Back in 2005, for many fans of a certain age, a long period of Doctor Who televisual drought had finally come to an end; the wilderness years were over.

Despite having so much to live up to, Christopher Eccleston's first series was a palpable hit, with Russell T. Davies having rooted the show with more story arcs, more emotion and more budget than we could have possibly dreamed of. 

There were a number of takeaway favourites from that first series; Rose and the Doctor's chemistry, the (previously mentioned) season-long story arc, "Are you my Mummy!" and good old Captain Jack Harkness, played so wonderfully by John Barrowman.

During the closing moments of Series One, poor Jack was left for dead, and it wasn't until Series Three's three-part finale that we would see him again in Doctor Who. But the minute he reappeared on that screen, you couldn't help but feel the excitement and love that this character brings to the Doctor Who universe. A big part of that is down to Barrowman's own love for the show and his character, and it effortlessly comes across on-screen.

Captain Jack would make one more cameo appearance in the Series Four finale (The End Of Time: Part Two) - and then nothing for a further eight series...

Whilst the show has evolved over the years and several Doctors have come and gone, Jack has always been at the back of our minds. Russell T. Davies and Steven Moffat left us with a number of big questions and mysteries surrounding Jack, that even his own Torchwood series never got to the bottom of. What happened in those missing years? Did he really become the Face Of Boe? If so, how?

And such is the enigma of Jack; a character who has always left us wanting more. Peppered lightly, but so meaningfully in Doctor Who - a force for good who always has the Doctor's back. 

For us, Jack almost seems to be the embodiment of Doctor Who fandom; someone that is there to support the Doctor. Someone who is clearly thrilled to be in the Doctor's presence and who has been changed by the Doctor to make choices for the better. Like Jack, we all have the Doctor's back and to take the analogy to its conclusion, fandom will go on living for many years to come.

Earlier this year saw the long-awaited return of Jack in the Series 12 story Fugitive Of The Judoon. Jack had an important message for The Doctor, and left with the promise that he would see her again (although we didn't actually get to see them together in the episode). Having witnessed the joy at Jack's surprise return via fandom on Twitter, it was so clear just how much he was missed and just how much he means to fans. Jack is a touchstone to the show's return 15 years ago, and seeing him back rebuffs all those happy memories and emotions.

Last night we all got the news we were hoping for... Jack is back once more, and finally...FINALLY, he gets to meet our fantastic new Doctor. A Christmas special, no less, with Daleks and futuristic prisons and...well... at least an hour of two old friends thrown back together. 

How apt is that?! It's all of us - The Doctor, his friends, and no matter how much time goes by, we're all still here and ready for the next adventure.

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[Source: DWO]

One of the most iconic characters in the Whoniverse is returning for the upcoming Festive Special of Doctor Who as John Barrowman MBE puts on his famous coat once more and reprises his role as Captain Jack Harkness.

The cheeky Captain left viewers reeling in the series 12 episode, ‘Fugitive of the Judoon’, when he made a brief surprise appearance with a stark warning for Yaz, Ryan and Graham to pass on to the Doctor before disappearing.

In the upcoming special titled, ‘Revolution of the Daleks’, Captain Jack will be on hand to help ‘the fam’ as they discover a disturbing plan forming involving one of the Doctor’s most feared and dangerous enemies, the Daleks. With the Thirteenth Doctor locked away in a space prison, will Captain Jack be able to help save planet Earth?

On returning for the Festive Special, John Barrowman MBE revealed:

“Putting on Jack’s coat and setting foot back on the set of Doctor Who was just like going back home.  It’s always thrilling  to play Captain Jack. He’s a character very close to my heart who changed my life, and to know the fans love him as much as I do makes his return even sweeter. I hope everyone enjoys Jack’s Heroic adventure with Thirteen.” 

Chris Chibnall, Executive Producer, said:

“A Doctor Who Festive Special means treats galore, and there’s no bigger treat than the return of John Barrowman to Doctor Who, for an epic and emotional feature-length episode. If anyone can blast away the sheer rubbishness of 2020, it’s Captain Jack. Daleks beware!”

Matt Strevens, Executive Producer BBC Studios, added:

“After a tantalisingly brief appearance in Fugitive of the Judoon it’s a total joy and thrill to welcome back John as Captain Jack. One of the most iconic characters in Doctor Who lore, his presence ignites this Festive Special from the start.”

‘Revolution of the Daleks’ will air over the festive period on BBC One with more details to be revealed soon.

