Show name	Torchwood
Caption	Torchwood title card
Format	DramaScience fiction
Picture format	1080i (HDTV)576i (PAL)
Company	BBC Cymru Wales (2006–9)BBC Cymru Wales / BBC Worldwide / Starz Entertainment (2010–present)
Distributor	BBC Worldwide
Runtime	approx. 50 minutes (Series 1–2)approx. 60 minutes (Series 3)
Creator	Russell T Davies
Starring	John BarrowmanEve MylesKai OwenGareth David-LloydBurn GormanNaoko Mori
Country	United Kingdom
Theme music composer	Murray Gold
Composer	Ben Foster Murray Gold
Network	BBC Three (Series 1)BBC Two (Series 2)BBC One (Series 3)BBC HD (All episodes)
On demand	BBC iPlayer, Virgin Media
First aired	22 October 2006
Last aired	present
Related	Doctor WhoThe Sarah Jane AdventuresTorchwood Declassified
Num series	3 (as of 6 July 2009)
Num episodes	31 (as of 10 July 2009)
List episodes	List of Torchwood episodes
Website	http://www.bbc.co.uk/torchwood/

Torchwood is a British science fiction television programme created by Russell T Davies. The series is a spin-off from Davies' 2005 revival of the long-running science fiction programme Doctor Who, which has a family audience. Torchwood, however, is aimed at a mature audience. As a show, Torchwood has transitioned its broadcast channel every year since its inception, moving from BBC Three to BBC Two to BBC One, and acquiring US financing in its fourth series.

It follows the exploits of a small team of alien-hunters, who make up the Cardiff branch of the fictional Torchwood Institute, which deals mainly with incidents involving extraterrestrials. Its central character is Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman), an ex-con man from the distant future who has lived on Earth since the 19th century; Jack originally appeared in the 2005 series of Doctor Who. Under Jack's leadership, the formerly morally ambivalent organisation operates under a much more humanist ethos. Other than Barrowman, the series' initial main cast consisted of Eve Myles, Burn Gorman, Naoko Mori and Gareth David-Lloyd. Their characters are each specialists for the Torchwood team, often tracking down aliens and defending the planet from alien and nefarious human threats. In its first two series, the show uses a time rift in Cardiff as its primary plot generator, accounting for an unusually recurrent alien presence in Cardiff. Gorman and Mori left the programme after the second series, with Kai Owen promoted from a recurring role to the main cast in series three. After David-Lloyd's departure in series three, the fourth series will feature two new main cast members.

The first series premièred on BBC Three and on BBC HD in 2006 to mixed reviews but viewing figures which broke records for the digital channel. As such it returned in 2008 where it aired first on BBC Two, receiving a higher budget; criticisms of the first series, such as its uneven tone, were largely smoothed out, and the show received yet higher ratings and better reviews. The third series was given a larger per-episode budget and placed on the network's flagship channel, BBC One. BBC budget cuts in 2009 meant, however, that the show was limited to five episodes, which Davies elected to present as a serial, taking the title Torchwood: Children of Earth. Despite airing in July evenings, typically a graveyard slot, stripped across five nights in one week, the show received unexpectedly high ratings at home and abroad and for the most part, reviews hailed it as excellent. A fourth series, co-produced by BBC Cymru Wales, BBC Worldwide and US premium entertainment network Starz will air in 2011 as .

Production

Early development

Before the revival of Doctor Who, Russell T Davies began to develop an idea for a science-fiction/crime drama in the style of American dramas like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel. This idea, originally titled Excalibur, was abandoned until 2005, when BBC Three Controller Stuart Murphy invited Davies to develop a post-watershed science-fiction series for the channel. Davies connected the word "Torchwood" to his earlier Excalibur idea and decided to make the series a Doctor Who spin-off. Davies also joked to a BBC Radio Wales interviewer that he was "not allowed" to refer to the programme as "Doctor Who for grown-ups". The first series includes content rarely seen or heard in the Doctor Who franchise, including sex scenes, same sex kissing, and use of extreme profanity in several episodes.

The first three series of Torchwood, the programme was produced in-house by BBC Cymru Wales. The Head of Drama at the time of the first series, Julie Gardner, served as executive producer alongside Davies. The first two episodes of Series 1 of Torchwood premiered on 22 October 2006 on BBC Three and BBC HD. Series 2 premiered on BBC Two and BBC HD on 16 January 2008. The third series, a five part mini-series entitled Torchwood: Children of Earth, aired on BBC One and BBC HD between 6 July and 10 July 2009.

Later development

BBC Three described Torchwood as the centrepiece of its autumn 2006 schedule, and the successful first season led to a second series on BBC Two and a third on BBC One in 2009. Lead actor John Barrowman felt that the show had been mistreated by BBC executives, despite what he felt was the programme's proven popularity and success. The third series, entitled Children of Earth, began shooting on 18 August 2008, and comprised a five-episode mini-series that aired over five consecutive days at 9pm on BBC One from 6 July 2009, and 9pm on BBC America HD and BBC America from 20 July 2009. Russell T Davies and Julie Gardner stayed on as executive producers, and Peter Bennett produced the series. and that he had the next series planned out, stating "I know exactly how to pick it up. I've got a shape in mind, and I've got stories. I know where you'd find Gwen and Rhys, and their baby, and Jack, and I know how you'd go forward with a new form of Torchwood." At the time, he stated he would prefer for the series four to be another mini-series, though has no qualms about doing another thirteen-episode run. A November 2009 article posted on Eve Myles's website stated that shooting for the fourth series was to begin in January 2010;

Subsequently, Davies looked to US networks to finance future series of the programme. He was turned down by one of the United States' major television networks, Fox; some had speculated the Fox project could have been a spin-off or a reboot. Later, Davies succeeded in striking a deal with US premium cable network Starz. The production of the fourth series was not officially announced until June 2010: a ten-episode miniseries co-produced between BBC Wales, Starz and BBC Worldwide, As with the third, the fourth series takes on its own title: . An edited repeat of the second series episodes, suitable for children to view, was shown on BBC Two at 7pm. In 2009, Euros Lyn directed all five episodes of the third series, Children of Earth. Filming begins in January 2011.

Writing

In an October 2005 announcement, Stuart Murphy described Torchwood as "sinister and psychological...As well as being very British and modern and real." Davies further described it as "a British sci-fi paranoid thriller, a cop show with a sense of humour. [...] Dark, wild and sexy, it's The X-Files meets This Life." Davies later denied ever making this comparison, instead describing the show as "alleyways, rain, the city". In the first series, the main writer alongside Davies was Chris Chibnall, creator of the BBC light drama show Born and Bred. Other writers include P.J. Hammond, Toby Whithouse, Doctor Who script editor Helen Raynor, Cath Tregenna, and Doctor Who cast member Noel Clarke, who gained acclaim for his screenplay for the film Kidulthood. Of the first two series, Russell T Davies wrote only the première episode. Helen Raynor and Brian Minchin were the programme's script editors. Both Catherine Tregenna and Helen Raynor wrote two episodes for the second series. The other episodes were written by James Moran, Matt Jones, J. C. Wilsher, Joseph Lidster, PJ Hammond and Phil Ford. Russell T Davies was initially announced as writing two episodes, but due to commitments to Doctor Who he no longer anticipating writing any Torchwood episodes. John Fay wrote episodes two and four.

