Monday, 1 July 2013

The Coffee Shop Collections by ChocoBetty


Nearly everyone has a collection of something, or they could be starting a collection.  They may have a shelf full or a house full of souvenirs, memories saved on a film, a photo, or a vast collection of spaceships, aliens, books, games you name it.
Every month we’ll be featuring people who have a collection of things that mean something to them, of Torchwood, of Doctor Who.  It may be that they’re a Cosplayer, or a collector of memorabilia dating back to their childhood, they might have something that there’s only several or maybe only one in existence. This page is dedicated to the fans of Project: Torchwood who want to share with the world what it is that they love about Torchwood.

In this Issue ChocoBetty tells us about her collection.

When did your collection start?

ChocoBetty: I don't know if you can really call it a collection. I just made the collages of pictures, apart from that I just have the boxset of Season 1 and 2 and "Children of Earth". The pics were just what I liked on the internet. Actually, I got a little bit obsessed with John pictures. He's quite the eye-candy.  I started collecting the pics some time before putting the collages together; I think it was late April.


How long did it take to put together?

ChocoBetty: Putting the whole thing together took way longer. I made one collage for every guest attending FedCon and with the last minute changes I didn't have one for another guest because I didn't know. I found a great program for doing collages online and bought it. I will use that one in the future as well. I think John took me the longest; he was the last collage I made. I think two hours or so for the first composition. As you can see the second ones are just rearranged images on another background. I loved the pic of Eve in the Hub - I just had to use it as a background! And when I found the pic of John at the end of CoE with all the space to arrange the pictures, I knew I wanted to give that one a try as well. The pics I chose are either favourite moments of mine or I just liked them.


How long have you been a fan of Torchwood?

ChocoBetty: I'm a Torchwood fan since the mid of March 2013 I'd say. I watched "Countrycide" a couple of years back when it aired on German telly, but I just didn't get hooked. I didn't get what all the fuss was about. I know, a bad choice for a first episode, but it was a Saturday afternoon, I turned it on and that was the episode that was on. I can't even tell you if that had been before or after seeing Gareth David-Lloyd at FedCon. That was the FedCon in 2010 where James Marsters attended as well. I was wondering about whom he was talking - this John-guy and kissing a guy... Well, I've been a fan of slash-fanfiction before, so it didn't make me cringe in any way. I actually talked to Kai Owen after the closing ceremony of last year’s FedCon.

Were you a fan of John Barrowman first or was it from watching him in Torchwood and Arrow that got you hooked on him?

ChocoBetty: I was a Torchwood-fan first, I would say. I fell in love with the character of Captain Jack Harkness. But I wanted to check out his other work. I saw him in "Desperate Housewives"
when it aired on German telly, but like before: He didn't do anything to me. Blame it on the dubbing. A lot of an actor’s work comes from his voice. I don't know if it is just my imagination or if he really talks in a lower voice as Malcom Merlyn on Arrow. So I got the season of DH with him in and I got "Shark Attack 3" - oh boy! It was cheap - the DVD. And of course it does have this infamous line in it! But it took me some time to get through it. No German subtitles - and the dubbing... well, they ERASED the infamous line!
What a shame!

But I think what made me a fan of John was his singing voice. I'm singing myself since I can speak. At least it feels that way. So with the DVDs I got "Music Music Music" - oh and the day everything arrived was my birthday and a friend presented me with some more of his music. "Angel" is still one of my favourite songs. I love musical theater, but pop music is sometimes just a little bit more to my liking. I was surprised to discover he had recorded two songs from "The Boy from Oz" - I saw the musical when it was on Broadway (I saw it actually six times in 2004 - huge Hugh Jackman-fan back then, still follow his work but a little less close). So "Don't cry out loud" is another one of my favourites. I like his choices of songs and I like his voice. What he chose is very similar to the songs I like. (Apart from that I think our music taste differs. I'm a rock music fan.)

What is your favourite photo and what is your most prize possession?

