Doctor Who, Torchwood, and Julie Gardner's comments on what's to come...

[fajrdrako]

raissad kindly sent me a link to an interview with Julie Gardner, one of the Doctor Whoand Torchwood producers. As usual, it was as much of a tease as anything else, rather badly transcribed, but fun fun to read anyway. Lots of ambiguities and indirect answers.

For example:

iF MAGAZINE: So let’s start with the big question of whether or not this is Russell T. Davies last season on DOCTOR WHO?

JULIE GARDNER: Russell will find it hard to leave DOCTOR WHO ever, so there will be more.

More what? More scripts from him, with someone else as producers and/or head writer? I can't help thinking that it would be interesting to see what someone else would do with the show, especially with regard to the episodes where I feel Davies let me down, but whatever they do, who else could do as well? I look at most of the rest of what's on TV, and I don't see much of that spirit. There are other shows that are good, of course, but that sense of inspired action - a show that combines adventure with humour, philosophy, amazing characterization and unpredictability - I don't see that elsewhere. Add to that the good production values. Well. I'd like to think it will an ongoing evolution of superior quality, whoever is in charge, but nothing lasts forever. After Russell T. Davies, who knows?

iF: David Tennant is enjoying being the Doctor and he’s planning to stick around for awhile?

GARDNER: David has the best time ever! He adores every second that he’s the Doctor.

I can't tell whether that's an evasion or a reassurance. It was, of course, meant to be both.

iF: If David ever decides to leave your only left with very few regenerations, how long could the series go for?

GARDNER: Oh rubbish! [Laughs] It’s sci fi. There’s always a reason to regenerate or to change the logic of the worlds. He’ll be fine don’t worry.

Now, that is honestly reassuring. I'm glad they have a healthy attitude to continuity: respect it, but don't be enslaved to it. I like it when they change the bits of canon that I don't like.

iF: James posted on his online blog that people might get a little excited about his interaction with John Borrowman?

GARDNER: Yeah, they’re a sexy couple. James Marsters’ character explains some secrets and things about Captain Jack’s past.

Yay!

iF: Are you going to back on TORCHWOOD and fill in some more of Captain Jack’s past this season?

GARDNER: Yeah we are, we’re going to learn more about Jack’s past from his childhood and his years on Earth before TORCHWOOD.

Does this mean... not about his time as a Time Agent?

iF: The end of series one of TORCHWOOD, the characters were on a bit of rocky ground emotionally. Where do things pick up with series two?

GARDNER: We’re hard into it. We’re a regenerated series and we hit the ground running. We’re not hanging onto any of that cross over angst where we were at the end of season one. We’re just moving forward.

I hope that means that Owen will be a nicer guy. I hope it doesn't mean we've lost the Jack/Gwen sexual tension, or the Jack/Ianto relationship. I take it that it means Jack is no longer depressed by his abandonment by the Doctor on the Game Station.

F: I was just glad that the hand in the jar finally got explained this year.

GARDNER: Oh yes! The hand in the jar is very important. [Laughs] there is an ongoing serial arc for the hand in a jar.

Am I reading too much into this if I think her use of the present tense implies we haven't seen the last of the hand?

iF: John Borrowman your leading man on TORCHWOOD is very open about his sexuality; did that ever effect any choices you make for the character...?

GARDNER: No.... If you’re a good actor, you’re a good actor and you do what is require for the truth of the character. Someone’s personal sexuality does figure into any choices you make for a character. John’s an amazing role model in every single way, not just his sexuality, he’s an extraordinary leader of a troop of actors, he’s an extraordinary leading man, he’s huge fun and he’s so talented in so many areas. But, no an actor’s sexuality absolutely never comes into any choices you make.

I just thought that was a rather nice personal tribute to John Barowman.

Comments

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

[I'm reposting this reply because I somehow messed up my links.]

James Marsters? as SPIKE?! okay, totally out of the loop am I. I need more information.

Your wish is my commant: see the BBC news article, Buffy star's joy at Torchwood job (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/6900670.stm).

And here's John Barrowman's comment on the episode, from a recent press conference:

One thing I can tell you is that James Marsters who was Spike on Buffy is on one of the episodes of Torchwood and the scene where we meet, all I'll say in blunt terms -- in John Barrowman and Captain Jack terms -- for all of the sci fi fans out there, it's going to be a scene of extreme excitement you're going to have to go and finish yourselves off afterward because it's so wonderful and horny and sexy and wild.

The original interview was featured in <ahref="http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/entertainment_tv/2007/07/spike-from-buff.html#more">The Chicago Tribune, but they discreetly edited the wording a little.

So: yes, Spike; yes, sexy; yes all the way.

I heard it was going to be the first Torchwood episode aired in series 2, and the Marsters character is going to be someone from Jack's past.

damn you tennant, you may have stolen my heart. And I was such a Nine fan.

I am totally a Nine fan but Tennant stole my heart, too. I don't know how he does it.

Perhaps it's my age, my youth, my experiences with only men like him, perhaps I'm only attracted to jackasses, but I've liked Owen since the moment I laid eyes on him.

I usually like the bad boy types, but not this time. He certainly has his following. I suspect my problem is really with Burn Gorman rather than Owen, since I like the character so much more in the books. Which is too bad. I suspect that if he was played by an actor I liked, I'd be crazy over Owen, too.

He is certainly amusing, either way. I just can't find him sexy, which is a pity, because everyone else at Torchwood is sexy, and a few of their acquaintances (like Swanson).

You can tell he's good at his core, he's just struggling with it.

Which is fun.

I've never seen Nip/Tuck because I am under the impression it's a comedy.