[Source: BBC Studios]

Back in July, John Barrowman gave us all a glimmer of hope that another series of Torchwood could very well be a possibility. But in the weeks that have passed, it now seems that we may be back to square one. This week, Barrowman added an update, citing 'egos' as the reason for the shows prolonged absence. Today, Steven Moffat hit back at the claims, and rather than trawling through the internet, we have provided you with all the quotes and sources, below:

July 2016 - Barrowman offers hope for the future of Torchwood
Source: Comic Con HQ

Speaking to Comic Con HQ in San Diego at the weekend, Barrowman explained how the wheels are already in motion to bring the show back:

“I’ve already set the ball rolling to get Torchwood back (and that’s an exclusive here at Comic Con), I have a first telephone conversation on Monday about moving it forward to see how we can get it back on television.”

Barrowman then went on to talk about his new Torchwood comic, explaining how its success will help the cause:

“The fans know me well enough, I’m only going to say it if I really mean it and believe it, and if you do believe in Torchwood as you all do and say online, get the comic, just get the series going; it’s like a kickstarter - if you buy the comic you’ll show the support and also it’ll be a huge success because we need Captain Jack back on the screens!”

So what does this all mean for the future of the show? If there really is some bad blood between John Barrowman and Steven Moffat (the writer of Captain Jack Harkness' first ever TV episodes), then there obviously needs to be some resolution before everything can move forward amicably. It's clear, (and one is inclined to believe what Steven says here), that he is not trying to block the show, but according to Barrowman, someone is. The question is who, and, more importantly, why?!

DWO would like to hear from our visitors as to what you think about the situation and how you'd like Torchwood to return. Please leave your thoughts in the comments box, below.

[Sources: Comic Con HQ; Radio Times; SciFi Bulletin]

John Barrowman has given fresh hope that a new TV series of Torchwood may be making its way back to our screens.

Speaking to Comic Con HQ in San Diego at the weekend, Barrowman explained how the wheels are already in motion to bring the show back:

“I’ve already set the ball rolling to get Torchwood back (and that’s an exclusive here at Comic Con), I have a first telephone conversation on Monday about moving it forward to see how we can get it back on television.”

Barrowman then went on to talk about his new Torchwood comic, explaining how its success will help the cause:

“The fans know me well enough, I’m only going to say it if I really mean it and believe it, and if you do believe in Torchwood as you all do and say online, get the comic, just get the series going; it’s like a kickstarter - if you buy the comic you’ll show the support and also it’ll be a huge success because we need Captain Jack back on the screens!”

[youtube:IDqGSVW3VwI]
[Source: Comic Con HQ]

When it comes to Captain Jack Harkmess and his appearances in Doctor Who thus far, we're sure we can all agree that his return has been long-overdue. The last episode to feature Jack was a short scene in David Tennant's, 10th Doctor swan song; The End Of Time. But could a recent video posted by John Barrowman lead way to the return of Jack this Christmas?

Well yes...and no... You see, John was recently in Cardiff to sign copies of his new book, Conjuror (co-written with his sister, Carole E. Barrowman), and at the end of the day, John posted a video to his Facebook page stating:

"I will be back in Cardiff in about a week and a half, but I'm not telling you what for... Shhh!"

So what could it be? As a DWO visitor, we rather suspect that you (like us) are hoping it will be to film scenes for the 2016 Doctor Who Christmas Special - and we may very well be right. Evidence to support the theory exists in the form of a recent interview with Doctor Who Production Designer, Michael Pickwoad, who stated that filming for Series 10 would start in May 2016. A week and a half from now and we'd still be quite comfortably in May.

Other possibilities are that John could be filming scenes for new Doctor Who spin-off 'Class' which is now well underway with the filming schedule. Of course, the other possibility is it could be something entirely different that John just so happens to be excited about.

Either way, whatever the reason, we would love to hear your thoughts on what you think will happen, and, if Jack is back, how would you like to see him return?

In the meantime, check out the video in the player, below:

+ The 2016 Doctor Who Christmas Special will air on Christmas Day, Time TBC.

Big Finish proudly presents John Barrowman as Captain Jack Harkness in Torchwood - an all new series of audio dramas based on the fantastic Doctor Who spin-off series.

Torchwood, the intrepid team of alien investigators, returns in a series of six audio productions, as part of a licensing deal with BBC Worldwide.

Once again, the Torchwood team will be led by the irrepressible Captain Jack, as played by John Barrowman - who broke the news of the series return on his radio show on Sunday evening.

Conceived as a spin-off from Doctor Who, Torchwood was created by Russell T Davies (Doctor Who, Cucumber, Banana, Queer as Folk) and made its debut on television in 2006. The top secret organisation Torchwood saved Cardiff (and often the world) from alien menaces and terrifying forces, trying to keep the city safe from the inter-dimensional rift that ran through it. In charge of Torchwood was Captain Jack, a man who has been called: “A companion to the Doctor, a rogue Time Agent, an immortal, a dangerous con-man, and very good at parties.” Captain Jack can't be exterminated or trusted, and there's just no stopping him.

