? Or was that innocent remark only more grist for the rumour mill?

EDIT: After a little more dirt-digging... yup, this is entirely false. In the words of the Tenth Doctor, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." Guess I lived up to my username after all?

Jumping Ship

2009-04-15T22:16:00.002+01:00

The 2010 series of Doctor Who is shaping up nicely, don't you think? Not only do we have the ever brilliant Steven Moffat as Head Writer and the youthful Matt Smith as his Eleventh Doctor, but now it's been confirmed that Peter Bennett (Producer of Torchwood's "Children of Earth" series) will take over the role that Phil Collinson once occupied, as main series Producer.

The BBC's Press Office confirms his promotion, and notes that he'll share the job with Tracie Simpson (who has already produced "Planet of the Dead" as well as the Christmas 2009 finale to the David Tennant era).

Beth Willis (Ashes to Ashes - which is back next Monday, don't cha know?) steps in as the show's third Executive Producer, alongside Moffat and Piers Wenger.

***

I'm hearing that Torchwood's fourth season (if commissioned...) won't film until at least next February or March, as John Barrowman is looking to return to the stage at some point later this year, and then head up his usual Christmas time panto, plus there's the fact that Gareth David-Lloyd is in America for the next few months.

Hmm... what with this and whispers that the Torchwood Hub set has been torn down to make room for the new look TARDIS console room it's looking like it'll be a nervous few months for us Woodies as we wait to hear what comes next, beyond the "Children of Earth".

A little bit of everything!

2009-04-11T20:44:00.011+01:00

Congratulations to Kai Owen and his fiance Sarah! According to Kai’s yahoo group, the couple are expecting a baby this coming October. Kai is obviously thrilled and said he’s "over the moon and looking forward to being a Daddy!!!" Good news such as this certainly inclines fans to send cards and presents, and one of the best presents you can give to Kai is a donation on his Just Giving page.

Gareth David-Lloyd has been announced for some upcoming conventions. On May 3^rd, Gareth is going to be at Vortex, the one-day Doctor Who/Sarah Jane Adventures/Torchwood convention in Belfast. Check it out. It sounds like great fun for the kids!

On the U.S. convention front, Gareth has joined the growing Torchsong line up for this coming June. He’ll be alongside John Barrowman, Kai Owen, Tom Price, and others.

For American fans looking for the convention experience on more of a budget, I have the official scoop that Gareth will be at Hurricane Who in Orlando, Florida this October.

Aside from conventions, Gareth is going to be in the short film, "A Very British Cover Up." “In this comedy short film Welsh Drag queen Rhiannon gets caught in the middle of a right royal scandal” The project is Directed by Ian Smith (BBC - Short form producer/director: Doctor Who, Ashes to Ashes, Mistresses, Merlin, Sarah Jane Adventures) and was co-written by Smith and Nina Barnfather. Production is set for early May. For more information, please visit www.averybritishcoverup.com

Finally, there is an interview with Carole Barrowman over at the BBC America Torchwood website about the selkie comic she wrote with John. You can also check out John’s very own BBC America page and see what he has coming up on U.S. screens.

Happy Easter!

John Hart: Time Agent - the Series?!

2009-04-10T22:26:00.004+01:00

Internet site 411mania interviews James Marsters, to promote the release of the Dragonball Evolution picture released in cinemas across the US and UK today. During the course of his talk, Marsters discusses how much fun he found the Torchwood filming experience - and it's all thanks to one man. Yep, the great John Barrowman (of course):

"We had more fun doing Torchwood than we could even show you. John Barrowman is just fabulous and he will not let you be tired, he won't let anyone not care. The harder it gets, the more tired you get, the more this man just goes off. I'll follow him anywhere because I know the job is to have fun."

James confirms that he isn't a part of Children of Earth, but is willing to return to play John Hart in the future - possibly in a spin-off series!!

Says the former Buffy the Vampire Slayer & Angel star, "That is something I would love to talk about. I hadn't been on anything as subversive as Torchwood since Buffy. Subversive in the best sense, in the sense that there are lies we are told from childhood that don't really serve us well, lies like "you can buy happiness" or that certain people are cooler than others, and artists, especially subversive ones like myself, we try to rip these lies down all the time. I was so blessed to be on Buffy because it was a deeply subversive show and Torchwood equally so."

Finally, some kind words towards former co-star Andy Hallett, who portrayed the fabulous Lorne on Angel. He passed away earlier this month, rather tragically aged just 33.

"Andy was always so kind and so funny, and always being that way so while in so much pain. His eyes did not do well with the contacts he had to wear to play Lorne at all. When he was filming it was very painful for him. It's easy to be nice when everything is comfortable but you really find out what someone is made of when it's tough, and it was tough for him everyday and yet there was never a day without him being totally gracious, cracking jokes as he's wiping the tears from his eyes. He was a real gentleman, very funny, and I will miss him greatly."

Those words come courtesy of 411mania. Thanks, guys.

Dragonball Evolution is out now at cinemas everywhere.

Meanwhile, James will be appearing as Buzz Aldrin in Moonshoot, a television that tells the story of the Apollo 11 moon landing. It broadcasts this July stateside, in time for the 40th anniversary celebrations of the actual event.

***

Ashes to Ashes has a confirmed airdate - hooray! It's back Monday April 20th for eight weeks. If the series goes without a break, it'll end mid-June - so that's the earliest possible date now that Torchwood series three could air (under the presumption that the BBC wouldn't pull A2A for a week to show Torchwood).

60's Child

2009-04-04T15:48:00.004+01:00

Inside SFX Magazine issue number 182 (officially released next week) producer Peter Bennett talks about the upcoming "Children of Earth" mini-series, and goes into specific detail about what several of the guest characters are up to throughout. Needless to say there's SPOILERS abound, so look away now if you want to remain pure and spoil-free.

"Paul Copley plays Clem. As a child, back in the 60s, Clem escaped a threat from an alien force which may or may not be the same alien force returning [the 456]. He's spent most of his life in and out of psychiatric hospitals because everyone thinks he's doolally, and he's the first person to work out that they're coming back."

