Ok Kiddies,
This is a big deal for us. We got John to give us an interview, and to sign the DVD cover. And that can be yours, but you have to comment on the story. Get some conversations going here if you want a chance to win. You can read the article and see an exclusive original great pic of the man himself if you go to the magazine. But you have to comment here for a chance for that autograph to be yours. Have at it!







By Christina Radish

From Russell T. Davies (Queer as Folk), writer of the most recent incarnation of Doctor Who, comes Torchwood, an action-packed, adrenalin-fueled new sci-fi series following the adventures of a team of investigators who use alien technology to solve crime. Led by the enigmatic Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman), the team uses scavenged technology to solve present day crime, both alien and human. Working in an underground base built on a rift in time and space, the team respond to any alien threat. Separate from the government, outside the police and beyond the United Nations, Torchwood sets its own rules, delving into the unknown and fighting the impossible.

John Barrowman, the 40-year-old Scotsman who stars on the series, recently spoke with MediaBlvd Magazine about the challenges of playing the same character on two different television series.

MediaBlvd Magazine> For American audiences who might not be familiar with who you are, can you talk about where you’re from and how you got into acting?
John Barrowman> In a nutshell, I was born and raised in Glasgow, Scotland. At the age of 8, I was brought over to the United States with my family because my father’s job moved him there. I was educated in the U.S., consequently falling in love with American television and drama, and serial television. I still kept my connections with the U.K. by watching shows, like Doctor Who, on PBS, and Monty Python, and all that sort of stuff. My parents raised us, as kids, with an upbringing of the best of America and the best of Britain, so we had a really good balance of the best of both worlds. At the earliest age that I remember, I’ve always wanted to be involved in the business. I’ve always wanted to be an entertainer, of some sort, whether it be in television, film or theater. Jumping years down the line, having gone to a university and studying musical theater, I went to the UK to study Shakespeare. I went to an open call audition and got a job opposite Elaine Paige, who is the Patti LuPone of UK theatre, in a show called Anything Goes, and that was the beginning of my career in the UK. I was welcomed back by the UK public because I was born over there. They took me back in, under their wing, and I have done 16 or 17 West End shows, two on Broadway, lots of children’s television for the BBC in the UK, two TV shows in the States -- one for CBS (Central Park West) and one for NBC (Titans) -- and a couple of films. But, the biggest success, thus far, for myself, if you want to talk in the terms of becoming a household name in the United Kingdom, has been playing Captain Jack Harkness. Because of his success with the British public, on Doctor Who , the BBC and the writers and producers decided to create a show for him, called Torchwood, which is an anagram of Doctor Who. They gave Jack his own secret alien hunting organization that he bases on Planet Earth in Cardiff, Wales, where there’s a rift in space and time that runs through the city. It’s where all the alien technology and the aliens come through.

MediaBlvd> How early on did you know that Captain Jack would be getting his own series?
John> It was after Captain Jack had appeared on Doctor Who -- after episodes 9, 10, 11 and 12 of the first year. Executive Producers Russell T. Davies and Julie Gardner had a conversation, well before they started Doctor Who, about doing a science fiction type show, called Excalibur, about this team of people who do these exceptional things and save the world. So, it was an idea, prior to the conception of the new release of Doctor Who, but I wasn’t informed about it until after the first series. I was called in for a meeting, where they told me I would be involved in Series Two. And then, there was a little hiatus, and they called me in for another meeting. As the true actor, I was thinking, “Oh, ****, I’m out of the show now.” And, they said, “You’re not going to be in Series Two, but you will be in Series Three, and we’d also like to develop Torchwood around Captain Jack.” I felt like I was handed the world on a platter, at that point. But, I had to keep it under wraps. I wasn’t allowed to talk about it to anybody, not even my family. It was like a balloon ready to burst inside. It was great.

MediaBlvd> The character has a fairly mysterious background. Is that something that will be explained as the series progresses, or is it going to be left vague?
John> In the series, you will always learn something new about Captain Jack on each episode, but it’s not going to be so blatantly in-your-face. It will be delivered in a line of dialogue where you’ll go, “Oh, my God! I just missed that.” You’re really going to have to listen, but you will learn new things about Jack. He is dark, he is charismatic, he has a past. There’s two weeks of his past that have disappeared from his memory and we don’t why. He is completely passionate about the human race and saving it from anything that might be detrimental to it, which he has learned from the Doctor. You’re going on a journey with Jack because, as you learn about him, so does the team of Torchwood.

MediaBlvd> As the actor, how much do they let you in on the secrets and the plot revelations?
John> Some of the stuff, they try not to tell you. When you read the script, you’re going to find out, anyway. Russell T. Davies, who is the head writer, and co-producer Chris Chibnall will always talk to me about it, so we know what’s going to happen. But, if something is going to be exciting, like there’s something that happens in Series Three of Doctor Who to Jack, and I didn’t want to know. David Tennant, who currently plays the Doctor, kept running into my trailer and saying, “Have you read it? Have you read it? Have you read it?” And, I was like, “No, no! Go away! I don’t want to know!” And then, when I read it, I was like, “Oh, my God!” So, I do sometimes tell them to not tell me because I want the excitement. I love this stuff! I am a sci-fi fan, myself. As the British say, I am a sci-fi boffin. I absolutely love this genre, and I love these types of shows, so to be excited by it is really important to me.

MediaBlvd> When you were doing all of that extensive theater work, early on in your career, did you ever have any idea that you would have such success doing sci-fi?
John> No. I was a fan of sci-fi, as a kid. I’m the age group of Star Wars and Battlestar Galactica, the original series, and all that kind of stuff. I’m from that era. I loved Doctor Who. I never thought that there would ever be a place for me, in that genre. And then, low and behold, this all happened, and it’s been a dream come true. I am overwhelmed by it, and I’m loving it. If I were to put it in a nutshell, I’m a man who is living a little boy’s dream. Every day, I get up for work and I go fight aliens, I save the world, I shoot laser guns, and I get to run very fast. It’s a dream job.

MediaBlvd> Were you surprised at the reaction to Captain Jack and the success of Torchwood in the UK?
John> Yeah. I played Jack very unlikable. I tried to play him really confident and arrogant, in the first part of “The Empty Child” in Doctor Who, and the public didn’t like him. On all the blogs, they were saying, “I don’t like this guy!” And, I was so glad that they did because I knew, the next week, I was going to try to change their minds because he was going to become more about humanity and more about the team. And, they did. They went with it. They loved him for his heroic nature. Kids like him, women like him, men like him. I don’t know what it is, but it’s fantastic. I’m truly overwhelmed by it. He is a cool guy.

