Spike from 'Buffy' and 'Torchwood's Captain Jack Harkness - Yowza!

News emerged a few weeks ago that James Marsters, best known as Spike on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," would be a guest star during the second season of "Torchwood," the "Doctor Who" spinoff starring John Barrowman as Captain Jack Harkness.

I wrote then that my fangirl brain might just explode. The guy who played Spike from "Buffy" and one of my favorite new sci-fi characters -- a swashbuckling, time-traveling, bisexual space hero -- in the same episode? It sounded too good to be true.

But wait, there's more. On Friday, I interviewed Barrowman, who grew up in Aurora and Joliet, about "Torchwood," the first season of which debuts on BBC America Sept. 8.

Here’s what he had to say about Marsters’ second-season guest spot: “There’s a scene between he and Jack when they first meet, all I’ll say is, this scene is so hot, so horny, so violent, that all the fans who watch it are going to [er, appreciate it greatly].”

I can’t put on this site what Barrowman actually said, but trust me, it made the scene sound intensely steamy.

I can’t afford for my head to explode, since there are another 12 days to the TCA press tour here in L.A., and the use of my head would be handy. But still, yowza! All I can say is, the second season of “Torchwood” can’t arrive on BBC America fast enough.

As it stands, I’ve seen the first few episodes of Season 1 of “Torchwood,” and I think sci-fi fans will find a lot to like about them. The show, which follows a team investigating alien incursions and other strange stuff happening on Earth, is a more adult, more edgy sci-fi romp than “Doctor Who.” It's cheeky yet dark and suspenseful, Barrowman is a galvanizing  presence and the entire ensemble crackles with energy.

Chicago-area sci-fi fans may be interested to know that Barrowman, who was born in Scotland but spent much of his childhood in Joliet, spent the Sunday nights of his wonder years watching WTTW-Ch. 11’s Sunday night block of “Doctor Who” episodes. So for him, it’s a dream come true to play Harkness, who stole the show when he appeared in the first season of the re-imagined “Doctor Who” franchise, which was masterminded by “Queer as Folk” creator Russell T. Davies.

In England, where Barrowman had been a fixture on the West End in stage musicals, Captain Jack Harkness and “Torchwood" are hugely popular and have “propelled Barrowman to instantaneous National Treasure status,” according to a recent piece in The Times of London.

“I was gobsmacked by that,” Barrowman said while eating French fries at the Beverly Hilton’s Trader Vic restaurant. “I was absolutely gobsmacked. All these things that are happening I just sit back and [Barrowman grins]. I can’t believe it but I love it. I’m totally enjoying it. Because I’m a fan, a sci-fi fan, they have made a young boy’s dreams come true.”

Barrowman didn't want to give away too much about what will happen to his character, but he had this to say about the season of “Doctor Who” that is currently airing on Sci Fi.

“You have to watch the third season of 'Doctor Who' [the one that is airing now on Sci Fi]. There’s things revealed about Jack in the third season which will make your pants fall off,” Barrowman said. “What happens at the end of that season of 'Doctor Who' is one of the most spectacular and biggest finales that you’ll ever come across. And it’s commenting on our society.”

One more Barrowman tidbit? He and Andy Dick were “best friends” at Joliet West High School. The mind reels.

And now here’s an edited transcript of my Friday talk with Barrowman.

What’s great about Captain Jack is that he’s something new, he’s unique.

“He’s something that we’ve never seen before. Going to the obvious, he’s -- in terms of wording from this day and age -- he’s bisexual, but in the realm of the show, we call him omnisexual, because on the show, [the characters] also have sex with aliens who take human form, and sex with male-male, women-women, all sorts of combinations.

“But I think Jack has come across so well with the public is because he doesn’t judge on that. And he doesn’t let people just him on that. Because he is a hero, a sexy – I’m talking Captain Jack here, not me – a sexy hero with an ambition and a mission. The sexuality is completely secondary, and basically the comment is, that’s the way we should be with ourselves.”

Right, his sexuality is not the whole focus of the story.

“That’s the great point – it’s part of him, it’s not who he is. In the British press, they didn’t bring that up. The show was already running for ages [before that aspect was written about]. Because in the first [season], there’s only a couple of instances where he does have any type of sexual contact with anybody. Otherwise it’s the others who do it.
But the whole sexuality thing – it didn’t really matter.

“I wanted to jump in so much, when [reporters] started asking [during the BBC America panels at TCA press tour] about ‘British standards are different’ – well no, you’re just more uptight. You’re standards aren’t better, they aren’t different. It’s not the people, it’s the people who set those standards, the politicians and censors, whoever they may be. They’re creating that. Because people are hungry for that stuff.”

