More questions than answers

We are now over halfway through the inaugural season of Torchwood, it's been a fun ride each week, but after each show I also feel a bit teased to death. None of my big questions are ever answered. Perhaps I'm the only impatient one but I had been hoping to be deeper into a big story arc at this point.

Sorry, but I could care less about the different romances around the Hub, it's all kid's stuff to me. The rest of the crew are fine and I originally thought it sounded great to give each person their own episode but now I just want more Jack!

But who cares what I think? What do you want or expect out of the second half of the series? More references and connections with the Whoniverse? (We got another UNIT reference this week which was nice. I'm guessing it won't be the last we hear from them in the show.) More Weevils? More Myfanwy? More sex? More violence? What on (or off) Earth are Woodies thinking about these days? What predictions do you have for the remaining episodes?

December will offer plenty of Torchwood and WHO to go around for everybody. However, I'm a bit worried I might have all the exact same questions come January 1st.

Loose Barrowman

I doubt many of you need reminding that JB is on Loose Women at 12:30 today on ITV, but as some of you do lead busy lives I didn't want you to forget about the big event. You can still view JB's two recent memorable appearances on the show on Youtube, from December 9, 2005 and March 3, 2006.

Also, another TV appearance has been added to the Captain's schedule this weekend according to his official site. Barrowman will be in the celebrity audience of ITV's An Audience with Take That airing this Saturday the 2nd of December at 9:30 on ITV. This is In addition to his already mentioned appearance on the panel game show 8 out of 10 Cats this Friday night at 10.

Just like all his other recent appearances we're sure John will be on his absolute best behavior.

UPDATE: Today's show is now up on Youtube here.

Yet another tell-all book

Just when you thought you had cleared up enough space on your bookshelf for the forthcoming official Torchwood DVDs and novels you will have to make more room for at least one unofficial book.

The Torchwood Inside the Hub guidebook is due out in March from Telos Publishing, the same folks who brought you the Unnofficial and Unauthorised guide to Doctor Who.

Whatever the inside goodies Stephen James Walker has come up with for this new volume he hasn't yet told us. We can only hope the book will feature a chapter titled: Myfanwy - Behind the Smile.

Offical Stamp of Approval

The agonising wait for a season two announcement continues (it might be sooner than some think...) but in the meantime, BBC Director General Mark Thompson praises all departments at BBC Wales in a statement released today. You can read his thoughts here. Notice how casually he mentions Torchwood getting a sesond season:

"I'm sure we will be seeing more series of both Doctor Who and Torchwood. There's a lot of admiration and a bit of jealousy elsewhere in the BBC because of the success here."

Interesting... Even the BBC's top man wants a second year! (hint hint BBC Executives who may be reading...)

In related news, last night's Torchwood episode - Greeks Bearing Gifts - secured a rating of 1.2 Million. Therefore the show beat Sky one's Lost which only managed 1.1 Million. Go Torchwood! We're top of the game again!

It's slow news day again and new recruit raxacoricofallapatorius has already covered most areas of what I was going to talk about here (damn him! I'll get you back Raxxie! :P). Be nice to the new guy - because looking back, first posts are always the hardest. No doubt Kurly remembers mine; mostly because it sucked so badly!

We learn from our mistakes...

..As the BBC will if they don't recommission the show! (See what I did there?!).

Take care friends and pterodactyls, and see you all soon.

Captain Jack Combats The Apocalypse

Christmas is coming thick and fast now. It's almost impossible to turn anywhere without stumbling onto a Christmas themed website, or into a Christmas stocked store. Hell, even our television is becoming more and more Christmassy (is that even a word? Help!) with each passing day.

So, as we approach the festive season, here's a rundown of the Torchwood episodes set to air over Christmas. The information was taken from the BBC Press Office for anybody who cares (thanks to TaraLivesOn for alerting me to this!). Here goes...

"Combat" - Savage aliens are being kidnapped from the streets of Cardiff and the Torchwood team is determined to find out why, as Russell T Davies's thrilling sci-fi drama continues.

Owen is sent undercover to find out who's behind the kidnappings and soon befriends the charismatic Mark Lynch. Beneath the veneer of normal city life, Owen discovers a shocking subculture, but can he avoid being sucked into it?

"Captain Jack Harkness" - Investigating reports of ghostly music, Jack and Toshiko find themselves stranded in a packed dance hall – in 1941.

In another high-octane episode this Christmas, Gwen, Owen and Ianto work to rescue their colleagues – but not before Jack and Toshiko meet a handsome young American squadron leader by the name of ... Captain Jack Harkness.

"Apocalypse" - The rift has been opened and time is splintering all over the world in the action-packed climax of Russell T Davies's dark and sexy sci-fi series.

As events spiral out of control, the Torchwood team members are faced with fragments of their pasts – and terrifying visions of their futures. Can Captain Jack save the world?

Three episodes over Christmas?!? They truely are spoiling us - does this mean that we'll have two episodes broadcast on one evening? Possibly "Captain Jack Harkness" and "Apocalypse" on the same night?

Man, what have we mere Woodies done to deserve that?!?

We must be on Santa's nice list this year!

{EDIT: jackharkness says: "speak for yourself - all I'll get this christmas is a lump of coal!"}

Tosh Time Tonight!

Toshiko groupies have been waiting for this episode for months. It's only fair that Torchwood's resident bookworm should finally get her chance to jeopardize the rest of the team and Cardiff's civilians with her actions as well. Below is your preview of tonight's Greeks Bearing Gifts.

Should be fun for all. If girl on girl isn't your thing, you can also now find Barrowman's appearance on Never Mind the Buzzcocks on Youtube here as well.

Have a nice Woodieday!

Barrowman gets the bronze

According to Broadcast Magazine's industry poll, JB is the third hottest commodity in UK tv. The Daily Record has reprinted the top ten from the poll which is topped by Russell Brand and also includes Billy Piper.

There was also coverage today of the Royal Variety Show lineup on December 4th at the London Coliseum which includes John Barrowman among the long list of musical acts.