MediaBlvd> How do you think American audiences will respond to him?
John> I don’t know. I think American audiences are smarter than some television shows make them out to be. BBC America has a very intelligent audience that watch their programs. And, I hope it draws in the sci-fi crowd because I wanna say that they’re gonna love it. I hope they love it. We’re going to have to wait and see. It will be interesting because they’ve never seen a character like this on television before, with his omni-sexuality, as we call it in the sci-fi world. In terms of wording that you need to use in today’s day and age, he’s bisexual, and I don’t know whether they’re going to be able to deal with that or not, but I really think they will. I don’t think it’s going to bug them. It might bug the politicians. It might bug the people who are so far up their own arses that they don’t want to let other people live their lives. But, I think the more people who watch it and let people know they like programming like this, the better it will be for us.

MediaBlvd> Do you think this show presents positive role models because it presents characters who don’t have to explain their sexuality and who just live their lives?
John> That’s the way it should be. It should just be very matter-of-fact. If you’re bisexual, gay, lesbian, transgender or heterosexual, who cares? If it does change the minds of certain audiences, that’s great. People who watch these shows are gay, lesbian, bisexual, from the transgender community, and who’s to say that you’re the one to judge who’s right or wrong. That’s not your position, as a human being, to do that. It’s actually no one’s position. The thing that Torchwood does is treat it very matter-of-factly. It’s not an issue. I use the example of when people describe me as, “Gay actor, John Barrowman.” If they were to interview Brad Pitt -- and I use him as an example because he’s very popular, not because I’m in the same kind of category -- they wouldn’t say, “Heterosexual actor Brad Pitt,” so why do they have to put labels on everything else? These are sexually active human beings, as we all are. They’re not afraid of sex. We shouldn’t be afraid of sex. Sex is a vital part of our existence. For anybody who watches the show and is upset by it, turn off the ****ing television. It’s so not the norm in America. In Europe, we don’t put that much of a heavyweight on it. It is normal. It’s sensationalized in the United States, which might be a good thing because it makes people watch, but it can also be a detrimental thing. Let it be. Let it happen. And, I think that’s why we explore that. People in the States are intrigued by that because all of our shows cover that. Americans look at it as exploring the issue. We don’t look at it as exploring it. We look at it as telling the story. Hopefully, one day, it won’t be an issue in America.

MediaBlvd> What are the challenges of playing a character that you’ve already established on another show?
John> You have to remember where you’ve come from, and you have to remember what you’ve learned. I have to carry certain things with me into Torchwood from Doctor Who. Even now, while we’re filming Series Two, I’ll read something and say, “Look, I can’t say that because that’s contradicting what I did in episode 3 of Series One.” But, that’s a good thing because Chris Chibnall and Richard Stokes, who’s one of our producers, and Julie Gardner, appreciate that because it shows that I’m passionate about it and want to make it right. If I were watching it, as a science fiction fan, I’d go, “Wait a minute, Jack has just totally contradicted himself.” I’m very much aware of that. So, it is a responsibility because our writers are guests. They come into our world to create our world, but they have to also know what’s happened, and when they make a contradiction, we have to point it out to them.

MediaBlvd> Captain Jack’s personality is even a bit different when he’s on Doctor Who, as opposed to how he is on Torchwood. How did that come about?
John> In the UK, Doctor Who is a family show, and kids are watching. On Doctor Who, Captain Jack is part of a smaller team. He’s number three in the team. The Doctor is the main one. He is the leader, and the one that Jack follows, so you play that differently. Whereas, on Torchwood, jack is the leader. Everyone follows him, so it’s played very differently. It’s a little darker. He doesn’t want everybody to know everything about him. How much do you really know about your own bosses? He has that kind of attitude, and he wants to keep things a little aloof with the team. On Doctor Who, the responsibility is not on his shoulders. It’s on the Doctor’s. He’s assisting the Doctor. It’s fun to play because I get to do both sides of the coin, and show two sides of his personality. As we progress through Series One of Torchwood, and play the dark side, Jack will resolve some things with himself in Series Two, and become more like the Series One Jack in Doctor Who.

MediaBlvd> Is your character also going to be returning to Doctor Who?
John> Captain Jack goes back into Doctor Who in Series Three. He does return. And, Martha Jones (Freema Agyeman) will be coming into Torchwood. I can’t tell you why, but it’s going to be really good. In Series Three of Doctor Who, her character developed in a huge way, and it makes perfect sense that jack would turn to someone of her stature, at that point, for help.

MediaBlvd> Having done both comedy and drama in your career, is there one that comes easier for you? Do you prefer one over the other?
John> For me, it’s all about the work. I never put that much weight on something. If it’s comedy, I hope I’m funny. If it’s drama, I hope I’m dramatic. I hope it works. I enjoy every aspect of it. I do love to sing, and I miss singing. Musical theater is my first love. If someone said to me, “If you had to play Jack for the next 10 years, would you be happy?,” I’d say, “Yeah, but they’d have to write a musical episode.” I’m so trying to get them to do it because I really think it would be quite interesting. We might have to wait a couple of Series, though. Comedy is easier to play. Drama is more difficult because there’s more of a heightened reality there, particularly in science fiction. You’re making an unreal world real, so you have to play it a different way, and you also have to firmly believe that you mean what you say. You’re talking gobbledy-gook, but you have to make it look and sound real. You should see the outtakes.

MediaBlvd> Do you enjoy working with the special effects? Which is more challenging for you, the more emotional work or the more physical stuff?
John> The emotional work is not difficult. I find it quite organic to tune in with because I am a bit of an emotional person. I love working with the special effects because I like to pretend. As a kid, I loved pretending, so I love to pretend that there’s that creature coming. I get to see pictures of what the creatures look like prior to the CGI being done, but when you do it, you’re in front of a big green screen and that’s it. I find the physical stuff more challenging. For instance, I did a big sequence, and I won’t tell you what, with James Marsters, who played Spike on Buffy. He’s in one of the episodes of Torchwood in Series Two, and we filmed this big sequence that was 12 hours of the most enduring physical stuff that I have ever done. The fans of the show are going to love it because it’s got sex and violence and, at the end of it, you’re going to have to go finish yourselves off, so to speak, because it’s so horny, it’s not even funny.