For the fourth series, Miracle Day, Davies secured several popular US television writers, including Buffy the Vampire Slayer writer Jane Espenson, The X-Files and Supernatural writer John Shiban, and House writer Doris Egan. Additionally, both Davies and John Fay will both return to write episodes for Miracle Day.

In continuing the series, Davies inspiration returns again to Buffy the Vampire Slayer. He explains that Torchwood is more focused on the human condition than its science fiction backdrop, and elaborates: }}

Crew

Richard Stokes produced Series 1 & 2 of Torchwood. Originally, Doctor Who director James Hawes was lined up as producer. After directing the BBC Four drama The Chatterley Affair, Hawes backed out of the project. Davies told Doctor Who Magazine that Hawes "has been having such a good time... that he's decided directing is his greatest passion, and as a result, he's stepped down." Series 3 was produced by Peter Bennett. The series also shares Doctor Who's production designer, Edward Thomas. Music for the series is composed by Ben Foster and Doctor Who's composer Murray Gold.

Opening sequence

In lieu of full-length title sequence, the show in its first two series, the opening sequence is composed of a voice-over monologue by Barrowman as Harkness, establishing the show's premise. The show's theme tune plays over this monologue and the additional intertitle. As in Doctor Who (2005–present), it is written by Murray Gold.

For Children of Earth, a recap of the last episode was played at the beginning of each episode, followed by a title card. The theme was not featured in this, instead only featuring over the end credits.

Overview

The series is set in Cardiff and follows the Welsh branch of a covert agency called the Torchwood Institute which investigates extraterrestrial incidents on Earth and scavenges alien technology for its own use, its origins outlined in the Doctor Who episode "Tooth and Claw". As the opening monologue explains, the organisation is separate from the government, outside the police, and beyond the United Nations. Their public perception is as merely a 'special ops' group. The events of the first series take place some time after the Doctor Who series two finale, in which Torchwood's London headquarters was destroyed. This format was maintained for the first two series. Season three, a miniseries, saw the Cardiff headquarters completely destroyed and the team temporarily operating as fugitives in the England's capital city of London, its membership wiped and the organisation thoroughly broken over the course of the serial.

Cast and characters

Main cast

{| class="wikitable sortable" ! Actor !! Character !! Duration !! Episodes |- | John Barrowman || Jack Harkness || 2006– || All episodes |- | Eve Myles || Gwen Cooper || 2006- || All episodes |- | Gareth David-Lloyd || Ianto Jones || 2006–2009|| "Everything Changes" to Children of Earth |- | Naoko Mori || Toshiko Sato || 2006-2008 || "Everything Changes" to "Exit Wounds" |- | Burn Gorman || Owen Harper || 2006-2008 || "Everything Changes" to "Exit Wounds" |- | Kai Owen || Rhys Williams || 2009- || Children of Earth (previously recurring) |}

as Martha Jones]] Unlike its parent programme Torchwood centres on a team instead of a single character with companions. Torchwood Three is the Cardiff branch of the Torchwood Institute, tasked (among other things) with keeping an eye on the space/time Rift that runs through the city, and on whatever washes through it. The branch is initially a team of five operatives, led by Jack Harkness (John Barrowman), with Gwen Cooper (Eve Myles) as the "new girl" who joins in the first episode and acts as an audience surrogate. Owen Harper (Burn Gorman) is the unit's medical officer and Toshiko Sato (Naoko Mori) is the resident computer specialist, while "administrative" duties are performed by Ianto Jones (Gareth David-Lloyd). Ianto's role within the team is increased in series 2; following Toshiko and Owen's deaths, the distinctions between the remaining agents' responsibilities are less pronounced. Ianto too is killed off in the third series. Aside from the team, another major character is Rhys Williams (Kai Owen), Gwen's live-in boyfriend and later husband, who is initially unaware of the nature of Gwen's mysterious new job. After learning about Torchwood in series 2 episode "Meat", his role in the programme increases and he joins the main cast in series 3. Regularly recurring is Andy Davidson (Tom Price), Gwen's former police partner and occasional comic relief.

Prior to the programme's debut, publicity materials featured Indira Varma as Suzie Costello among the regular cast members, giving the impression that she would appear throughout the series. However, Suzie was killed off at the end of the first episode with Gwen taking her place on the team, Suzie reappearing only once more as an antagonist. Paul Kasey regularly portrays aliens on the series, as in Doctor Who, under heavy prosthetics, such as the alien Weevils and Blowfishes. Doctor Who's Martha Jones (Freema Agyeman) crossed over to Torchwood for three episodes in the second series (from "Reset" to "A Day in the Death"). Another prominent guest star in Torchwood's second series is former Buffy and Angel star James Marsters, who plays Captain John Hart, a villainous Time Agent and Jack's former lover. Introduced in the episode "Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang", he reappears in the last two episodes of the series, forced to do Jack's brother Gray's vengeful will; he reforms when he escapes from Gray's influence. Making minor recurring appearances in the second series are a mysterious age-immune little girl (Skye Bennett) and Victorian era Torchwood member Alice Guppy (Amy Manson). Children of Earth featured a largely new supporting cast for the duration of the five-episode serial, such as Permanent Secretary John Frobisher (Peter Capaldi), Clem McDonald (Paul Copley), senior MP Bridget Spears (Susan Brown), Prime Minister Brian Green (Nicholas Farrell), ruthless operative Agent Johnson (Liz May Brice), Jack's middle-aged daughter, Alice (Lucy Cohu), and Ianto's sister Rhiannon (Katy Wix). Cush Jumbo was cast as Frobisher's personal assistant Lois Habiba; Habiba was written into the story after Agyeman was unavailable to return to portray Martha.

The fourth series, Miracle Day, will see significant additions to the cast. John Barrowman, Eve Myles and Kai Owen return to the series, New to the cast are Rex Matheson (Mekhi Phifer), a "wickedly funny CIA agent born to make waves", and Esther Drummond (Alexa Havins), a CIA watch analyst and an optimistic Christian. American film star Bill Pullman will feature as Oswald Danes, a highly intelligent murderer who becomes the focus of media attention following his release from prison on a technicality. Arlene Tur also joins in a recurring role as surgeon Vera Juarez . Additionally, Dollhouse star Dichen Lachman will also guest star as another CIA worker. though neither he nor Russell Tovey (whose Doctor Who character appeared alongside Jack in Doctor Who special The End of Time) were approached by Davies about the possibility of appearing in series four.