Finally for those readers in Scotland, don't forget Barrowman's public appearance tomorrow in Stirling. We are unable to get up there so are requesting a full-report from one of you up north.

Have a nice weekend.

Battlestar Torchwood?!?

Has SCI-FI picked up Torchwood?

A few days ago the American broadcaster announced that from January, their top-rated series "Battlestar Galactica" would be moving from Friday nights to Sundays. Apparently, Friday has become a very competitive market - and to save "Galactica" from flagging ratings, the network wants to move it away to a more secure time slot.

So, what on Earth is the network going to show in its place? Presumably not any of their "original shows". It stands to reason that, if they've moved Galactica to save ratings, they wouldn't place any other show which they've invested in greatly in the same slot. As far as I can see, the channel has three options:

1: Make Friday "Movie Night" - show films in the slot formally occupied by Galactica. Movies don't gave as great an audience on television, and would explain to SCI-FI's advertisers why audience numbers have dipped.

2: More wrestling - well, it's not exactly 100% science-fiction on SCI-FI anymore, is it? This option would make sense, as it's cheap, expendable television.

or...

3: Show Torchwood - by January the "Doctor Who" series two screenings would have ended, and so, in theory, SCI-FI could broadcast "Torchwood" to bridge the gap between seasons.

Episodes would have to be edited of course, to fit the one hour (or 42 minutes of content, 18 minutes of adverts) demanded - but this could be achieved by cutting out the swearing, and more graphic of scenes.

As the BBC already has dealt with SCI-FI to sell the first two seasons of Doctor Who, it wouldn't be hard for executives to strike a further deal to land Torchwood, would it?

Also, the network might not want any other network getting a bite of its Doctor Who-themed goodness.

Torchwood is a vital part of Captain Jack's character. When he returns in series three of Doctor Who, SCI-FI viewers might be a little lost if his absense isn't explained away. Could this alone push SCI-FI into investing in the series?

I guess we'll find out soon enough. January is only 40 odd days away from now, and if the story's true, an announcement can't be far away.

Look at it as a 'glass half full' scenerio American readers - you could be getting Torchwood on your screens earlier than you think!

The date's been set

It's now official, John Barrowman will join into wedded bliss with Scott Gill on December 27th in Cardiff. Of course all of the Torchwood crew will be at the ceremony to throw rice at the happy couple, the BBC did a nice write-up about the announcement here.

Welcome to the other side JB, I just recently got here myself, and now I'm off with my wife to her first Thanksgiving. I'm sure Torchwood will be the centerpiece of conversation with the family this year.

Also don't forget, JB will be on Never Mind the Buzzcocks, a music quiz show, at 10pm tonight on BBC2. Toodles.

A Stirling Job

John Barrowman's offical site confirms that the God of Torchwood himself, Mister John of Barrowman, will be appearing in Stirling Scotland's MB Disco Supply Store on Saturday the 25th of November at 2:30pm to sign autographs on merchandise bought that day. The new shop is owned by his cousin and he is giving a helping hand (not the pickled one at the institute) to get the DJ and Karaoke business off the ground.

Would it be ok if we brought a Torchwood.TV t-shirt for you to sign good man?

Oh, and for anybody reading this before nine-ish in the morning, don't forget that John Barrowman is scheduled to appear on BBC Breakfast today! Or else.

Seriously, I mean it: Or else. Or else... I don't know, I'll set a pack of Weevils on you!

See you all soon guys and gals.

UPDATE: Follow this official BBC link to watch JB's appearance this morning in realplayer.

Sneaky Peaky

Forgive my absense over the last couple of days - I've been suffering from a severe case of flu since Saturday. Never-the-less, I didn't let a pesky virus get in my way of my weekly Torchwood viewing on Sunday evening. Just how fantastic was "Countrycide"? Very "Texas Chainsaw Massacre"!

WHO DOESN'T LOVE THE COUNTRYSIDE?

The episode appears to have lost out to "Lost" though in the ratings. The American import managed to pull 1.4 Million for it's first episode (which was head-to-head with Torchwood). On the other hand, Torchwood managed 1 million viewers - no small feat by any means! Expect Lost's figures to drop down a little in the coming weeks, and equal out with Torchwood's audience.

In other news, the BBC Torchwood site has received its weekly update, with Torchwood Declassified episode six added, alonsidfe interviews with Neill Gorton, Chris Chibnall, Andy Goddard and Naoko Mori. Check out the site by clicking here.

This month's SFX Magazine, issue 151, hit my doorstep on Saturday (cheering my flu-enduced self up immensely!). It features interviews with John Barrowman and Eve Myles - but out of respect for the magazine team, I'll hold off discussing the article until the magazine is officially released this Wednesday. So, watch this space!

Digital Spy's weekly "Tube Talk" column previews "Greeks Bearing Gifts" saying: A star turn for Daniela Denby-Ashe (My Family, EastEnders) in an episode focusing on the hitherto neglected Toshiko. Daniela appears as Mary, a mysterious girl who befriends Toshiko and presents her with a pendant that allows her to read people's thoughts. She isn't too pleased with what she hears from Gwen and Owen, while attempting to read Captain Jack's mind proves fruitless. Meanwhile, as Toshiko's "relationship" with Mary progresses, it becomes clear that she is wanted for more than just sex...

Meanwhile, the BBC Press Office has released information for "television week 51". On Sunday 17th December, "Out of Time" airs on BBC Three, and the BBC preview reads:

"When a plane which took off in 1953 makes an unexpected landing in present-day Cardiff, its three passengers are shocked to learn that they can never go back to their own time, as Russell T Davies's sci-fi thriller continues.

The Torchwood team, led by Captain Jack Harkness, helps the passengers settle in contemporary society, but this simple task has painful emotional consequences."

The Torchwood (Part One) DVD was confirmed as having deleted scenes, out-takes and a "Torchwood Declassified" featurette for every episode by Play.com for a short while yesterday; before the information was mysteriously taken back down by the site. The information however does corrospond with rumblings I've heard online, so expect the information to be nigh-on correct.