Bennet goes on to describe another aspect of the show's arc, "Torchwood is the only surviving body that knows anyhting about the aliens being here before in the '60s, and the government want to cover that up because they didn't share that with the rest of the world. Basically, they release a blank page on Torchwood - that's their way of saying, 'Dispose of them, they never existed!' - and it's the job of Johnson [Liz May Brice] to go and execute that."

Meanwhile, despatched to floor 13 of MI5 headquarters is Peter Capaldi as Mr. Frobisher, "He's a civil servant, and in the words of the Prime Minister, he's 'expendable'. So he's volunteered to go and communicate with this alien threat that's determined to put a stop to the world as we know it."

To catch the rest of Peter Bennent's interview - as well as a ever so slight talk with Eve Myles - make sure you catch SFX#182 out this Wednesday. It's a great issue that also previews the latest Star Trek film, talks to writer Alan Moore and goes behind the scenes of the second run of adventures for BBC One's Ashes to Ashes. Pick it up for £3.99.

The trailer for Children of Earth for ya'll to see.

***

David Tennant and Catherine Tate will be guest hosting Jonathan Ross' Radio 2 Saturday show next... erm, Saturday as the host is away on holiday for a week (despite recent coming back off a pretty lengthy break...) and their star interviewee will be none other than Mister John of Barrowman - probably talking about all the week's shows that he'll be appearing in. Hell, it'd be faster for him to say what he's not in!

It's on Saturday 11th April, 10am - 1pm - and you can catch it online at BBC Radio 2's portal, or via the ever reliable iPlayer.

James Marsters wants Torchwood return

2009-04-04T08:21:00.007+01:00

Jack Harkness's mischievous fellow time agent Captain John Hart could, at some point, make a comeback. Buffy and Angel star James Marsters told MTV that, if asked, he'd like to make a return to the show. The actor who has played a number of cult characters in his time listed Torchwood along with Buffy and Smallville when asked which show's universes he'd like to make another appearance in. He was rumoured to be in the upcoming third series before it was later announced to be a week-long five parter. Marsters was at a recent event for his latest project Dragonball: Evolution when he made the comments. His character was last seen in the hub during the series two finale.

John Barrowman - the Loose Woman

2009-04-01T01:00:00.002+01:00

With filming completed on the third series of Torchwood, and post-production nearing completion on the fourth and fifth episodes, the production team's attention turns towards what lies ahead after that. Specifically, series four - which was, believe it or not, actually commissioned before "Children of Earth" as a bug on new BBC One Controller Jay Hunt's computer led him to believe the 2009 series would be Torchwood's fourth, not third.

(Legally Hunt then had to go back and order a third series, which he did reluctantly - hence the new run is shorter than most, and still hasn't found a home in the schedules.)

So, series four is a go. Yay! Right? Maybe not so much...

Due to another BBC computer bug John Barrowman is now out of contract. I don't know the hows or whys - all I *do* know is that unless Barrowman signs up pretty soon, he won't be onboard for the fourth series (after all, the script process begins months before actual shooting).

What's the likelihood of him resigning the contract? Normally I'd say they were quite high, considering how much that John enjoys his time on the show - a series created specially for him, remember - but this time I'm not so sure, because ITV have made John an offer that even he can't refuse...

You see the channel wants John to head up an all male version of Loose Women, with - it's rumoured - the likes of Christopher Biggins, Julian Clary and David Walliams. Bizzarely, and for no reason I can think of, channel bosses want the show to retain its Loose Women name.

Seeing as though Loose Women (which John has appeared on pretty much every other week since his voice broke) films five times weekly, it'd be impossible for him to shoot both Torchwood and ITV's lunchtime glamourfest.

I was alerted to the problem by a source at the heart of BBC Wales' Upper Boat studios, Wilma Maria Felt - a former make-up artist sacked last year after she was caught watching Primeval in Gareth David-Lloyd's trailer. Here's what she has to say:

"Obviously I worked with John pretty much every day that I was there, and as most people know he needs a lot more make-up than most to get him looking that shiny and artifical. John and I built up a pretty good friendship, mostly because we share one very similar interest... MEN! As a fan of Loose Women, I was one of the first that John told about ITV's offer. Whatever the BBC are willing to pay to keep John ITV will double or triple! Haha, I bet that one man is the sole reason we're in recession right now. Let the money talk. Best of luck to him I say."

Captain Jack Harkness plays such a major part of the Doctor Who mythos, what with the Face of Boe and all that, that it's likely that the production team have a contingency plan in effect - probably something along the lines of casting an experienced, well known older actor to portray an aged-up Jack. Somebody like Robert Vaughan, Patrick Stewart or, hell, one of the Chuckle Brothers (the more they resemble Boe, the better!).

Whatever, Torchwood is guarenteed a full length, 13 part series - with or without John. Eve and Gareth will still be there - and that might mean that both get additional screentime. Wouldn't that be fantastic, having Gwen Cooper promoted to central protagonist, with 60% of every episode's running time. It's what fans have been crying out for ever since the series launched, more Gwen.

(No news if Lis Sladen's long delayed cameo is still going ahead, mind)

Watch this space for updates on John's potential career change. In the mean time you can catch him on the following shows over the next few weeks: Celebrity 60 Minute Make-Over, QI, Saturday's National Lottery, next Thursday's This Morning, a Land of Leather commercial, Jim'll Fix It, Vaginal Reconstruction Live, the Bill, 30 Rock and Muffin the Mule.

He's not appearing on telly today, what with it being April Fool's Day and all...

What The Dickens?

2009-03-31T21:46:00.011+01:00

The fabulous Freema Agyeman was a guest on The Paul O'Grady Show last Thursday, March 26th. After the obligatory promotion of her new show Law & Order: UK, the topic changed to what the audience really wanted to hear about: "Everybody loves Doctor Who!".

Miss Martha Jones herself recounted the tale of her strange audition process for the show, which involved the producers having her read for the part of Gwen on Torchwood!

Until the clip goes up on the official O'Grady website, YouTube has it here.

~~~~

Speaking of Freema, you can catch both her and Eve Myles in the excellent BBC adaptation of Dickens' classic novel "Little Dorrit". Both actors wear the latest in Victorian-era dresses while navigating this tale of society, scandal, and, um, debtor's prison? The mini-series aired in the U.K. a few months ago, but American viewers can watch it on PBS, and stream it online, through this April.