Episodes

The premiere episode "Everything Changes" was written by Russell T Davies and serves to introduce the main characters and roles within the series, using newcomer Gwen as the audience surrogate in a similar style to the introduction of the companion characters in Doctor Who. The second episode, titled "Day One", aired immediately after the first. It continues Gwen's neophyte role and includes a "sex monster" science fiction storyline. The first 13-episode series ended with a two-parter on 1 January 2007. The first part, entitled "Captain Jack Harkness", is a love story set in wartime Britain, with a subplot which serves to push the setting towards an "apocalypse" for series finale "End of Days". It deals with the ramifications of diseases and persons from throughout history falling through time and across the universe to arrive in the present day, and particularly in Cardiff. The episode also sets up Jack's return in the Doctor Who episode "Utopia".

The second 13-episode series of Torchwood begins by following on with Jack's return from the previous Doctor Who episode, "Last of the Time Lords" with the series premiere, "Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang", which aired 16 January 2008. The series introduces Jack's ex-partner Captain John Hart in its premiere, reveals flashbacks to Jack's childhood in "Adam" and shows how each member joined Torchwood in the penultimate episode "Fragments". A three-episode arc ("Reset", "Dead Man Walking" and "A Day in the Death") in the middle of the series guest stars Doctor Who actress Freema Agyeman as Martha Jones, temporarily drafted into Torchwood. The arc focuses upon the death and partial resurrection of main character Owen Harper, and how he coped as a dead man. The second series' finale, "Exit Wounds" (which aired 4 April 2008) features the departures of main characters Owen and Tosh, whose deaths at the hands of Jack's long-lost brother Gray reduced the series' cast to Barrowman, Myles and David-Lloyd in its closing scenes. The Torchwood Three team made a crossover appearance in the series four finale of parent show Doctor Who, "The Stolen Earth"/"Journey's End", which featured Jack Harkness leaving the Doctor at the close of the story, accompanied by Martha Jones and Mickey Smith.

Series three is only five episodes long, and makes up a single story, Children of Earth. David-Lloyd departs the cast when Ianto is killed by aliens, and by episode five, everything about Torchwood Cardiff. In its closing scenes, with Gwen heavily pregnant and Jack leaving Earth, Torchwood effectively no longer existed. Series four, , will see Torchwood having been reduced to the status of legend following Children of Earth. The narrative will follow two CIA agents who encounter Torchwood's supernatural world, and later Gwen and Jack.

Setting

The first two series of Torchwood were both filmed and set in Cardiff. The makers of Torchwood deliberately portray Cardiff as a modern urban centre, contrasting with past stereotypical portrayals of Wales. "There's not a male voice choir ... or a miner in sight, aside from John" said BBC Wales Controller Menna Richards. Conservative MP Michael Gove described the debut of Torchwood as the moment confirming "Wales' move from overlooked celtic cousin to underwired erotic coquette." Filming has also taken place in areas outside of Cardiff, including Merthyr Tydfil.

, outside the Millennium Centre, acts as the exterior of the Hub.]] The team's headquarters during the first two series, referred to as the Hub, was beneath Roald Dahl Plass in Cardiff Bay — formerly known as the Oval Basin. This is where the TARDIS landed in the Doctor Who episodes "Boom Town" and "Utopia" to refuel, and is the location of the spacetime rift first seen in "The Unquiet Dead". The Hub itself was around three storeys high, with a large column running through the middle that was an extension of the fountain above; at its base lay the rift machine. The Hub had two means of access: a lift that rose to the plass next to the fountain (camouflaged by a perception filter), and a more mundane entrance hidden in a tourism office. Production crew were keen to use everything Wales had to offer in filming the series; for example, the military base scenes in "Sleeper" and the booby-trapped abandoned warehouse scenes in "Fragments" were filmed at RAF Caerwent, near Chepstow, South Wales.

The third series opened in the traditional setting, but in the first episode the Hub was reduced to a smoking pile of rubble; the show adapted to a conventional London setting, with many scenes filmed and set at real-life British intelligence agency headquarters Thames House. The fourth series will venture outside the UK for the first time, and will see storylines widen to include locations in the US and worldwide. Torchwood Declassified is also available online at the BBC's Torchwood site.

Companion magazine

Titan Magazines have launched a Torchwood Magazine which was released on 24 January 2008 in the United Kingdom. The United States version was launched in February 2008. The Australia/New Zealand version was launched in April 2008.

Electronic literature

Torchwood has "a heavy online presence". At the Edinburgh International Television Festival, BBC Director of Television Jana Bennett said that the online features will include the ability to explore the Hub, an imaginary desktop, weekly 10-minute behind-the-scenes vodcasts. Due to digital media rights restrictions most video content on the BBC Three websites is only accessible to users within the UK. "You can join the corporation of Torchwood and be one of its employees," said Bennett. The Flash-based interactive website, including the Hub Tour, debuted on 12 October 2006.

Radio plays

Set between the end of Series Two and the beginning of Series Three, the BBC aired four Torchwood radio dramas featuring the cast of the series. As a tie in with Radio 4's CERN-themed day on 10 September 2008, a CERN-themed radio episode of Torchwood written by Joseph Lidster, entitled "Lost Souls", aired as the day's Afternoon Play. This was the first Torchwood drama not to feature Burn Gorman and Naoko Mori. Three further episodes were broadcast on 1–3 July 2009: "Asylum", "Golden Age" and "The Dead Line".

Novels and audiobooks

Accompanying the main series of Torchwood are a series of novels. The books are published in paperback-sized hardcover format, the same format BBC Books uses for its New Series Adventures line for Doctor Who. These novels were later released, abridged, as audiobooks.

Original soundtrack

On 22 September 2008, Silva Screen Records released a compilation of music featured in the show's first and second series. The disc features 32 tracks composed by Ben Foster and Murray Gold.

A second compilation disc was released on 17 July 2009, featuring 40 tracks from the show's third series, Children of Earth.

Programme information

Critical reception

As a spin-off of long-running British cultural artefact Doctor Who, Torchwood's launch into British popular culture has received much positive and negative review, commentary and parody following the hype of its inception, especially regarding its status as an "adult" Doctor Who spin-off as well as its characterisation and portrayal of sex. Reviews for the first series were largely negative, with sites such as Behind the Sofa giving many more negative reviews than positive ones. Reviews of the second series were more positive. The third series, which took the form of a five-part story arc with the blanket title of Children of Earth, received a number of positive reviews. Critics described it separately as a "powerful human drama"; "Best. Torchwood. Ever."; and "... against all expectations, a work of Proper Drama". Conversely, The Daily Mirror gave the mini-series a negative review, describing it as "the modern-day Blake's Seven: ludicrous plot, hammy acting, an adolescent penchant for 'Issues'". Metacritic, an American review aggregator website, gives Torchwood series one a rating of 74 out of 100, meaning "generally favourable reviews". The show's second series rates higher, at 81 out of 100, indicating "universal acclaim". The third series rated 80, with the highest score being a 91 from TIME and the lowest a 60 from The New York Times.