ChocoBetty: My favourite photo... I think the one with John that got taken by the photographer at the photo op at FedCon is one of my favourite - after all it's my wallpaper on my computer. Although the pics that got taken on Thursday night are pretty hilarious in a lot of ways. I have to admit that I'm not too fond of pictures of myself most of the time. And I love the photoshop picture my best friend created to get it signed by John. I got a copy printed for myself to keep.

Most prized possession - That may sound cheesy, but my most prized possessions aren't the ones that you can put on display. My most prized possessions are my memories. Like getting a friend to have a special moment with Eve at FedCon - because we were at the right location. Like the moment I had with Kai after the closing at FedCon 2012. When it comes to John.. Too many great moments. I think I will always treasure his first tweet to me - or when he mentioned at "The Rush" that he saw my tweet earlier that morning. I created a video for him, a German lesson in preparation for FedCon. Those are things that I cherish. I love my pictures and autographs, but I had other moments with him that will always be special to me.

Do you regularly frequent the FedCons and other cons where Torchwood people will be at?

ChocoBetty: I attend FedCon since 2009 on a yearly basis. I get my ticket for the next year during the weekend. I have been to RingCon three times, I was at the Captains Table, a FedCon special and I will attend TrekGate for the first time this year.

I limit it to one or two cons a year, I can't afford more at the moment and I don't want them to become something "normal".

What is it about John and Eve and in fact any of the Torchwood cast that you've met mean to you? How do you feel inside when you meet the stars of Torchwood?

ChocoBetty: Since both Kai and James weren't about Torchwood when I met them I can't really say anything about how I felt at that time. Well, I liked James from Buffy and I loved his performance in "P.S. I love you" - and of course I mentioned that to him. I think he was glad that there was someone who wasn't all about "Torchwood" at that moment. Both Eve and John made me pretty nervous, although I have to admit that John had the most emotional impact on me. I think it has something to do with his personality. Apart from that: They are still just people. I like people. I like to talk, to have a chat, to exchange opinions, to get a different point of view or an inside on some things. I am a fangirl but I also know that they are doing a job. For me it is a special moment, for them it is kind of normal. I think that sums it pretty well up how I feel. I like to know that I do make memorable moments to some of them, too. I loved being the one to welcome Eve to the FedCon family.


The pics I'm adding to this post aren't mine. These are the ones my best friend has created. She goes by her artist name Niniel

The shirts are just in the way how I ordered them. Just showing off.


The 10 Commandments of Torchwood 3, a torchwood fanfic | FanFiction




Torchwood doesn't belong to me. I just wrote down the 10 commandments of Torchwood 3 - everything got taken from the show! I don't make any profit out of this ficlet. - ChocoBetty




Locations 'Day One' Episode 2


Locations Guide – Episode 2 – Day One
Written by John Bond-Winstone (The Doctor)

Hollywood Bowl, Red Dragon Centre, Cardiff Bay, Cardiff
Hollywood Bowl is the main bowling centre at the Red Dragon Centre in Cardiff Bay.  This location is a 2-minute walk from the Welsh Millennium Centre and the Torchwood Tower.  Hollywood Bowl is located in a complex, which has many restaurants, bars, and an Odeon Cinema Complex as well.

How to get to Hollywood Bowl:

Bus – Catch the Bay Car (Number 6) Bendy bus from Lower St Mary Street and then get off at the Wales Millennium Centre.  The Red dragon centre is directly opposite the WMC.


Ask! Restaurant, Mill Lane, City Centre, Cardiff
Ask! Restaurant is used in the dinner date scene when Gwen and Rhys are enjoying some time together, which was rudely interrupted by the meteorite falling fast over Cardiff.  This is the scene where Gwen and Rhys run off without paying for their food.  I would advise never to do a runner from a restaurant without paying your bill! Especially in Cardiff.


How to get to Ask! Restaurant:

By Foot from Cardiff Central Train Station – Turn right outside the station and walk up towards the Sleeperz Hotel and the Great Western Pub.  You will then notice St Mary’s Street to you left and Mill lane directly opposite you.  Walk up Mill Lane past all the bars and you will come to Ask! Restaurant on your left hand side on the corner of the Wyndham Arcade.