Oh, and before I forget, a little reminder; the Torchwood-centric Doctor Who Season Two boxset has now been released in the UK (alas, with a poor new edit of the Children In Need special...). You can pick it up online or, for the more convention of you, in shops now - priced anywhere from £42.99 to £69.99.

LITTLE UPDATE: The second Doctor Who spin-off series, "The Sarah Jane Adventures" has been confirmed as airing over the festive period through the BBC Press Office. You can read more about the series by heading on over to Torchwood.TV's sister site, Sarah-Jane.TV, by clicking here.

Until next time Woodies, enjoy the site, and remember:

Don't spend too much time in the countryside with homicidal maniacs, will you?

It's all part of Ianto's job

Last night in Newport Wales somebody forgot to turn on the lights in the city's shopping district. So Gareth David-Lloyd dropped by his hometown to help out as reported in the South Wales Argus. The rest of the crew at the institute must have been out shopping for his gift.

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

Also, old reliable Youtube now has John Barrowman's appearance yesterday on Something for the Weekend up here. JB sat down for one of his usual naughty interviews and then whipped up some food and drink with the hosts. Nothing like a nice cold lychee martini on a Sunday morning in November.

How do you solve a problem like Myfanwy?

John Barrowman and all the others involved in the Sound of Music's Maria reality TV show were at the show's London Palladium premiere this weekend, and I imagine they are all quite happy to see the production is doing well so far.

But there are of course more important things to worry about today than singing nuns. Countrycide premiers on BBC3 in a few hours. Here's a sneak preview to get your juices flowing.



Enjoy, it really looks like the Von Trapps have their work cut out for them this week.

What Do They Say About Judging A Book...?

Scrowling around theinternet at an impossibly early time this morning, I've found something very special indeed - the DVD cover of Torchwood: Series One - Part One.

You can see it in all its glory here:

The DVD set includes the first five episodes (Everything changes; Day One; Ghost Machine; Cyberwoman and Small Worlds). It's thought that several bonus features will be included too - but this has yet to be confirmed.

The set retails around £15.99 and is due for release on 26th December 2006.

You can pre-order it online by following the amazon link here or at the top left of our page.

Happy times and places.

Chat Show Calendar

A few new dates have been added to John Barrowman's tour of the Chat show couches. If you missed his appearance on This Morning yesterday morning it has been posted here on Youtube by tara. The interview featured a quick clip from Countrycide and just a touch of toilet talk.

The new gigs, thanks to John's official site, include another appearance on BBC BREAKFAST on BBC1 on Wednesday the 22 November, and he will also drop by a show called Eight Out of Ten Cats on Channel 4 on Friday the first of December at 10:00pm.

This is in addition to the already mentioned appearances on BBC2's SOMETHING FOR THE WEEKEND tomorrow the 19 of November at 10:00am, NEVER MIND THE BUZZCOCKS on BBC2 on Thursday the 23rd of November at 10:00pm and last but not least on ITV's LOOSE WOMEN on Wednesday the 29 of November at 12:30 lunchtime.

No Significance Whatsoever

Despite John Barrowman's appearence on "This Morning", er...this morning, today's been another of those increasingly annoying 'slow news' days. So, with little actual Torchwood news to go off, I thought I'd be brave and report about a brand spanking new American drama called "Heroes" - and some truely fantastic casting news.

NOW COME ON, DON'T GIVE ME THAT ATTITUDE...

According to TV Guide:

"Question: Your superpower is super scoop. Save the world and give us some Heroes poop.— Sarah

Ausiello: Fanboys, prepare to piddle yourself. Christopher Eccleston — the original Dr. Who from the current Sci Fi/BBC series — is joining the cast in January in a really super (tee-hee) role. Speaking of cool casting, wait until you see who's ******* ****'s ****. You're going to flip."

Christopher Eccleston, probably the best-Doctor-ever, in a US drama? Stranger things have happened. It's a neat thought how fate has switched John Barrowman and Chris Eccleston around: one a (practically) American actor working in a (practically) British show; the other a Brit now working in America.

And we love them both (especially JB!).

Good luck Chris.

Now, is a Torchwood/Heroes crossover out of the question?*

*Relax boys and girls, I'm joking!

Invisible To The World

The BBC Press Office today released episode information for "Invisible Eugene". They state:

"When Eugene wakes to find himself (a) dead and (b) invisible to the rest of the world, he knows something has gone rather wrong, as Russell T Davies's sci-fi thriller continues. Eugene knows there's one person he can rely on to discover the truth behind his death: Gwen Cooper.

Eugene is played by Paul Chequer and Gwen Cooper by Eve Myles."

The episode in question airs Sunday 10th December (my one year anniversary with the gvirlfriend, aww!). It's not yet known for sure whether Torchwood will air on Christmas Eve or New Years Eve (although DWM seem to reckon so). I guess we'll find out over the next few weeks or so, as the Christmas Schedules are released.

Imagine if it was shown over yuletime though, we'd have two Torchwoods to enjoy, one Doctor Who Christmas Special, and a Sarah-Jane Adventures New Years episode. Result!

UPDATE: Plus don't forget John Barrowman will be making another chatshow appearance on ITV's THIS MORNING at 10.30am tomorrow (Friday)

Post-Christmas Christmas Toys!

Character Options have confirmed that next year, to tie in with the launch of Doctor Who season three, they'll be releasing another batch of Doctor Who figures (no Torchwood toys planned yet, sorry). These range from Martha Jones, to the Face of Boe, and even some naughty art deco styled Daleks from the 1930's...

One of the new additions for next year's toys will be the "doubled-up" feature, which sees two toys in the same box. For instance, you can buy two different Autons for the price of one (much like this year's Rose/k9 pack). Interestingly, Torchwood fans will be able to pick up a Captain Jack Harkness and Empty Child pack, to play with to their heart's content. We'll update with pictures when they become available.

In other news, "Small Worlds" achieved a rating of 1.34 Million on Sunday evening, up 0.18 Million from the week before. The final rating for "Cyberwoman" was 1.39 Million. It's incredible to think that not only is Torchwood maintaining it's 1 Million plus rating, but after initially losing viewers, it's started slowly regaining them again.