A plot point in the Torchwood miniseries, Children of Earth, triggered protests from fans of the show, including the "Save Ianto Jones" campaign, which collected more than 10,000 pounds for the Children In Need charity. Other fans resorted to abuse and threats, causing writer James Moran to fire off an angry missive in a blog post. Showrunner Russell T Davies made no apologies for the decision to kill off the character, saying, "I’m just delighted that the fans are so wrapped in the character to have that reaction." The same plot point (the death of a character involved in a same-sex relationship) led several writers to analyse the death in view of the character's earlier refusal to admit to his relationship with a man, and claimed that the death was a sign that the LGBT community was leaving behind its image of victimhood.

Positive and negative attention has been given to the portrayal of bisexual male relationships in Torchwood. Maria Boyd of the University of Texas at Austin published her paper at a conference, "Gay Sex and Aliens! How the Press frames Russell T Davies’ Torchwood." She argues through "a discourse analysis of 109 reviews of the Season 1 and Season 2 premiere episodes" how "TV critics are more concerned with the depictions of bisexuality among the principal characters on Torchwood." Furthermore, she argues that the show's reviews "highlight the same-sex interactions depicted on the show utilising sensationalist, assimilationist, or condemnatory language" and that the "hegemonic, heterosexist language used by TV critics covering Torchwood has framed the program in such a way that it limits audience’s ability to make meaning of the text themselves."

Ratings

The first episodes of Torchwood on BBC Three gave the channel its highest ever ratings, and the highest ratings of any digital-only non-sports channel at the time with 2.519 million viewers (though this has since been surpassed by Bionic Woman on ITV2 which gained 2.553 million in March 2008). The audience share was 12.7%, increasing to 13.8% for the second episode (shown immediately after the first episode on the same day), despite viewership dropping to 2.498 million.

Ratings for later episodes dropped to around 1.1 to 1.2 million viewers during the first showing on BBC Three (the lowest being 0.8 million for week ending 24/12/06), but nevertheless, the show remained the most viewed programme on BBC Three by a wide margin. The repeat screenings on BBC Two later the same week were around 2.2 to 2.3 million (dropping to under 1.1 and 1.8 respectively for the weeks ending 03/12/06 and 10/12/06).

For its second series which began in January 2008, Torchwood was moved to the more established BBC Two channel. Again, initial ratings were respectable and the first episode garnered 4.22 million viewers. However, the series again began to decline and had lost a million viewers by its fourth episode. It later dropped to a low of 2.52 million viewers towards the end of its run, Ratings for the second episode dropped to 5.58m, but rose to a high of 6.24m for the fourth episode. According to the overnight figures, the mini-series garnered an average rating of 5.88 million viewers.

According to official figures, published by Broadcasters' Audience Research Board (BARB), all five episodes of the mini-series garnered more than 6 million viewers, with the fourth episode gaining the largest audience.

Awards

In April 2007, Torchwood beat its parent series, which is also made in Wales, to win the Best Drama Series category at the BAFTA Cymru Awards. The awards, given by the Welsh branch of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, celebrate the achievements of film and television productions made in Wales. Eve Myles won the Best Actress category at the same awards, ahead of Doctor Who's Billie Piper. In 2008, the episode "Captain Jack Harkness" was nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form.

DVD and Blu-ray releases

The complete first series has been released on Region 2 DVD in the UK. A North American Region 1 release occurred 22 January 2008, following the broadcast of Series 1 on BBC America in the United States and the CBC in Canada. Series One Part One, Two and Three have been released In Australia Region 4, with the Complete First Series released in February 2008. The complete series 1 sets released in the UK and US also include the episodes of the behind-the-scenes series Torchwood Declassified. The Complete Second Series was released on 30 June 2008 (Region 2), along with the Complete First series on Blu-ray and HD DVD. Series 1, 2, and 3 episodes are currently available for download through iTunes in the US and UK.

International broadcasts and syndication

Torchwood is popular in the English-speaking North American continent; in fact, Canadian networks helped to finance the series, as they had the revived production of Doctor Who in 2005. On 2 April 2007, BBC America had acquired the rights to broadcast the series in the United States. The series started on 8 September 2007; the initial broadcast of the series was tied-in to a "radical makeover" of the channel that was to occur later in 2007. and the third on 20 July 2009. HDNet acquired the US high definition rights for the first 26 episodes (Series 1 and 2) and began airing Series 1 episodes on Monday evenings, starting 17 September 2007. On Monday 11 February 2008 HDNet began showing Series 2 episodes.

The Canadian network CBC was a co-producer of series one, and premiered in October 2007. The show airs for French-speaking Canadian audiences on Ztélé. Series two began airing on Space on 8 August 2008 and series three was aired on Space over five consecutive nights in July 2009. Space has since broadcast series 1 and repeated series 2. The series also airs in high definition on HDNet.

Torchwood also airs in Europe. In France, the first series began airing on 12 October 2007 on NRJ 12, and since 13 January 2009 on SciFi. The second series began on 5 September 2008 on NRJ 12 and the third series began on 17 November 2009 also on NRJ 12. In Germany, RTL 2 broadcast series 1 to 3. The first series started airing on 28 June 2010 on Icelandic network Stod 2. In Italy, the first series started airing on 3 September 2007 on Jimmy; the third series has not been aired. Portuguese network SIC Radical started transmitting the first series in January 2009. The first series premiered on 24 June 2007 on Swedish network TV4+. Serbia aired the first and second series daily on the network RTS from 1 on 19 August 2009 to begin showing the third series from 13 April 2010. In Israel the first 2 series aired on yes Stars Action and currently available on HOT V.O.D services, in HD also.

Torchwood also shows in the English-speaking nations of Australasia. In Australia, after the ABC and SBS passed on the series, Network Ten acquired the rights to air it. After its première on 18 June 2007, a reviewer for The Sydney Morning Herald's The Guide said, "The appeal of Torchwood is not so much that it's gloriously implausible sci-fi pulp, but that it knows it's gloriously implausible, sci-fi pulp." Ten's press release cites rival programming in their decision to move the show to a Wednesday 12 am timeslot halfway through the series. Torchwood now airs on UKTV in Australia. Series one was played on Imparja, but as of 3 February 2008 the station is no longer affiliated with Ten and will not screen more. Series 2 of Torchwood aired on Ten HD from 1 September 2008. On 19 June 2009, ABC2 began broadcasting series one, two and three on Fridays at 8:30pm. When Series 2 started broadcasting on 18 September 2009, ABC2 started broadcasting Torchwood Declassified after each episode. Each episode of the third series was broadcast on UKTV and BBCHD the day after it was aired in the UK. ABC2 began airing Children of Earth on 8 January 2010 weekly. The first series began screening on TV2 in New Zealand on Wednesday, 9 July 2008, starting with series 1 and running straight through to the 4th episode ("Meat") in the second series. Series 2 continued airing on 11 February 2009 and season 3 premiered on 10 February 2010. Repeat screenings of the first two series began on 16 March 2010 after the conclusion of Children of Earth during the previous week, and now plays re runs on UKTV in New Zealand. On 13 August 2010, Children of Earth will begin repeated transmission after the conclusion of the second series on 6 August 2010. Additionally, in Malaysia the first two series were last transmitted on BBC Entertainment (Chn731) on the Astro Network on 29 November 2009. Japan also airs Torchwood on Super! drama TV.