~~~~

And while we're on the subject of Dickens, the current West End revival of Oliver!, featuring Burn Gorman as the dastardly villain Bill Sikes, released its official cast album on March 15th.

Burn appears in several of the songs, most notably "It's A Fine Life", as well as his deliciously creepy solo "My Name".

Give it a listen here at Amazon.co.uk, and let us know what you think about Dr. Owen Harper's surprising career change.

New Kids on the Block II

2009-03-31T16:20:00.004+01:00

Continuing from where I left off last time, here's the second raft of writers to join the new and improved TORCHWOOD.tv's writing staff.

Enough from me - over to you!

Aimee Jones (blogging alias, "pebbles") - "My name's Aimee I'm a huge Torchwood and Doctor Who fan, although i enjoy Torchwood more mainly because i have been watching it since the beginning. I am currently in my first year at uni in Swansea studying international relations. I have followed the site for as long as i can remember, found it one day while googling torchwood and have never looked back lol! I enjoy keeping up todate with all thinks torchwood and would like to help in doing that for others now."

Jennifer Spence (blogging alias, "load-of-tosh") - Hey everyone! I'm Jenn, aka that blogger Anthony called out for being MIA in last week's introductory post. Hopefully I'm not too late to the party, and now that I've got all my lame real life stuff out of the way, I'm eager to jump into the crazy world of my fellow Torchwood enthusiasts! A bit about myself: I'm a 19 (almost 20! almost!) university student from Ontario, Canada. I'm kind of a huge sci-fi geek, and my love for everything Who-niverse introduced me to Torchwood. I was hooked by the very first episode, and fell hard for the show. I'm sure all of you know the feelings I'm talking about! Canada is home to some diehard Who fans, and Ontario in particular hosts some of the country's best sci-fi conventions. If anything Torchwood-related happens there, you'll be the first to know. In sum: I'm looking forward to getting to know all of you, and maintaining Torchwood.TV's reputation for great coverage and community!"

Catie Kagawa (blogging alias, "Estel") - "My name is Catie, though I am often known as "Estel". I was directed to you by Salina (of your new writers). I'm very, very interested in writing for the Torchwood.TV blog.Some general information about me. I'm 21, in college for Theater at UC Berkeley in California. I've been into Torchwood from the word 'go', quite literally. I have my research skills (about history, production, characters, fandom, whatever), my performance studies theory (which I write about frequently due to it being part of my major), and my tireless obsession to bring to the writing team, if you want it. Whatever you need to know, I'm an open book."

Shabbs (blogging alias, "tribeHeaven") - "Hallo! I'm Shabbs. I ought to tell you a bit about myself, just in case you're curious... Well, I was approached by Anthony to design a new look for the Torchwood.TV blog after he saw my work on the (now defunct) site www.ilovewood.org so I went for it. I have a fansite for a TV series called The Tribe: www.tribeHeaven.co.uk which I've been running for several years, it is through that site I began to try and test my designskills. Anyhows, I love Sci-Fi shows - but you may hate me for this, I am not a fan of Doctor Who. I did watch the first series when it was rebooted and I have since caught the odd episode. I like Doctor Who, I just don't love it, but I am thankful for it introducing me to Torchwood and Jack Harkness. My other sci-fi loves are Lost, Battlestar Galactica, Heroes and, uhm, you may hate me even more for this, I love Primeval. Hehheh, before I'm given the boot now, I'd just like like to say I hope you like the current look of TORCHWOOD.tv (and also the one I have done for SARAH-JANE.tv). Do let me know what you think. Sorry for the rambling! I could go on... Till next time."

Joining them is Rebecca J Slominsky (blogging alias, "BeccaJaneStClair").

Have a blast writing for the site, guys.

(There's still time to join the team! We still need another three or four writers, so if you're willing, let me know by contacting me on this email address)

Marathon Man

2009-03-29T15:38:00.004+01:00

At the recent the Hub 2 convention Kai Owen revealed that he will be running this year's London Marathon, and he's looking to YOU for support. His aim is to raise at least £2000 for his chosen charity, CLIC Sargent (the Cancer & Leukemia In Children charity).

As Kai himself explains, "... As you may know I am running the London marathon on the 26th April this year. It's for a wonderful charity called CLIC Sargent, they care for children living with cancer. It's a charity that's very close to my heart, my beautiful cousin Michaela has undergone 9 operations to remove tumours from her brain. She is an absolute superstar and is so brave and inspirational, I love Michaela and with the help of CLIC Sargent Michaela continues to live a wonderful life with her wonderful family. CLIC is an amazing charity and I hope to raise a nice sum of money to help them continue their phenomenal work."

You can donate via this page. The marathon takes place Sunday 26th April.

Best of luck to Kai during this training!

***

During his March '09 online Q&A session, Gareth David-Lloyd confirms that he records the latest Torchwood audio book - "The Sin Eaters" by series script editor Brian Minchin - on Monday 31st March. This will be followed at a later date when he joins the rest of the cast for three follow-up dramas to last year's "Lost Souls".

(Incidentally GDL also talks about HBO's incredible tour de force The Wire, which starts tomorrow night - for the benefit of British readers - on BBC Two at 11:20pm. Don't miss it if you haven't already seen the show)

***

Spooky! Victorian ghost on Google Earth's UK street map..?

Somebody call in the Torchwood team!!

John Barrowman Has a Second Book Deal

2009-03-27T21:05:00.003Z

John Barrowman will be writing a second autobiography with his sister Carole entitled, I Am What I Am. The book is set to be released on 1 October by Michael O'Mara Books.

According to the publisher, I Am What I Am will feature "more in-depth exploration of John the man . . . his thoughts, opinions and experiences, îand in particular [will] focus on achievements over the past couple of years".

The official news release can be found here.

I haven't read through Anything Goes yet, but if the success of his first book is anything to go by, this book is sure to please everyone.