MediaBlvd> What was he like to work with?
John> He’s great. He is really cool. I think he enjoyed being with us, as a team, because we’re very relaxed. My motto on set is to have fun and enjoy ourselves, and I like to put that across to our guest-starring artists. I had a great time with him.

MediaBlvd> Has there been anything specific that was memorable, either to film or just how something looked when you saw it?
John> I loved the Cybergirl episode because it was just a little creepy. Some of the issues that we deal with are a little risque, like bringing people back to life. The weirdest thing is always to look at one of your colleagues, if they’re laying there with their head split open, or they walk in and they’ve got a stomach prosthetic on, with their guts hanging out. All that kind of stuff is weird because it really looks real. The hard thing to do, at the moment, is when you’re injecting someone with something. You have to do the needle and it looks like it’s going in their arm. All those little things, for me, are a little creepy, but it’s pretend. I love doing it. It’s part of going to work, every morning.

MediaBlvd> What’s it like to have your sister write your biography with you?
John> I was asked to do it by a publisher in the UK. I was quite surprised that they asked because I don’t really think I’m old enough yet to be penning such a thing. But, my sister has been following me for a few months and we’re collaborating. I dictate into an iPod, and she takes it away and puts it onto the page. She’ll be with me for the rest of the summer. We have to have it into the publishers this month. I just talk into the dictaphone and she’s, basically, penning it. They actually wanted me to say I was writing it, but I wouldn’t have anything to do with that. It’s about me, but my sister will get the credit as the author on the book. It’s a book about me, but told by me. It’s my stories of my career, my trials and tribulations, my family situations, and exciting things that have happened to me. I’m from a very close, tight-knit family, and my sister knows everything about me, as do my family, so I have no problem telling her all this stuff, and sitting and listening to it. There were only five times where she said, “Eww, I don’t want to know,” but she’s gotten over that. I think it will be an interesting read. It’s not going to be written in your classic style of, “On the day of March 11, 1967, I was pressed out of the womb.” It’s nothing like that. It’s more storytelling than that.

MediaBlvd> Are you hoping to do more work in the States?
John> I was offered two films with Warner Bros. recently, and I had to turn them down because of my schedule with Torchwood. But, I never say no to anything. I love work. If work brings me to the States, and Torchwood furthers my career over here, I’m all for it. I’ll go for it. But, my heart and my base is always the UK because that’s where I got my start, and I will never forget that.

Ok, first of all, cool. Second of all, way cool. Count me in as motivated here. Torchwood reminds me very much of Xfiles. John Barrowman totally rocks as Captain Jack, and I really love the fact that the pilot of Torchwood seems to be the basis for an entire season of a US show called Pushing Daisies. I guess Torchwood is pretty dark, don't you think? Suzy's death was a bit depressing, but Jack's coming back from the dead was very cool. I'm really going to love this series!

Very very cool I guess I should have been up on the interview, eh?

How is Pushing Daisies like Torchwood at all? Have you seen the pilot for PD? Cause I have and I see nothing similar at all. I like the pilot for PD, but it's a whole different gig. More like Wonderfalls, which makes sense with Lee Pace and Fuller and all.

I hadn't seen any of the Torchwoods since last spring. I actually liked the pilot better for 2nd viewing. I came into the show expecting Captain Jack to be JUST like his character in Doctor Who but he's much harsher and the whole show is darker, of course, being made for after watershed. I think it took a while for me to really "love" this version of CJ.

edited cause, dang, I can't spell today.

Thanks for the terrific interview. John Barrowman is a joy to read about -- you can tell he speaks his mind, rather than providing predigested, publicist approved non-answers to the interviewer's questions.

I'm very fond of Torchwood and I'm glad that BBCA has decided to show it. Hopefully enough American viewers will give it a chance to turn it into a cult hit here.

Yes, I've seen the PD pilot, and I just meant the notion of bringing someone back to life for a short period of time was the basis for both. To be honest, I was just looking for something to talk about maybe, so I could get my second entry here!! Woo hoo!

Honestly though, after having seen PD, I find it much more believable that an alien glove exists that can bring someone back to life, than the fact that someone could own a Golden Retiriever for years without petting it, lol.

I'm relatively new to the whole Doctor Who universe (I just started watching 2nd season on SCI FI) then went back and picked up Eccelson season recently. I've also seen all of Torchwood, and I'm surprised at how different the whole show is from Who, but I honestly have to say that I love the way that Sci Fi is done in the UK.

It's strange though that Who is about to pick up (after next week) on Sci Fi from the finale of Torchwood, and we are getting them so out of sync here. Though maybe that won't be too confusing.

I just came from DragonCon and hearing James Marsters talk about his role in the first episode of Season 2 Torchwood. He was saying that when they actually had to film their "big scene" John was a very good acting partner and all about doing it safely and only what James was comfortable with. Nonetheless,James actually got hurt doing it (it's a very physical scene) . James was embaressed because he always pushes to do more of the stunts than the producers like him to do. So he didnt want to admit to them that he was bleeding quite a bit. John took him aside and because of being in the theater he knew some tricks to fix it up so the scene could go on. James was really grateful for how he was treated there....and we are all hoping that it will turn out to be more than a one episode appearance. (And since James is returning to Cardiff in November, his fans think it's pretty likely) .

As some of you know I'm building a John Barrowman site to be hosted here and I'm almost done! I was also very excited to see the John interview. I always love reading anything that he has to say, he's such an interesting and down to earth guy.

And Justify, the first thing I thought of when I saw the trailer for Pushing Daisies was Torchwood so you're not alone there. However when I saw the pilot of PD I knew it was nothing like Torchwood but still had a similar idea.

Nice interview with John, and can I just say, I am so happy to finally see Torchwood here in the US! It's about time! I've seen the entire first season as I own it on DVD already, but dang it would have been nice to have it here sooner.

In response to Justify, it won't get confusing to play them out of order, because you don't have to follow both Doctor Who and Torchwood. They are designed to function independently, and they do fairly well at it.

