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As promised, Torchwood gossip upcoming, but first a report from the launch of Sky One's autumn season, held last night in the heart of Westminster. Central Hall had been transformed into a school for the occasion, in celebration of the channel's flagship - the gameshow Are You Smarter Than A Ten Year Old?, fronted by Deal Or No Deal maestro Noel Edmonds.
To that end, we got to play pool in the "common room", picked up our drinks from the "canteen" and even got summoned to "assembly" (Richard Woolfe's presentation).
Although the sight of Noel does quicken my pace somewhat - and the long-overdue return of Noel's Christmas Crackers is a welcome bonus - the real gem in Sky One's schedule is the third season of Prison Break, which follows Sky's familiar "no delay" policy with a premiere on Monday, September 24 at 10pm. This was highlighted at the launch with the erection of a "detention centre" housing these nefarious characters:
On the subject of Prison Break, I overheard a piece of scandalous scoop indicating that (highlight the text to the right to read) the first episode of the new season will feature a male rape, possibly involving one of our lead characters. Don't forget to check out the last edition of the old format Tube Talk for a full rundown of what to expect in season three.
Here's the first picture of part-time Doctor Who companion Martha Jones (Freema Agyeman) reunited with Captain Jack (John Barrowman) as she becomes part of the Torchwood crew in Cardiff. Martha appears in episodes six to eight of the new, 13-part series - airing on BBC Two from January - to help the team solve a series of mysterious deaths caused by an alien race.
Speaking about the new "grown-up" Martha, Freema revealed: "She's now a fully-qualified doctor and a bit hardened by life experiences. When she finds out Captain Jack needs her help, she joins Torchwood for a while. She continues to develop her knowledge of alien intelligence, but this time keeping her feet on the ground."
As we know, Martha will reappear midway through season four of Doctor Who - and Freema thinks her Torchwood experience will give Martha "invaluable skills" for her time-travelling adventures with the Doctor. "She outgrew The Doctor, in a sense, and so the next time they meet it will be in a more professional capacity," added Freema. Additionally, creator Russell T Davies hinted that Martha's arrival would come at a time when "everything is going to change for one of [the team]".
There is a good pedigree of guest stars in the new series, including Buffy alumnus James Marsters, cult show veteran Alan Dale and Good Life actor Richard Briers, who plays Parker, a reclusive millionaire harbouring some alien secrets. Other storylines to watch out for involve the love lives of the crew (new boyfriends/girlfriends are planned for Ianto and Owen), the return of the weevils, and one member of the team encountering a much nastier version of Captain Jack.
Even though Tube Talk has changed, some things always stay the same. Time now for your questions!
Mr Luke: "Sky One announced their autumn line up without Lost. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN!!!!!!? ahhhhhhhhhhh"
Neil: Calm down mister, Lost will be back next February with 16 new episodes. This is the case in the US also and will be the case for the next three years until the end of Lost in 2010.
Dom: "Will UKTV Gold still be showing Prison Break season 3 now that it has moved to Sky One?"
Neil: No; just like Lost, the only way to get new Prison Break on TV is through Sky One.
Alex: "I heard that French and Saunders were doing a new series which would most probably be their last as well. Any news on its air date?"
Neil: The six-part series is currently being filmed for transmission at the end of the year. It features old skits blended in alongside new ones, such as send-ups of The Apprentice, Big Brother and America's Next Top Model.
Peter Richards: "I enjoyed the BBC's recent one-off drama Empathy and wondered if there are plans for a full series?"
Neil: Although it rated well, the chances of a full series are now in doubt after Stephen Moyer signed up for new HBO drama True Blood.
Amy: "Have you any idea when the third season of Bones will be show in the UK? And whether it is changing channel?"
Neil: Confirmed last night, Bones is back on Sky One as part of the "no delay" policy this October. In the new season, I hear the team will be on the hunt for a sick serial killer trying to recreate a human skeleton using a bone from a different person each time (that's a total of 206 bodies)...
If you've got a poser for me, just click my face at the top of the page. More questions soon! Now, The I.T. Crowd finally returns for its much-anticipated second series next Friday (August 24) at 9.30pm on Channel 4 and I'm pleased to report that this time I am amused. Kind of. As regular readers know I was critical of the show during its first run and, although there are still few lines worthy of a genuine "LOL" this time round, the standard of funny has raised to some degree.
The first episode is actually set away from the office and at the theatre, where Jen has been taken on a date by Philip from 6th, with Moss and Roy tagging along for the ride. The only problem is, the trio has suspicions that Philip is actually gay, with Roy pointing out: "What's more, he's been gay since Wham!" Poor Philip's cause is not helped by the musical he's taken them to, the premiere of "GAY! - a gay musical", featuring songs such as 'I'm A Friend Of Dorothy' and 'I Love Willies'. You can also expect to see Moss getting a new job and Roy writhing around on a toilet floor - and the return of Noel Fielding!
Here's a bonus: if you mosey on over to the TV Centre on Monday, you may just be rewarded with an exclusive preview of the new series!
Remember Tube Talk is now in blog form so check back regularly for the latest updates (and scroll down to read previous entries). Next time, news on Life On Mars follow-up Ashes To Ashes!
Additional reporting by Kris Green
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