10 Things RTD's Return WON'T Bring To Doctor Who
6. Torchwood
On the subject of spin-offs, some fans are hoping that the return of Russell T Davies may herald a return for everyone's favourite sci-fi shagfest, Torchwood. It won't. The series went off-air back in 2011 after the deeply flawed and overlong transatlantic co-production Miracle Day. Despite a cliffhanger ending, no one wanted another outing for the team.
It's coming up for 11 years since Torchwood was last on TV, and it was never a massive hit. Children of Earth was certainly the high point, but it doesn't live long in the popular imagination.11 years is a long time for something to be off-air, especially in this content heavy decade. Sure, The X-Files came back after 18 years, but that show was massive in its day. Torchwood just doesn't have that same cultural cache or nostalgic appeal.
And that's before we even get to the elephant in the room, John Barrowman's inappropriate on-set behaviour. When it resurfaced in the wake of the Noel Clarke allegations, Barrowman initially played ball, making apologetic statements and staying out of the limelight. For many fans, he's still persona non-grata, which would be a huge hurdle for any potential Torchwood comeback to tackle.