He of Barrowman fame

2009-03-25T18:33:00.007Z

Isn't John Barrowman a nice chap, huh? Inviting members of the Great British public onto his latest BBC vehicle Tonight's the Night, and then making their dreams come true - what a guy! And what's this? One lucky viewer will have the chance to audition and maybe star in a special Doctor Who scene as a MONSTER?! Oh John, really, you're spoiling us...

LOOK WHAT ONE FAN WISHED FOR...

So says the BBC: "Offering viewers dream-come-true wish fulfilment, BBC One's Tonight's The Night is running a competition for one viewer to take part in a specially-written Doctor Who scene, working with the Doctor Who production team, and shot on the set of the TARDIS."

And what does the Great and Mighty Barrowman think of it all? "This is a fantastic opportunity and I can't wait to see the winner experience performing on the set of Doctor Who."

Well, there you go - get applying now! You have until Saturday 28th.

***

In other news, it appears Kai Owen will be joining John at Chicago's Torchsong convention in June!

The Devil and the Deep Blues

2009-03-19T09:41:00.004Z

So you all know by now that John Barrowman can sing, but what some of you may not know is that (among other Torchwood cast members) Gareth David-Lloyd has a fair set of pipes on him as well. His band is called Blue Gillespie. Alongside him are Anthony Clark on guitar, Rhys Bryant on bass and Nick Harrison on drums.

You can find the band through their MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/bluegillespie

“Blue Gillespie - A blues/rock ensemble aimed at music fans of all ages who are dissatisfied or have some pessimistic demons to exorcise.

The name originates in the idea that all of us have an alter-ego made up of the most negative aspects of our personality and the only way to prevent our angry doppelgänger from surfacing in polite company is to vent through music.”

If you like what you hear, you can buy the EP, Cave Country, (there’s a special edition signed by the band) or you can keep an eye on their MySpace page to find out when and where their next gig is going to be played.

They are not currently scheduled for an American tour, but they are very interested in doing one.

If you would like to sponsor them, please contact them through their MySpace or through Gareth’s official website: http://www.garethdavid-lloyd.co.uk/

If you like Blue Gillespie and are hungry for more, you can check out Disgracelands, which is the other project these talented musicians (sans Gareth) have been working on, with “Nic” on lead vocals. If you want to see them live, you should get on it fast, because their goodbye gig is coming up on April 4th at LePub in Newport, Wales.

Check them out: http://www.myspace.com/kudos06

(Note: edited to fix the link to Gareth's website)

New Radio Drama Series and Audiobooks

2009-03-16T10:30:00.004Z

Play.com are now listing three new Torchwood Audiobooks for presale, all with seperate release dates in July, August and September. They would appear to be part of a "Torchwood: Radio 4 Drama 2009" series, which means we will most likely be hearing these on the radio before they are actually released in shops.

What is sure to cause mass speculation amongst Torchwood fans is the current cast listing the site gives:

"A Brand new, made-for-radio episode of Torchwood, starring John Barrowman, Freema Agyeman and other members of the TV cast (all details TBC)".

While it looks like we'll be seeing (Or indeed hearing) the delightful Martha Jones in these new audiobooks, is this a hint towards Agyeman being added to the Torchwood cast in the show's future TV escapdes? Or is it just a guest stint for the audiodramas? Or is it actually a simple matter of Play.com being lazy and copy/pasting the cast list from the "Lost Souls" special Torchwood did in conjunction with BBC's coverage of the CERN experiment last year?

Only time will tell.....

Torchwood comes a-knocking

2009-03-14T15:25:00.002Z

I'm reliably informed by blogger.com that this here is the site's 800th post. How cool is that? As the counter has been clocking up over the past few weeks (780...785...790...etc) I've been racking my brain trying to think up some half-decent way to celebrate the milestone, and in the end decided upon a simple question that been's bothering us all since about... ooh, March last year:

Just when will Torchwood's third season air?

Let's look at the evidence. We know that the (shortened) series has already been shot, and that the cast and crew have now gone their seperate ways, following the wrap party. Hell, Gareth David-Lloyd is touring America with his band! So yep, filming = finito.

Benjamin Cook informed the world via Twitter that he's seen the completed first episode - so it's safe to say that the first installment has now concluded its post-production work. In his Torchwood Magazine column Euros Lyn informs us that the edits of the other four episodes have now been locked, and its reasonable to assume that since those comments were made the CGI work on two through to four has been completed. After all, the episodes were *supposed* to be airing on BBC One as early as January 2009, so it's quite likely that production schedules were designed to meet this deadline.

(The trailer launched in February confirms that a lot of CGI work has been completed)

There's also news that as soon as his work on "Children of Earth" has been completed, director Euros Lyn will move across to Doctor Who to begin work on the two part finale to David Tennant's era as the 10th Doctor. With recording on that episode due to commence at the beginning of May, and the usual six weeks of pre-production that most shows go through, is it safe to assume that mid-March (6 weeks before that filming date) that Lyn has now jumped ship?

Then there's the media. SFX Magazine is a very reliable source for launch dates and such. Often they'll preview a series in the issue before or maybe even during the show's broadcast. What with Torchwood: Children of Earth being such a mammoth part of this British sci-fi calender, it's impossible to imagine that SFX weren't granted interviews or set visits. Such behind the scenes items would be useless once the series has ended... and as SFX isn't in the nature of looking at a show post-broadcast such information will have to be included before the serial has aired. However, according to an advert in the latest issue, the next issue - dated 8th April through to the 5th May - doesn't preview the new series. Hmm. It does, however, look at the new series of Ashes to Ashes - expected to return in April. Does this mean that we can't expect to see the new shows until (at least) past that 5th May date?

Ashes to Ashes, if it continues its trend from 2008, will broadcast on BBC One during a week day (most likely Thursday) in the 9pm timeslot - the same time period that "Children of Earth" will be occupying. You see, because of its adult nature Torchwood can't air at 8pm, and traditionally the BBC News runs from 10pm until 10:30pm, after which half hour programmes run. So Torchwood has to air at 9pm (unless cuts were made) and once Ashes to Ashes is up and running the BBC wouldn't dare take that show off air for a week to put in its place another drama. In other words, if the 8 part A2A launches April 9th, the earliest that the 9pm timeslot would become free for Torchwood to air in its place would be June 5th.