The new series of audio dramas will each focus on different members of the Torchwood team, exploring the impact that a mysterious event has on them. Starting off the range will be John Barrowman, who stars in The Conspiracy, a deadly thriller by David Llewellyn, which is released September 2015.

Torchwood creator Russell T Davies says:

“Torchwood has been to the Moon, and America, and the Himalayas, but now I think it's finally coming home, to the brilliance of Big Finish."

Producer, James Goss says: 

“What's great about Torchwood is that it is as unstoppable as Captain Jack and just as persuasive. Torchwood has been a ratings success on nearly every BBC channel, and it's one of the few UK series to translate to America. It's already been a series of iPlayer-topping audio plays, and we are thrilled to continue it. It’s just so exciting to be starting off the range with a drama starring John Barrowman – he leapt at the chance to display a whole new side to Captain Jack.”

Executive producer Jason Haigh-Ellery says:

“It's fantastic that we will be bringing Captain Jack back to life (for perhaps the thousandth time!) with Big Finish. There are many new Torchwood tales to be told and I can't wait for Jack and his team to defend the Earth once again. I am very grateful for the continuing faith that both the BBC and Russell T Davies have shown in us and very excited to enter into a new world for Big Finish.”

Executive producer Nicholas Briggs says: “Torchwood is something we’ve wanted to do for ages. It has great characters and there are many stories to be told. Our mission is to bring a whole new series of dramatic adventures to life. We’re starting off with these more intimate, focused releases and will then move on to bigger casts and even wider scope. We’re very much looking forward to working with all the cast and it’s been such a pleasure liaising with Russell T Davies about this. He couldn’t have been more supportive and helpful. Our Torchwood producer, James Goss, has really hit the ground running and his tangible enthusiasm is already proving rather an inspiration to us.”
 

Additional cast members for the series will be revealed later.

Torchwood: The Conspiracy will be released September 2015, with the remaining five instalments following monthly from January 2016.

You can pre-order all six release now, both individually, or as part of a subscription.

[Source: Big Finish]

To celebrate Doctor Who entering its 50th anniversary year, Watch launch an exclusive landmark season of programming - ‘Doctor Who: The Doctors Revisited’. A must-watch for all Doctor Who fans, the show takes viewers back in time to relive the most magical moments of one of the UK’s most loved TV shows.

From Saturday 12th October Watch will air a series of eleven 30 minute special BBC Worldwide commissions of Doctor Who: The Doctors Revisited. These UK premiers will feature the story behind each Doctor, alongside footage from their era. The channel has gathered together the very best programmes into a Doctor Who themed collection, providing a specially curated selection of stories that are perfect for fans and newcomers to the show. 

Running in chorological order from The First doctor William Hartnell to the most current Matt Smith, each episode includes an introduction by current Lead Writer and Executive Producer Steven Moffat and also features contributions from past Doctors including Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy, David Tennant and Matt Smith alongside guest stars and writers including John Barrowman, Hugh Bonneville and Neil Gaiman. 

The kind folks over at Watch have sent DWO an exclusive clip which you can watch below:

[youtube:9d8kwP_dIFc]

[Source: Taylor Herring PR]

A full trailer is now making the rounds for Torchwood: Miracle Day, and DWO has an HD version of it below:

+ Torchwood: Miracle Day airs in the UK and the USA on 8th July 2011.

[Source: Devan Edwards]

The BBC have been in touch with some more details on the new series of Torchwood, now titled; Torchwood: Miracle Day.

Bill Pullman, Mekhi Phifer, Alexa Havins and Arlene Tur join John Barrowman and Eve Myles for new series as plot and character details exclusively revealed.

BBC Cymru Wales, BBC Worldwide and US premium entertainment network, Starz Entertainment, today announced new cast, plot and character details for the new series of hit BBC ONE  hit drama Torchwood. This highly anticipated new series will have the title Torchwood: Miracle Day and will premiere this July.

ER and Lie To Me star Mekhi Phifer will play Rex Matheson, a C.I.A. operative who joins forces with Captain Jack and Gwen Cooper to fight a global conspiracy that reaches from Washington to Wales and the slums of Shanghai whilst Bill Pullman, best known for his big screen roles such as While You Were Sleeping and Independence Day will take on the role of Oswald Danes, a convicted child killer who survives his own execution to become the most infamous man on the planet.

Also making their Torchwood debuts are Alexa Havins as Esther Drummond, a deskbound C.I.A employee who dreams of active duty and who suddenly finds herself running alongside Jack, Gwen and Rex; and Arlene Tur as Dr Vera Juarez, a Washington D.C. surgeon, who ends up on the frontline of medical care on “Miracle Day” advising the government think-tanks on the best course of action for the world’s population. 