Yeah Curious Sprite is right. The two series don't air anywhere close to the same time anyway so having them running concurrently doesn't really matter all that much. You can enjoy the shows separately for what they both bring to the table. Although I do have to admit that if you watch Torchwood and didn't watch Doctor Who prior to that, a couple of things might slightly confuse you but it's not that big of a deal really. I too have seen the entirety of season 1 of Torchwood and I've got to say that it's one of the best shows on TV (aside from some continuity that aren't really THAT big of a deal). I don't think it'll be long before John Barrowman is as huge in the US as he is over in the UK.

John is wonderful in this show.
There are not many TV shows that I just cant wait t see the next episode of as much.
I have seen all the episodes as my family in Scotland sent them to me and when John was in the last few episodes of Dr Who this year, I was in UK and nearly missed a family wedding because I was watching the show.

Can I enter the contest?

I enjoyed this interview, although I'm sure I've read similar answers and questions in other magazines I think this just means JB has been asked some things many times before though, and so already has answers ready

I like JB. As a person, he seems really down to Earth and very likeable. I even like his energy and enthusiasm (that seems to annoy some people).

Torchwood - is it being edited in the US? I can think of one episode in particular that I would expect the US networks to cut and carve. If they don't, good on them! Because I think Torchwood works well as a more relaxed, darker show than Doctor Who is allowed to be. (I love Doctor Who, but it's also nice to see a more adult side to the Who universe).

I'm looking forward to S2, I want to know how they bring Martha Jones in - whether they refer to the Doctor in any way (ie, explain how Jack knows her). I also want to see Jack become more like his Who persona - more light-hearted and fun loving. I prefer that Jack.

It's been a while since I saw Torchwood. I just ordered the S1 box-set here, so am Looking forward to seeing it again. And, hopefully, there'll be a good commentary or two. JB makes me laugh with his commentaries (on Who anyway) he's such a Who and Sci Fi fan and doesn't care who knows it!

Actually, you can. Since this is being run out of the magazine, and Christina and I are the only ones from MB who have anything to do with the random generators that we use to choose the winners, only the two of us (and our immediate families) are precluded from entering.

Yeah, the questions and answers are similar to what has been asked and answered before. This particular interview was a one on one though, so it's really the case of him having similar answers ready I think.

They are editing it for time, down to about 45 minutes, but I have to admit that for once they seem to have done a decent enough job. The scenes they cut from the first episode really didn't hurt the plot or cause confusion, and it had nothing to do with the content as such -- the guy kissing Owen was left in, for example. Cuts I noticed: the scene with Gwen and PC Andy when he shows up at the Bay (after she chases them from the hospital), Gwen running/Jack walking after the scene in the bar, the scene with Rhys and Gwen after she wakes up the next morning, and some random bits here and there.

BBCA doesn't seem to be afraid of teh gay the way the networks would be. They've had shows with gay content before and don't seem to edit it out. Given that nothing in Torchwood is particularly explicit, I don't see them messing with Greeks Bearing Gifts or Captain Jack Harkness, at least in that sense.

When I would watch a scifi series like Star Trek and Star Wars, I always wondered why we'd gotten 300 years into the future, claim to be more civilized and yet gay, bi and transgendered people were still apparently "in the closet". What's up with that? We accept aliens marrying humans and aliens of all sorts, but not some humans? Ridiculous!


My friends from the UK have been raving about this series for a while and I finally got to see it here in America.
I haven't been this thrilled to see a series in a long time. And it didn't disappoint. I watched it with my three teenagers and my husband, and we all loved it.

We're all big Dr. Who fans anyway, so we were all primed to see this.






When I would watch a scifi series like Star Trek and Star Wars, I always wondered why we'd gotten 300 years into the future, claim to be more civilized and yet gay, bi and transgendered people were still apparently "in the closet". What's up with that? We accept aliens marrying humans and aliens of all sorts, but not some humans? Ridiculous!


My friends from the UK have been raving about this series for a while and I finally got to see it here in America.
I haven't been this thrilled to see a series in a long time. And it didn't disappoint. I watched it with my three teenagers and my husband, and we all loved it.

We're all big Dr. Who fans anyway, so we were all primed to see this.

So far I've been REALLY happy from what I've seen from Torchwood, though the way BBC America slices it down for time (not that I don't appreciate what they're not cutting content-wise) leaves me less than thrilled. And John Barrowman's interviews are always great to read - I hope his career is long and succesful!

Whoops, hit the button twice, I guess. Sorry!

Whoa Yay, peeps in here talking.

Shells you're building a site. I spend about 6 hours every several weeks going thru the new stuff on JB on you tube. I adore the guy.

I was worried about the edits from the UK version but I didn't notice so much the cuts but I did notice the 50 frelling commercials Geesh BBCamerica is nuts with the commercials

So, for the peeps that are watching the second round. How are you feeling?

Besides BBCA, where the show will have cuts for commercials....HDnet will be airing Torchwood uncut starting on September 17 at 7pm EST and again at 10pm EST.

Yeah!!!


I figured that. It was obvious that it was a face-to-face and not a panel type interview. I guess he just does lots of interviews and some questions are bound to come up a lot! (I'm not complaining )



I thought Torchwood was only 42 minutes long anyway?

I wasn't thinking about it being edited for gay scenes. I was thinking more about the ep where they show relatively graphic sex in a toilet - when the alien uses sexual contact to transfer bodies (Sorry, I forget it's name). Although not that bad really, it is more graphic than the average show so I wondered if it would be too much for US networks?

This was a great interview. John is just so self-assured and easy going. I love his attitude about his and others' sexuality.

I think I have to disagree with his saying that people didn't like the Captain Jack we saw in the Empty Child episode of Dr. Who. This is where I (and many, many others) fell in love with the Captain Jack character. Sure he was a rogue and his intentions were dishonest, but he sure proved himself to be quite the honorable man. He was exciting and daring and just so much fun to watch. While I understand where he's coming from when he says that he was a follower in Dr. Who and he's a leader in Torchwood, I would still like to see more of the "fun" Jack in the new series.

While I don't know too much about John Barrowman as an actor, I'm looking forward to viewing some of his performances on earlier shows. I did see a clip of him singing somewhere, and he's really got the pipes, so I would enjoy seeing him on stage some day. His autobiography, I bet, will be filled with some exciting and eye-opening stories.

Check out youtube. It FULL of Barrowman singing. Honestly, you could live there for a week or two.

