Series 2 Discrimination!

The brand spanking new BBC Store has launched. The online shop allows you to purchase digital copies of all of your favourite BBC series. Torchwood is there - however, series 2 is currently missing off of the available download options! No reason is given, although it's likely to do with rights issues on one or more of those particular set of episodes.

We'll update you when series 2 is ready. In the meantime, you can find the BBC Store by clicking here.

In other news, the latest issue of Doctor Who Magazine (number 493) contains an interview with former Torchwood writer Catherine Tregenna. She talks about her time on the series, as well as writing for Peter Capaldi in Doctor Who's The Woman Who Lived:

"Torchwood was a bit 'anything goes' in that first series and that's fun, you know? It's fun to get your teeth into darker, greyer areas of morality, where not all the characters are necessarily likeable.

Tregenna goes on to discuss how she chose the name Bilis Manger, her acting career, and creating Welsh TV soaps! You pick up her interview in DWM now - in shops, or via Apple Store download.

Reactions - Day One

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.

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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.

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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!

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!

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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.

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

They Punish the Earth Defenders

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


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

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

Torchwood: America anybody...?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The full article is found online here.

BBC Release Torchwood Press Pack

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

The press pack can be viewed by CLICKING HERE!

The Noel Clarke Diaries

Noel Clarke (Mickey Smith in "Doctor Who") appeared on the Entertainment Today section of GM:TV on Friday. He appeared to talk about Doctor Who (specifically the fate of Mickey in "The Age of Steel", as well as hinting that Mickey might still return...), as well as his film "Kidulthood" which is released on DVD across the UK next week. It really is a fantastic film, so go out and buy it guys and gals, and support Mickey...I mean Noel Clarke, along the way.

Oh, and Noel also mentioned Torchwood (see what I did there...left it to last to add tension). It seems that his script is currently scheduled as episode four and will presumably take place in recording block two (the team are still recording block one now, and will soon move onto block two episodes). Although Noel didn't mntion any details about his episodes he did call the show a mix between "The X Files" and "CSI". Whether being compared to CSI is a good thing or not is entirely up to you to decide.

But one thing looks certain now: Mickey Smith will not be appearing in Torchwood. Which is a shame, because Mickey plays the role of a hero so brilliantly in "The Age of Steel"...

Friendly Cardiff .VS. Big Old Nasty London

I've just read this short interview from the latest member of the Innuendo Squad, Ianto, aka Mister Gareth David-Lloyd. (Thanks to our friends at The Institute for this lead). You can hear what he has to say below (and if Gareth's reading, congratulations on the casting young man!) :

http://www.musicomh.com/theatre/three-women.htm

He learned his acting craft in Gwent but now Gareth David-Lloyd’s talents are going intergalactic.

Gareth, 25, from Bettws, has landed the role of a lifetime a major part in the new Dr Who spin-off series Torchwood.

He is to play Ianto, the receptionist at the Cardiff branch of Torchwood a government agency searching for alien technology which has fallen to Earth.

He will be filming for six months on the show, which is set in modern-day Cardiff. This is the first major role for the Newport actor, who went to Bettws Comprehensive and Coleg Gwent, Cross Keys.

“I’m really excited,” he said. “This is going to be different to anything else I’ve done before.”

It was at Monnow Junior School in Bettws that Gareth had his first acting role playing a robot in the school play. He then had acting lessons at Risca Leisure Centre before joining the Dolman Youth Theatre and Gwent Young People’s Theatre, where Argus reviewers marked him out as a star of the future.

He moved to London to pursue his career three years ago, with roles in Absolute Power, with Stephen Fry, and a BBC2 documentary drama on the life of Beethoven.

But Gareth is pleased his new role will be based in Cardiff, “I can’t wait to move back to South Wales, people are just much friendlier,” he said. “London was getting a bit fast for me.”

He was encouraged in acting by his aunt, 80-year-old Doris Leaves, with whom he lived on Allt-yr-yn Crescent from the age of nine.

