Latest Location Photos

The shots below were taken by a fan earlier this week on a rainy night outside the Ultralase laser eye surgery center on Windsor Place in Cardiff. Perhaps this spot is using alien tech to help give us humans super vision! I always suspected the idea to use lasers to cut into people's corneas must have come from another world.

Thanks for sharing! Click on the thumbnails to enlarge.

Torchwood will be filming at . . .

Other than a mention of some snogging going on in a scene, I haven't heard any reports from the past week of production yet. But hey, there is at least one kiss every week on Doctor Who these days, so I could have guessed that would be somewhere in Torchwood. If you have been able to get some photos or news from locations in Cardiff please don't hog it all to yourself. Without the goods, I will just have to make up some crackpot theories and then claim they are coming from a reliable source. I have quite a vivid imagination you know.

I had posted some vague details about where Torchwood will be filming over the next few days here earlier, but the BBC has asked me to quit doing that so I have removed them. I must say I'm a bit torn, unless fans are really slowing things down, I don't see the harm in it. However, I don't want to piss off the BBC either as I'm still hoping for that cameo on the show! I know the Beeb needs to cover their interests. So readers, feel free to voice your opinion on what we should do in the comments below.

Wednesday's Schedule

Since you demanded it, here is more of the inside scoop on where Torchwood will be filming. This is only for those eager Woodies who just can't resist getting a peek of the crew in all their glory in Cardiff.

Wednesday, May 10th
Calltime 2:00pm - Wrap 1:00am
Location 1 - The Penn and Wig Pub, Park Grove
Location 2 - Ultralase, 24 Windsor Place
Location 3 - Car Park, Gerald Eve, Windsor Place

The first two locations are interiors, with little to see. The car park however should provide an opportunity to witness some filming. Of course it goes without saying, that anybody who goes to the locations needs to show utmost respect to the process, the production staff and the actors. If you don't, then these type of advance notices will undoubtedly cease and Torchwood.TV readers will just have to return to the glory days of my non-topical rants sprinkled with unfunny sarcasm.

Filming schedule for tonight and tomorrow night

The Torchwood Mole has sent me the following schedule:

Monday the 8th
Calltime: 7pm, Wrap 5am
Loc 1 - The Hayes, City centre
Loc 2 - Ask, Mill Lane, of The Hayes
Loc 3 - St Mary's Street

However, he added there will be nothing of great interest today, and JB will not be on set until the very last scene.

Tuesday the 9th
Calltime 4pm, Wrap 3am
Loc - Creation, Greyfriars Road.

Tomorrow all the teams are involved but all the scenes are interiors, so unless you like looking at the ouside of buildings, you could probably better use the time by spending it with your family.

Filming: Day One Feedback

Filming began last night in Cardiff (at last!) and although I tried to make it down there to witness the birth of the show, commitments prevented me from doing so. Anyways, Outpost Gallifrey has posted several set photographs, and several set reports. Because the set reports are all of a spoiler-nature, I'll re-post them all below, in invisotext. To read them simply highlight the text, and hey presto, you have a set report!

So, if you don't want to read what happened on set, look away now!

Paul Mount:

Arrived at Charles Street around 8.15pm. Amidst drizzly rain the production unit is up and running, activity based around the rear entrance to Minsky's night club. At first doesn't seem to be a lot going on but suddenly a big black vehicle appears on the scene....how can I describe it? Like a big land rover or range rover but augmented by a huge black front grill with no noticable front number plates and a big extended rear section.

The vehicle rushes up Charles Street, turns and heads back, parking near the unit vehicles. There are people in the front seats but through the slightly-tinted windows it's hard to make them out. Then out steps John Barrowman, togged up in a long mohair-like brown coat and what look like a very trendy waiscoat and shirt combination underneath, black trousers and boots.

Production crew rush over to shield him from the rain with a big brolly. Someone's in the passenger seat fiddling with interior lighting. A few moments later he gets out and it's Burn Gorman (Torchwood co-star and the real star of Bleak House, IMO). Someone calls that it's lunchtime and, under cover of brollies, everyone moves off to vehicles further down the road.

I think I caught a glimps of Naoko Mori walking down the road surrounded by production bods but I wouldn't swear to it. Managed to get a look inside the vehicle through the windows - very swish, leather interior, couple of DVD screens set into the dashbaord. Futuristic and yet modern at the same time.