I agree that I think everyone fell in love with Captain Jack in Empty Child. I think HE didn't see the character as lovable at that point. I'd like to see Jack lighten up a bit this year also. He's managed to get some closure from his time on Doctor Who so maybe he can.

Spook~ I'll be interested if they cut that toilet scene too. I'll bet they do. I don't think they are having to take that much time out Torchwood. I looked and my UK copies aren't that long. Now, my Life on Mars copies ran 57 minutes so we lost a bunch whne they were shown on BBCamerica.

The interview was great, John Barrowman seems to be such a great person, I can spend an entire evening on You Tube watching John Barrowman clips. I"m glad BBCA is getting Torchwood, but still think I prefer watching the uncut DVD's. Thank goodness for multi-region DVD players!

Nope. Doctor Who is (usually) around 43-45 minutes. Torchwood ranged from 46-51 minutes.



It would be too much for a US network, but fortunately BBCA is not a network. It's a cable channel, and they don't have to worry about the FCC the way the broadcast networks do. Compared to shows like Nip/Tuck and others on FX, it's really quite mild.

Plus they've been showing a bit of that very scene in their promos. But I guess we'll see on Saturday. I wouldn't be surprised if they shortened that scene a tad, but I doubt they'll cut it entirely -- what followed wouldn't make sense if they did.

Oh, what a fantastic article. My favorite part, I think -- not to contradict cfans and Vinity -- was when John Barrowman explained that he had played the part of Captain Jack in "The Empty Child" to be a bit "confident and arrogant," and that you weren't necessarily *supposed* to like him when you first met him. I like that so much because, at least for me, my initial reaction to Captain Jack Harkness was wanting desperately to step into the TV and punch him in the face! I didn't see Series One of "Doctor Who" until I borrowed the DVD set from a friend of mine, and I remember emailing my friend after seeing the two-parter and saying, "Okay, please tell me that Captain Jack gets killed off in the next episode!" and then throwing a fit when I found out that not only did Captain Jack live on, but he was going to get his own show! ...

The irony, of course, is that I became a grudging fan of Jack Harkness in "The Parting of the Ways" (something about the way he kissed both Rose and the Doctor goodbye just broke my heart) -- and by the time I started watching the first series of "Torchwood" (I'm up to "Random Shoes," which I just watched last night), I'd fallen in complete and utter love with the character -- and it's a rare thing for me to go from hating a character to complete and utter love, so it's a mark of the writing skills of the Who and Torchwood teams, not to mention the outstanding acting skills of John Barrowman, that Captain Jack Harkness has become such an important character to me!

So, to find out that John Barrowman was playing him to be a bit ... punch-in-the-face-worthy, at least to me, in the first episode, definitely made me smile!

(Also: did anyone else get a huge kick out of picturing "the Doctor" rushing into "Captain Jack's" trailer and shouting, "Did you read it? Did you read it??" --- "No, don't say anything, get outta here!" ;-) I *love* that!)

Well, you learn something every day! I've always thought that the BBC had a tight time schedule for these 45 min slots, and all the programmes in them had to be 42 minutes long (not counting the credits). And I never noticed Torchwood being longer than this I must have been enjoying it too much

I'm amongst the crowd that didn't like Captain Jack when he first appeared. I thought he was arrogant, and didn't like how he was dismissive (not the right word) of the Doctor and moved in on Rose. (Not that I'm in the group that liked the romantic connection between the Doctor and Rose, but I didn't want their companion bond messed with ). So it wasn't until the next ep, when Jack altered his attitude that I began to like him. So I guess JB got it right with me!

Actually, a lot of shows on BBC run nearly an hour (57-59 minutes), and are far more edited on US TV than Torchwood. Spooks (MI-5), Hustle, Life on Mars, Jekyll... just off the top of my head. Watching these shows on American TV is pretty horrifying, IMO. Cutting 15 minutes out of an episode (compared to 5 or 6) really changes the process from "editing" to "total hack job that borders on the incoherent."

The exception is Hustle, which AMC now shows in first-run in a 75 minute slot. They break for commercials but the whole episode is there, uncut. I really wish that BBCA would do that for hour-long shows.

Rose, I know what you mean. I guess I'm drawn to arrogant characters (I love Owen almost as much as Jack on Torchwood). It is a testament to John's acting ability that he can pull off arrogance and sensitivity.

And oh to be a fly on the wall in that trailer! I can just picture David being extremely animated and in John's face and John sort of pushing him away towards the door. It's great knowing that the actors are just as excited as we are.

Vinity: I have started to watch the clips on YouTube. Thanks. If only I didn't have to sleep - I'd be there for a month straight.

I'm among those of you who never hated Jack. From the minute he appeared onscreen in The Empty Child, I was in love with the guy and wanted he and Rose to make out for ages. Which is no small feat considering at that time I was a die hard Doctor/Rose shipper. In fact, Doctor/Jack/Rose is probably the only OT3 that I'd actually consider as a real possibility. If anyone could make it work, it'd be those three. Too bad Rose is never coming back

I know this (I live in the UK - most BBC dramas are 1 hour (or 2 hours) long, including credits. But they also have 30 minutes and 45 minute programmes - and somehow I always assumed DW and Torchwood fell into the 45 minutes category Not sure why I thought this!

Hi, new here. *waves*
In reference to Jack as we first saw him in Who, I don't remember hating him at all. Perhaps it was the flashy spaceship, or perhaps the pretty smile, but I just really enjoyed the interaction between him and the doctor. Luckily that back and forth hasn't changed.

I first noticed John Barrowman when I finally got to see 'The Empty Child' and I have to disagree with John here. Captain Jack was not 'unlikeable' in that episode - he was different and intriguing and I had to keep watching the remaining eps of the first series of the new Doctor Who more because of him than for Eccelston. John created such a 'real' character in Jack - yeah, he's funny, yeah he can be arrogant, but he's not perfect and he lives with the consequences of his actions and he learns - he grows - he becomes more - he becomes a better man. And while the writing certainly helped, I am positive that A LOT of that 'richness' of character comes from John himself.

The more I've learned about John via articles and interviews with John and with those around him - the more I've come to respect and love him. He's not only a good looking man, he's a good man inside where it counts the most. We're all blessed - Russell T. Davies, Julie Gardner, BBC, the fans of Doctor Who and Torchwood that John has touched so many. His work on television, stage and studio is vast and varied and showcases his many talents as well as the inner man. He supports animal rescue efforts, global warming awareness and GLBT rights. What's NOT to love about him?