Is there a possibility that Torchwood could air before A2A launches? Yes. But as I've predicted above, what with SFX Magazine and other publications quiet on the Torchwood hype front, it's not very likely. It's in both the BBC's and the media's interests to big up the show, as early as they can. The fact we've seen very little media interest isn't a good sign for those that hope the show will be returning shortly!

Of course, DigitalSpy disagrees. On its page on premiere page, it has Torchwood down as returning April 2009. Now, it knows its stuff far better than I do, so the question you should be asking yourself is this: Has DigitalSpy made an error in predicting that particular date, or do they know something we don't know?

Other media suggests that Torchwood returns over the summer, and that makes sense. A couple of months would have passed since "Planet of the Dead", and coming up once summer is over will be the third run of The Sarah Jane Adventures. So a summer debut would quite nicely fill the Doctor Who shaped void in British telelvision, and keep the audience interested until the show's high profile return during Christmas 2009.

I've settled upon the June date because it's the earliest that I can see the BBC now running the show, with plenty of time before then for interviews and behind the scenes articles in newspapers and magazines. If the corporation leaves it any later than this, they'll have to wait until the beginning of the Autumn TV schedule in September - by which point it'd have been almost 18 months since the last new episode aired, and running Torchwood as a high profile TV 'event' would become a much higher risk in the eyes of the schedules (who take the view that audiences have a gold fish memory - if a show is gone too long, it's forgotten).

We'll see if my prediction is right, hey?

Does anybody else want to offer a guestimation..?

The Twits

2009-03-13T14:16:00.009Z

You might have to bear with me a sec here, folks. I'm still reeling from seeing old fave Dr. Doug Ross (Mister George of Clooney, would you believe?) back on NBC's E.R. after an absence of, what, nine-ish years. On top of that I had a double geek-gasm, because not only have I learnt a close friend is engaged in an on/off relationship with a certain Colin Baker's daughter, but the Red Dwarf revival suddenly seems so very real. Good times.

HATH THE WORLD GONE TWITTER MAD? IT SEEMS SO...

Anyhooo..

Doctor Who Magazine's resident reporter Benjamin Cook has been updating via his Twitter page, teasing us mere ordinary folk with the news that he's seen the first episode of the "Children of Earth" adventure. Jammy sod.

He confirms that a cast & crew screening happened in Cardiff, Wednesday evening.

What does Mr. Cook reckon, then?

In his own words, "Ep 1 is literally AMAZING. Best. Cliffhanger. EVER!"

(For those of you not familiar with the Twitter concept, where've you been? Click here to learn more about the service, which even Barack Obama uses!)

Now, if only your favourite fansite launched its own Twitter page - and actually found the time to keep it up to date! - wouldn't that be smashing?

***

Don't forget! It's Comic Relief tonight, and you can catch a special mini-episode of The Sarah Jane Adventures, starring Ronnie Corbett. Get those wallets and purses out, and donate generously!!

(As an added incentive, I was at the recording of Harry Hill's TV Burp last week and not only saw last week's episode being made, but the Comic Relief special also. It contains a hilarious piss take of John Barrowman, and his love for chasing naked men!!)

New Kids on the Block

2009-03-12T11:45:00.004Z

The time has come at last to unveil the new team of writers that'll be spearheading TORCHWOOD.tv into the future. If you didn't already know (where've you been, I'm been mouthing off about it all month...) I'm leaving the site soon, and save shutting the doors on this corner of Torchwood fandom for good I offered readers the chance to join the team, and keep the flame burning.

Below are your new team of TW.tv writers. I'll let them introduce themselves in their own words, and say a little about why they're writing here.

Over to you!

Salina Conlan (blogging alias, "Salina") - "Hey all. I've been following this site for ages and just didn't have the heart to see it go away. I'm in the US and I've been a severe Torchwood fan since Cyberwoman first aired (in the UK). I'll most likely be reposting or pointing you at official updates, press releases, etc. as well as convention news and reports and maybe a surprise interview now and again. Personally, I'm a big geeky fan; I have some Ianto costumes, write fanfic, and I'm part of the "Torchwood 3" costuming(/writing) group, which you probably have never heard of, but I promise we nerd it up together all the time in true Torchwood fashion. I only ask that you, please, don't send spoilers my way! I'm doing my best to avoid them. :-) Cheers!"

Dave Dunne (blogging alias, "Dave Dunne") - "This is so awesome. Name is Dave, 21 and living in Ireland. Been a Torchwood fan since the airing of the second series which was my first exposure to the world of Doctor Who, and I've been obsessed with it ever since. The drama, the action, the characters, the....slightly dodgy scripts, granted, but still. I'm delighted to get the chance to work on this site, and I really want to make it even bigger than what it is already. On a personal note, I'm doing an MA in English (Empire, Culture and PostColonial Studies to be specific....) and I also love wrestling. Can't wait to get dug in and I hope you're all happy with what we do with the site in the upcoming times. :)"

Sidney Lewis (blogging alias, "DigitalSid") - "My name's Sidney, I'm 19 and I'm from Cardiff, the city where Doctor Who and it's spin-offs are made. I'm a big fan of Torchwood, and I decided to apply for this role to help Torchwood TV to continue to provide the great level of service it has since it launched."

Also part of the new look site will be the very lovely Shabbs, who designed this revamped blog template, and (when she gets back in touch with me!) Jenny Spence, who seems ever so passionate about all things 'Wood.

They join current team members Tremas, who has been writing on these pages since 2007, Springmaus and my fellow Sarah-Jane.tv scribe Peter-Pan.

Three cheers for the new team! Best of luck to them.

(There's still time to join the team! We still need another three or four writers, so if you're willing, let me know by contacting me on this email address)

Please sign my...erm, you know

2009-03-12T00:40:00.008Z

On Saturday 25th April the Forbidden Planet store on Shaftesbury Avenue in London will be holding a special signing, to commemorate the release of the very first Torchwood graphic novel - "Rift War", released by Titan Publishing, and extracted from the pages of their official Torchwood Magazine.