Went back around 11pm to see a scene being rehearsed at the top of the steps leading down into Minsky's. There are two or three burly security guards at the top of the steps. Some girls enter the club. Another girl - couldn't make out who it was - approaches a Grant Mitchell-type guard and, from the dialogue I can hear, says she wants to get back into the club and that's she's already paid to get in. The guard tells her "You'll have to pay again." She gives him a big snog, he staggers back, surprised, and lets her down the stairs into the club.

No sign of any of the major cast around while this is being rehearsed. The scene is rehearsed several more times and, as I left, they seemed to be preparing to move downstairs to film. Not much, I know but Torchwood is, it's fair to say, on its way!!

John Campbell Rees:

The circus has moved on, if only temporarily, from Doctor Who to its spin-off series Torchwood, which had its first day of location shooting today. When I arrived at 4pm, there was filming inside the Bar Icon at one end of the street. Impenetrable black drapes covered the front of the bar, hiding the filming taking place inside from prying eyes. I thought the afternoon would be a bit of a wash out, so I wandered off to do some shopping. After meeting up with Tim, I returned to Charles Street at 6.30pm, to find that filming had moved to outside the rear of Minsky's Nightclub. I immediately spotted John Barrowman and Eve Myles. Barrowman was wearing an old RAF Officer's greatcoat, similar to the one he wore when playing Captain Jack in The Empty Child/Doctor Dances. A few minutes later, I spotted Naoko Mori and Burn Gorman. The very impressive vehicle that the Torchwood Crew used was parked opposite Minsky's. A souped-up and apparently armour plated Range Rover with the word Torchwood in embossed large friendly letters on the side (aka the Jackmobile). It looks as if the Art Department had a great deal of fun with this vehicle. Although, it must be an absolute pig to drive, as all the windows are black tinted glass, whilst the extra bits of fibreglass stuck on the body make it look armour-plated must really affect the aerodynamics and centre of gravity of the vehicle. Inside, the front passenger seat appears to have numerous screens and keyboards in front of it, making it look as if this car is also a mobile office for the crew. Burn Gorman was seen exiting the car from this seat during filming, which makes me suspect that the initial press release (which stated he was playing the group's medical expert, whilst Naoko Mori, who played a doctor in the Doctor Who story Aliens of London/World War III is the computer expert) is ever so slightly wrong.The first scene I saw being filmed was the Torchwood crew getting out of the Jackmobile. They crossed the road, and three of the crew go down the stairs to nightclub, whilst Eve Myles stayed behind and talked to the two police officers guarding the entrance. On the second take, Burn Gorman tripped on the curb and fell in front of the road, much to the amusement of the assembled cast, crew and onlookers.The next scene to be filmed was a close-up of Eve Myles talking to the local police. It is obvious that she is recognised by the officers and that she recognises them. Which leads me to suspect that the character of Gwen Cooper is a policewoman who has recently been seconded to Torchwood. The snatches of dialogue I heard were Captain Jack asking Gwen if she was going to be much longer, and Gwen asking the police woman on duty to "say hello for me", probably back at the Station where she until recently worked. Whilst filming this scene, a drunk wandered onto the location, an became loud and unruly when he was not allowed to continue down Charles Street. The on-site Security quickly bundled him away.The final scene I saw being filmed before they broke for their lunch, and I had to head home was the Torchwood Crew's arrival in the Jackmobile. It was at this point that it started to drizzle. In order to make it look as if it had been raining heavily, a large truck belonging to Any Effects Ltd drove down Charles Street drenching the roadway, as the dampening from the light drizzle would not have registered.Throughout the filming, Jack would be wearing the RAF greatcoat. The questions that springs to mind are* Where did he get it? The one he had in The Empty Child/Doctor Dances was destroyed with the timeship he was piloting?* Why does he feel the need to wear such an ostentatious outfit? The highlight of the evening has to have been being within 10 yards of the lovely Eve Myles and Naoko Mori. Lowlight was the drizzle.