We can only hope that Torchwood continues on strongly with BBC and with BBC America. That we'll be treated to many more years of learning more about Captain Jack and adventuring with him. But more importantly we can hope and pray that we'll be able to watch and savour John on tv, stage and theatre screens of decades to come.

Brava! for your wonderful article that's helping to introduce John to the American audiences. And Bravissimo! to John for continuing to be funny, honest and a good man.

Oh, lord they had some of the BEST dialogue btwn Jack and the Doctor:
------------------------------------------------
Captain Jack Harkness: Okay, this can function as a sonic blaster, a sonic cannon, and a triple and full sonic disruptor. Doc, what you got?
The Doctor: I've got a sonic, er, never mind.
Captain Jack Harkness: What?
The Doctor: It's sonic, okay, let's leave it at that.
Captain Jack Harkness: Disruptor? Cannon? What?
The Doctor: It's sonic, totally sonic, I am soniced up!
Captain Jack Harkness: A sonic what?
The Doctor: Screwdriver!
------------------------------------------------
Captain Jack Harkness: *Who* has a sonic screwdriver?
The Doctor: I do!
Captain Jack Harkness: Who looks at a screwdriver and thinks "Oooh, this could be a little more sonic."?
The Doctor: What? you never been bored? Never had a long night? Never had a lot of cabinets to put up?
Captain Jack Harkness: Who has a sonic screwdriver?
The Doctor: I do!
Captain Jack Harkness: Who looks at a screwdriver and thinks, 'ooh, this could be a little more sonic... '
The Doctor: What, you've never been bored? Never had a long night? Never had a lot of cabinets to put up?
------------------------------------------------
The Doctor: We're not done yet! Assets, assets!
Captain Jack Harkness: Well, I've got a banana, and in a pinch you could put up some shelves.
------------------------------------------------
Captain Jack Harkness: [about The TARDIS] Much bigger on the inside.
The Doctor: You'd better be.
------------------------------------------------
Captain Jack Harkness: Aww, sweet, look at these two. How come I never get any of that?
The Doctor: Buy me a drink first.
Captain Jack Harkness: You're such hard work.
The Doctor: But worth it.
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Captain Jack Harkness: Rose, you are worth fighting for.
Jack kisses Rose passionately
Captain Jack Harkness: Wish I'd never met you, Doctor, I was much better off as a coward.
Jack kisses the Doctor the same way
------------------------------------------------
quotes below are from series three of Doctor Who - if you don't mind being spoiled (or you've already seen it) - then HIGHLIGHT the BLANK area below to read the text
The Doctor: Do you want to die?
Captain Jack Harkness: (Trying to turn the cylinder) Oh, this one's a little stuck.
The Doctor: Jack.
Pause
Captain Jack Harkness: I thought I did. I dunno.
------------------------------------------------
The Doctor: You might be out there somewhere.
Captain Jack Harkness: I could go meet myself.
The Doctor: Well, its the only man you're ever going to be happy with.
Captain Jack Harkness: This new regeneration... it's kinda cheeky.
------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------
such good dialogue - I hope we get more good stuff in series two of Torchwood.....

As far as interviews with John go, this seems to be a fairly tame one. Of course, having not been there I don't really know. Still, it's always nice to see what he has to say.

Too bad he had to turn down movie deals, because it would be fun to see him in something different, but I'm just as happy to keep getting new Torchwood.

Hey now, first-time poster!

Great interview. I've been a U.S. fan of Barrowman since "Empty Child" first aired on BBC 3, but I'm a sucker for Benny Goodman Orchestra's "Moonlight Serenade." Not to mention a man in uniform...

Yes, Jack was a rogue! :-) So naughty, it was nice. Season One of Torchwood was amazing! I'm glad it's finally airing here in the U.S. so other people will know what I'm talking about!

Good discussion here. I'll be around...

Wow lookie all the new people chatting

So, just wondering, the people who didn't love Jack right off, was it cause he was so obviously a con man, or he felt a threat to Rose and the Doctor in a shippy sort of way?

See, I adored him off the bat cause he kind of shook the Doctor up just a bit and that rarely happens.

Oh, count me into the group who pretty much loved Captain Jack Harkness about ten minutes after we met him. Him and Rose were awesome, and by the time he met the Doctor he was pretty much made of win.

I'm really looking forward to season two. Only four more months to go!

That is one of my favorite quotes in the entire series. Along with...



And along with the radiation room scene in the third series. Yeah, the whole scene. = ) Though I tend not to think about those last two episodes too often if I can help it, because *Captain Jack related spoiler* how Jack turns into the Face of Boe */end spoiler* just doesn't make any sense to me. Though I wonder if that's what had Barrowman and Tennet bouncing off the walls?

What an entertaining and informative interview! I have an extremely complicated opinion of Jack, but, at the end of the day, I really do love him. And it's primarily because John Barrowman is such a fantastic actor – because he really seems to _get_ all of the subtleties of the character – that I like him as much as I do.



Personally, it's neither of these. I have something of a history of fangirling fictional conmen, and I am _strongly_ anti-ship, particularly when it comes to the Doctor and his companions, so I wasn't bothered by either of these things on their own. It was because he was just too...slick I guess is sort of the word I'm going for here. He swoops in and does the Dashing Hero thing, expects Rose to instantly fall for him – which she does, irritatingly enough – then proceeds to be smug and smarmy for the remainder of "Empty Child" and "The Doctor Dances." Introducing a character whose only motivation seems to be lust and greed into a show with such complex and (generally) morally upstanding characters as the Doctor and Rose did absolutely nothing to endear him to me. Of course, we find out later that there is _much_ more to his character, but it doesn't come through in his first couple of episodes. Which is not to say that he isn't fun in them, now that I know him better, because he is. And I'll second what twincityhacker said about the snarky sonic screwdriver quotes.

I seem to be at least somewhat unique in that it was not "The Parting of the Ways" or Torchwood that made me completely change my mind about him, but "Boom Town" (specifically the bit where Jack "Playboy" Harkness stays in the TARDIS doing repair work while the other characters go out on their respective dates...such as they are. I love technogeeks ^_^). Well, it wasn't a complete change of mind, as I still have a lot of reservations about the character, but it certainly took me from being extremely anti-Jack to a definite fan.

