John Barrowman: Egos and Politics Preventing Torchwood TV Return
By David Hill
It may be five years since Torchwood was put on hiatus, but John Barrowman is still pushing to bring back the beloved Doctor Who spin-off. So, what’s the holdup?
When the latest Doctor Who spin-off, Class, was announced, there was a bit of confusion. While a spin-off of the popular show certainly seemed to be needed, bringing a new show into the picture was a surprise, especially considering the widespread longing for the return of Torchwood to television.
On hiatus since 2011, Torchwood would have appeared to be the perfect option to resurrect. Instead, the show remains in limbo, not officially cancelled, but highly unlikely to return. According to an interview with Huw Fullerton of Radio Times, John Barrowman (Captain Jack Harkness) revealed that the reason for the show’s continued absence is because there are too many egos in the way… and that the BBC does not seem willing to rally the troops.
"“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,” Barrowman told RadioTimes.com.“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.’“I travel all over the world, and I see the popularity of Torchwood. But when it comes down that it’s not being done because of people’s egos, I find that really difficult.”He concluded: “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.”"
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As Barrowman has continually lobbied to have the show return to the airwaves, it is certainly interesting to see his insight into to why the show has yet to return. His references to politics and egos can lead one to read between the lines.
It is frustrating for both Barrowman and the fans. As he states, the Torchwood reruns are still well received, and the Big Finish productions have proven to be popular. With he and his sister commissioned to produce a Torchwood comic series, the interest is still there. But it seems that entities at the BBC cannot put their issues aside and bring the popular show back.
Nevertheless, Barrowman still has not given up the fight, stating, “I never say never” and “obstacles are things that you have to work through.”
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Next: ‘New Big Finish Torchwood Audio Adventures: The Lives of Captain Jack