Mrs Leaves said: “He got out of breath when he played football so I told him he needed a hobby. It has all sprung from there really.”

Former Labour leader Neil Kinnock, now Lord Kinnock, became a fan after seeing Gareth performing at Monmouth Castle. When Gareth decided to pursue a career in acting Lord Kinnock sent £250 to help him on his way.

Filming started on Torchwood last month and Gareth will be on set from May 24. His character will be introduced with a small part in the first episode, before featuring in all 13-parts of the drama series.

Gareth says there will be plenty of surprises for Doctor Who fans in the series, “I can’t say too much but the scripts look really good. I can’t wait to get started.”

In other news, last night's Doctor Who episode over here in the UK, "Rise of the Cybermen" featured two short Torchwood references made at the expense of the Cybus Corporation. One reference saw a news item on Rose's mobile phone talk about the latest Torchwood Institute happenings, whilst another saw returning face Pete Tyler talk to "Stevie"; an old friend of his, who seemingly works at Torchwood.

The fact that this episode - and next week's too - takes place on a parallel world may dampen the relevence of these references to the over-all story arc. But we'll see. It seems Torchwood is building momentum rather rapidly now.

Torchwood's coming folks. Brace yourselves.

It's a small world after all

The latest Dreamwatch Magazine has an article on Torchwood. They reveal that P.J. Hammond has written the third episode of the series which will be called Small Worlds. There was also some spoiler news about the episode included but I'm in a really bad mood this week so won't be giving that away.

OK fine you win, it's in the comments.

He Loves Me...He Loves Me Not

Sci-fi Wire posted this interesting Torchwood/Doctor Who interview yesturday. It's quite funny reading RTD's views on the forthcoming Torchwood production, but somehow I think the writers of the article have taken Russell's comments out of context:

RUSSELL - HE DOES LOVE US. SO THERE.

"It's actually not as busy as you think. American series run for 22, 23 or 24 episodes a year, and we've only got 13 episodes a season. So it's really no heavier than an American workload, and you all seem to survive! Unfortunately, I have a suspicion that your executives are chauffeur limo-ed from meeting to meeting, whereas I have to get the bus. But there are a lot of systems in place, and there's a huge team here. So we've spent a long time setting up Torchwood, to make sure that both shows can run simultaneously. Torchwood is a bit more of a formula show than Doctor Who. It's more capable of running itself. We must always remember that Doctor Who is the parent show and is the show that gets the 44 percent share of the audience [in the United Kingdom], so that's the show that I will always be looking after. That's where my heart is as well. Despite the fact that I created Torchwood, Doctor Who needs constant love and attention." The first season of Doctor Who airs on SCI FI in the United States on Fridays at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

Make what you will of this interview. Personally I think he's simply been taken 100% out of context. Of course he loves Torchwood. Who wouldn't. It has the promise of being a fantastic show. As we all know.

Hub Captain!

DWM recently spoke to Torchwood producer Richard Stokes to find out all the latest news from the series. The interview is re-printed in full here (with many thanks going to the DWM team)...

QUATERMASS - A GREAT INFLUENCE ON STOKES, AS YOU'LL SEE

Congratulations on your new job, Richard! How does it feel to be starting work on the first full Doctor Who spin-off series?
Thank you. To be honest it's a bit of a dream gig. I've been attached to the show now for a few weeks, and I still can't quite believe it's happening. Long night shoots will soon bring me back down to Earth though, I'm sure.

We already know that Torchwood will have its own very seperate identity away from Doctor Who. Without giving too much away - of course! - how would you describe the tone and feel of the series?
It's much darker - both in tone and in look. I'm discussing style with directors, the design team, Russell T Davies and Julie Gardner all the time and we keep talking about a noir style, lots of shadows. Doctor Who famously sends the kids round the back of the sofa; I went the grown-ups there too. The tradition of horror films - from Wes Craven to M Night Shyamalan - has filtered through to American television for many years and we should do a bit more of that here. People like being scared and a bit unsettled. Its themes are more adult - which is not about lots of swearing and gratuitous violence - it's about exploring more adult themes and sides of humanity you may not want your kids to watch. That's not to say we don't have a laugh on the way. Both Russell and our other lead writer - Chris Chibnall - have filled their scripts with great humour.

