KEY POINTS:
Captain Jack Harkness is back - only this time he's not Doctor Who's sidekick.
A roguish immortal time-traveller from the 51st century, the character was to appear in just five episodes in the 2005 revival of the series about the trouble-prone Time Lord. However, he proved such a hit with audiences that writer and executive producer Russell T. Davies spun off Torchwood to showcase his adventures.
You don't have to be a Doctor Who aficionado to enjoy the new series, although there are some references that fans will enjoy - the fact that even the name Torchwood is an anagram for Doctor Who, for a start.
Scottish-born, US-raised actor John Barrowman, 41, is the dapper Captain Jack, leader of a team that hunts aliens and salvages their technology. The team works outside all government entities to prepare humankind for what's to come because "the 21st century is when everything changes".
Change is certainly the key word. This is not your grannies' sci-fi. Whereas Doctor Who (on Prime TV Sunday nights) is a family show, Torchwood is not, hence the late time slot - it has sex (the hero is bisexual), nudity and plenty of violence.
The gay Barrowman told Australia's Daily Telegraph he enjoyed playing a character so open about his ambiguous sexuality. "Funnily enough, the audience has connected with that, and that tells me the public are moving on and not getting hung up on such things - it shows the world is moving along with an open mind.
"But, of course, we've got aliens, lots of technology and the stories are very much a thriller of the mind. So our first starting point is from sci-fi and we have to carry that on."
Torchwood debuts on TV2 on Wednesday, at 10.30pm. Doctor Who Christmas Special: Voyage of the Damned is on Prime tonight at 7pm. A fourth season of Doctor Who debuts next Sunday (July 13).