Wyndham Arcade, City Centre, Cardiff
The next location is Wyndham Arcade, which is the scene where Gwen and Rhys are running through an arcade chasing the meteorite.

How to get to Wyndham Arcade:

By Foot from Cardiff Central Train Station – Turn right outside the station and walk up towards the Sleeperz Hotel and the Great Western Pub.  You will then notice St Mary’s Street to you left and Mill lane directly opposite you.  Walk up Mill Lane past all the bars and you will come to Wyndham Arcade on your left hand side.


The Friary, City Centre, Cardiff

This location is used directly after the scene where Gwen and Rhys are chasing the meteorite.  This shot is made to look like that the meteorite is flying not far from where Gwen and Rhys are, but TV being TV, they used another location in the city centre to imprint the meteorite flying over the Hilton Hotel.


Minskys Showbar, Charles Street, Cardiff

This location is used for the sex attack crime by the possessed Carys.  Minskys Showbar is a drag bar in Charles Street in Cardiff.  This bar is a popular location for hen parties etc. Also this location is used as the place where Carys gets possessed by the Gas life form. This location is directly outside the venue and down the side lane, which is a private access road for the church next door.  Minsky also has 2 exits, the one used for the location shot is on Charles Street but the main entrance to the venue is around the corner in Cathedral Walk opposite the Debenhams store.


How to get to Minskys Show bar:

By Foot from Central Train Station:
Turn right outside the station and walk up towards the Sleeperz Hotel and the Great Western Pub.  You will then notice St Mary’s Street to you left and Mill lane directly opposite you.  Walk up Mill Lane past all the bars and you will come to Wyndham Arcade on your left handside.  Keep walking up past Wyndham Arcade until you reach a Welsh Speaking Church on St John’s Street on your left hand side.  Directly opposite the church is an entrance through St David’s 2 Shopping Centre.  Walk straight through the shopping centre and when you exit on the other side you will see a Job Centre Plus office at the bottom of Charles Street.  Head for the Job Centre Office and turn left into Charles Street.  Walk up Charles Street and the location area will be on your left hand side.


Crash Site

From the image on the computer, it looks as though the location of the 'Crash Site' is Mountain Lakes Golf Club, just north of Cardiff. We're not sure if this is where they filmed the actual 'Crash Site' but it's well worth a visit. Take exit 32 on the M4, turn off at the last exit of the roundabout signed 'Tongwynlais', turn right at Lewis Arms past Castell Coch and it's three miles up the road on the left hand side.

Thanks to Matthew Lock of Cardiff for this update:
"I can confirm the area where the crash site is filmed is the forest directly behind (and accessed from) Castell Coch. The crash crater is a cave opening known as the 3 bears. None of it is actually on the Mountain Lakes Golf Club land, and it can be accessed by the public by following the footpaths through the forest from the castle. The actual 3 bears crater is about 5 metres from the main footpath, though it is (poorly) fenced off for safety and I am sure thousands of people walk past it every year and don’t even see it =)"


Mermaid Quay, Cardiff Bay, Cardiff

This is the location used when Gwen and Tosh are chasing after Carys when she escapes from the hub.  They go through various locations in Mermaid Quay.  Mermaid Quay has plenty bars, restaurants, shops and even the Glee Club (Don’t get confused with that all singing programme).  From watching the scene you can see the Glee Club in one of the shots.

How to get to Mermaid Quay:

Bus:
Catch the Bay Car (Number 6) Bendy bus from Lower St Mary Street and then get off at the Wales Millennium Centre.  Once off the bus, turn right and walk along Bute place.  Turn left onto Bute Street and you will see Mermaid Quay right in front of you with a Tesco’s up ahead.


Windsor Place, City Centre, Cardiff
This location is used as an external set up for the Conway Clinic scene. The hub find out that Carys works at a fertility clinic as a temp.  The location is near to the Buffalo Bar but at the other end of the street.
 