For me, it was because he felt a threat to Rose and the Doctor -- and Rose in particular -- in a _non_-shippy sort of way ... coupled with the fact that his potential con-man-charm was offset by that incredible cocky arrogance:





Yah, I quite love those sonic screwdriver quotes myself ... not to mention Jack inadvertantly wielding a banana to bravely defend Rose and the Doctor ...

But the rest of it is about right for me, too. While not a Rose/Doctor shipper, either, the (platonic but still uberly-powerful) relationship between Rose and the Doctor was what initially drew me into the show. So Captain Jack's initial appearance bothered me, in part, because it looked like (particularly in "The Empty Child") he might be jeopardizing that.

But another huge part of it is what MagratPuddifoot alluded to -- the way Rose seems to fall for him so quickly. He irked me anyways, this smarmy, grinning, arrogant newcomer, who is introduced to us by the admirable trait of watching a girl who was currently in danger of falling hundreds of feet to her death and having his initial take on the situation to be admiring her butt. (Because nothing screams "sympathetic character!" like having the guy oogle a woman while she's in danger of imminent death.) The fact that Rose is so taken with him in spite of (or perhaps because of) the arrogance -- even given the fact that her argument to the Doctor is a fabulous, understandable one: "Saved my life. Bloke-wise, that's up there with flossing." -- that aside, his character _bugged_ me.

(It's worth noting that, now, now that I've fallen completely, utterly, madly in love, those same scenes that once drove me crazy are now among my favorites, now that I understand the character and what's behind that grinning arrogance. I can laugh, now, because I know that Jack's comments on "excellent bottom!" is, yes, in part due to his tendency to flirt with anybody, anywhere, in any situation -- but it also is very much just part of Jack's way of whistling in the dark, so to speak. And that's a trait that the Doctor has, as well -- it just manifests itself differently -- so it works for me now all round. But in the beginning, I didn't _see_ any of that, and I'm afraid I was just desperately waiting for a chance to punch the guy in the face. )

And then we got to "The Doctor Dances," and even then, things started to change for me. I loved the fact that the empty, gas-masked people were inadvertantly but inarguably Jack's fault; part of this, I admit I enjoyed simply 'cause I was so eager for Jack to get his come-uppance for being such a smarmy, arrogant JERK ... but his genuine horror at what he had inadvertantly caused, and his willingness to take the consequences to fix it, started to make me wonder if it wouldn't be TOO entirely horrible if he didn't get blown up with his ship, after all. Because "Dances" was beginning to make me wonder if maybe the Doctor was right, and Jack Harkness just might turn out to be bigger on the inside after all ...

But it was "The Parting of the Ways" that grudgingly made me realize that I was going to have to like the guy okay. So, by the time I sat down to watch the first episode of "Torchwood," I didn't stand a chance.





Does anyone else find it fascinating that, everything else aside, the Doctor trusted Jack enough to leave him alone and tinkering with the mechanical bits of the TARDIS?!? I mean, the Doctor may not have been all that fond of him, initially -- but something _had_ to have changed, because really, how many of his Companions would he have been okay with leaving them alone to DO that, particularly so soon after meeting them?!

Man ... I'm able to jump through Season One of "Torchwood," because a friend of mine was kind enough to burn them to CD so I could watch them (*waves at said friend*) -- but I'm waiting to watch the rest of "Doctor Who" series three with the rest of America, and let me tell you, next week's episode canNOT come soon enough!

I think the Doctor became intrigued with Jack by the end of The Doctor Dances. Jack is the closest to a peer the Doctor has had in a long time. And I think the Doctor always wants to trust someone, he's always reasy to fit it if the person turns out to be bad, but on the whole the Doctor, most of the time looks for the positive in anyone. I always thought he was willing to give Jack enough rope to be useful or hang himself.

I'm going to bump up the last DW ep if anyone wants to discuss. Blink is/was one of my fav eps ever! I usually watch with the UK people

Despite the fact that it was their, "David Tennant did the really long Christmas special so this is that episode that we do once a season that doesn't really have him in it," episode -- I _really_ liked "Blink." A lot. Steve Moffit is an incredibly good mystery writer, always offering up an intriguing set-up that pays off in spades (and usually with one or two heart-stopping chills) by the end of the episode. The idea that Sally Sparrow (*great* last name) is the one that gives the Doctor the clues he'll need in his future -- and in her past -- is a really, really neat one, exactly the sort of mind-bending sci-fi set-up that makes me love time travel stories in the first place. I also love that, like the barely-glimpsed-motion-in-your-mirror bit in "Family of Blood," we've all suddenly got reasons to look over our shoulders whenever we pass a stone statue. It was so good, I didn't even mind that it was a Doctor-lite episode.

And _Gawd_, did I love the line about exploding chickens. I was laughing so hard I missed the next few lines of dialogue.

So it was an immensely satisfying episode, exactly what I was in the mood for ... and then they showed the preview for next week's episode, and I saw Captain Jack, and all those satisfied feelings went right out the window. Is it next week, yet??

(And I'll be out of town Friday night, so I won't get to see it until the following _Monday_ ... I am simply not going to be able to stand it! ;-D)

from a new interview with John on ign.com


GN TV: Are you ever going to sing in Torchwood?

Barrowman: [laughs] Not yet! I'm trying to get Russell and Julie to agree to do a musical episode.

IGN TV: Buffy did it. And most of them can't sing.

Barrowman: Yeah! Well, James [Marsters] can sing.




If you want to see the rest of the interview,it's great but a bit spoilery, so beware


http://tv.ign.com/articles/820/820182p1.html




Geez,John just really says anything that comes into his head,doesn't he? Kind of refreshing...but I bet it gets him in trouble on a daily basis.

From what I read in DWM/DWMC or saw on the Confidential, yes, that is what they were bouncing off walls about.

I don't recall them specifying in Boomtown how long the three of them had been traveling together. Did I miss this? Because even from the first TARDIS scene when Jack answers the door, I always had the feeling they'd been traveling for months at least, and were pretty comfortable now. So it didn't strike me as odd at all that The Doctor would leave Jack alone and tinkering.

