There is now only a week before the new series of Torchwood begins on BBC2. SFX are running a series of articles on their website as a precursor to the new series, including today an interview with head writer Chris Chibnall.
That article, along with the reports of the press preview showing of the first episode before Christmas certainly seems to indicate a definite change for the new series with the production team apparently having taken on a lot of the criticisms levelled at the first outing for the programme last year. A number of the reviews I have seen have said that even if you gave up on series one, series two may be worth a look.
Despite the distinctly variable quality last series, it looks like guest stars were queuing up. According to the Chris Chibnall interview, James Marsters (best known as Spike in Buffy and Angel) who guest stars in the first episode wanted to be in the programme, and Alan Dale, who is forever associated with Neighbours in my mind, but has done loads of genre stuff now, apparently phoned up asking if they had anything going too, and has a guest star role later in the series.
In other Doctor Who news, this week would have been the one hundredth birthday of William Hartnell, the first actor to play the Doctor. Hat tip to Outpost Gallifrey for the news that in celebration of the anniversary, the Plymouth Who group are holding an event on Sunday to mark Hartnell’s life and work which includes a screening of The War Machines, and a question and answer session with Anneke Wills who made her début in the story. More details about this and other events the group holds are on their website.