How to get to Windsor Place:


Walk from Cardiff Central Train Station:
Turn right outside the station and walk up towards the Sleeperz Hotel and the Great Western Pub.  Turn left onto St Mary’s Street and walk all the way to the top and you will be standing in front of Cardiff Castle.  Turn right and walk past Forbidden Planet and Burger King until you come onto Queen Street.  Keep walking along Queen Straight until you see the Capitol Shopping Centre on your right.  You will notice a Poundland shop on your left hand side.  Turn left up this street and you are on Windsor Place.





Source
Torchwood Locations website
BBC Torchwood Day One episode
Google 







Reviews Ghost Train by DJ Forrest


Read by Kai Owen
Published by AudioGo Ltd
Release date: 1st March 2011
Written by James Goss

There’s something strange falling from the skies and Torchwood are dealing, but there are also some strange occurrences at Harwood’s Haulage in the shape of fridges.  It’s not just Rhys who’s noticed.  But can he get a moment to talk to his wife Gwen about it, because with the strange occurrences there’s also the train that shouldn’t be arriving on Platform One, and while Gwen has to deal with a matter regarding her husband, Captain Jack Harkness also goes missing.

So Rhys becomes Sherlock Holmes and does a little deducing of his own. 

It’s a fascinating and often funny story that has all the qualities you expect from a Torchwood story with the added quality of Rhys Williams. 

The instant Kai Owen speaks you know you’re not going to do anything else but listen to the story.  Whether it be the Welsh accent or the fact the story is written especially for Rhys, but the moment Kai speaks, all other work ceases till the story ends. 

I found the story entertaining and have listened to it several times already and it doesn’t get old.  I want to hear more stories read by Kai Owen who has a firm grasp of Gwen and Ianto’s voices and Captain Jack Harkness.

‘Ghost Train’ is set before Children of Earth and features Captain Jack Harkness, Ianto Jones, Gwen Cooper and Rhys Williams and read by Kai Owen.

It was especially written for audio book by James Goss and runs for 2 hours.





Gadgets & Gizmos 'Day One'

Introduction

In issue 3 we continue to look at the various gadgets and gizmos from the individual episodes of Torchwood, be they alien or otherwise.  And to be as in-depth as possible and continue to find gadgets that we may use in everyday life, outside of science fiction, that are similar.

In the last issue we had three obvious gadgets, if the resurrection glove can be deemed as a gadget; alien artefact maybe a closer definition.

In ‘Day One’ we have fewer that stand out, one to be exact; which is the ‘inflatable cell.’ So in this edition we shall look at a couple of other items that appear in the episode, along with the cell.

The Capsule Cell

The Capsule Cell or inflatable cell, so named by Dr Owen Harper, is a small pebble like alien gadget that, on impact with the ground, puts up a force field around the “prisoner” creating a temporary prison cell. Although it’s an incredibly useful gadget, its battery-life is very short, lasting approximately one hour.  And after reading about 'Day One' in the book 'The Torchwood Archives it seems the team have no clue how to re-charge it. 

‘Day One’ is the only episode this gadget is seen in and was initially used by Owen to stop Carys Fletcher (whose body had been inhabited by an alien, in the form of a gas) from leaving her home. Jack then uses it again later to trap the gas life form, once it had left Carys’ body, at the Conway fertility Clinic, after which it soon dies.


It's a shame that nobody wrote it into a later episode that Toshiko had worked out a way to recharge the portable cell as it proved to be a very useful piece of technology.

What Do We Have On Earth?

If you’re looking for anything vaguely close to what we see in Torchwood, then you would be out of luck. Though that is not to say portable cells don’t exist, they do. But it depends on what your definition of portable is.

If you see it as something you could maybe put in the boot of your car, then you are out of luck. But if you are thinking closer to something you’d put in the back of a truck, then you’d be hitting it bang on the nail. It must be said, if you threw one of these portable cells at Carys Fletcher, then the Gas Alien would be the least of her problems - but it would sort the immediate problem of said Gas Alien.