See also

Doctor Who spin-offs

Doctor Who tie-in websites

List of Torchwood episodes

List of Torchwood novels

List of Torchwood writers

References

External links

at The TV IV

Torchwood at BBC America

Torchwood organisation (BBC mini-site)

AfterElton.com: Torchwood

Network TEN – Torchwood – Official broadcaster site (Australia)

Official Torchwood Facebook Page

Official Torchwood Twitter Account

Category:2000s British television series Category:2006 television series debuts Category:2006 in British television Category:Bisexuality-related television series Category:British LGBT-related television programmes Category:BBC television dramas Category:Television spin-offs Category:Doctor Who spin-offs Category:BBC high definition programmes Category:BBC Wales television programmes Category:English-language television series Category:British science fiction television programmes Category:CBC network shows Category:Television shows set in Wales Category:Television shows set in Cardiff

Name	John Barrowman
Birthname	John Scot Barrowman
Birth date	March 11, 1967
Birth place	Mount Vernon, Glasgow, Scotland
Occupation	Entertainer
Yearsactive	1989–present
Domesticpartner	Scott Gill (1993–present)

John Scot Barrowman (born 11 March 1967) is a Scottish-born American singer, actor, dancer, musical performer and media personality, best known on British television for his acting and presenting work for the BBC and for his role as Captain Jack Harkness in the science fiction series Doctor Who and Torchwood. Barrowman and his family emigrated to the United States when he was nine years old. Growing up in Illinois, his high school teachers encouraged his love for music and theatre and he studied performing arts at the United States International University in San Diego before visiting Britain and landing the role of Billy Crocker in Cole Porter's Anything Goes in London's West End.

As a television presenter and guest, Barrowman has appeared in a variety of light entertainment shows, including Live & Kicking and Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical talent shows Any Dream Will Do, How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?, and I'd Do Anything. Barrowman was a contestant on the celebrity ice skating show Dancing on Ice and was a guest act for the Royal Variety Performance. In 1998, Barrowman was nominated for an Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical, and in 2006 he was voted Stonewall's "Entertainer of the Year".

In addition to appearing in several films and television series, Barrowman has featured on more than a dozen musical theatre recordings including cover tunes found on his 2007 album Another Side, and 2008's Music Music Music. Both albums reached the UK Top 40, as did his 2010 self-titled album, which reached number 11, his highest chart placing to date.

With his sister as co-author, Barrowman has published two memoirs and autobiographies, Anything Goes (2008) and I Am What I Am (2009).

Early life

John Scot Barrowman was born in 1967 in the Mount Vernon area of Glasgow; the youngest of three siblings. Barrowman lived in Glasgow for the first eight years of his life. His mother was a singer and worked as a clerk in a record shop, and his father was employed by the Caterpillar heavy machinery company in Uddingston. In 1976, his father's company relocated the family to Aurora, Illinois in the United States, where his father managed the Caterpillar tractor factory. Barrowman recalls his family as loving, but strict and mindful of etiquette, always polite and respectful towards others. Barrowman's high school music and English teachers changed the future course of his life, his music tutor instilling in him the love of performing, and his English teacher encouraging Barrowman to realize his true potential. His English teacher moved him into a Gifted Program and coached Barrowman for the school's speech team. With the support of his teacher, Barrowman competed with other schools in statewide speech competitions, where he sharpened his skills reading scenes from plays. As a freshman, Barrowman won parts in several musical productions and from 1983–1985 he performed in Hello, Dolly!, Oliver!, Camelot, Li'l Abner and Anything Goes. Looking back, he acknowledges that "without the support he received in high school, chances are that he would not now be appearing in royal command performances in the West End in front of the Royal Family or having Stephen Sondheim ask him to play opposite Carol Burnett." Barrowman spent his senior year shoveling coal for an Illinois power company. His father had arranged the job (and similar jobs for his brother and sister) to give Barrowman the experience of manual labor. Barrowman's father told him: "If you want to do manual labor for the rest of your life you'll know that when you do it; it's a choice. But if you don't like it, you'll understand the importance of educating yourself and – if you decide what you want to do – being good at your craft or your skill." Barrowman worked for the power company for the entire summer, but did not like the job. Eventually, he convinced the company to move him to work in the storeroom. Barrowman graduated from high school in 1985, and became a naturalized citizen of the United States After he graduated from high school, he moved to San Diego, California to study performing arts at the United States International University (USIU). As part of an exchange program, he returned to the United Kingdom, in 1989, to study Shakespeare for six months.

Acting career

Theatre

Barrowman's professional acting career began in London's West End in 1989, playing the role of Billy Crocker in Cole Porter's Anything Goes at the Prince Edward Theatre, alongside Elaine Paige as Reno Sweeney and Bernard Cribbins as Moonface Martin. He continued to appear in West End productions for the next decade, taking the title role of Domingo Hernandez in Matador at the Queen's Theatre in 1991; as Raoul in The Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesty's Theatre in 1992; as Claude in Hair at the Old Vic Theatre in 1993; as Chris in Miss Saigon at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in 1993; as Joe Gillis in Sunset Boulevard at the Adelphi Theatre from 1994–1995; and as Beast in Beauty and the Beast at the Dominion Theatre in 1999. a performance he repeated in Cameron Mackintosh's 1998 gala concert Hey, Mr Producer!. Barrowman played the role of Joe Gillis in Sunset Boulevard in the West End and, briefly, on Broadway. His only other Broadway credit is in the role of Barry in the Stephen Sondheim revue Putting It Together (1999–2000) at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre alongside Carol Burnett, George Hearn and Bronson Pinchot. In a review of Putting It Together, theater critic Tom Samiljan noted Barrowman's "fine baritone voice and suave looks". In 2002, Barrowman appeared as Bobby in Sondheim's Company in the Kennedy Center's Stephen Sondheim Celebration.