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF JOHN RIVERS

Much of the comic's original creative team will be there on the day, as well as other members of the Torchwood Magazine team. These include D'Israeli, Simon Furman, Paul Grist, Ian Edgington and Brian Williamson. No doubt TW Magazine will run a feature on how the day turned out in a future issue.

It's a great chance to meet some of the extended Torchwood creative team, and meet up with other fans during the day, also. If you wanna know more, clicky here.

(Thanks to John Rivers at the Doctor Who Forum for bringing this to my attention.)

***

In other news, ahead of the Blu-Ray release of Torchwood's second series UK Woodies can see the entire series in glorious HD by downloading the episodes direct from iTunes, at £2.49 a pop (so around £33 for the entire series, then).

John Barrowman's laughter track

2009-03-11T17:37:00.003Z

Next month My Family returns to BBC One for its ninth (!) series, with the added bonus of having John Barrowman guest star in an episode. The show, which first hit UK TV screens way back in 2000, is about to hit the 100 episode mark (quite an achievement for any British show, especially a situation comedy - infact, it's only the third British sitcom to make it to the 100 episode milestone) so having Barrowman on board seems a good way to celebrate.

ROBERT LINDSEY HAS JUST SEEN AN EPISODE OF THE SHOW...

I remember watching the show when it debuted and laughing out loud at a couple of points. Since then, the show may have continued its march forward, but those few laughs have dried up as the writers play off deathly dull cliches and stereotypes. Hmmm... critical, me? Never!

***

If you're looking for guest spots from other Torchwood actors, why not try Little Dorrit (Eve Myles) out now on DVD, or Law & Order UK (Freema Agyeman, and produced by Richard Stokes and Chris Chibnall) on ITV1 every Monday evening?

Children of Earth goes global

2009-03-10T23:56:00.006Z

Viewers in South Africa are seeing Torchwood for the first time, now that BBC Entertainment has aquired the series, and started running it from series one onwards. In a short few weeks they're expected to begin showing series two and then, along with Australia's UKTV, they'll air the brand spanking new Children of Earth mini series.

"AUSTRALIA?" SIGHS GWEN, "PAH! JACK'S BEEN DOWN UNDER A FEW TIMES ALREADY..."

So far the five part series is confirmed as airing in the UK, US, Australia, South Africa and on the Space network in Canada.

Expect the series to hit screens in the United Kingdom this coming June.

(In the meantime you can read this exclusive comic strip adventure, commissioned by the kind folks at Watch)

Also, play.com are advertising the Blu-Ray DVD package of Torchwood series two, for release in June. No news on if it'll contain extra features not seen on the regular DVD release (like commentaries, which some fans still haven't forgiven 2Entertain for excluding last time....)

***

Wet Paint! TORCHWOOD.tv has had a little make-over. Hope you approve!

Can I have some Tennant to go?

2009-03-08T23:52:00.002Z

The rather wonderful SFX Magazine interviews Russell T Davies in its latest issue (#181) and the NuWho supremo reveals that following this Easter's Doctor Who special - "Planet of the Dead" - there won't be a new episode of Doctor Who again until Christmas time, when the final three specials air. Two of those episodes make up David Tennant's finale, and are directed by Euros Lyn - who also helmed 2009's Children of Earth.

Talking to Wired about the swansong of the Tenth Doctor's era, Lyn had this to say: "I've seen the scripts, and they're amazing. I'm being being very careful not to give anything away, but I think fans will be thrilled with David's farewell and how we set up the 11th Doctor. I have to approach the project as I would any other. From the script's perspective. The past or the significance of the episode isn't relevant. You have to start with the script from day one."

Lyn begins the Doctor Who gig the day following the completion of Children of Earth. About that project, Lyn states, ""It's been an endurance test. It was a 16-week shoot for the Torchwood season -- longer than most feature films. But the intensity keeps you focused on the work."

He goes on to discuss parts of the plot (so SPOILERS!) in the rest of Wired.com's interview.

The BBC's Ashes to Ashes returns in April - so the channel will likely have to wait until that show has completed its run (mid-June) before Torchwood's third season can air (if Torchwood airs on BBC One Monday-Friday one week, at 9pm then there's no way both shows can air at the same time). Either that, or A2A takes a break for a week, which doesn't seem very likely to me...

***

Coming soon... the site unveils its new set of writers, that'll lead the way during 2009! If you still want to write for us, then there's still a couple of days to get your name to me via this email address.

War Games

2009-02-27T14:52:00.002Z

The latest issue of Empire film magazine reveals that Peter Capaldi - star of BBC's The Thick of It, and soon to be seen as Mr. Frobisher in Children of Earth - has a movie coming out this April. In the Loop is directed by Armando Iannucci, in his directorial debut (his previous writing credits include The Day Today, I'm Alan Partridge and the aforementioned The Thick of It) and also stars James Gandofini, of The Sopranos fame.

With regards to plot, here's what Empire has to say: "The British PM and US President have decided it's a good time for a war in the Middle East. It's vehemently opposed by US General Miller (Gandofini) and British Minister For International Development Simon Foster (Tom Hollander), even if the latter accidentally finds himself in support after a gaffe during an interview..."

Capaldi supposedly plays the same character here that he does in The Thick of It series, that of spin-doctor and political pitbull Malcolm Tucker - a role based upon the real life political advisor Alastair Campbell. "It's not completely not The Thick of It: The Movie, that's for sure" producer Kevin Loader spills, "Half of us are kind of saying it's not, and half of us are saying of course it's The Thick of It: The Movie, and what's to be ashamed of in that?"

In the Loop is released here in the UK on April 17, certificate TBC. It made its US debut at the Sundance Film Festival back in January.

As for Capaldi's other role, you can catch him in the Children of Earth trailer here.

Torchwood's third season hits our screens in June.

Plans for Demons.tv Cancelled

2009-02-26T02:17:00.003Z

The history books will mark today, Thursday 26th February 2009, as possibly one of the saddest in the whole history of television, ever, ever, ever. Infact, I'm emotional writing this; trying to hold back the tears as I face the terrible truth. That ITV has cancelled Demons, its Saturday night answer to Torchwood and Doctor Who.