Despite the different audience demographic, would you say that Torchwood has any similarities with Doctor Who, beyond the character of Jack himself?
The Doctor Who team has injected an iconic series with great heart and compassion and that will certainly be the same - everyone on this show wants nothing short of the very best. Like all the most memorable shows in this genre it's about us; who we are and what we're doing to ourselves and each other. Doctor Who taps into a yearning for adventure in all of us and Torchwood will, similarly, touch on universal truths in the human condition.

Doctor Who fans are, of course, already familiar with John Barrowman's character, Captain Jack, from his episodes last year. What did you make of Jack in Doctor Who, and how are you looking forward to bringing him to Torchwood?
I thought he was a fantastic character - great fun and very charismatic. He was very deliberately there to mix up the relationship between the Doctor and Rose, whereas in this series he is the heroic lead and that requires some subtle changes.

Will your job be similar to Phil Collinson's? What sort of duties do you have on a day to day basis?
Yes - very similar. Producing is about plate-spinning; making sure nothing falls and breaks during the whole process. Day to day can be very different and that's part of the joy of the job but I have an overview on everything from scripts to directors to crew to cast to design to budget to sheduling and making sure everything is delivered to the channel for the money, on time and to the high standard everyone wants and expects. And then making sure all the different departments know what's going on so that when cameras start rolling everyone is making the same show.

If this first series of Torchwood is a success, is it hoped there may be a second? Or is this planned as a self-contained series of 13 episodes?
Hopefully - if all goes to plan and the audience enjoy it - there will be more.

As a former producer of Eastenders and Holby City, how do you think producing a sci-fi drama series will compare with the soaps?
It's all about storytelling. We all look for characters with whom we can emphathise as heroes or hate as villains and it's the combination of these things in a great story which made good drama. And that's true of anything, whether it's setin Albert Square or Andromeda.

Thanks to shows like Doctor Who and Life On Mars, it seems that the BBC is looking at more fantasy drama. What do you think about this recent interest in this sort of television? Are you a fan yourself - and if so, what sort of shows have influenced you?
It's about time. We were the best at this genre in the 1950's and 60's with Quatermass, Hammer productions and the original Doctor Who and the whole thing got hijacked by America doing it very well - and with a lot more money - and TV execsin this country thinking the genre was for kids. I am a fan - I was the perfect age when Star Wars came out to completely fall for it but writers like Joss Whedon (Buffy, Angel and Firefly), J.J Abrams (Alias and Lost) and Chris Carter (The X-Files) have shown how these shows can appeal to an intelligent, adult audience. It's exciting...it feels like a genuine renaissance and to be part of that is incredibly exciting.

Finally, do you have any specific aims and ambitions for Torchwood as you enter production?
To be honest - my ambition is not to fall short of Russell's vision of the show. He generates a creative atmosphere which just makes everyone want to do their best. It's infectious and great fun. I don't want to let him down, but equally I want to make a series that fans talk about and which brings in a new audience that feels the show has something to say...so no pressure then!

He's no angel

The Torchwood stable of writers has accepted one more member. Toby Whithouse has picked up a pen and joined RTD, PJ Hammond, Chris Chibnall and (likely) Steven Moffat.

Whithouse was already given the important task of writing episode 3 School Reunion for the forthcoming season of Doctor Who. It is a highly-anticipated story that will feature the return of two companions from the classic series.

Source:http://www.channel4.com

Toby is probably best regarded for creating the show No Angels, a Channel 4 drama about young nurses in love. He has been much in demand lately, an episode he wrote of the drama Hotel Babylon aired a few weeks ago on BBC1. His play Blue Eyes and Heels starring Martin Freeman ran at London's Soho Theatre last Autumn. Unfortunately the stage show which featured a heavy dose of satire attacking TV had less than stellar reviews.