Oh, and BBC Two viewers, I hope you enjoyed tonight's show!

Cottingley Correction

As Torchwood.TV's resident skeptic I feel the need to give a brief bit of background on the Cottingley Fairies that figured into the most recent episode Small Worlds and point out a mistake in Torchwood's historical reference. For those who are waiting for the BBC2 screening tonight I will avoid any major spoilers, but you might want to stay away from this post all the same.

Source: randi.org

Briefly, the Cottingley Fairies is the name given to a series of photos taken by two young girls in 1917 and 1920 which were greatly publicized with the help of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, he wrote a book about them called The Coming of the Fairies which claimed they were legit. There is a historical article on the events at wikipedia here. Ironically, Doyle was constantly falling for supernatural claims like these even though he is most famous for creating the logical, evidence-loving Sherlock Holmes. His championing of the pictures eventually did a great deal of damage to his reputation.

Now the correction that needs to be made is in reference to the great Harry Houdini and just a few lines in the script. When the Torchwood team is discussing the history of the photos at the Hub, Owen says that along with Doyle, Houdini also believed they were real. Nothing could be further from the truth. Here PJ Hammond, or whoever wrote the lines in question, is spreading misinformation. I'm not sure where he got this idea of a gullible Houdini from, perhaps from the very inaccurate fictional Hollywood film from 1997 with the dishonest title, FairyTale: A True Story. (Oddly enough Paul McGann had a small role in the film)

Houdini and Doyle were friends but looked at the world in very different ways. Arthur sent Harry some correspondence on the Cottingley Fairies as he did anybody else who cared to listen, but that was it as far as Houdini's interest or involvement was in the obvious hoax. Not wanting to hurt their friendship, Houdini would seldom respond with his true feelings about many of Doyle's beliefs. They eventually would have a falling out when he did just that. Harry Houdini spent the latter part of his life debunking supernatural claims and is a genuine hero of mine so that is why I have a real problem with those few lines of dialogue in the episode.

For those who want to research this subject more, James Randi has written a full account of the hoax in his book Flim-Flam, there is a brief synopsis at his website here. Now all that said, as fiction, the rest of the episode was all in good fun and I even liked the use of the infamous photos in the plot, but my message to the producers is, please try to keep your facts facts and your fiction fiction.

Vancouver Vacation

I'm spending a few days in Vancouver BC, so that's why you haven't heard much from me since Saturday. We're staying not too far from some of the locations used in the 1996 FOX WHO movie actually. There have been enough other things to keep us busy here beside hunting down alleys in Chinatown however. There is yet another recent article about people hunting down Torchwood locations on holiday in Cardiff. There is even a new dedicated website at Torchwoodlocations.com which should help you find all those alleys in Cardiff.

Got to run, the Canadian Bacon awaits.

Talking CDs...

Before I begin, can I just say how much I enjoyed tonight's Torchwood? "Small Worlds" goes to show how scary this post-watershed, Welsh drama can be. It's the first episode (bar the pilot) where I've not checked my watch to see how long is left once. Honestly, Peter J Hammond has done himself proud, and produced the best script of the series so far. Well done to all involved - especially JB who out did himself tonight with Captain Jack's more emotional scenes.

Now, I've not had access to the computer since Thursday - so apologies if this is old news to anybody, but next year, according to this month's Doctor Who Magazine, the three Torchwood tie-in novels will be released in CD form as audio books. Two of them are due to be read by John Barrowman himself, whilst the third will be read by the stunning Eve Myles. They are expected to be released around February/March next year. Get your amazon.co.uk orders in now to avoid disappointment!

Also in the magazine is an interview with casting agent Andy Pryer, who discusses the casting of Captain Jack back in 2004, and an "exclusive" episode guide for all of series one of Torchwood - which all major Woodie sites posted about last month! The magazine, issue 376, is out now at all good newsagents priced £3.99.

Have a great Monday back at work or school (I'm being sarcastic - there's no such thing as a "great Monday", is there?). I'll see you all very soon, and I hope you enjoyed tonight's show!

Which PJs will you wear tonight?

Tonight's episode Small Worlds is the long awaited script by PJ Hammond. He was one of the first writers announced over a year ago. But it's not the only show the Sapphire and Steel creator wrote that will be airing this evening on TV. The two-hour ITV mystery show Midsomer Murders will be opposite Torchwood tonight with a Hammond penned episode called Dance of the Dead.

Probably not a very tough choice for readers of this page, I'm sure you all have TIVOs anyway.
Enjoy another Woodieday, remember tomorrow's a school day so don't stay up too late.

UPDATE: Tara has posted JBs appearance this morning on Sunday AM here. The star spills a tiny bit of info about the season finale.

Quite a sexy monkey

For those who missed JB frolicking and flirting on the Jonathan Ross show last night, Taraliveson has kindly posted it in two parts on Youtube, One and Two. No big revelations but plenty of saucy talk.

The two jokesters even had a chance to analyze our favorite cult film Shark Attack 3 Megaladon, old news for Torchwood.TV of course, but the more exposure for this classic piece of cinema the better. JB also invited everybody down to his civil ceremony at the Cardiff St. David's Hotel, so long as you bring your own cake.

Barrowman will be on the couch again tomorrow morning on BBC1 on Sunday AM at 9:00. (It will also be viewable online at the official site here) However, my guess is he won't get the chance to snog any gorillas on that show.

Jack's precious lips

Observant Woodies have noticed that Jack's mysterious healing force didn't seem to assist him when his lip was busted up in Cyberwoman. Does it only kick in when he is in mortal danger? is this a clue to something deeper? or just a flub/inconsistency in the show?

With the power his lips have, damaging them would seem to be just as harmful as getting a bullet hole through the head. Other sharp-eyed viewers have also noticed Jack prefers water to alcohol each time he has been out drinking with Gwen and the crew. Way back in The Doctor Dances, he ordered up a Martini as his last meal, so when and why did the Captain become a teetotaler?

Just a few pointless things to think about on this slow news day. Don't forget to catch John Barrowman on Friday night with Jonathan Ross tonight on BBC1 at 10:35 when none of these questions will be answered.