Oh, I've always been rubbish at keeping a straight race. Sarcasm, begone!

Truthfully, I've never been that big a fan of the show - I watched the opening ten minutes, and thought that was bad enough. I dipped into the series later in its six week long run, and found that things had got even worse than they were before!! The fact it was costing ITV £4 Million, and ratings crashed from 6 to just 3 million meant that it was almost certain that the Cancellation Reaper was cometh.

The slightly better Being Human series has been recommissioned, however. Which I've mixed feelings about, quite honestly. Although last year's pilot was great, the translation to full series hasn't really done it for me, I'm afraid. But the show has it's fans - and will probably grab a good few more when series one is repeated on BBC Two later in the year.

It seems that if you want to watch really fantastic drama these days you have to look beyond the confines of science-fiction and fantasy (although both Lost and Battlestar Galactica are brilliant). May I recommend to you HBO's masterpiece The Wire, or AMC's Mad Men? Hell, with the film adaptation due next month, now's the perfect chance to catch up on Paul Abbott's State of Play.

Can you name any decent telly to bide us over until Children of Earth hits our screens in June? Write your suggestion in the comments section below!

Who wants some extra 'Wood..?

2009-02-25T02:45:00.002Z

As promised, a look at some of the upcoming merchandise coming our way over the next couple of months - which, if I'd updated the site properly over the last couple of months, you'd probably already know all about!!

BOOKS

There's two new sets of Torchwood novels heading our way through 2009, which eat set containing three brand new adventures, that chronicle the team's activities post-Exit Wounds.

"Into the Silence" (by Sarah Pinborough)
Released: 29th May
Synopsis: A body in a church hall is found with its vocal cords missing and a metallic figure is seen hiding in the shadows. With the amateur operatic contest getting under way, Ianto Jones joins a male voice choir to track it down.

"Bay of the Dead" (by Mark Morris)
Released: 29th May
Synopsis: Torchwood must deal with living corpses stalking the streets and a piece of space debris that keeps regenerating all while an intangible barrier surrounds Cardiff.

"The House that Jack Built" (by Guy Adams)
Released: 29th May
Synopsis: The house that Jack lived in in 1906, Jackson Leaves, has new tenants. However, the rooms don't stay in one place, there's a man in the airing cupboard and there are ghostly apparitions, all of which draw the attention of Torchwood.

"Risk Assessment" (by James Goss)
Released: 15th October
Synopsis: Agnes Haversham is awake, and Jack is worried (and not a little afraid). The Torchwood Assessor is roused from her sleep in only the worst of times - it's happened just four times in the last 100 years. Can the situation really be so bad? Someone, somewhere, is fighting a war, and they're losing badly. The coffins of the dead are coming through the Rift. With thousands of alien bodies floating in the Bristol Channel, it's down to Torchwood to round them all up before a lethal plague breaks out. And now they'll have to do it by the book - the 1901 edition!

"The Undertaker's Gift" (by Trevor Baxendale)
Released: 15th October
Synopsis: The Hokrala Corp lawyers are back, and they're suing planet Earth for mishandling the twenty-first century! An assassin has been sent to remove Captain Jack Harkness! And, a record number of aliens have been coming through the Rift - it's been a busy week in Cardiff. Now, there are reports of an extraordinary funeral cortege in the night time city, with mysterious pallbearers guarding a rotting cadaver that simply doesn't want to be buried. Torchwood should be ready for anything, but with Jack the target of an invisible killer, Gwen trapped in a forgotten crypt, and Ianto Jones falling desperately ill, could a world of suffering by the Undertaker's gift to planet Earth?

"Consequences" (by Joseph Lidster, James Moran, Andrew Cartmel, David Llewellyn)
Released: 15th October
Synopsis: Saving the planet, watching over the Rift, preparing the human race for the twenty-first century... Torchwood has been keeping Cardiff safe since the late 1800s. Small teams of heroes, working 24/7, encountering and containing the alien, the bizarre, and the inexplicable. But Torchwood do not always see the effects of their actions. What links the Rules and Regulations for replacing a Torchwood leader to the destruction of a shopping center? How does a witness to an alien's reprisals against Torchwood become caught up in a night of terror in a university library? And why should Gwen and Ianto's actions at a local publisher have a cost for Torchwood more than half-a-century earlier? For Torchwood, the past will always catch up with them. And sometimes the future will catch up with the past...

GRAPHIC NOVELS

From Titan Books, the first in a new line of graphic novels - available to pre-order at amazon.co.uk for as little as £5.99!!

Torchwood: Rift War (collected together from Torchwood Magazine)
Released: 24th April
Synopsis: When Torchwood-3 comes under fire in an all-out attack by extra-dimensional shock troopers, the team are torn in all directions. And with a deadly rift bleeding through into their own reality, time itself could be destroyed if the Torchwood team aren't able to stop it!

AUDIO BOOKS

A mixture of cast read stories, and full cast dramas - released by BBC Worldwide throughout the year!

"In the Shadows" (by Joseph Lidster)
Released: 12th March
Synopsis: A man has died of old age in his 30s. This, among other strange events, has lead Torchwood to conclude that someone is sending victims to another dimension, one in which they are punished by the thing which they fear the most. Who is the mysterious taxi driver preying on his passengers?

"The Sin Eaters" (by Brian Michin)
Released: 4th June
Synopsis: Alien larvae in a baptismal font mark the beginnings of a terrifying adventure for Captain Jack, Gwen, Ianto and Rhys.

Three full cast dramas, in the style of 2008's "Lost Souls" will also hit shops, 4th June.

***

There's also been rumblings that the Children of Earth DVD will be released in the USA at some point in July - which means that a UK set won't be too far behind that!

Oh, and the ever faithful Torchwood Magazine is out every other month, through its new bi-monthly schedule.

Through 2009, keep it Torchwood!

***

Have we missed anything off the list? Let us know in the comments section below!

Piccolo Rising!

2009-02-24T14:46:00.003Z

For the benefit of anybody who might not know, I work in a cinema and one of the films being heavily trailed right now is the Dragonball Evolution movie, set for release here in the United Kingdom this April 3rd (or April 8th for North American cinema goers). The film stars James Marsters (Captain John Hart) as Lord Piccolo, Dragonball's resident bad boy.