They have obviously been traveling together for awhile, as the three of them reminisce about their adventures through the first few scenes of the episode. Regardless of how long they have been together, though, I think it is extremely significant that the Doctor even let Jack _touch_ the control panel, much less stay there alone doing repairs. The Doctor has always been extremely protective of the TARDIS*, and, except in extreme cases where something _has_ to be done and he is completely incapable (like the bit with Grace towards the end of the movie, or the situation with Sally Sparrow), he does not let anyone near the control panel unless he is right there guiding them every step of the way. In "The Enemy of the World," Jamie and Victoria knew absolutely for certain that it wasn't really the Doctor that had come back to the TARDIS because he told Jamie - someone who had been traveling with him for quite some time and who he had a strong relationship with - to set the coordinates.

He was in the process of teaching Susan (his granddaughter) how to operate the TARDIS while she was with him, and, though I'm still way back in the Troughton episodes and therefore am a long way from meeting Romana, I imagine he would trust her to use it simply because she is from Gallifrey and therefore familiar with the technology. Jack is from the 51st century, so he is more technologically advanced than most of the Doctor's companions, and he is comfortable around complex machinery. So, certainly on those levels, he _is_ much closer to a peer, as Vinitiy pointed out, and that has a lot to do with why he let him do things he would never have thought about letting Rose do. But Steven was a pilot from the 27th century, and the Doctor never even let him near the controls. Granted, he was rather less friendly in his first incarnation, and Steven didn't have the knowledge of time travel that Jack does, but I think it's more to do with the fact that the Doctor gets along with Jack much better than he did Steven, so he trusts him more.

* And rightly so; if anything goes wrong, he and his companions are _stuck_, to borrow his word.

I've probably watched "Boomtown" three times, but not recently, and "Torchwood" has thrown my Captain Jack Harkness Knowledge into such disarry (there's so much more to his character than "51st-century con man" at this point; and it's going to be a few more watch-throughs before I get it all straight in my head, I think) that I had completely forgotten that Rose and the Doctor and Jack are yakking (I think to Mickey) about their months-long adventures together at the beginning of BT. I find this immensely reassuring, because it makes the emotional impact that the Doctor (and Rose) had on Jack much deeper, longer in the making, and therefore more resonating and important (it also makes me want to watch "Boomtown" again, but I've got the Torchwood Season One finale lined up to watch tonight and there is no WAY I'm watching anything else!).

That said, though, I still find it immensely significant that the Doctor trusted Jack enough to leave him alone with the TARDIS! Not only to leave him alone with it, but tinkering with it! By himself! MagratPudifoot had some excellent points about Jack being familiar with the technology in a way that most Companions would never be; and, too, there is Curious_Sprite's point that, after months of travelling together (and what wouldn't we give to see some of THOSE episode ;-D), the Doctor has come to trust Jack, of course. But, though I've yet to see any of Who before "Rose," I still have always gotten the feeling that the Doctor leaving his TARDIS in the lone hands of a Companion and letting them play with the inner workings of it is one of the most significant, biggest signs of trust in somebody the Doctor could ever have, and something he wouldn't place in very many people. Simply because it's the _TARDIS_.

(... MagratPudifoot said it all much better than I am; so just take a look at her post, eh? ;-D)

Neither for me. It was his smarminess that I hated. He looked like he loved himself too much - was way too arrogant... But, later, I grew to see that it's not arrogance at all. Now I like that Jack has these traits of being 'fun'.

As for the doctor letteing Jack tinker with the TARDIS when he rarely lets this happen. I think this is both because he trusts Jack now, and because Jack knows what he's doing. The Doctor may trust his comapnions, but that doesn't mean they have the knowledge to tinker with something without breaking it. Whereas Jack obviously knows and undrstands these things... That's how I saw things, anyway.

So did "Day One" air on BBCAmerica last Friday? I'm curious to know what everyone thought of that one, because, despite the ... rather *unique* premise, it's one of my favorite episodes ...

yes,it aired. I like it a lot. I especially loved Jack telling Gwen that all the alien technology was safely guarded...while you could see that every one of them (except Jack) had been taking stuff home with them. I think I'm identifying most with Toshi....give her alien technology and she downloads classic books into her computer.

Owen on the other hand....can't somebody kill him? Probably wouldn't do any good. Someone would be there to bring him back.

It's one of my favorite episodes, primarily because it's the episode where I (highlight if you've seen the episode) figured out exactly what was up with that hand in the jar! My heart nearly stopped while I was watching! ;-)

Tosh is the character I end up identifying most with, too -- she's a bit more introverted than the rest of the team; and like you, I'm gonna identify most with the person who uses alien technology for easier book-reading!

As for Owen ... LoL ... If it's any consolation, I have wanted to punch him in the face very many times throughout season one, and it's because, at least to me, they have portrayed him, in a well-written and well-acted manner, as a true-to-life emotionally eff-witted guy, struggling and afraid and still very much a good person underneath all the eff-witted-ness. And so I feel that we are SUPPOSED to want to punch him in the face sometimes, just as a possible reaction to Captain Jack in the beginning was a similar face-punching wish. (That's not to say that *every*body who is watching had these reactions, but I like to feel that those of us who have do have a reason for it. ;-D)

So ... well, I can't say anything else without spoilers, so just know that you aren't alone. Though he'd massively grown on me by the end of the season.

Which reminds me of a question I had -- we were talking about how "Torchwood," in unedited form, is often 50-55 minutes long, whereas "Doctor Who" is always about 44 minutes. And someone mentioned that some shows on BBC are 45 minutes, and some are 50 minutes or an hour. Can I take it that BBC television isn't broken up by commercials right smack dab in the middle of the program? (Which would be truly astonishing?) Or do they just stagger airing times differently?

it aired on Saturday night - not Friday - and I've seen it before (thank god for the internet) but I noticed that they did 'tighten' up the shots of Carys and the bloke in the ladies loo and shortened considerably the stuff at the Fertility Clinic

honestly it's not one of my fave eps - simply cause it is an early indicator of just what a PITA Gwen is and will remain

some on over the LJs brokedown the screentime for the team in the first series of TW - and it came down to Gwen having a bit MORE than an hour more screentime than Jack - frankly that is just SO wrong on so many levels - I certainly didn't watch TW to see the 'All Gwen, All the Time' show or the 'Gwen Cooper Adventures' cause Sarah Jane Smith she most certainly is NOT

I'm just hoping things will get better in the second series