Is Torchwood LOST?

Now that it's Thursday and everybody has had ample opportunity to see it, talking about Cyberwoman is fair game. Until now I have been reluctant to post my personal thoughts on Torchwood since it started airing. One, because who cares what I think, and two, I really wasn't blown away by the first few episodes to be honest. As there have been more than enough negative critics around since the show debuted I was hoping this spot could be a positive oasis.

Source: Torchwood.org.uk Ianto Snaps

The show had been good, but not amazing. The Cyberwoman episode however was what I was waiting for. Great pacing, an exciting memorable story with dynamite performances. Ianto even got us thinking of some new definitions for Cybersex. Let's hope the rest of the season can keep it up and I do fully expect it to only get better.

It was such a pity then, that only about a million folks decided to tune in for the BBC3 broadcast on Sunday. While still very respectable for digital TV at that time slot, it is worrying that over half the people who dropped in for the premiere last month haven't bothered to come back. So what's the problem? The 10pm Sunday slot seems to be a bit of an albatross. Just moving it up an hour to 9 on Sundays could be helpful, next week it also has to start going head to head with LOST.

However if a show is quality you should be able to put it on at any time and people will find it. Other solutions? Thoughts? No slacking off allowed until we hear an announcement that season two has the green light!

They Keep Killing . . . (blank)

I suppose we're fighting a losing battle attempting to keep the happenings of this forthcoming episode secret as the BBC has now released the full title of episode 8. For those who don't mind seeing the spoiler title, and I imagine you won't be able to avoid running across it before December 3rd, it is here along with a summary for the episode.

Source:http://www.cwgcuser.org.uk

Way back in Pertwee's days, they somehow managed to keep spoilers out of episode titles. Episode 1 of Invasion of the Dinosaurs was labeled simply "Invasion." Of course the Radio Times gave away the secret prior to the airing anyway, and the episode was consequently tossed in the trash by the BBC because of title confusion. Now only a black and white copy of episode one exists. So you can't win either way I suppose. (Or maybe you can. The claymation dinosaurs, no relation to Myfanwy it seems, looked quite a bit more realistic in black and white)

Suzie's new gig

After bringing folks back to life with an alien glove in the streets of Cardiff what does one do for an encore? In the case of one Torchwood member you bring folks back to health on the operating table as a neurosurgeon in a NYC hospital! Following her role as Suzie Costello, Indira Varma is back on the air on US network TV on the new CBS drama 3 Lbs.

Source: CBS.com

For those in the US, the show will premiere over the air on Tuesday the 14th of November at 10pm on your local CBS affiliate. But for those who like watching TV online, there is an advance peak of the pilot at the official site starting tomorrow. I suspect it won't be viewably outside North America but who knows, they might be charitable to Indira fans worldwide. Indira will put on the smocks playing Dr. Adrianne Holland alongside actors Stanley Tucci and Mark Feuerstein in the weekly one-hour drama.

It should be exciting seeing Suzie operate on some grey matter, we already know she is good with a knife.

My sweet Myfanwy

Those of you who joined the raging debate about what name to give the Torchwood pterodactyl (and you know who you are) seemed a bit upset yesterday after hearing John Barrowman reveal in De-Classified that the crew are calling her Myfanwy on the set. If you take a look on the bright side, his statement makes it sound like the Hub's pet doesn't actually have an official name yet. A nick-name on the set is just that, it's not official until we see something in the script. So perhaps it's just a matter of time before the BBC press office starts a "Name that pterodactyl" contest!

But if you were going to pick a name for the basketball-playing dinosaur you could do worse than Myfanwy. Her bio is at the official Torchwood site here. According to Parenthood.com this welsh girl's name means "My fine, rare one." The tragic love story of Myfanwy is a classic Welsh myth that has been kindly summarized by the BBC here. There is also a traditional sappy Welsh love song called Myfanwy to go along with it, the lyrics are here. Sing along and you won't be able to resist thinking of our special friend at the hub.

Why is it anger, O Myfanwy,
That fills your eyes so dark and clear?
Your gentle cheeks, O sweet Myfanwy,
Why blush they not when I draw near?

Back On Track...

Firstly, can I just apologize for being a little AWOL recently? My last few posts have left a lot to be desired, and seem a little rushed - mainly because, to be frank, I was a little Torchwood-ed out. I'd been so exposed to Torchwood throughout October, that I was posting left, right and centre - and in effect, the quality of my posts has suffered slightly.

But I'm back now, after a mini-rest over the past few days; bigger and better than ever before. Here's a long overdue news catch-up, it feels like ages since I did this last. Here goes:

The Torchwood website has again updated itself, with a catch-up of last night's "Cyberwoman", and a preview of next week's PJ Hammond (Sapphire and Steel - more on that later in the week!) written "Small Worlds". There's also extensive interviews with the cast and crew of Torchwood, including Gareth David Lloyd, aka Ianto Jones for you and I! Get over to www.bbc.co.uk/torchwood for your latest Torchwood fix!

Last night's episode, the infinitely cool "Cyberwoman", has received a lot of mixed fan opinion. Pick up copies of today's national newspapers for some TV critic reviews. On the topic of last night's "Cyberwoman", the episode's over night's ratings are not yet out, but we'll update when they are. UPDATE: The ratings are in, "Cyberwoman" dropped down further from last week, with an average of 1.16 Million viewers.

Bethan Walker, who played pizza delivery Alice in "Cyberwoman" has her own myspace account, which you lucky Woodies can visit here. Drop the good lady a line, and let her know how much you're loving Torchwood. Or hating it... whatever floats your boat (But I imagine that Bethan won't be too happy if you inundate her with messages proclaiming your hate. Be positive people - it's all about the positive!).

The fantastic Torchwood Institute site has updated its 'screencaps' area (viewable here) to include all four of the first Torchwood episodes. It's a fantastic resource - one that I thought I should credit at last, having taken images from it over the last month. Thanks guys, you're running a great site.

