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!”
11th September 2016 - Barrowman blames certain "egos" for the show's absence
Source: Radio Times
“I was told that there are some obstacles to overcome, and every time I tried to talk about a way around them, it was almost like there was another obstacle.
And this is a personal thing for me, this is not anything that was discussed, but I find it really a little disheartening that a company like the BBC can’t just say “Put your egos aside, we’re gonna go forward with this.
There’s a lot of politics involved, and the people that are close to it, I think would love to see it done, but there’s just certain egos in the path that are just standing in the way. That’s all I’ll say…
I just don’t understand then why someone very high up can’t say “This is gonna be done. I don’t care.”‘
Tuesday 14th September 2016 - Steven Moffat hits back at Barrowman's claimsSource: SciFi Bulletin
“If you don’t give a damn about Torchwood, skip this post. For those of you who do .…..
“You may be aware that John Barrowman has been saying, publicly, that I’ve been blocking a new series of Torchwood. To be very clear – I haven’t blocked it; I wouldn’t block it; I wouldn’t even be ABLE to block it. I didn’t even know a revival had been mooted till I read about it on the Internet. As John perfectly well knows, it’s not my show and I could no more prevent it happening that he could cancel Sherlock. I am bewildered, and a little cross, even to be included in this conversation. For the record, I really liked the show (especially the third series) and would be very happy to see more – monsters and mayhem, why not? But the fact is, it has nothing to do with me. Please pass this on to the anxious and the angry – I’ve had enough hate mail now.”
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]