The film is produced by 20th Century Fox (so those boycotting the studio following the Watchmen court case, beware!) and has an official website launched here, that features a trailer for the flick and a synopsis of what's supposed to be going on (I won't even try to break into the Dragonball story here; mostly because the whole mythology baffles me no end).

I highly doubt I'll be queuing to watch the film upon its release, but I should think there's a far few readers here who will be drawn in by Marsters' involvement. All I'll say is, this being a typical teen-orientated release prepare for lots of talking and popcorn throwing in the screen!

Don't go crying to us ushers when you tell them to stop, and they attack you with the popcorn instead!!

***

In other news, a quick update on March's "The Hub: 2" convention, due to take place the 13th, 14th and 15th of that month at the Park Inn Hotel, Northampton. Guests now include Eve Myles, Gareth David-Lloyd, Kai Owen, Tom Price and writer Phil Ford. You can read all about the event and found out how to book by going all clicky clicky here.

More updates soon, including an indepth look at forthcoming merchandise!

Chibnall & Stokes UK

2009-02-23T09:14:00.001Z

It's been a long time coming, but at last the Law & Order spin-off series headed by writer Chris Chibnall and producer Richard Stokes (both of whom helmed Torchwood until the end of its second season) has finally hit British television screens. Law & OrderUK airs on ITV1 every Monday for the next thirteen weeks - and is executive produced by original US creator Dick Wolf.

Bradley Walsh (he of Coronation Street and, yes, Wheel of Fortune fame - and also a serial in last year's Sarah Jane Adventures run) stars as DS Ronnie Brooks - a "real East End copper's copper" who's sharp with his laconic wit and moral standings.

His foil/sidekick is Battlestar Galactica's Jamie Bamber, who stars as DS Matt Devlin. To make up the third and final officer within the "law" side of things, there's Harriet Walter playing DI Natalie Chandler.

Freema Agyeman - former Martha Jones - appears as young Barrister Alesha Philips, in a role specifically written by Chibnall with Agyeman in mind. Some say her decision to take the role proved to be her downfall with regards to future Torchwood appearences...

To prepare for the role, Agyeman apparently sat in on real life court cases, and talked to her sister, who also holds a law degree.

Bill Paterson (Sea of Souls) acts alongside Agyeman as Chief Prosecutor, and head of London's Crown Prosecution Service, and making up the third and final part of the "order" team is Ben Daniels, as James Steel.

Episode one concerns the investigation into the death of a baby, who has been dumped outside of a hospital inside a sports bag.

That's Law & OrderUK, ITV1 @ 9PM.

(Though you probably knew that already, considering how well the show has been promoted online, on our television screens and across billboards everywhere)

***

Meanwhile the man who killed Owen Harper (well, the first time anyways...) Alan Dale continues to pop up every now and then on Lost, as Charles Widmore - who we're fast learning has a vital connection to the island and its mysteries. He'll also appear this week as the head zombie killer in ITV's Moving Wallpaper/Renaissance double.

Exit stage left

2009-02-20T22:38:00.001Z

Kurly here,
As Anthony officially packed it in recently and this is now a transition time for Torchwood.TV I figured now is as good a time as any to officially give the goodbye I never gave. I never wrote this before because I didn't want to be negative about the show on a site read by Woodies who love the show and probably get enough hazing about it from their friends.

Briefly, I started this page because I liked blogging, and I liked Doctor Who. Series One of the revival had just aired and the announcement of the spinoff Torchwood provided a nice little untouched niche online where I could stake a claim and maybe have some fun writing about my favorite show indirectly. Well within a few months the page started doing better than my expectations, mostly thanks to a high listing in Google and also because a few disgruntled insiders decided to feed us some news during production of the first series.

A year later when Torchwood finally aired, I just simply didn't care much for the show. John Barrowman was great, I liked the existential themes about the afterlife, but overall the stories and the rest of the characters did little for me. As much as I had put into it by that point, and with 8000 daily readers visiting at the time I didn't want to jump off just yet. I figured I would stay positive and maybe Series Two would be better, but I think I knew right then that I was the wrong voice to represent Woodie fandom. You can't have somebody who doesn't like a show in charge of the fan club.

So you probably have figured out that Series Two of Torchwood didn't bring me back into the fold. In fact there are a few episodes from last year I still haven't got around to watching. Also I was pretty down on Doctor Who in general at the time because of the horrendously bad finale of Series 3 in which a shrunken Gollum Doctor is brought back to life by people's prayers. (Not to worry RTD, I have almost forgotten about it following your great Series 4.)

So this post is really just to say thanks to those readers who have been with us for these few years and to wish well whoever the true Woodie is out there who wants to take this site in it's new direction. The Torchwood.TV domain name is for sale for any hardcore fan out there who is interested. (Contact: kurly(at)torchwood.tv)

I really did have a great time writing this blog in the early days, and it was great to be in communication with and meet some of the big names involved with the show. Thanks also to Anthony who picked up the torch here and made a wiser decision than myself by also starting the premier Sarah Jane Adventures site. (Sorry but from my point of view a much better WHO spinoff.)

That's more than enough from me. Long live Torchwood.TV! See you around.

Jack, John, Carole E. & the Selkie

2009-02-19T15:59:00.001Z

It's been a long time no see from me, but I'm here, I'm back, with a little bit of preview for the next issue of Torchwood Magazine - the cover of which you can see below:

Issue #14 is the first 100 page issue of the now bi-monthly magazine and features an exclusive comic strip adventure written by Captain Jack himself, John Barrowman, along with his sister, Carole E. Barrowman.

The press release for the issue states that the story, titled 'Captain Jack and the Selkie', "sees Captain Jack facing a deadly threat on a remote Scottish island, where people are disappearing one by one... To his horror, Jack starts to suspect he may know who – or perhaps more specifically what – is responsible..."

Also in the mag, a new column by Children of Earth director Euros Lyn, and a look at the life and times of Captain Jack Harkness - a timeline of his entire life thus far!

The magazine is onsale in UK from today 19th February, and in US from 17th March.