Andy Stark:

When I arrived it was pouring with rain, much to the disappointment of the crew member who had been brought in specifically to hose down Charles Street to give the appearance of a recent downpour. It continued to rain on and off for most of the evening despite there having been bright sunshine for most of the day previous to this. After waiting for a couple of minutes on the side of Charles Street just down from the back of Minsky's nightclub (with a very small group of fellow onlookers in attendance), a black Range Rover type car came from round the corner at the end of the street (which in real life is actually a dead end) and rushes down the street stopping directly opposite the back door of Minsky's. All four doors of the car open and the four members of team Torchwood (John Barrowman, Eve Myles, Naoko Mori & Burn Gorman) leap out - John, being the designated driver - and run over to the club and down the steps leading to the front door. The sign above the club door reads "Night Spot" in pink fluorescent lighting. Captain Jack is wearing what appears to be a long trenchcoat that seemed similar in style to the one worn in The Empty Child and all other team members are wearing black outfits.The scene stops and after a few minutes hesitation the team get back into the car and drive back up to the end of the road and turn around. Once again the car comes down the street but rather than shooting the scene again, it appears that the director calls for a break and, shielded by umbrellas, they all go off for lunch.After nosing around the Torchwood mobile for a bit we left for a while and a couple of us returned an hour or so later to see preparations for a scene being filmed outside the night club. In the lead up to the scene being shot we saw a green screen being moved from where it had been resting on the side of the street to the alley next to Minsky’s itself. When and for what purpose the green screen was being used we didn’t find out but we tried to follow its progress by wandering round to the front of the club (adjacent to where the final scenes from Rose were filmed) to find a spot where it looked like some props were being temporarily stored: these included some empty pallets, a sofa(?) and some store mannikins(!)We then returned to Charles Street to see a scene being rehearsed involving two bouncers and the club owner greeting clubgoers. Two girls went in to the club, which looking through the doors seemed to be in full swing, followed by another girl who was denied entry. She seemed to gain admission by giving the owner a great big kiss leaving him a little shellshocked and he then let her through. At this stage as it seemed that none of the regular stars were going to make an appearance we decided to call it a night and leave.

If anybody else has any set reports for block one of Torchwood, then e-mail them to either Kurly or myself and we'll do our best to post them on the site. Anyway, at long long last Torchwood has arrived. Yay!

Operation Torchwood Begins At 15:30 Hours

We've received word from a source in our comments section that a Basecamp has been set up in Cardiff City Centre ahead of filming, which starts at 15:30 tomorrow. We currently have no more information, but if this is indeed the case, expect a media rush over the next few days. When the situation has become any clearer we'll post an update here.

Many thanks to Big Joe.

Torchwood 2D

Here at last is a full gallery of images from last night's Doctor Who Confidential:

Thanks to our friends at http://torchwood.time-and-space.co.uk/ the screencaps can be seen in full. Thanks a lot guys. I owe you one!

Yours, Confidentially...

Yes, as a few of you have discussed on the comments section, earlier this evening, during a special episode of "Doctor Who Confidential" entitled One Year On, Torchwood was discussed in some detail, which I'll break down for you below:

BACKGROUND
According to RTD (who was interviewed about the show) Jack Harkness travels back in time, through the rift, to Cardiff, where he hopes the Doctor will one day return, in order to re-fuel the TARDIS (much like he did in Boom Town). It's here that Jack becomes head of the re-formed Torchwood, and as we know folks, that's where all the fun begins...

JULIE GARDNER
According to Gardner (Torchwood's executive producer) the show will be filmed in Cardiff, but set throughout Britain's cities. So yay! Here's hoping they visit Manchester (where I live!)

CONCEPT DRAWINGS
The designs for The Hub, and various other Torchwood locations were featured quite heavily throughout this broadcast. We also saw some builders actually assembling the set! As soon as any screen caps are released onto the net, you can be sure we'll post them here! And boy, will they be worth the wait!!!

UPDATE! Thanks to www.eyeofhorus.org.uk the concept drawing for the "Autopsy Area" is now here! It can be seen below:

http://www.eyeofhorus.org.uk/images/photo/10tennant/dr-who-night-dwc/torchwood-drawing1.jpg

Anyway, I better get typing away at that Richard Stokes (long overdue!) interview. Until tomorrow...

News From The Hub

At long, long last I've bought my copy of Doctor Who Magazine, and I think it's about time I shared some of its secrets with you guys. And guess what? We've beaten ever major Doctor Who/Torchwood site to the news of Torchwood writers. A first! We're top of the pile, with the big dogs now...just where we should be! Anyhoo, lets begin, we've a lot of information to get through...