The smallest of these so called portable cells I have found are about the size of a Portaloo, though some can be twice the size of that. So they’re not THAT portable.

Element/Air Hand Scanner

This yellow scanner is small and fits comfortably in the hand and its function is never made completely clear. Is it multi-functional, like so many other scanners we see in the Whoniverse, or is it purely to scan the air. So much of this part of the article is guess work from observing the episode on how it has been used by the team.

So going by what I observed in the episode it is used on a number of occasions; at the crash site, nightclub and alleyway by Jack and at Carys’ home by Toshiko.

When Jack was scanning in the Alley he mentioned that it was showing the same ‘elements’ as at the crash site and club, only more concentrated and so he was able to isolate where the incident with Carys had taken place. And finally at Carys’ home Tosh scanned and then informed the team the air quality was good. This says to me that that is its primary function to scan the air and inform its user what elements, etc are present, as well as how breathable the surrounding air might be.

Like the Capsule Cell, this gadget is only seen in the ‘Day One’ episode and not again. I do wonder why haven’t we seen it since?  Surely there could be numerous occasions when the air/airborne elements need to be tested or monitored.

Normally speaking the only mobile hand scanner (which we will look at in a future issue) we see is a much larger one used, mostly, by Toshiko, and that also resembles one seen used, in Doctor Who in some episodes, by River Song.

So is this alien tech? The one thing we do know is that Tosh very often would take alien tech parts and cobble them into something else or upgrade already existing earth technology, such as weapons and computers. So it’s very possible, given its very ‘EARTHLY’ look and feel, that Tosh upgraded the tech of some scanners.


What I also find strange about this tech is its colour and distinct lack of Torchwood livery. The tech used by the Torchwood team tends to be either black or dark steel grey. It’s also, more often than not, blazoned either with the Torchwood honeycombed symbol or the words ‘TORCHWOOD’ itself. This has neither  and is bright yellow!! Stolen Earth Tech?

What Do We Have On Earth?

We have ‘sniffer’ dogs that are used for tracking or searching for people and objects, such as guns and bombs. We also have dogs used for sniffing out drugs.

But we also now have teamed technical equipment to do similar things as our piece of Torchwood tech, though somewhat larger in size.

These are known as ‘Puffer Machines’ and are used much in the same way as the sniffer dogs at airports etc. This device looks for trace elements in the air to seek out drugs and bombs.

For more information take a look at the Wikipedia entry below:


Tracking Scanner/Map Plotter

In this episode we see Jack use a device that doesn’t look dissimilar to the Doctor's Sonic Screwdriver, although it is not. I have read the odd thing stating that it is just that. But there are two things against that conclusion. The Doctor left Jack on the Game Station/Satellite 5. Once Jack had gone to fight the Daleks he didn’t see the Doctor again until the episode ‘Utopia.’ So at what point would he have got the Doctor's Sonic Screwdriver? And WHY would the Doctor give it to Jack? If he had, we’d have seen it. And it would have been to use for repairing or opening something. Not to keep and we never saw any such thing. It also, on closer inspection, looks nothing like it. Its only resemblance is the fact it’s pen-like and has a pretty light at the front that is green, not blue!

So let’s get back to the scanner. For the third time in this article we have a gadget that is only seen the once and only briefly. And again no real explanation as to what this gadget is and so we have to draw our own conclusions when watching the scene.

In the scene we see Jack, standing in front of the round window that is covered in some kind of map, though it’s not an earth map. We have to assume that this map is possibly of the universe.  When Gwen asks what he is doing he says he is using the satellite tracking data to determine the inward trajectory of the meteorite though there is no explanation as to how it is actually done.


So we have to look at things as logically as we can and try and draw our own conclusions as to how it works.