So BBC America is not going to cut scenes from “Torchwood”? I mean, BBC America often just cuts shows purely to fit into American running times, aside from content considerations. 

“We understand that, we have another edited version that’s got about [a few] minutes cut off of it, but it’s not the meat of the show. The public – it’s about choice. It’s about parental supervision. If you don’t want to see someone say [an expletive] on TV, then don’t watch it. If we put the warning up and it says ‘adult content,’ and you don’t like it, then don’t watch it.”

[UPDATE: I spoke to BBC America chief Garth Ancier. He said that in England, "Torchwood" runs for almost one hour. The producers then deliver a 50-minute cut to BBC America. The network then needs to cut two additional minutes in order to make it fit into BBC America's hourlong slot. So "Torchwood" is cut down to 48 minutes, but Ancier said trims would not be based on content, but would be made purely to get each episode to that 48-minute mark.]

There was a recent piece about you in The Times [of London] that said that, via his “Doctor Who” appearances, Captain Jack has become this huge superhero to kids in England [Just so readers know, “Doctor Who” is seen as a family and even a kids’ show in England, and it doesn’t have the sexual, edgy content of “Torchwood,” which is aired at a later hour in Britain].

“He’s become iconic. I did an autograph signing and the dad said, ‘Do you want Captain Jack’s autograph?’ and the boy said, ‘I don’t care if he likes boys or girls – he’s my hero.’

“Kids love him, parents love him, kids love him, gay, straight – [they all] love him.

“My biggest audience is women. You know what, it dumbfounds people [that women like Captain Jack]. I’m very chuffed by it. The gay community supports me very greatly also. But I find it very interesting when people say, ‘How can women like [Captain Jack] because [he’s] gay?’ And it’s always men who say that.”

But there’s a whole subculture of women who write gay fan fiction.

“James Marsters, who was Spike on ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer.’ He’s on Torchwood [in season two]. I can’t tell you very much, but he guest stars. And there’s a scene between he and Jack when they first meet, all I’ll say is, this scene is so hot, so horny, so horny, so violent, that all the fans who watch it are going [er, appreciate it greatly].”

The thing that’s cool about Captain Jack is that, it’s not just about that stuff – he’s just a cool character.

“He’s a hero for the future.”

I’ve only seen the first few episodes of “Torchwood,” but he’s always talking about how it’s all going to change, we have to be prepared for what’s coming in the 21st Century. What’s that about?

“You have to watch the third season of ‘Doctor Who’ [which is currently airing on Sci Fi]. There’s things revealed about Jack in the third season which will make your pants fall off.  What happens at the end of that season of ‘Doctor Who’ is one of the most spectacular and biggest finales that you’ll ever come across. And it’s commenting on our society. Russell’s brilliant in his writing, he comments on society through his writing. That’s what science fiction is. And I’m a science fiction fan and I have been for years. It’s commenting on our society now, but in a futuristic terms.”

Have you seen "Battlestar Galactica"?

“No, you’re the seventh person to tell me that. I was up for a part in it, actually, in the original [miniseries -- he was up for the part of Lee 'Apollo' Adama]. I’m going to get the DVDs.”

(Here’s the summary version of Barrowman’s life in the U.S.: He moved here when he was eight, and he first lived in Aurora, then his family moved to Joliet and he attended Joliet West High School. His parents later moved to Peoria, where the Caterpillar head office was [his father worked for Caterpiller]. His sister, Carol, writes for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and is also writing a book about John. His brother still lives in Aurora.)

“I went to DePaul University for a short stint, but they wanted me to become an opera singer, when I really wanted to be a musical-comedy performer from the very beginning. I didn’t like people telling me what I was supposed to be. I wanted to be what I wanted to be. People have this stigma that musical theater isn’t that good, but actually it’s the most difficult. You have to sing, dance and act.

“[In Chicago] I always wanted live downtown. Taste of Chicago, Navy Pier, we used to go into the city and spend weekends up there and go out and be nuts in the city. We’d always go shopping in the city. Marshall Fields on State Street…. Couldn’t Oprah have saved that? [laughs] I mean, Frango mints!

“[Chicago] encapsulate a little bit of L.A. and a little bit of more New York, in a more chilled atmosphere. I still would love to live in a high-rise in downtown Chicago.”

Coming to the US in the ’70s, what was that like? Was there culture shock?

