It’s an all new Torchwood comic and you can read it online right now at Watch! The comic is part of Alien Invasion Week on the UK network and that means good stuff for all (even us Yanks in the US.) My favorite goodie is a quick interview with John Barrowman where he giggles his way through an explanation of how Captain Jack became the Face of Boe.

If you’re in the UK, you’ll get to watch a great scifi lineup on Watch starting on February 13. It includes Doctor Who, Torchwood and Sci Fi movies like Starship Troopers and Terminator 3. The latest Torchwood series; Children of Earth will air every weeknight at 9pm and each segment will include a personal introduction by John Barrowman.

Not in the UK? You can still enjoy the new Torchwood comic from Titan and Watch.

Photo: Titan

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In honor of David Tennant’s retirement from Who-ville

Here’s what’s included:

The Eclectic Gypsy by Dave Thompson which takes you through the history of Doctor Who in a very unusual way.

Next we have two Primeval novels – Shadow of the Jaguar by Steven Saville (my personal favorite) and The Lost Island by Paul Kearney.

Plus three Torchwood novels – Slow Decay by Andy Lane, Border Princes by Dan Abnett and Another Life by Peter Anghelides.

It’s a fun collection of books for Brit scifi fans from three of my favorite shows. Want to win? Leave a comment on this post preferably with the title of your favorite TV Tie-in book.

US only please.

Deadline to enter is December 11, 2009 at midnight PST.

This is a hefty lot of books so it will be sent media mail, thus I can’t promise delivery in time for the holidays in case you were planning to share.

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John Barrowman

He says that the whens and hows are still being talked about but they’re looking at another 13 episode run, not 5 which is extra great news.

As for appearing with the new Doctor Who, John says it hasn’t been discussed but followed with, “I’m prepared that it won’t happen.”

If you’re a John Barrowman fan, you’ll want to listen to the full interview which does play here in the US. Visit the Steve Wright in the Afternoon webpage for the streaming link. John comes on at the 2.23.35 mark but if you have time, listen to the whole thing. They play some great music and there’s nothing like a UK traffic report. (Can someone explain “the anticlockwise” to me? Is that the UK version of a traffic circle?)

During the interview, John talks about filming the special, he speaks fondly of his parents and his first “public” appearance when he was 4-years old performing on the counter of a record store.

When asked about where he gets his inspiration, he had this to say, “People should be inspired by what they do themselves.”

I like that. It doesn’t appear that the DVD is available yet in the US, but you can buy John’s brand new autobiography I am What I am.

Photo: Newscom

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Thanks to Small Screen Scoop and my Twitter buddy Jessica Rae for the tip.

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Matt asked: Was there a turning point in Torchwood for you? A scene where you felt like you’d hit your stride and really knew who Ianto was?

Gareth: Probably, I’d say, episode 5 of Season 1.  It was actually a scene we did after we finished, but we went back to do it because it felt like there was a gap in Ianto’s recovery. There’s a moment when Jack comes and puts his hand on [Ianto's] back and its almost like- it’s like forgiving and starts the healing process, and starts the relationship with Jack and I think that’s where the character you see now, that’s the point where he’s really grown from.

Matt asks: At what point in your work on the first series did someone tell you that Jack and Ianto were going to be a bona fide romantic pair?

Gareth: It was always there, all the flirtation in the first episode, so I knew there was some type of chemistry there. But I had no idea they were going to embark on a pretty close relationship, but it’s been great for me because it involves a relationship with the leading man which means I get more lines. (Laughs)

Charmaine asked: Did the character play out the way you expected it too?

Gareth: Yeah, absolutely, it’s been great for me. I’m out and about with the team and on field missions and on the run actually. I got to do a lot more action stuff, which I’ve never done before on TV or film so it’s a new experience for me and I enjoy the work.

Boston asked: So now we know you can play the piano; and apparently you’re trained in dance (according to the publicity for “Boogie Nights”). Any other secret talents should we know about?

Gareth: Not really. I mean I never really saw my dancing as a talent, though… so there may be things, hobbies that I do that other people might regard as talents, but none that I can pinpoint myself.