•           One possible way is it reads the data and transfers it to one of the computers or PDAs, where Jack can look over it later.
•           Maybe it transfers the information straight to a printer where it plots and prints out the trajectory directly to paper.
•           It may have some kind of read-out screen Jack can read once he’s done the tracking? Though, going by the only screen grab I managed to get, I would say not. It would have to be a very small screen as the ‘pen scanner’ is maybe only a fraction wider than the aforementioned Sonic Screwdriver.
•           Maybe Jack has a chip in his brain and all information from the pen is uploaded directly to that? Ok I confess to going somewhat off the beaten track there. But it’s as good a conclusion as anything else. And who knows, maybe he does have a chip in his head. Let’s face it, we know so little about him, anything is possible.

Of course it may even be something Jack grabbed before leaving the Games Station. We have no clue as to what happened after the TARDIS took off and when Jack left the station. Did he linger a few days and grab bits and bobs before leaving himself? Or did he just go?

I wouldn’t be surprised if Jack had actually cobbled this together himself, much like Tosh does with present equipment. I have always suspected that Jack knows more about Alien technology than he often lets on and that it’s out of respect for Toshiko and knowing how much she thrives on such things that he leaves it all to her. We only need to remember what Jack was like during his time with the Doctor and just how much he knew. But I am now going off at a tangent.

What Do We Have On Earth?

If you are hoping I am about to tell you all about a fabulous pen like laser that plots the trajectory of incoming meteorites, you’d be out of luck....again!! Earth technology hasn’t got as far as that yet.

What we do have is trajectory analysis and optimization software that does a similar thing and often uses 3D computer simulations to show the trajectory of spacecraft, planes, meteors etc. This kind of software is also used when designing spacecrafts and planes.



Bibliography

Torchwood: The Encyclopedia by Gary Russell

The Torchwood Archives by Warren Martyn

Wikipedia


Articles James Goss


It has to be said that James Goss has captured Rhys Williams perfectly in every drama story he’s written.  In ‘Ghost Train’ the story is told from Rhys’ point of view.  There’s no guns toting and wild screaming chases throughout the streets of Cardiff, there’s no casual grin of a Captain, there’s just Rhys, 100% human, no bullshit, Rhys, who has lost a cargo of fridges and no matter how many times he tries to ask Gwen for help, she’s off as usual defending the planet, this time from fiery beasts.

In First Born, Rhys and Gwen are on the run, it’s a prequel to Miracle Day, and they find themselves taking refuge in a static caravan in a remote part of North Wales, and Gwen has just given birth to Anwen.  What strikes me as interesting about this book is that for a man, James Goss covers the entire childbirth and pre and post pregnant Gwen perfectly, and all the moments that every mother and father can appreciate and nod in agreement about, has been captured within the pages.  The chapters are written in first person and the characters take it in turns to give their point of view, it starts with Rhys, their bags are packed.  Blue bag for hospital, black bag for leaving Cardiff because they’re being hunted by the Men in Black! 
They’re just about to leave when heavily pregnant Gwen needs to pee, and Rhys after months of running through their escape plans, puts the plan into action when the security teams are outside their front door. 
    
I do have a selection of James Goss books and audios still to listen to and to read.  His writing captures the scene almost immediately and because we know the characters, we can skip to the action quickly and be thrown along the road enjoying the nail biting ride, hoping that we can outrun the helicopter firing ahead of us on the road, hoping the old taxi cab won’t die before we make it out of Cardiff. 

The action is fast paced and you get the same feeling of excitement and tension as you do watching a similar scene on the television, you can’t put down the book until you know for sure, your heroes have made it out alive.


James Goss was born in 1974, the year the Doctors changed from Jon Pertwee to Tom Baker.  He has been actively involved in the Doctor Who world since 2000 when he was made senior content producer for the BBC and put in charge of the BBC's official Doctor Who website.  In 2005 he moved to BBC Wales to oversee the new show’s website expanding the content to feature all aspects of the show including cast and crew interviews, games and spin off sites based on the broadcasted episodes.

James has an extensive list of credits and achievements which are featured on Wikipedia, a source of interesting information.  He has written an extortionate amount of novels, audiobooks, ebooks and novellas for Doctor Who and the spin off series’. 