THE WRITERS

NOEL CLARKE AS "MICKEY SMITH"

The big news here is that Noel Clarke, the actor behind the role of Mickey Smith, is writing an episode for the series. Russell T Davies (lets just call him RTD for my aching hands sake!) says of Noel's involement: "Noel's just hit the headlines with his controversial script for the successful UK movie Kidulthood, but we've actually been talking about this for quite some time. The man is bursting with ideas! We have to add half an hour on to script sessions, just to hear him talk. I've also picked up quite a few tips on how to talk to the laydeez, though when I'm gonna use them, I don't know! Noel's a big sci-fi fan, and I think he's going to find some radical ideas to take Torchwood in completely new directions."

There's an interesting development too. Helen Raynor, script editor on both series of Doctor Who, will be penning one episode, although Russell confirms that this wasn't planned! He says "This was a bit of a scary prospect - first of all, it was an over-commission, which means an extra script...but Helen's script was so good - no, in fact it was brilliant - it's one of the best first scripts I've ever read, so it's gone straight into the shooting shedule." Over-commission? Does this mean what I think it does? 14 scripts?!? Unless one episode is dropped, could we have a 14 part series on our hands?

Other confirmed writers include PJ Hammond, Chris Chibnall (who's writing episode two, and at least three other episodes as well) and newcomer Si Spencer (Whose previous work includes work such as Life During Wartime, apparently).

DIRECTORS

The first 'block' of episodes (one of which is episode one) will begin filming in May, under the helm of director Brian Kelly.

EPISODE TITLES

The first episode has the title of "Flotsam and Jetsam". Interestingly RTD notes the series as "Series One". Are more series planned for the show? This is the first indication that it won't be a one-series-wonder!

RUSSELL . T . DAVIES AND CHRIS CHIBNALL

RTD has confirmed that he'll only be writing two scripts for series one (episode one and, maybe, the finale episode 13). Chris Chibnall has now joined Russell in the show's editorial team, overseeing scripts and in RTD's own words has "been helping me plan and shape the entire season". So that'll be Torchwood, "created by Russell .T. Davies and Chris Chibnall" then.

RICHARD STOKES INTERVIEW

Here's some nuggets of information the new producer told the magazine:
+ "We keep talking about a noir style"
+ "Russell and Chris have filled their scripts with great humour"
+ "The show will touch on universal truths in the human condition"
+ "(Jack) is the heroic lead. He requires some subtle changes."

I'll post more specific comments on this interview later in the week.

THE HUB

Buy this month's Doctor Who Magazine just for this fantastic column, written by none other than RTD. Here he tells how the BBC are planning for Doctor Who and Torchwood's futures so much that for Doctor Who Series Three and Torchwood Series One production will move to a "Hollywoodesque" film set 20 miles from the current studios. Here, Doctor Who and Torchwood will film back-to-back. Russell has nick-named the new studio "Camelot". So Camelot it is then! Anyway, the interseting news is that Torchwood's main interior has been named "The Hub". The set has already been designed, and when the column was written at the start of March, construction had started on it. So it should be ready any day now! The Hub is directly next to the TARDIS interior, so a scene in the TARDIS could be filmed one minute, with scenes for Torchwood's Hub immediately after!

DOCTOR WHO AIRDATE (UK VIEWERS)

Sorry to advertise the show's broadcast details here, but RTD has given all fans one simple mission this month: to promote the show's debut whenever possible. So, who am I to argue with the bossman!

Saturday April 15th, BBC One, 7PM

EPISODE GUIDE

Here's the details that are currently confirmed:

Episode 1: "Flotsam and Jetsam" Written by Russell.T.Davies
Episode 2: Untitled Written by Chris Chibnall

OTHER STUFF

Further updates will follow later. Kurly's probably typing away at his Noel Clarke bio as we speak. I'll update you on the Richard Stokes interview very soon, I just want to respect DWM and wait a few days before posting (too heavily) from their work. They've done a fantastic job this month (and every month infact) and I want to say a big thank you to all the guys and gals who made this month's issue possible.

PS

Well done Kurly on the site's new look! Absolutely fantastic. You've outdone yourself yet again!

Torchwood Ignites In May

Russell. T. Davies is interviewed today by sci-fi's very own sci-fi wire, and he uses the opportunity to talk about Torchwood :

"We start filming in May, and we should be on in this country [England] in October," Davies said in an interview. "So we'll have two shows running simultaneously, which will be fun."