He returned to the role of Billy Crocker in Trevor Nunn's 2003 West End revival of Anything Goes, and appeared in West End non-musical dramas, such as his role as Wyndham Brandon in Rope at the Minerva Theatre, Chichester in 1993, and he starred as Lieutenant Jack Ross opposite Rob Lowe in the 2005 production of A Few Good Men. Barrowman starred in pantomime productions of Cinderella at the New Wimbledon Theatre (Christmas 2005–6) and in Jack and the Beanstalk at Cardiff's New Theatre (Christmas 2006–7). He played the title role in Aladdin at the Birmingham Hippodrome over Christmas 2007–8 and as a guest act for the Royal Variety Performance at the London Palladium in 2008. Barrowman played the lead in the Robin Hood pantomime at the Birmingham Hippodrome for the 2008–2009 season. He presented Andrew Lloyd Webber's 60th birthday party in London's Hyde Park on September 14, 2008. Guests included Idina Menzel, Denise Van Outen, Elaine Paige, Lee Mead and the stars of I'd Do Anything. On September 14, 2009 John Barrowman took over from Roger Allam as Zaza/Albin in the West End revival of La Cage aux Folles, at the Playhouse Theatre.

Television presenter

from a float at the 2007 London Gay Pride parade.]] Barrowman was one of the original hosts of Live & Kicking, a children's Saturday morning variety show on the BBC. During this time, he became known for his catchphrase, "it's a dirty rat!", which he used during phone-in game set in a haunted house. From 1993–1994, Barrowman reported on technology news as the host of the Electric Circus segment of the show. He appeared on the children's television game show, The Movie Game from 1994–1996. Barrowman was one of the regular presenters on Five channel's afternoon show 5's Company from 1997–1999. Between 10 and 14 April 2006, Barrowman presented ITV's morning talk show This Morning whilst Phillip Schofield took an Easter break. Barrowman read bedtime stories on the CBeebies channel between 1 May and 5 May 2006. That summer, Barrowman was on a Judges panel alongside Andrew Lloyd Webber, David Ian, and Zoe Tyler on BBC One's music talent show How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?. In the same year, Barrowman made two television appearances on New Year's Eve: He talked about spirituality and civil partnerships on BBC Television's Heaven & Earth, hosted by Gloria Hunniford, and he appeared as a guest on Graham Norton's one-off BBC Television programme, The Big Finish, And, on 11 and 18 February 2007, Barrowman guest-presented two editions of Elaine Paige on Sunday, a pre-recorded BBC Radio 2 weekly musical theatre and film music showcase.

In 2007, Barrowman was a judge on the BBC One TV series Any Dream Will Do, hosted by Graham Norton. The show searched for a new, unknown actor to play the role of Joseph in a West End revival of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, eventually choosing Lee Mead. Barrowman guested on the BBC Two comedy panel quiz show Never Mind the Buzzcocks (Series 19, Episode 5), challenging host Simon Amstell to a "gay-off". He also guested on Al Murray's Happy Hour, The Charlotte Church Show, and Friday Night with Jonathan Ross. On 27 July 2007, Barrowman guest hosted The Friday Night Project, on Channel 4, with Justin-Lee Collins and Alan Carr. In 2008 Barrowman presented a primetime BBC game show called The Kids Are All Right. On the show, four adults compete against seven "smart and sassy" children for cash in four rounds "testing their brainpower, knowledge and speed of response". On 16 February 2008, and 23 February 2008, Barrowman presented the National Lottery Draw. On the 1st of March 2008, Barrowman appeared on the panel of the Eurovision Song Contest selection show, Eurovision: Your Decision on BBC 1, alongside Carrie Grant and Sir Terry Wogan. On the 29 April, 30 April, and 1 May 2008 he presented This Morning. Barrowman began featuring as a judge on the Canadian version of How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria? in June 2008. In 2008, Barrowman became the presenter for Animals at Work, a children's television show on CBBC that showcases "animals with extraordinary skills that make people's lives easier and safer"; Animals at Work began in 2009 with 26 episodes. He began hosting Tonight's the Night on BBC in April 2009.

In February 2010 Barrowman appeared as a guest host on UK shopping channel QVC

Prime time drama

Barrowman's television career began with several appearances in short-lived prime-time soap operas. Barrowman first starred as Peter Fairchild in Central Park West (1995) a show American film critic Ken Tucker calls "a tale of ritzy, ditsy New York City careerists—some struggling to make it, others plotting to retain their status and power." Television critic David Hiltbrand called Barrowman's character a "Prince Charming...a virtuous, hardworking assistant DA who keeps getting distracted by women who swoon in his path." Tucker noted Barrowman's character of Peter Fairchild to be "physically an eye-widening cross between John Kennedy Jr. and Hugh Grant". Titans lasted one season and was canceled after airing 11 episodes. Barrowman was also considered for the role of Will in the popular US series Will and Grace, but the producers felt he was "too straight" and the role eventually went to Eric McCormack instead. Commenting on the decision, Barrowman remarked, "The sad thing is it's run by gay men and women." He later expressed contempt for the idea that all gay men act the same way. Entertainment Weekly reported that Barrowman would appear in the 2010 season of Desperate Housewives, "for a minimum of five episodes, portraying Patrick Logan, the ex boyfriend at the center of the Angie Bolen (Drea de Matteo) mystery." On 23 February 2010 Barrowman announced on The One Show that his contract had been extended to a total of six episodes. It has also been announced that Barrowman is in talks with Ryan Murphy to appear in the FOX hit series Glee.

Film and reality television

Barrowman appeared as Ben Carpenter in the low-budget film (2002). His musical abilities are featured in several film roles: as Jack in the Cole Porter biopic De-Lovely (2004), singing a duet with Kevin Kline on the song Night and Day; and in the role of the lead tenor Stormtrooper in The Producers (2005), singing Springtime for Hitler. Barrowman co-presented and performed in the BBC One series The Sound of Musicals (2006).

Barrowman took part in the reality television series Dancing on Ice on ITV1 in January and February 2006. Resembling a real ice skating competition, ice dancers Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean trained celebrities to compete on the show. Barrowman's skating partner was World Junior Gold Medalist and three-time Russian champion Olga Sharutenko. Although a favourite to win, on 4 February, Barrowman and Sharutenko faced Stefan Booth and Kristina Cousins in the skate off and were eliminated by the judge's vote of 3 to 2.

Barrowman was one of five celebrity guests on the Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special 2010 and achieved both the top score and also first place when the audience vote had been counted. His professional partner was Kristina Rihanoff and they danced the Quickstep.