Whithouse has appeared in front of the camera as well. His IMDB actor entry reads almost like Ricky Gervais' CV from Extras, including characters named: Man in restaurant, Sound Technician, and Student. To help his stalled acting career he could always write a juicy part for himself in Torchwood, perhaps as an unnamed Institute agent who is exterminated in the first five minutes of the episode.

PS - John Barrowman will once again be on the ITV chat show Loose Women this Friday the 3rd. If his appearances last Fall on the program are anything to go from, JB should be good for an innuendo or ten.

Scripts need a woman's touch

In DWM last week they announced that Helen Raynor has teamed up with Brian Minchin to do the daunting task of script editing on Torchwood. Keeping things in the family, she has already been stationed in the script office of Doctor Who for the past few years. You may have seen her featured in DW Confidential and heard her on the DVD box commentary for last year's episode WWIII.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/

Prior to WHO she was script editor on the daytime BBC soap Doctors. Like many others involved in Torchwood Raynor came from a theatre backgound. She directed the Royal Shakespeare Company, at the Royal Opera House, and worked with several other prestigious companies. So not only will she provide a woman's touch, she could just add a spot of class to the saucy program as well.

PS: Barrowman will be on The Wright Stuff on Channel Five tomorrow (Wednesday) morning at nine. Today Radio 1 Newsbeat did a Torchwood piece which you can probably still listen to online here. However, it's nothing new we don't already know.

Exclusive- Torchwood Publicity Photo!

Today in an interview on LBC radio, John Barrowman confirmed everything we have been talking about the past week and also made the new revelation that he has already taken part in a publicity shoot for Torchwood with his new female costar. However, he would not give so much as a single clue as to who the lead is.

Our inside sources here at Torchwood.TV have found one of the shots and can provide you with an exclusive sneak peak!

The mystery about Gwen has now finally been solved. Quite a surprise to be sure. But don't be so quick to judge, RTD has gone out on a limb before with his casting decisions and the results have been positive. Don't forget where you saw it first!

For the last time, it's April damnit!

It seems everyday we get another confirmation that Torchwood will begin filming in April in Cardiff and yet we still seem to have some lingering doubts don't we? It is reported today that in the new issue of Now Magazine JB says yet again, April it is. TV.com's man on the inside jackharkness left a comment here yesterday which should also finally put all of these delay rumours to rest.

Source:http://www.stakesandstones.co.uk

If you still are not convinced (I too admit I need things confirmed by at least 5 people before I believe them) I predict Barrowman will say the word April at least seven times tomorrow during his two media appearances. First, you will need to wake up bright and early to see JB on ITV's breakfast show in several interview segments scheduled for Friday morning. Then there is the LBC 97.3FM London radio show with Alison Bell starting at 12:45 Friday afternoon.

Don't forget to send in your Torchwood questions before the show if you haven't yet. I have already asked about filming delays, so that's covered. So the only thing left to ask JB in your email is: exactly how many times do the scripts call for the use of a defabricator in season one?

Barrowman's Bum

JB appeared on an ITV program called The 5:00 Show Friday and said that Torchwood and Season 29 of Doctor Who will still both fit into his schedule. This is obviously great news and seems to indicate that the spinoff is still steadily on course. But it is not as fantastic news for some as the other information he spilled, that we will probably get to see his posterior on the new spinoff.

Source:http://dancingonice.com

His statements were all rather vague, and JB's website still states Autumn 2006 as the premiere date for Torchwood. So no real answers yet, we might get them in Barrowman's next scheduled interview on Friday February 3rd from 12:30 to 1:30 on LBC radio 97.3FM with Alison Bell. At least the second half of the show will also be podcast. She is even soliciting questions via email, so now is your chance to drill Captain Jack about Gwen.

There are no more excuses for posting photos of Rachel

Yesterday the Scott Mills Show on BBC Radio1 aired a brief interview with John Barrowman, the star of Dancing on Ice, who answering questions about a project he is also involved with that you may have heard of called Torchwood. You can listen to the report here, jump to the 2:32:30 mark on Thursday's show to get to the good stuff.