In other news, it looks like the Torchwood DVD will secure at least a "15" Certificate when it's released on DVD at the end of next month. The BBFC recently reviewed the first episode, "Everything Changes", deciding that it's viewable for anybody 15 or older, with no cuts made to the episode. There's currently uncertainty over whether "Day One" will push the release up to an "18", although this seems unlikely...

For anybody interested, the first season of Doctor Who 2005 (which introduced Captain Jack Harkness in five episodes) was recently re-released in the UK in a slim-line case. 2 Entertain have made the wise decision to jettison that chunky TARDIS boxset at last - saving lots of valuable shelf space! The boxset is available now priced £45, and would make the ideal Christmas present for any Torchwood fan recently converted to the world of Who...

The Radio Times is released tomorrow, and previews "Small Worlds" and "Torchwood Declassified" episode five - just don't expect any flash behind the scenes articles. Last week I spent 98p on the magazine, and Torchwood hardly featured inside. Pah!

Right, before I go a quick nod to my all-new (can't believe I was bullied into it) site, Sarah-Jane.tv - a sister site to torchwood.tv, covering all things to do with the new Sarah Jane Smith spin-off series, "The Sarah Jane Adventures". You can visit the site here, and please feel free to leave your comments. Hopefully we'll get a torchwood.tv styled makeover in the coming weeks!

Thanks for reading this little post of mine. It's great to be back full time on the site - and it's great to hear from our readers again. Until next time, as Kurly would say, "Toodles"...

Somebody Doesn't Like Bob

My second attempt at this blog post, after the last one corrupted! Here goes...

The latest Tube Talk article on the digitalspy website is now up and running, and includes some interesting spoilers. Sounds like somebody doesn't like Bob...

A strange episode this week sees the Torchwood and Doctor Who universes overlap. Ianto has somehow smuggled his girlfriend Lisa - a partially-converted cyberwoman from the downfall of Torchwood London - into Torchwood Cardiff. Unfortunately she errs more on the side of cyber than human. Expect deaths and punches a plenty. Also expect a really ridiculous scene with the resident pterodactyl (who reader Sara has kindly nicknamed "Bob").
At least one of the following is true: 1) Captain Jack snogs Ianto 2) Owen snogs Gwen 3) Ianto snogs a cyberwoman

We've all been looking forward to this episode for weeks, and it's time has finally arrived. So, there's only one thing left for me to say: BRING ON THE CYBERWOMAN!

A Little Thing Called Sex...

Over at the Torch_wood fan community (all serious Woodies/Whoodies should visit it at least once a day) "sadbhyl" has posted an interesting theory about the good Captain himself, Jack.

Now, the theory involves sex, and exactly why (to put it blunt) a man like Jack, who's known to sleep with anything if it has a pulse, has yet to have any in "Torchwood" the series.

Read the theory here.

It's a scary day when Captain Jack himself is prevented from having a little love...!

Keep your top on

In the latest Starburst Annual there is an extensive article on Torchwood featuring interviews with RTD and JB. Davies disappoints many of us in the article by revealing, "There's not a topless shot in the series." He also said a few juicy items about future plot turns and twists which will be revealed only upon pressing the button below. (This should be more RSS-feed friendly than invisotext) Believe me, spoilerphobes will want to stay away from these:

"Gwen starts an affair with Owen"

"And that's not the last you've seen of Suzy either"

Screencap from Cyberwoman, Sunday night at 10 on BBC3

In other media there is a JB interview online at 60-Second interview, which was apparently enough time for him to touch on nude scenes as well. The new interviews on the Official BBC Torchwood site about Ghost Machine are now also up on Youtube for non UK viewers here. And finally the Cardiff Visitor Centre now has a Torchwood section on their website complete with a map of all the location filming spots, a great resource for those who want to plan a day in Splott.

Greek Flavoured Torchwood?

Week 48 of the BBC Schedules has now been released, and includes information on episode seven of Torchwood season one, "Greeks Bearing Gifts" - a Toshiko centric episode. The Press Release states:

"Toshiko is given an alien pendant which enables her to hear other people's thoughts, as Russell T Davies's sci-fi thriller continues. As the rest of the Torchwood team puzzle over a centuries-old skeleton, the pendant forces Toshiko to question her commitment to Torchwood. Is her new-found ability a blessing, or a curse?"

The article also includes a rather long interview with Naoko Mori, the actress who's played the role of Doctor Toshiko Sato every since her debut in "Aliens of London" last year.

Naoko Mori is hoping to strike a blow for geeks everywhere as she stars as technical expert Toshiko Sato in Russell T Davies's dark and sexy sci-fi thriller, Torchwood. It's a commendable stance but, as the bubbly young actress freely tells Nicola Hicks, not entirely altruistic.

"I think geeks get a really bad press but I'm a bit of a geek myself," laughs Naoko (31). "I love computers and gadgetry or anything technical. I always have to have the latest thing – I'm Japanese so it's in the blood!"

It's no surprise, then, that Naoko is so fond of Toshiko, Torchwood's computer and surveillance specialist.

"It's the perfect job for Tosh," explains the actress as she takes a break from filming at the series' futuristic set in Cardiff. "She's at the cutting edge of technology and with Torchwood she's always coming across new things. She loves the challenge of trying to work things out."

More often than not, she reveals, Tosh is pitting her wits against alien artefacts that could help the team in their fight against criminals – both human and alien.

"Tosh gets her hands on lots of alien gadgets and they're brilliant," says Naoko, who covets a rather handy device that can pick any type of lock in seconds. "I'd quite like some of them in real life!"

At first glance, Tosh appears to be the straight man of the Torchwood team, who are based in the institute's headquarters, The Hub, in subterranean Cardiff.

"She seems to be a bit square and quiet but she's actually just a very private person. She's more of a thinker than a feeler but that doesn't mean she doesn't feel, she just doesn't share it," says Naoko. "She keeps her private life private and work is work. But work is the biggest thing – she loves her job, as everyone in the team does."

Brainbox Tosh was snapped up by a Government science think-tank straight from university, before being recruited by Torchwood to work with Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman) three years ago. Both of her parents were in the RAF, while her grandfather worked in Bletchley Park, the top-secret wartime code-cracking facility – so she's no stranger to subterfuge.