Susan asked: Any new info on possible U.S. tour dates for Blue Gillespie? (Gareth’s band)

Gareth: We’d love to come to the US but at the moment we’re unrepresented. It’s partly to do with my busy schedule and the fact that the band is really on the sideline and we haven’t really pushed to get proper representation, but things are happening, slowly, but surely. We’re going a bit into the field and touring the north of Britain beginning of next year and hopefully that expansion will eventually lead across the pond.

Tracy asked: What would you have done if acting had not paid off?

Gareth: One of my memories from junior school, I think that’s sixth or seventh grade for you guys over there, they asked us to sit down and draw a picture of what you see yourself doing when you grow up and I drew myself as a singer with a microphone on stage with lots of people. So I’ve always been into music and I first got into the drama and the acting when I was about ten or eleven in a school play and I’ve been dead set on it since then. But if not that direction than it probably would have been some type of musical performer.

Deborah says: We know that you are game for most things when it comes to acting, like playing a serial killer (your scenes from Adam were fab!) or messing about with sexuality (Ianto or your role as the shady boyfriend of a transvestite) but is there any character you wouldn’t play on screen?

Gareth: Only one I don’t believe in, really; I suppose. When I look at a script, if I can’t believe in the character or believe in the story or don’t think I’m gonna get anything from it artistically then probably not. [There's nothing I would do] if the role requires it. If I understood it properly and it comes from a sincere place, for me, then I don’t think there’s anything that I’d object to.

Cynthia (hey, I get to ask questions too) asked: With Torchwood being as fantastical as it is, it’s still very human. So how do you keep reality when there’s a fish guy walking by?

Gareth: I think you said it. It’s the humanity of Torchwood and the very real relationships between the cast members; that’s what makes the sci fi more believable I suppose, makes the danger more scary- is the fact that these are real people and they live in the same situations that you or I do. Gwen goes home to her husband, you know, Ianto’s got family; the extraordinary one, I suppose, the superhero, is Jack and I think the whole tone of the show requires those domestic real relationships to keep it grounded and to keep it believable.

Lisa asked: What’s in your pocket?

Gareth: What’s in my pocket? Um… hang on… a lighter, bottle of eye drops, loose credit card I forgot to put in my wallet, my wallet, and some loose change. (Pauses) And an Uzi. (I’m pretty sure he was kidding about that last part.)

Rebecca asks: What is the strangest thing a fan has ever said, done or given to you?

Gareth: Probably a My Little Pony dressed up as Ianto. It’s staring at me on my shelf now, I still can’t quite get my head around it. But it’s fascinating all the same and it has earned a placeon one of my shelves in the kitchen. It’s brilliant, but just strange.

Hazel asked: How does it make you feel to know that your character and the show in general has been embraced by the fans to such an extent that they are writing their own stories about you?

Gareth: The [fans] are the people that keep the show on television and keep me in a job, and ya know, keep Russell writing great lines for me, so I appreciate that. I like to try and give something back, you know, I wouldn’t wanna shun or ignore the people who are my biggest supporters.

And finally, some talk about Torchwood: Children of Earth vs. the last season of Torchwood.

Gareth: For me personally, it was a hell of a lot more fluid, more organic. Because we had one story, one explosive brilliant story, one director, so everyone was sort of on the same page constantly. You weren’t thrown by shooting episode two and then episode eight out of sequence and you know as an actor it’s your job to keep all the things in perspective and jump between them, but the way we did this it was so much more organic for us and a lot easier. I mean, more difficult physically, a lot of action scenes in it, but they’re fun at the end of the day.

Cynthia: Torchwood always looks like a movie to me, but I was thinking this in particular is going to have a real major motion picture feel.

Gareth: Oh absolutely. I saw the first episode in a cinema and I was really, really proud, it does feel very much like a movie and when you put all five episodes together it’s like one big giant movie. Yeah, so I think what the series lacks for in quantity it makes up for in quality.

And with that, we say goodbye and thanks to Gareth David-Lloyd. And thanks to all of you for asking such great questions. I wish I could have fit more of them in. Maybe next time.