“It was a culture shock. I think more so for my parents and my brother and sister. They were teenagers. My sister was [supposed to go] to Glasgow University, which is one of the top universities in the UK. My brother was going to [going to] play for the Glasgow Rangers soccer team, he’s a very good soccer player. So it was more of a turmoil for them, because they were teenagers.

“For myself, I just looked at as a big adventure. I was eight. My biggest priority was learning how to swim. I have great memories of growing up in Aurora and Joliet.

“One thing that disappoints me is [cuts in high school arts funding]. Where I fell in love with the arts was at Joliet West High School. I like sports myself, but it pains me that school districts, and Joliet West is not the only one, is that they cut the arts programs to give more money to sports.

“Well, you know what? From my high school I can’t count anyone who’s a major player in sports. But four of us are in the entertainment industry. Andy Dick was a year ahead of me in high school. We were best friends. We hung out together. [Actor] Anthony Rapp went to my school. And there’s a guy Jeff Ray who was with Lyric Opera [of Chicago] for a while. Four guys in the course of a few years at that school. Arts education is vital to the development of our youth. Sorry, that’s my little political bit.”

What was coolest thing about coming to America?

“I do remember my mum walking into a supermarket for the first time and just saying ‘Oh dear God.’”

So you watched “Doctor Who” on WTTW-Ch. 11 on Sunday nights, just like me…

“PBS played a huge part in my growing up [in the U.S.]. It was the only station that showed BBC programming at the time. Those Sunday night blocks -- It was ‘Dave Allen at Large,’ ‘The Two Ronnies,’ ‘Monty Python,’ then you had Doctor Who, it was like the omnibus [multi episode] version of it, an hour and a half or two hours.

“I failed every spelling test in high school because [I was up late on Sundays watching] Doctor Who. That’s why I’m a [bad] speller. But I don’t need to spell on television.

So from a bad speller to The Times calling you a “national treasure.”

“I was gobsmacked by that. I was absolutely gobsmacked. All these things that are happening I just sit back and [Barrowman grins]. I can’t believe it but I love it. I’m totally enjoying it. Because I’m a fan, a sci fi fan, they have made a young boy’s dreams come true. I am living my dream and I’m thankful and grateful to the public for putting me where I am. I’m living a life that I only could have dreamed of.”

I know you’re out as a gay man, did you ever think, “Maybe  I shouldn’t do that, because of the effect it may have on my career?” Of course as it worked out, since you’ve been out, your career has taken off.

“I’ve never been in. To close friends, I’ve never been in. The only time I was in was when I was in high school and the first part of college. And that was because of where I grew up and what was fed into our minds in those areas.

“Everybody in the industry knew I was gay, but when I was asked about it because it was going to make a difference to other kids and young people who were struggling, that’s when I thought, I have to talk about it.

“And I’m not making the issue of it. The papers tried to make this huge big issue about it. I talked to a gay magazine about it, very off the cuff. Two weeks later, some newspaper called and they were like, ‘Oh my God!’ I was like, ‘Guys, it’s two weeks late, it’s old news. But it’s not really news because I’ve always been out.’

“Any time [the press has] asked, ‘Did you have a relationship with so and so,’ I’ve said ‘No.’ I’ve always lived by never lying, I’ve never lied. I never looked at it that [coming out] would hinder me. I’m too determined and focused on what I do.

“If I think if you are gay and you do your job and are a good human being and decent, you should be respected for that. You shouldn’t give a damn and no one else should – what you do in your bedroom.”

That seems to be Captain Jack’s philosophy.

“There’s a lot of me in Captain Jack and there’s a lot of Captain Jack in me. And there is no pun intended.”

UPDATE: For another interview with Barrowman, check out Seattle Post-Intelligencer critic Melanie McFarland's piece.

For the rest of my dispatches from the summer Television Critics Association press tour in Beverly Hills, look here.

I just want to thank you for the interview! I've been searching everywhere for interviews from TCA with him. I'm hoping Torchwood does well here.

Holy mother of God, Mo!

Beyond fantastic -- thank you so much. I hope the hoarde of JB fangirls don't crash the site!

I first saw the dreamy and amazing John Barrowman (have you heard him sing??) during his two-part "Doctor Who" episode with Christopher Eccleston and Billie Piper - "The Empty Child" and "The Doctor Dances" - and have been gobsmacked myself ever since! I still can't believe that he used to live mere *hours* from me, and that we watched a lot of the same PBS TV shows during that time. I'm very excited to find out that "Torchwood" will be airing here in the USA, so I can fill in the blanks between Captain Jack's adventures with the Ninth Doctor, Eccleston, and his adventures with the Tenth Doctor, David Tennant, and his companion, Martha Jones, who's played by Ghanian/Iranian Freema Agyeman!

