Viewers who have never heard of Doctor Who, even those who think they don't like
sci-fi, might want to consider tuning in to Episode Nine of the new series when it shows tomorrow night at 9pm on the Sci Fi Channel. The cult British show about a time-travelling Doctor and his companions--which has been on and off screens since 1963--has recently been given a 21st century makeover, courtesy of UK Queer As Folk creator Russell T. Davies.

And one of the results of Davies's helmsmanship is that the Doctor has a new companion, making his debut appearance tomorrow night: bisexual intergalactic con man Captain Jack Harkness, played by Scottish-American actor John Barrowman.

Barrowman, who is 39, has had a diverse and exciting career on both sides of the Atlantic. Leading roles in a host of London West End musicals, from Anything Goes to Sunset Boulevard, helped to net him featured parts in recent films De-Lovely and The Producers. He has released solo albums, including John Barrowman Swings Cole Porter and John Barrowman: Aspects of Andrew Lloyd Webber. And he has appeared in straight theatre, including a production of Rope, and more recently A Few Good Men with Rob Lowe in London.

But he says that he still had one unrealised ambition: “I grew up in the UK as a kid, I was born and raised in Scotland, and so, having the knowledge of [the show], it was kind of a fantasy of mine to be involved in Doctor Who, though I never thought it would happen.”

That fantasy became a reality when his agent called him in for a part that was “right up your alley”. And Russell T. Davies, seeing the dashing matinee-idol quality that he was looking for in Captain Jack, proceeded to write the character around Barrowman.

Barrowman acknowledges that part of his character's energy and optimism may have come from him: “Anybody who you might talk to who knows me, knows that I love life, I love to have fun, I'm very open, I don't mince my words, I say what I feel, and--you know, that's just the way I am. I put a lot of my own personality into Jack.”

Of UK audience response to Captain Jack, and his gradual change from charming shyster to committed hero, Barrowman says: “First off, when he was introduced, people didn't like him. And that's what I wanted, I didn't want him to be likeable [straight away]. Because then towards the end of Episode Ten, there's a complete turnaround of his character, and he becomes passionate,. He loves these two other people, the Doctor and [the Doctor's companion] Rose, and so he fights and sacrifices things for them.

“Basically, I think people see a lot of themselves in him. Because a lot of people would love to say the things that Jack says, and do the things that he does, and make those kind of commitments to people--but some people are just afraid to. And Jack does it, on camera.”

It doesn't hurt that Jack is a flirt who is happy to work his charms on both genders--including Rose, and even the Doctor himself. Nor that, when the three friends get caught up in a series of futuristic and dangerous game-shows in Episode Twelve, Captain Jack falls victim to a couple of makeover-show hosts with clothes-removing technology.

Barrowman laughingly recalls: “Well, the Defabricator...I don't know if that's gonna happen again, but, yeah, it was fun. The first time I said to Russell [T. Davies], 'You can do anything with the character you want, Russell, nothing frightens me', I said, ‘Nudity doesn't even frighten me.' He said ‘OK.'”

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