If you want to own Torchwood: Children of Earth in all of its technicolor glory, it is now available on standard and Blu-ray discs. The 2-disc set also contains the Torchwood Declassified featurette so there’s even more to love.

Photos: BBC America

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After you watch the clip, head over to BBC America for a virtual tour of The Hub!

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Making Ianto walk and talk is Welsh actor Gareth David-Lloyd and he’s going to join me for a chat tomorrow morning! Late notice, I know, but if you have a burning question to ask Gareth, leave it here in the comments and I’ll do my best to get an answer!

Photo: BBC America

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If you’ve been watching BBC America, you’ve seen the promos for Torchwood: Children of Earth. That chilling voice over — Jack, Gwen and Ianto in a panic state. All those dead eyes staring back at you! It’s Torchwood’s creepiest monsters ever — kids!

“They just touch a nerve,” says Torchwood creator Russell T. Davies. “A threat to our children gets a primal reaction out of all of us. But beyond that, I think we can be scared of our kids, too. That they can seem unknowable, unreachable – that’s why a gang of young hoodies can seem more unnerving than an adult gang of thugs.”

It’s a story Davies has been wanting to tell for ages and finally he was given the opportunity when the BBC agreed to a five-part Torchwood mini-series instead of the normal run.

“Underneath the sci-fi and the aliens, there’s something very relevant to the world, I hope. The way we sit in the west, and watch footage of atrocities in different countries, and imagine it’s all so far away, and so impossible here. Which is a nice, comfy lie we tell ourselves. That was the heart of it. I wanted to tell a story in which civilization snaps, in which we turn on ourselves, in which nothing is safe. Plenty of people live like that, on this planet. In this story, it’s Britain’s turn.”

But writing an epic five-part mini wasn’t an easy job, even for a pro like Davies.

“I loved it, because it was a huge challenge. Lots of thrillers are written by just one writer, but we had three, across five episodes. Which meant a lot of emailing and late-night phone calls. But we really worked as a team, all locked in one room to thrash out the storyline and create the characters, and that’s my favorite way of working. We also had the Producer and Director inside the Writer’s Room, right from the very start, which is a very unusual way of working in this country, but with huge results – it meant we were all focused, we all knew the tone and the ambition of the piece, and we all aimed in the same direction.

“The size of this story, and the scale of it – spread across more than 40 years of history – means that we needed something bigger, a threat with real intelligence, a race with different protocols and standards. Some of my favorite material comes from Episode Three, where we have to see the government engage in genuine diplomatic relations with an alien species. You watch those scenes thinking, ‘That’s what it would really be like.’”

Aliens, massive destruction of a city, 40 years of history — all well and good, but what about the characters we’ve come to know and love?

Says Davies, “This whole story tears Torchwood down, and then watches them rebuild, but always questioning them, asking what sort of heroes they are, how far will they go? And what’s the difference between a freedom fighter and a terrorist? At the same time, we get to know Jack, Gwen and Ianto more intimately than we ever have before – exploring their families, their history, their hopes and loves. And their failings, too. As the alien threat gets bigger, so Torchwood’s humanity is exposed, and threatened, and celebrated too. And their lives are on the line, none of them is safe!”

As for the relationship between Capt Jack and Ianto . . .?

“It just grew naturally out of the scripts and performances from John and Gareth. And it’s such a rich area – the sheer will-they-or-won’t-they tension of two men getting closer. But again, you can come to Torchwood as a new viewer and follow their relationship from the start, you won’t get lost. And it’s honestly a pleasure to write for two such fine actors, they make the whole process a delight.”

In addition to the usual suspects, Torchwood: Children of Earth has several scene-stealing guest stars.