It is one of the best interviews I ever read!! I didn't know JB knew Andy Dick!!! Wow! He is really the force of nature. Thank you for the excellent interview with him.

Wow... just another reason I can't wait for Series Two! Thanks for the interview.

Wow, I never knew JB was up for Apollo!

And just in case any one is worried about Torchwood being cut down too much, only two episodes run over 50 minutes. Most of them are in the 46-49min range. It's a great show, I can't wait for S2.

Great interview. I do love John Barrowman, he's just such a nice bloke and he brims with exuberance and enthusiasm for whatever he does. No, I'm not gay. The fact that John is hasn't hurt his popularity in Britain at all, it's not an issue. I'm looking forward to seeing him play against James Marsters, another actor I like a lot.

BTW, Freema Agyeman is British, born in London. She will guest star in Torchwood too.

Paul

wow that's wonderful, I love hearing (seeing?) john barrowman speak. Even in print that man has such a presence, it just wraps you up and holds you spellbound.

S1 of torchwwood is the best ever and i cant wait for S2, JB is so amazing, and you dont want to miss him in doctor who, alot is explained in dw that wont make sense in torchwood, so listen carefully!
ive met JB, and he is the most amazing person i gave ever met, he is so talented and has the best singing voice ever
from laine russeell, bristol, UK, aged 16

Heh heh heh!

Go, Mo!

Torchwood on BBC America?!? When? I've never seen it pop up on my schedule...

*grabs a hammer and heads for her cable company*

[Mo here: Season 1 of Torchwood begins Sept. 8 on BBC America.]

Generally Torchwood is "adult" in the same way adult movies means porn. Its more teenage (european) adult in that they've just learned to swear and about sex and go on about that all the time - its not adult in the real sense of adult with adult themes and deep writing. Given the extreme level of censorship on american tv one wonders if there will be a lot of BEEPing inserted.

Great interview. John Barrowman is just such an incredible man. After meeting him twice I love him even more. Can't wait for the next part of Torchwood- and JB's return.

BBC America generally only bleeps the ultimate obscenity (OK, maybe the ultimate insult of a woman's private part, too), so unless a whole line of F-bombs are going to be dropped, it shouldn't be that bad.

However, instead of running the dramas in an extended time slot, they'll probably chop out 20 minutes of program for commercials, so you may want to wait until the DVD comes out or if any public TV stations have the guts to pick up the show.

I know they say they'll cut for time, not content, but having seen all of the Torchwood episodes (and having seen what BBCA does to its other shows) I can't imagine the curse words will make it unscathed.

Hm. Interesting comments.

Torchwood has a great deal of promise, but it takes quite a while for the writing to really gel together. The first few episodes unfortunately do have a sense of trying to marry Who sensibilities with those of the X-Files, and not really doing well at either (not that the X-Files really got it right, either ...).

One of the things I really like about the new Who is the fact that it really doesn't try to be BSG-redone for the UK teen set. Torchwood has to find its own rhythm of course, but that doesn't mean that it has to emulate Galactica or the X-Files to do so.

There are some definite breaks in the emotional continuities, as it were, but on the whole it does improve considerably by the finale. Note that I'm not faulting the acting; on the whole it's quite good. The writing, though, I think, still needs some work. Conflict is **good**, not something that needs to get glossed over!

Hi from Wales!
I live and work in Cardiff where Dr Who and Torchwood are filmed - I live right across the park from the block where JB and his husband live, incidentally Dr Who supremo Russell T. Davis has a flat there as well - so I see him (them) all the time.
Here, John is definitely a living treasure.
Everyone loves him, especially the kids who aren't supposed to be watching Torchwood anyway!
It's also good to see Cardiff shown in such a good way; we have tourists wandering around down here all the time for a look at the shows locations.

John is a great guy. He's also the first actor I've worked with (I write children's tv) who actually LOOKS like a movie star.

Anyhow, I'm sure you over in the US are gonna love the show as well.
Nice to know.
Cheers.
John

I knew Andy Dick as a teen, and it totally makes sense that he and JB would have been friends, since they were both theater guys.

In addition to the four people that JB mentioned from Joliet West, another theater guy hit it big who graduated from Joliet Catholic three years ahead of him--Michael Berresse, who went on to Broadway and has starred in The Light in the Piazza, the recent revival of A Chorus Line (he was the director Zach, and did the opening narration for this year's Tony Awards), and was nominated for a Tony for a revival of Kiss Me Kate.

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