Doctor Who and Torchwood

Barrowman is best known in the UK for his role in the BBC's science fiction drama Doctor Who. When the series was revived in 2005, Barrowman came on board as recurring guest character Captain Jack Harkness, a time traveller from the 51st century. His first appearance as Harkness was in the two-part story "The Empty Child"/"The Doctor Dances", going on to appear in the next three episodes, "Boom Town", "Bad Wolf" and "The Parting of the Ways". The character of Captain Jack Harkness became so popular, he was given his own show. Torchwood, a Doctor Who spin-off series featuring a team of alien hunters based in modern day Cardiff, premiered in 2006. Ken Tucker describes Barrowman's role on Torchwood as "dashing" and "celestially promiscuous", and "like Tom Cruise with suspenders, but minus the Scientology." On the show, Captain Jack Harkness "tracks down—and occasionally beds—ETs with the help of his quartet of bedazzled groupies—slash—Experts in Their Fields: One's a doctor, one's a cop, one's a scientist, and one... makes tea piping hot. It's like the Justice League of Extended-Pinkie Nerds." Barrowman continued to guest star in Doctor Who in 2007, appearing in "Utopia", "The Sound of Drums", and "Last of the Time Lords". Barrowman also participated in a Doctor Who special on the BBC's The Weakest Link. In 2008, Barrowman appeared in the two-part 2008 series finale, "The Stolen Earth"/"Journey's End" and reprised the role of Captain Jack Harkness in the "" special. In 2010, Barrowman returned to Doctor Who with a cameo in The End Of Time along with other previous stars. Barrowman was rumoured to be reprising the role of Captain Jack Harkness in Series 6 of Doctor Who, alongside Matt Smith. Series 3 of Torchwood was broadcast in July 2009 as a miniseries of five episodes called Children of Earth; Series 4 was scheduled to begin developing in January 2011 and is said to be airing in summer 2012. Both Doctor Who and Torchwood became popular in the United States on the BBC America network.

Personal life

Barrowman met his partner Scott Gill during a production of Rope at the Chichester Festival Theatre in 1993, after Gill came to see Barrowman in the play. The couple have houses in London and Cardiff. In late 2005, Barrowman said he had no plans to marry. However, a year later, Barrowman and Gill became civil partners on December 27, 2006. Barrowman and Gill do not want to call their relationship a marriage: "We're just going to sign the civil register. We're not going to have any ceremony because I'm not a supporter of the word marriage for a gay partnership." Barrowman explains: "Why would I want a 'marriage' from a belief system that hates me?" with the cast of Torchwood and executive producer Russell T Davies as guests.

Barrowman is bidialectal. He learned an American accent after school children picked on his Scottish accent when he moved to the U.S. His accent is often called Mid-Atlantic. On The Friday Night Project, Barrowman said that he still speaks in a Scottish accent when he is with his parents. His sister, English professor and journalist Carole Barrowman, helped write the book using her brother's dictations. In 2009, Barrowman published I Am What I Am, his second memoir detailing his recent television work and musings on fame. In the book, Barrowman reveals that when he was just beginning his acting career, management sent a gay producer to talk to him. The producer told Barrowman that he should try to pretend to be heterosexual in order to be successful. Barrowman was offended by the incident, and it made him more aware of the importance of his role as a gay public figure: "One of my explicit missions as an entertainer is to work to create a world where no one will ever make a statement like this producer did to me to anyone who’s gay." To this end, Barrowman is active in his community supporting the issues that matter to him most. He worked with Stonewall, a gay rights organization in the UK, on the "Education for All" campaign against homophobia in the schools. In April 2008, the group placed posters on 600 billboards that read, "Some people are gay. Get over it!" Barrowman contributed his support to the project asking people to join him and "Help exterminate homophobia. Be bold. Be brave. Be a buddy, not a bully." In the same month, Barrowman spoke at the Oxford Union about his career, the entertainment industry, and gay rights issues. The event was filmed for the BBC programme The Making Of Me, in an episode exploring the science of homosexuality.

Prior to the 2010 general election, Barrowman was one of 48 celebrities who signed a letter warning voters against Conservative Party policy towards the BBC.

On the 16th June 2010, Barrowman met with the current Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron as a representative of the LGBT Community

Awards and recognition

Barrowman was nominated for an Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical in 1998 for originating the role of Cal Chandler in The Fix. and placed third in Broadcast magazine's "Hottest Commodity" poll in November 2006. Barrowman appeared on the Out 100 list for 2008, an annual list of notable LGBT people compiled by Out magazine.

Filmography

Discography

DVD Releases

An Evening With John Barrowman - 2009

- 2010

References

Further reading

External links

John Barrowman at InBaseline

John Barrowman Spain, página para fans en español

Interview with Barrowman at AfterElton.com

John Barrowman's How Do You Solve A Problem Like A Maria? Profile

Downstage Center interview at American Theatre Wing.org

Category:American film actors Category:American musical theatre actors Category:American stage actors Category:American television actors Category:Actors from Illinois Category:American people of Scottish descent Category:Dancing on Ice participants Category:Gay actors Category:LGBT musicians from the United States Category:LGBT musicians from the United Kingdom Category:LGBT people from Scotland Category:LGBT television personalities Category:Naturalized citizens of the United States Category:People from Glasgow Category:People from Joliet, Illinois Category:Reality television judges Category:Royal National Theatre Company members Category:Scottish immigrants to the United States Category:Scottish film actors Category:Scottish musical theatre actors Category:Scottish stage actors Category:Scottish television actors Category:Scottish television presenters Category:1967 births Category:Living people

Name	Charlie Brooker
Birth name	Charlton Brooker
Birth date	March 03, 1971
Birth place	Reading, Berkshire, England
Nationality	British
Television	Screen BurnTVGoHomeNathan BarleyCharlie Brooker's ScreenwipeDead SetNewswipe with Charlie BrookerYou Have Been WatchingCharlie Brooker's Gameswipe
Occupation	Broadcaster, writer, columnist, comedian
Spouse	Konnie Huq (2010–present)
Years active	(1998–present)

Charlton "Charlie" Brooker (born March 03, 1971) is a British journalist, comic writer and broadcaster. His style of humour is savage and profane, with surreal elements and a consistent satirical pessimism. He presents TV shows Screenwipe, Gameswipe and Newswipe, wrote a review column for The Guardian newspaper, and is one of four creative directors of comedy production company Zeppotron. His five-part horror drama Dead Set for E4 earned him a nomination for a BAFTA and he is also the host of the Channel 4 comedy panel show You Have Been Watching. Brooker won Columnist of the Year at the 2009 British Press Awards for his column, and the Best Newcomer at the British Comedy Awards 2009.

Early life and education

Brooker was born in Reading, Berkshire. He first worked as a writer and cartoonist for Oink!, a comic produced in the late-1980s.

Brooker attended the Polytechnic of Central London (now the University of Westminster) — studying for a BA in Media Studies — he did not graduate. he noted how increasingly difficult he found it to reconcile his role in mainstream media and TV production with his writing as a scabrous critic or to objectively criticise those he increasingly works and socialises with. Long time covering contributor Grace Dent took over the column from him permanently.

From the autumn of 2005, he wrote a regular series of columns in The Guardian supplement "G2" on Fridays called "Supposing", in which he free-associated on a set of vague what-if themes. Since late October 2006 this column has been expanded into a full-page section on Mondays, including samples from TVGoHome and Ignopedia, an occasional series of pseudo-articles on topics mostly suggested by readers. The key theme behind Ignopedia was that, while Wikipedia is written and edited by thousands of users, Ignopedia would be written by a single sub-par person with little or no awareness of the facts.