JB starts by mentioning the shared production facilities and team between Doctor Who and Torchwood. He then replied that he would not confirm the Rachel Stevens rumours and that what we have read about it is not the truth. Those of us who closely analyzed the Rachel coverage spotted that right from the start. He also said in the interview he had just read the first script three days ago, which means his comments are probably about a month old, since he told that exact same thing to fans backstage at the Cinderella panto in December.

Source: http://www.pophotties.com

So it looks like another Welsh pop star officially bites the dust. Sorry, but I couldn't resist giving you one last picture of Rachel just for old times sake. OK, who's the next Gwen on the list, Lisa Scott-Lee?

Judy Judy Judy

Early discussion on Outpost Gallifrey and the Torchwood Institute indicate that nothing new about Torchwood was discussed during JB's TV interview today on the brilliant Dick and Judy Show, which of course means I have nothing new to write about today either.

Source:http://stakesandstones.co.uk/

I was hoping to put this day off as long as possible, but if anybody has any suggestions for other things about Torchwood we could talk about that I have yet to mention on this page, put them in the comments. We still have many months to go folks and I have writer's block!

UPDATE: OK now that I have actually seen this interview, there are indeed some things worth mentioning. JB said that in Torchwood Jack comes back to present-day earth, consequently squashing any rumours that maybe the show would took place before the Captain meets the Ninth Doctor.

It is a little bit confusing but it also seems like he makes the statement that Torchwood is "unwanted by the public and the authorities." Finally he also said that since Jack has to return to the more-family-oriented Doctor Who in season 29 he will be able to get only so outrageous but that won't stop others on the show from getting quite naughty.

So the day hasn't been a total waste after all.

Coming soon the first Torchwood Podcast!

OK perhaps it is a bit premature for a weekly Torchwood.TV podcast or vodcast just yet but I am not ruling it out for the near future. In the mean time I have gathered together some audio and video links featuring John Barrowman discussing Doctor Who and other projects below. For those who are desperately waiting for the Torchwood podcast, sorry but you will just have to be patient.


Source:http://www.stakesandstones.co.uk
Russell T. Davies Torchwood Interview
In case you missed it. Here is the officially released four minute BBC report on Torchwood from earlier this week, an mp3 you can download and keep forever if you so desire.

John Barrowman on Australian radio with Paul McIntyre
In this 13 minute Real audio clip JB talks about his Captain Jack character, his childhood obsession with Doctor Who, and the time Jon Pertwee came calling to his West End dressing room.

What's on Stage
This 16 minute interview in mp3 format is mostly John Barrowman discussing his background in theatre but he touches on Captain Jack as well.

Downstage Center
A 45 minute interview with JB from XM radio on Real audio will bring you up to date with just about everything he has ever done in his life.

Backstage with Barrowman during Boom Town
A three minute interview with JB on Real video from the BBC. So just what is the innuendo in The Doctor Dances?

BBC Breakfast
They got JB out of bed to promote Doctor Who and show off a fake Scottish accent in this five minute real video clip.

Press Call: A Few Good Men
See JB and his co-stars, including Rob Lowe, field questions about this current West End play.

Live and Kicking
Last but not least, a quick Real video clip featuring a young JB as Gnome John on a classic kid's show.

John Barrowman on Loose Women

No, JB hasn't broken up with his male companion of 14 years, nor is he exploring the best of both worlds like his character Captain Jack does. Barrowman was on an ITV chat show in England called Loose Women yesterday. From what I gather it is a bit like The View here in the US.

On the show, JB said that Torchwood might also air on BBC1 after its initial run on BBC3. He was tight lipped when questioned about how Jack Harkness gets to modern-day Cardiff. If you recall in the last episode of Doctor Who, The Parting of the Ways, he was stranded in the far future on Satellite 5.


Source:http://www.nrk.no/
Plus one more bit of gossip about the show. Charlotte Church, pictured above and wearing more clothes than usual, will have a role as a devil worshipper on the show. Seems like a good reason to go to Hell to me!