“We’ve got great new talent, like Cush Jumbo as Lois – the innocent secretary who discovers state secrets on her computer – and wonderful stars such as Peter Capaldi, who makes his character of John Frobisher so detailed and so nuanced, and so heartbreaking in the end. Add to that, Susan Brown as Bridget Spears – keep an eye on her, she’s a slow burn – and Nicholas Farrell as the most clever and manipulative Prime Minister you could imagine. And then Liz May Brice as a truly ruthless assassin! We’ve also got Paul Copley as Clem, a character holding so many secrets from the past – Paul’s simply astonishing to work with. And then the greatest enigma of the whole series is Lucy Cohu, playing Alice, who’s no less than Captain Jack’s daughter… What a mix! Best cast I could have imagined!”

If you haven’t been a loyal Torchwood watcher before now, you can still plan to sit down and enjoy this special presentation.  Says Davies, “There are fleeting references to the past, but from the moment it starts, we’re telling a brand new story. It’s been deliberately written so that no one will be lost – and at the same time, the faithful viewer will discover so much more about the members of the Torchwood team. There are plenty of rewards for the long-term fan.”

Torchwood: Children of Earth will air on BBC America beginning Monday, July 20 and running straight through to Friday, July 24, 9:00 – 10:15 p.m. ET/PT.  The previous night’s episode will encore at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT.

Photos and quotes from BBC America

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in a phone interview with the Chicago Tribune

In a clever ploy that allowed the series to run for so many years, The Doctor has the ability to regenerate — taking on a new face (as in a new actor) every few seasons. But this time around, it’s not a new body for The Doctor, but another Doctor all together (or is it?)

Here’s how the BBC describes Doctor Who: The Next Doctor:

It’s Christmas Eve in 1851 and Cybermen stalk the snow of Victorian London.  When the Doctor (David Tennant) arrives to investigate a spate of mysterious deaths, he’s surprised to meet another Doctor (David Morrissey, State of Play, Viva Blackpool), with his own sonic screw driver.  How could this be possible? Could this Doctor be a future regeneration?  But if so where are his memories?  The two must combine forces to defeat the ruthless Miss Hartigan (Dervla Kirwan, Law & Order UK, Ballykissangel), who is the Cybermen’s human ally.  But are two Doctors enough to stop the rise of the CyberKing?

It’s the first of five Doctor Who specials, with the next one, Doctor Who: Planet of the Dead airing on BBC American on July 26. Planet of the Dead was the first special shot in HD and it will help launch the new BBC America HD channel along with Torchwood come July 20.

But for tonight, it’s Doctor Who: The Next Doctor, Saturday, June 27 at 9:00 on BBC America.

Photos: BBC

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Q: How is Torchwood: Children of Earth different from the previous seasons?

Barrowman: This storyline is one of the darker Torchwood storylines. Every time you turn a corner you don’t know what’s going to happen. And when you watch episode one you’re going to want to see two, and when you’ve seen two you’ll want to see three. You’re just going to want more and more and more. The new threat faced by the team takes on a sinister theme, using the children of Earth as a conduit. And anything that involves children doing stuff they are not supposed to be doing is creepy!

Q: Jack, Gwen and Ianto have had to deal with so much these past two years. Where do they go from here?

Barrowman: The characters have evolved in ways because we’re learning new things about them. It makes it really interesting for us to play as actors and for the audience every episode will bring a new revelation. If you like relationships then you’re going to see the difference in Jack and Ianto’s relationship and Gwen and Rhys’ – but you’re also going to see the similarities.

Q: Any spoilers you’d like to clue us in on?

Barrowman: One of the team is hiding a secret that will be a revelation to a lot of people – not only to the viewers watching but to the team itself. It will be very uncomfortable for the characters. And people watching it will question why they did it. Will they be able to understand why they did it?

I let my parents watch episode one and two with me. I watched their reaction. Normally they would get up during a show and have a drink or go to the bathroom. But they didn’t move. My mom and dad – who are my biggest critics – were glued to the screen. We finished watching it and the following morning my dad turned to me and said “When are we watching three?” If they don’t like something I do then they will say it. They absolutely loved this.

Torchwood: Children of Earth premieres on Monday, July 20, 9:00 – 10:15 p.m. ET/PT. A new episode premieres each night from Monday, July 20 through Friday, July 24, 9:00 – 10:15 p.m. ET/PT. The previous night’s episode will encore at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT.

Photo: Newscom

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