"Tosh is very professional and work-orientated and, although you don't get to see too much of her private life early on in the series, you do later on," reveals Naoko.

Torchwood's gadget girl also fits in well with the rest of the team.

"It's like a hothouse thing. They're all cooped up in The Hub but also in this secretive, underground world that they can't share with anyone else outside. So it's very intense and intimate," says Naoko.

"Tosh has good relationships with everyone, especially Jack, the leader. She's not scared of expressing her opinions with him. She's very honest – if she feels something's wrong, be it morally wrong or whatever, she'll say so. But theirs is a very strong bond."

The computer expert also has a soft spot for handsome medic Owen, played by Bleak House star Burn Gorman.

"Owen is ... well, he's gorgeous but he's a pain," laughs Naoko. "He's that guy at school who's a bit cocky. There's a healthy banter there and he's always coming up with cheeky quips but he's one of those guys you can't help but really like ... and fancy a little bit."

The actress was born in the industrial city of Nagoya, Japan. When she was four, her businessman father was transferred to the US, so the family moved to New Jersey, where Naoko and her brother and sister learnt to speak English.

Eight years later, the Moris moved to the UK, settling in Surrey, where Naoko began to take singing lessons. By the age of 13, she had left her childhood dream of becoming a golf pro at the first hole and decided her future was in singing and acting.

Naoko got her big break at the age of 17 when she landed the lead role in the West End production of Miss Saigon – opposite Torchwood's John Barrowman.

"It's so nice to work with John again and we get on really well," says the actress, who is perhaps best known to British TV audiences as Sarah, Saffy's best friend in the hit comedy Absolutely Fabulous.

Naoko, whose diverse CV also includes Spice World (the Spice Girls' movie), Mike Leigh's Topsy-Turvy and the powerful BBC docu-drama Hiroshima, got a taste for sci-fi when she appeared in the first series of Russell T Davies's new Doctor Who. She was delighted to be cast in the episode Aliens Of London – although she wasn't quite sure what to expect.

"I didn't know too much about Doctor Who. I grew up in the States, so I'd never seen it as a kid," she says. "When I got the script, I phoned my agent and said, 'What's a TARDIS? I've looked it up in the dictionary and I can't find it'. He was laughing so hard he actually put the phone down on me."

But Torchwood, Naoko points out, is an altogether darker prospect.

"It's been a real challenge and also very exciting at the same time, because Tosh goes through a heck of a lot and some very emotionally heavy scenes.

"I've always wanted to do a science-fiction thing and an action thing – they're on my list of things to do before I die – and with Torchwood I've managed to tick both boxes. There's a lot of running around with guns and there's all that sci-fi stuff, but there's also really good drama with great characters and storylines."

Naoko has also loved living in Cardiff, where she's been based since April this year.

"I'll be so sad to leave. I really like Cardiff – you've got everything you need from a city and then you have the bay and the valleys. There's a sense here that you can really relax," she says.

She'll also miss the rest of the cast when filming wraps up this autumn.

"I've done a lot of TV series and you're very lucky if you come away with one good new friend, but the first thing I noticed with this job was that we all just got on so well. The chemistry is right – and I guess [lead writers] Russell T Davies, Chris Chibnall and [executive producer] Julie Gardner knew that it would be."

The writers, in fact, know a lot of things, muses Naoko.

"We recently filmed a scene where Tosh gets her favourite Chinese takeaway delivered and it's hot and sour soup and fried squid with pepper and chilli. Now those are really my two favourite dishes!" she laughs.

"I was really freaked out by that. How did they know? We've never been out for a Chinese or even discussed it! I've basically come to the conclusion that Russell and Chris are from another planet and they have X-ray vision. They're genius aliens who can read minds."

Aliens in Cardiff? Sounds like a case for you know who...

Roll on week 49!

Episode 14: Loose Women!

John Barrowman's TV interview schedule for the rest of the month has been published up on his site. After wrapping Torchwood and before starting his work on Doctor Who and Panto he will be busy on the chat show circuit. His schedule is listed below so you can modify your personal calendar appropriately.

Screencap from the 5:00 Show

Friday the 10th, FRIDAY NIGHT with Jonathan Ross BBC1, 10:35pm
Sunday the 12th, SUNDAY AM - BBC1, 9.00am
Friday the 17th, THIS MORNING - ITV, 10.30am
Sunday the 19th, SOMETHING FOR THE WEEKEND - BBC2, 10.00am
Thursday the 23rd, NEVER MIND THE BUZZCOCKS - BBC2, 10.00pm
and last but not least,
Wednesday the 29th, LOOSE WOMEN - ITV, 12.30pm

For those who missed JB's memorable appearances on Loose Women in the past year they are up on Youtube here. Also, last night Barrowman won the Entertainer of the Year award from the Stonewall organization in a ceremony held at the Royal Academy of the Arts. The £100 a plate event honored gays and lesbians in many fields.

Have a nice weekend, the Cyberwoman is on her way!

Torchwood Tributes

I imagine that after watching an episode of Torchwood most of you don't run for the toy box and pull out the Legos to recreate the scenes. That's a good thing however, because the folks at Lego Doctor Who have already done it for us.

Source:http://www.legodoctorwho.co.nr

Those clever constructors have already created two short videos which recreate key scenes from episode one Everything Changes. It's not yet up to the scale of the brilliant Brick Testament or Port Block but give them some time, we have a long winter ahead of us. Although they may have a hard time getting their hand on the blocks according to this news article.

There is also now more Torchwood fan fiction online then I'm easily able to keep up with. On Live Journal, Jack in Cuffs has the spicier stuff and the Torchwood Archives bills itself as more family friendly. Plus you will find the usual mix of everything at A Teaspoon and an Open Mind. Finally, also at Live Journal numerous artistic folks have made wallpaper to meet your computer's needs. Here's hoping some homemade Torchwood video games are soon on their way, so we can all put off real work a bit longer.