On 24 October 2004, he wrote a column on George W. Bush and the forthcoming 2004 US Presidential Election which concluded:

The Guardian withdrew the article from its website and published and endorsed an apology by Brooker. He has since commented about the remark in the column stating: }}

Brooker left the "Screen Burn" column in 2010 but continues to contribute other articles to The Guardian on a regular basis.

Television

From 1999 to 2000, Charlie played hooded expert 'the Pundit' in short-lived show Games Republic hosted by Trevor and Simon on BSkyB.

In 2000, Brooker was one of the writers of the Channel 4 show The Eleven O'Clock Show and a co-host (with Gia Milinovich) on BBC Knowledge's The Kit, a low-budget programme dedicated to gadgets and technology (1999–2000). In 2001, he was one of several writers on Channel 4's controversial Brass Eye special on the subject of paedophilia.

Together with Brass Eye's Chris Morris, Brooker co-wrote the sitcom Nathan Barley, based on a character from one of TVGoHome's fictional programmes. The show was broadcast in 2005 and focused on the lives of a group of London media 'trendies'. The same year, he was also on the writing team of the Channel 4 sketch show Spoons, produced by Zeppotron.

In 2006, Brooker began writing and presenting his signature television series Charlie Brooker's Screenwipe on BBC Four, a TV review programme in a similar style to his Screen Burn columns in The Guardian. After an initial pilot series of three editions in April of that year, the programme returned in the autumn for a second run of four episodes plus Christmas and Review of the Year specials in December 2006. A third series followed in February 2007 with a fourth broadcast in September 2007, followed by a Review of the Year in December 2007. The fifth series started in November 2008 and was followed by another Review of the Year special. This series was also the first to be given a primetime repeat on terrestrial television (BBC 2), in January 2009.

Screenwipe's format mostly consists of two elements. The first is the playing of clips from other television shows – both mainstream and obscure – interspersed with shots of Brooker, sitting in his living room, delivering witty critiques on them. The second is where Brooker explains, again with a slice of barbed humour, the way in which a particular area of the television industry operates. Also occasionally present are animations by David Firth and guest contributions, which have included the poetry of Tim Key, and segments in which a guest explains their fascination with a certain television show or genre.

Brooker has regularly experimented with Screenwipe, with some editions focusing on a specific theme. These themes have included American television, TV news, advertising and children's programmes. (The last of these involved a segment where Brooker joined the cast of Toonattik for one week, playing the character of "Angry News Guy".) Probably the most radical departure from the norm came with an episode focused on scriptwriting, which saw several of British television's most prominent writers interviewed by Brooker.

As per the development of his career with The Guardian, a similar show called Newswipe, focusing on current affairs reportage by the international news media, began on BBC4 on 25 March 2009. A second series began on 19 January 2010. He has also written and presented the one off special Gameswipe which focused on video games and aired on BBC4 on 29 September 2009.

Brooker has appeared on three episodes and one webisode of the popular BBC current affairs news quiz Have I Got News for You. He appeared on an episode of the Channel 4 panel show 8 Out of 10 Cats, The Big Fat Quiz of the Year 2009, Never Mind the Buzzcocks, and in December 2006 reviewed two games written by the presenters of VideoGaiden, on their show. He also made a brief appearance in the third and final instalment of the documentary series Games Britannia, discussing the rise and popularity of computer games.

Brooker wrote for the BBC Three sketch show Rush Hour.

In 2009, Brooker began hosting You Have Been Watching, a panel comedy tv quiz on Channel 4 which discusses television. It is in its second series.

On 6 May 2010, Brooker was a co-host of the Channel 4 alternative election night, along with David Mitchell, Jimmy Carr and Lauren Laverne. The telethon was interspersed with contributions from Brooker, some live in the studio but mostly pre-recorded. Notably, an "Election Special" of You Have Been Watching and two smaller segments in an almost identical style to Screenwipe (the only noticeable difference being that Brooker was sat in a different room). Brooker described the experience of live television as being so nerve-wracking he "did a piss" during the broadcast. A spin-off series, 10 O'Clock Live, is due to start in January 2011 with the same four hosts.

Brooker's "2010 Wipe", a review of 2010 in the style of Screenwipe/Newswipe/Gameswipe, was broadcast on BBC2 on 27 December 2010.

Dead Set

Brooker wrote Dead Set, a five part zombie horror thriller for E4 set in the Big Brother house. The show was broadcast in October 2008 to coincide with Halloween and was repeated on Channel 4 in January 2009 to coincide with Celebrity Big Brother, and again for Halloween later that year. It was produced by Zeppotron, which also produced Screenwipe.

Brooker told MediaGuardian.co.uk it comprised a "mixture of known and less well known faces" and "Dead Set is very different to anything I've done before, and I hope the end result will surprise, entertain and appall people in equal measure." He added that he has long been a fan of horror films and that his new series "could not be described as a comedy". "I couldn't really describe what it is but it will probably surprise people," Brooker said, adding that he plans to "continue as normal" with his print journalism.

Jaime Winstone starred as a runner on the TV programme, and Big Brother presenter Davina McCall guest starred as herself. Dead Set received a BAFTA nomination for Best Drama Serial.

Radio

Beginning on 11 May 2010, Brooker presented a 5-part BBC Radio 4 series celebrating failure entitled So Wrong It's Right, in which guests compete to pitch the worst possible ideas for new franchises and give the 'most wrong' answer to a question. Also featured are guests' recollections about their own personal life failures and their complaints about life in general in a round called 'This Putrid Modern Hell'. Guests have included David Mitchell, Lee Mack, Josie Long and Richard Herring. A second series has been confirmed.

Personal life

Brooker became engaged to marry former Blue Peter presenter Konnie Huq, after dating for 9 months having met whilst filming an episode of Screenwipe in which Huq encouraged twenty shy men to urinate on a hill as a group. They married on 26 July 2010 at the Little White Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas.

Awards

Brooker won Columnist of the Year at the 2009 British Press Awards for his Guardian column, where the judges described Brooker as "edgy, entertaining and wonderfully surreal, he has the explosive writing skills that can turn your thinking upside down. A definite destination read and a jewel of a column. Acerbic, nasty, spiteful, yet clearly in love with every subject he writes about at the same time. Must read stuff."

References

External links

Charlie Brooker's Official Biography Page on zeppotron.com

Charlie Brooker's Agents and Production Company – zeppotron.com

TV Go Home

Charlie Brooker's Guardian columns

Shuffle's Cue & Ehh? with Charlie Brooker

Charlie Brooker's made-up film awards

Charlie Brooker Interview about You Have Been Watching

Charlie Brooker's page, Conville and Walsh literary agents

Category:1971 births Category:Living people Category:20th-century writers Category:21st-century writers Category:Alumni of the University of Westminster Category:British critics Category:English atheists Category:English comedians Category:English comedy writers Category:English satirists Category:English television presenters Category:English television producers Category:English television writers Category:People from Reading, Berkshire Category:The Guardian journalists