“It’s Not A Promise”: Potential Torchwood Revival 12 Years Later Addressed By Doctor Who Showrunner
Creator Russell T. Davies discusses the possibility of reviving the Doctor Who spinoff show Torchwood, which has been off the air since 2011.
The possibility of a Torchwood revival has been addressed by its creator. The show was a spinoff of Doctor Who focusing on the exploits of the alien hunters at the Torchwood Institute, especially Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman) and Gwen Cooper (Eve Myles). Though the show was never officially cancelled and continues as an audio drama, it went off the air in 2011 after four seasons.
Per Digital Spy, during a recent Q&A, creator Russell T. Davies – who has returned as the showrunner for Doctor Who after departing the show in 2010 – spoke about the possibility of a revival for the spinoff Torchwood during a recent Q&A. He revealed that there are no plans in the near future for the Torchwood Institute to make an appearance on Doctor Who. As far as bringing it back in any capacity, he said, “It’s not a promise, but let’s have a think.” Read Davies’ full quote below:
No it doesn’t [make an appearance] yet. And no plans for that either, but I love it. It’s not a promise, but let’s have a think.
Could Torchwood Actually Come Back?
While it remains to be seen if Davies makes good on his tease about the potential return of Torchwood, its continuation doesn’t seem particularly likely in the near future. For one thing, Davies is busy at the helm of Doctor Who season 14, which will be Ncuti Gatwa’s first season playing the titular Doctor. Davies is also prepping various upcoming specials and episodes celebrating the 60th anniversary of Doctor Who.
The upcoming anniversary event will feature the return of several iconic Doctor Who performers including David Tennant (who played the Tenth Doctor) and Catherine Tate (who played companion Donna Noble). However, the key Torchwood cast is unlikely to be involved. For instance, Eve Myles, who played Gwen, has various commitments that prevented her from reprising her role for an extended period of time in the audio drama and could continue to present issues around a live-action return.
In an unprecedented move, David Tennant will be playing the Fourteenth Doctor rather than the Tenth Doctor.
John Barrowman’s Captain Jack return is also complicated by allegations of sexual misconduct on set, which were followed by the cancellation of a proposed audio drama that would have reunited him with Tennant. With those factors combined, the possibility of cameos from the main Torchwood cast seems unlikely, let alone a full-on revival. However, once Davies settles into his renewed role at Doctor Who, it is entirely possible he could turn his sights on reimagining the spinoff in some capacity.