Children of the Revolution

Before we go on, I've some bad news for fans of British SF. Quatermass creator and writer Nigel Kneale has died. The man who lead the British side of the 1950's science-fiction/fantasy revival died after a series of strokes on Sunday evening. His work not only influenced millions of viewers, but much of 1970's Doctor Who. It's not an exageration to say that most modern day "alien on Earth" stories have a touch of Kneale about them. Even Torchwood in its own small way reads like a classic Quatermass series. Ladies and gentlemen, we've truly lost a master. Our condolences go to his family and friends.

It's a gratifying thought to think that there's a whole legion of new Nigel Kneales out there: people within the television/film industry with a deep love of science-fiction, with enough industry influence to get sci-fi on our screens every week. Infact, many of them are creating the new Doctor Who series! It's great to know then that at last, some of the younger crew members are being given an opportunity to broaden their skills.

BBCi reveals:

"Forget trick or treating or bobbing for apples. If you can get BBC2 Wales on your telly, the only place to be tonight is watching Sacrifice.

Starring Camille (Jackie) Coduri, and written by Doctor Who script editor Simon Winstone, it's a one-off spookfest from members of both the Doctor Who and Torchwood production crews.
There's a dark secret in the village. Will a single mother have the courage to defeat a savage monster, or will she become the sacrifice?

First time director Matt Savage worked with Camille and a host of other Doctor Who and Torchwood staffers to create this horror short for BBC 2W. Shot in a rare week when neither series was filming, it was a big chance for many junior crew members to step up and test their talents as film-makers.

Sacrifice was edited by Ceres Doyle (assistant Editor on Doctor Who) and produced by Brian Minchin (script editor on Torchwood).

Sacrifice starts at 9.45pm on BBC 2W tonight. It's bound to be a bit scary, so might not be suitable for younger fans."

In years to come, these will be the guys and girls in charge of shows like Doctor Who and Torchwood.

As you can probably tell, we're all in good hands...

Cold November Nights

November is here (talk about saying the obvious) and as we all wake up for school, college or work this Wednesday morning, we can smile in the knowledge that Doctor Who swept up at the National Television awards again last night, after last year's triumphs. David Tennant won best actor, and Billie Piper best actress, with the show itself crowned Best Drama. Hooray!

Torchwood itself should be eligable for awards next year, so my fingers are crossed!

LOOKS LIKE NOVEMBER'S GONNA BE A BUSY MONTH...

In other news, most major British newspapers have been running a preview of the Cyberwoman themed episode four - with a picture of the half converted "Lisa" acompanying the article. Man, that Cyber-suit really doesn't leave a lot to the imagination! Knowing Captain Jack, he's probably thinking exactly the same thing right now!

This week's Radio Times (without another Torchwood Behind the Scenes - damn!) states "Take the Torchwood Logic Test in November's BBC Mind Games Magazine, out November 7th priced £2.99" - so, for any budding Mister Spocks out there, with a fascination with logic, that magazine's just for you. How exciting!

A preliminary November schedule for all things Torchwood can be seen below. I've only included first run episodes on BBC 3 / 2 - but be warned, the list is likely to change before transmission!

1st November 2006 - Ghost Machine (FIRST BBC 2 SCREENING)

5th November 2006 - Cyberwoman, plus Torchwood De-classified (FIRST BBC 3 SCREENING)

8th November 2006 - Cyberwoman (FIRST BBC 2 SCREENING)

12th November 2006 - Small Worlds, plus Torchwood De-classified (FIRST BBC 3 SCREENING)

15th November 2006 - Small Worlds (FIRST BBC 2 SCREENING)

19th November 2006 - Countrycide, plus Torchwood De-classified (FIRST BBC 3 SCREENING)

22nd November 2006 - Countrycide (FIRST BBC 2 SCREENING)

26th November 2006 - Greeks Bearing Gifts, plus Torchwood De-classified (FIRST BBC 3 SCREENING)

29th November 2006 - Greeks Bearing Gifts (FIRST BBC 2 SCREENING)

Thanks for supporting the site over October - here's hoping for a fantastic November month!

Strangers on a Train

Right, this is being reported left, right and centre - so it's about time we follow suit. Here's the experiences of one Outpost Gallifrey reader, "Unearthly Steve":

"On Monday this week I met Richard Stokes, the producer of 'Torchwood' on a train to Cardiff! This is how it happened

I was sat on the train reading a copy of SFX magazine on the way to Bristol, where I work. It was quite a busy train so I had to sit next to another passenger. About halfway through the journey I glanced over and noticed that the man sat next to me was reading through a pile of yellow papers. As you do, I started to read a few words. I noticed the words 'Jack' and 'Owen' first of all and thought 'oooo- that's a coincidence- Jack and Own are both characters in Torchwood. Then I noticed the words 'Captain' and 'Gwen'. And then it clicked! O my god- This was Torchwood stuff- a schedule for filming I think!.

So I sat there for a further 10 minutes thinking, 'shall I say something to this man'??? In the end I decided that I should say something because otherwise I'd regret not doing so. I was keen not to look too 'fan-boyish'. So I turned to him and said 'Oh, excuse me, are you working on Torchwood there- I couldn't help noticing'. He said yes, and then said he was the producer.

I nearly fainted with shock; of all people to bump into! Anyway, we had a nice chat and he was very kind. I congratulated him on the episodes so far, paying particular compliments to the Helen Raynor episode 'Ghost Machine' and the opening scene of ep1 with the guy being brought back to life. We talked about the differences in tone and content between Torchwood and Doctor Who. We also talked about how good 'The Royal Family' had been on Sunday !

News-wise, he said they hadn't been given a series 2 yet but there were plans being worked on. He said that the BBC would probably make a decision in a few weeks. He said that they were finishing filming this week. He also said that Sarah-Jane was being filmed at the moment. When I mentioned how much I liked the first scene of episode 1 with the murder victim being bought back to life he said that the themes of 'life' and 'death' were running themes throughout the 13 episodes.

He also said the series would get darker as it went on.Anyway- that's about it- But how exciting!!!"

Btw, did I ever tell you about the time I took a taxi and Russell T Davies was sat on the roof...?