The plot of Miracle Day is the most explosive Torchwood storyline yet. One day, nobody dies. All across the world, nobody dies. And then the next day, and the next, and the next, people keep aging -- they get hurt and sick -- but they never die. The result: a population boom, overnight. With all the extra people, resources are finite. It’s said that in four months’ time, the human race will cease to be viable. But this can’t be a natural event – someone’s got to be behind it. It’s a race against time as C.I.A. agent Rex Matheson investigates a global conspiracy.  The answers lie within an old, secret British institute. As Rex keeps asking “What is Torchwood?", he’s drawn into a world of adventure, and a threat to change what it means to be human, forever.

John Barrowman and Eve Myles will return in their roles as Captain Jack Harkness and Gwen Cooper respectively.

The 10-episode instalment has been written by a team led by Torchwood creator, Russell T Davies, and produced by BBC Worldwide Productions.

Davies and BBC Worldwide Productions’ SVP Scripted, Julie Gardner, return as executive producers with BBC Worldwide Productions EVP Jane Tranter, and BBC Wales’ Bethan Jones. The series has been commissioned by Controller BBC Drama, Ben Stephenson, and Starz President and CEO, Chris Albrecht.

BBC Worldwide, having previously distributed Torchwood to territories such as Korea, Japan, Italy, Spain, Israel, Russia and across Latin America will distribute the new series to broadcasters globally.

While previous series were based on location in Cardiff, Wales, this new instalment will feature locations in Wales, the US and around the world.

The series was originally commissioned and produced in 2006 by BBC Cymru Wales, with the latest high octane series, Torchwood: Children of Earth capturing UK audiences of more than 6 million.

[Source: BBC Worldwide]

BBC Worldwide and Starz have released some further information regarding Torchwood: The New World, which will get its premiere on 8th July 2011.

Official Synopsis:

When C.I.A. agent Rex Matheson investigates a global conspiracy, he finds himself unearthing a threat which challenges the entire Human race. The answers seem to l ie within an old, secret British institute, known only as Torchwood. But Torchwood was destroyed, years ago, and the keys to the institute are held by its only two survivors - former Police Officer Gwen Cooper, who has long since disappeared along with her husband and child, and the mysterious Captain Jack Harkness, a man whose history seems to stretch back centuries. 

With Rex under attack from all sides, in both the US and the UK, he soon discovers there are forces at work within every level of society, determined to stop Torchwood's return. As a chain of events across the world links together the most disparate and unlikely individuals - including a surgeon, a killer, senators and CEOs - a new Torchwood team takes shape. But this time, the threat is much closer to home, as they realise that their greatest enemy is mankind itself...

Torchwood: The New World will star John Barrowman, Eve Myles and Kai Owen and is written by Russell T Davies, John Shiban, Doris Egan, Jane Espenson and John Fay.

Deadline reports an update to the casting, with Mekhi Phifer (ER, Lie to Me, Close Quarters), signing on as the character of CIA agent, Rex Matheson. Meanwhile, Actor; Tom Price (Andy Davidson in Torchwood), has hinted via his Twitter account, that his character may return.

Update (16/12/2010): Deadline now reports that Hollywood Actor, Bill Pullman has also signed on to star in Torchwood: The New World.

[Sources: BBC Worldwide; Starz; Deadline]

Russell T. Davies has revealed that new Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat wants to feature Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman) in the show at some point in the future. Davies made the comments in an interview with IGN where he also discussed how he and Moffat exchange storyline details on future plots on Doctor Who and its spin-off shows The Sarah Jane Adventures and Torchwood so nothing clashes between the three shows.

Speaking to IGN, Russell T. Davies had the following to say:

"Well, Steven said he'd love to see Jack in Doctor Who. So if Steven says that, Steven will make it happen, I would think. That's not inside information, but I bet one day it will happen. I'd love to see it. It would be marvellous."

The character of Captain Jack Harkness was first introduced in the first season two-part story The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances which was written by Moffat. The character appeared in five episodes of Season One and was subsequently given his own spin-off series, Torchwood. John Barrowman returned to Doctor Who as Captain Jack for the three-part series three finale and the two-part series four finale. He also had a cameo appearance in David Tennant's final story as the 10th Doctor, The End of Time.

As fans will already be aware Torchwood is due to return next year for a new ten-part series which will see Barrowman reprise his role of Captain Jack once more with Eve Myles back as Gwen Cooper. It's unlikely therefore we will see Jack back in Doctor Who anytime soon but with both Torchwood and Who filming in America next year who knows?

[Source: IGN]