This corrosponds with yesturday's news, that production begings April 23rd (although I'd now guess this was more likely to be rehearsals for the actual cast than any specific filming). One 'source' on OutpostGallifrey recently let slip that filming begins May 1st, but whether you take this story with one big fat lump of salt is entirely up to you. One thing is for sure though: The media are going to go crazy over this series, just like they did for Doctor Who. And torchwoodtv will be there to record every moment of it.

So, It's April Then?!?

Some quick rumblings from Cardiff have just hit my inbox, rumblings that seem to match common whisperings about Torchwood filming. My source at BBC Wales today e-mailed me with the following message regarding the start date for the new season of Doctor Who. I think you'll like what he says:

"The BBC chiefs here in Cardiff are putting some final touches to their grand Doctor Who advertising campaign (and I can tell you now, if you think Eccleston was good in last year's trailers, you ain't seen nothing yet!) and I was lucky (i.e sneaky) enough to see a preliminary schedule for the production team in April. The series is set for an April 15th launch, although the document makes clear that this date can change at any point between now and March 25th. Russell, David, Billie and Noel are all making press interviews leading up to this date, and therefore Russell meets with John, Eve, et al to begin production on Torchwood April 23rd (although I don't know if this is filming or cast read throughs). That's if all goes to plan. Anyways, I'm writing on my laptop on the way home now, and I'm quite excited! As always, you didn't here this from me."

So, yay! I guess. If all is true, Torchwood begins 'filming' April 23rd (?). This makes sense as Barrowman's stint on This Morning will then be a distant memory, and having rested for a week he'll be ready for his months of filming. Yay! I'll update you guys if anything changes.

Torchwood Overload (What A Fantastic Way To Celebrate 100 Posts!)

We've reached a milestone; here we are - still going strong after 100 posts.

Kurly we all owe you so much. This little website which you founded months ago is quickly becoming the web-community for Woodies everywhere, and on behalf of everyone I have one thing to say:

Thank you.

I had planned to celebrate somewhat differently with today's column, but to hell with it: for the first time in months we have real news about the series, and I think today would be the ideal time to share it with you all. Gear up, because Torchwood is coming...

www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho

We've got a lot of new information, so here goes:

Gwen's full name is Gwen Cooper, suggesting that Myles isn't playing the same role she played on "Doctor Who". Here's what Eve Myles thinks of playing the role of Gwen Cooper, "I'm thrilled to be playing the part of Gwen. To get the chance to do a 13-part series under the watchful pen of Russell is amazing," says Eve, "It's such a compliment to have been chosen for the part - I can't wait. I'm also looking forward to working with John. It'll be the perfect opportunity for the both of us to show everyone what we've got."

Russell. T. Davies says, "I've admired Eve's work for years, and when she was able to guest-star in Doctor Who last year, it just confirmed to me that she was one of Wales's best-kept secrets. The part of Gwen in Torchwood was written specially for her - so it's a good thing she said yes! Eve and John Barrowman have already met up, and the combination is going to be electrifying."

Meanwhile our old friend John Barrowman confesses:"I'm really looking forward to working with Eve. We've had a good laugh on the occasions we've met and the fact that she's already been in Doctor Who means she knows what she's getting into."

Head of BBC Wales Drama, Julie Gardner, says: "We are delighted to announce the casting of Eve Myles in the central role of Gwen, alongside John Barrowman's Captain Jack in Torchwood. Eve is an intelligent and versatile actress, who has done exceptional work in a number of BBC dramas, including our local series Belonging."

Our little nuggets of information revealled during the BBC press release include:

+Toby Whithouse (writer of the Doctor Who episode "School Reunion") is set to write one episode of the new series.

+Chris Chibnall seems to be contributing more than we originally thought. In the BBC press release he's not listed as a 'contributor', but with RTD as one of the show's main writers. Does this mean he's writing multiple episodes, or is this simply a typo?

+The show's new producer is Richard Stokes (a past producer on British soaps Holby City and Eastenders). He replaces James Hawes, who has been forced to drop out after the filming shedule moved from early 2006 to around April/May.

So much new information, so little time to process it all! If anymore information is released through the day you can bet myself and Kurly will be on the front line to receive it...