For me it’s his list of Torchwood stories that capture my imagination and it doesn’t matter how many times I listen to ‘Ghost Train’ it’s still as fresh as the first time I listened to it, and I still find myself chuckling at the comical aspects of the story.  If you don’t believe me, listen for yourself.

Recently we interviewed James about his books especially ‘Almost Perfect’ a Torchwood novel that is next on my reading list, and which features Ianto in not the same fashion as we’re used to seeing him as.

Novels, audio books and ebooks:

Almost Perfect (2008)
Risk Assessment (2009)
Department X (2011)
Ghost Train (2011)
First Born (2011)

Radio Dramas
Golden Age (2009)
The House of the Dead (2011)

Short stories
The Last Voyage of Osiris (2009) in Torchwood Magazine Issue 17
The Package (2010) in Torchwood Magazine Issue 22
The Mind's Eye (2010) Torchwood Magazine Issue 24
We All Go Through with Steve Tribe (2011) Torchwood Magazine Issue 25

And for those of us who love the non fictional side of Doctor Who these two books are an absolute must for any bookshelf:

The Dalek Handbook with Steve Tribe (2011)
Doctor Who: A History of the Universe in 100 Objects with Steve Tribe (2012)

For the full list of reading material visit:


To follow James on his blog and Twitter:




Articles Lucy Gannon


Lucy Gannon has written many popular dramas over the years.  Soldier Soldier, Peak Practice, Best of Men and Bramwell to name but a few, but it’s the series Frankie that has piqued our interest over the past few weeks, as it welcomes a return to our screens of Eve Myles aka Gwen Cooper, this time in a different role as District Nurse Frankie Maddox.  Frankie lives and works in Bristol, with a team of district nurses who call in at the homes of patients in and around the city and she cares more for them than she does about anything else, even more than her relationship with Ian played by Dean Lennox Kelly. 


The story touches upon many subjects, such as assisted suicide, dementia and the usual trials of life that pass in and out of the surgery.  There are some familiar faces amongst the cast, having spotted another Torchwood face – Christine Bottomley (Maggie – Torchwood, A Day in the Death), Noma Dumezweni (Capt. Magambo – Doctor Who, Planet of the Dead)  and Jemma Redgrave (Bramwell).    

Each episode revolves around a member of the team.  The story is a breath of fresh air for a Tuesday evening and six episodes are just not enough and we really hope there will be a second and third season of Frankie to enjoy. 

Lucy Gannon’s career started in 1987 when she wrote a play about a disabled boy whose father had committed suicide, called ‘Keeping Tom Nice.’ It earned her a six month writer-in-residence at the Royal Shakespeare Company.  The play was shown at the Ameida Theatre in London and later in 1989 was shown as a BBC TV screenplay starring Linus Roache.

Lucy received the MBE for services to Drama in 1996. Among her other awards are The Eileen Anderson Award, The Richard Burton Drama Award, The Susan Smith Blackburn Award, The BAFTA Cymru and the Contribution To The Media Award (Women in Film and Television) and the RTS Award (South West England) for Best Writer for her film The Best of Men, written about the pioneering work of Dr. Ludwig Guttmann and the start of the Paralympic games at the Stoke Mandeville Hospital.  It starred Eddie Marsan as Guttmann and Rob Brydon as Cpl Wynne Bowen a patient at the hospital.

Lucy’s prior career as a military policewoman, residential social worker and a nurse may be the reason why her characters and her creations work so well on screen.  You develop a real empathy for the characters that Lucy writes about, from the army barracks of Soldier Soldier, to the surgery at Peak Practice, and now for Frankie, her programmes always have you begging for more, and we certainly want MORE Frankie!

For more of Lucy’s credits please visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucy_Gannon 

Project: Torchwood caught up with Lucy during a break in her busy schedule and talked with her about Frankie, her career as a playwright, television writer and producer and general chat.


You can find Lucy on:



Research source Wikipedia