Torchwood spin-off starring James Marsters released today!
By James Aggas
Twelve years since his first appearance, the completely amoral Captain John Hart gets his own Torchwood spin-off series with The Sins of Captain John!
On Jan 16 2008, the second series of popular Doctor Who spin-off Torchwood began. Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang (written by Who‘s current showrunner Chris Chibnall) got things off to a brilliant start. Not only was it a lot of fun, but it gave us one of Torchwood‘s best original characters: Captain John Hart.
Wonderfully played by James Marsters, Captain John was in many ways like Captain Jack. He enjoyed an exciting lifestyle, he certainly enjoyed practically anyone and anything (including poodles), and the two even had a shared history.
But there was one clear difference: John didn’t have a shred of morality. He wasn’t above betraying or killing anyone – including Jack. He makes Jack look repressed by comparison. This not only makes him a great antagonist for Torchwood, but makes him a fantastic character in his own right.
Which is why – exactly twelve years after the character was originally introduced – he’s finally got his own series, thanks to Big Finish Productions…
James Marsters and John Barrowman star in Torchwood: The Sins of Captain John.
Image Courtesy Big Finish Productions
The Sins of Captain John
Announced back in Dec 2018, Torchwood: The Sins of Captain John stars James Marsters and John Barrowman, and takes place sometime before the original series. It also features something the fans will know very well: the Resurrection Gauntlets…
"Rogue Time Agent Captain John Hart is on a mission. He is ransacking his way through space and time looking for the Resurrection Gauntlets that have the power to bring the dead back to life. Only they’re broken, and their creator is in an impossible prison, and he’s not the only person looking for the gauntlets.And John hasn’t asked himself exactly why his employers want them, which could turn out to be a problem."
Unsurprisingly, James Marsters is really happy to return to this fantastic role once more.
"I’ve missed doing Torchwood so much. Beyond being proud of playing a part in it, the character itself is a blast to play, and those few TV episodes just weren’t enough.I try to be a nice person in real life. The trick of it for me is about not telling you what I’m really thinking. I think that’s true of most people that try to be nice. We don’t inflict our inner monologue on everyone. The great thing about playing Captain John is that he doesn’t bother with that. He just tells you what he’s thinking. So, combine that part of me with really good writing, and really funny dialogue, and you get someone that you actually want to spend time with."
(L to R): Christopher Allen (The Archivist), Ayesha Antoine (Caitlin), James Marsters (Captain John) and Robbie Jarvis (Trevor) feature in Torchwood: The Sins of Captain John.
Image Courtesy Big Finish Productions
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“Treason, the undead and murder”
David Llewellyn has written all four episodes of this box set, something I’m really happy about. He’s written many great Torchwood stories before, including The Death of Captain Jack, which brought back Captain John in a brilliant way. Incredibly dark yet incredibly fun, The Death of Captain Jack suited Captain John perfectly, so I’m excited to see what happens when John has his own series.
Unsurprisingly, Llewellyn seems really happy that he’s got to write for this particular character again.
"Captain John is this chaotic, disruptive, insubordinate force of nature, completely amoral and unpredictable, so that gave me a lot of freedom! Writing is often a case of knowing when to hold back, when to tread a more subtle line, but with Captain John it’s the complete opposite. The stories are also set before the time when Captain Jack meets the Doctor and joins Torchwood so these characters really could go anywhere and do anything."
Producer James Goss lets us know exactly what we can expect when someone as amoral as Captain John Hart is the leading character.
"Torchwood: The Sins of Captain John is a very adult, fourth-wall breaking trans-temporal farce involving treason, the undead and murder. Captain John Hart seems very aware that he’s in a Big Finish audio drama, and makes the listener complicit in his appalling crimes as he does whatever it takes in order to survive."
Torchwood: The Sins of Captain John is available now on CD and download directly from Big Finish’s website.
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Are you a fan of Captain John Hart? Are you glad that he’s returned? Will you be checking out his own spin-off series? Let us know in the comments below.