This article is about the lead Torchwood and Doctor Who character played by John Barrowman. For other uses of "Jack Harkness" or "Captain Jack Harkness" (which redirects here), see Jack Harkness (disambiguation).

Doctor Who universe character
Captain Jack Harkness
Affiliated with	Time Agency Ninth Doctor Tenth Doctor Torchwood Institute
Home era	51st century (originally) 21st century (currently)
First appearance	"The Empty Child"
Portrayed by	John Barrowman

Captain Jack Harkness is a fictional character played by John Barrowman in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who and its spin-off series Torchwood. The Ninth Doctor is the ninth official incarnation of the Fictional character known as the Doctor, in the long-running BBC television The Tenth Doctor is the name given to the tenth incarnation of the Fictional character known as the Doctor seen on screen in the long-running This article is about the organisation within Doctor Who; for the spinoff programme see Torchwood. " The Empty Child " is an episode in the British Science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast on John Scot Barrowman (b 11 March 1967 is a Scottish Actor, musical performer, Dancer, Singer and Television presenter John Scot Barrowman (b 11 March 1967 is a Scottish Actor, musical performer, Dancer, Singer and Television presenter The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Science fiction first appeared on Television during the Golden age of science fiction, first in Britain (UK and then in the United States Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. Torchwood is a British science fiction Drama Television programme, created by Russell T Davies and starring John Barrowman He first appears in the 2005 Doctor Who episode "The Empty Child" and reappears throughout the rest of the 2005 series as a companion of the ninth incarnation of the series' protagonist, "the Doctor". The year 2005 in television involved some significant eventsBelow is a list of Television -related events in 2005. " The Empty Child " is an episode in the British Science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast on This is a list of Doctor Who television serials and episodes. History of the Doctor Who companion When Doctor Who was created the dramatic structure of the programme's cast was rather different from the hero-and-sidekick The Ninth Doctor is the ninth official incarnation of the Fictional character known as the Doctor, in the long-running BBC television The Doctor is the central character in the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who, and also features in Jack goes on to become the central character in Torchwood, an adult-themed spin-off of Doctor Who. He returns in the 2007 series of Doctor Who, reuniting with the tenth incarnation of the Doctor, and is set to return again for the 2008 series. This is a list of Doctor Who television serials and episodes. The Tenth Doctor is the name given to the tenth incarnation of the Fictional character known as the Doctor seen on screen in the long-running This is a list of Doctor Who television serials and episodes.

In the programme's narrative, Jack is a time traveller and former con man from the 51st century. A narrative or story is a construct created in a suitable format (written spoken poetry prose images song Theater, or Dance) that describes a sequence of This article details time travel itself For other uses see Time Traveler. A confidence trick or confidence game (also known as a bunko, con, flim flam, gaffle, grift, scam, scheme A bisexual, he is the first openly non-heterosexual character in the history of Doctor Who. Bisexuality refers to sexual behavior with or attraction to people of both sexes or to a bisexual orientation In contrast to the wiser and older Doctor, Jack is a man of action, more willing to see the hands-on solution to the problem at hand. As a consequence of his death and resurrection in the 2005 series finale of Doctor Who, the character becomes immortal, a lasting change throughout his appearances in both series. " The Parting of the Ways " is an episode in the British Science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast Jack eventually becomes the leader of Torchwood, a British organisation dedicated to combatting alien threats. This article is about the organisation within Doctor Who; for the spinoff programme see Torchwood. Adding another layer to the character is a vague backstory which is gradually revealed as both programmes progress. In Narratology, a back-story (also back story or backstory) is the history behind the situation extant at the start of the main story

The popularity of the character amongst multiple demographics directly influenced the development of the spin-off series Torchwood, in which Jack is the lead amongst an ensemble cast. Demographics or demographic data refers to selected population characteristics as used in government Marketing or opinion research or the Demographic profiles An ensemble cast is a cast in which the principal performers are assigned roughly equal amounts of importance in a dramatic production The character became a figure of the British public consciousness, rapidly gaining fame for portrayer John Barrowman. As an ongoing depiction of bisexuality in mainstream British television, the character became a role model for gay and bisexual young people in the UK. In the English language, gay is an Adjective that in modern usage refers to Homosexuality. Jack is featured in the pages of various Doctor Who and Torchwood books, as well as having children's action figures created in his likeness from early appearances in Doctor Who. An action figure is a posable character Figurine, made of Plastic or other materials and often based upon a movie, Comic book, Video game

Appearances

Television

Jack first appeared in the 2005 Doctor Who episode "The Empty Child" and its continuation "The Doctor Dances", when Rose (Billie Piper), a companion of the Ninth Doctor (Christopher Eccleston), meets him during the Blitz. " The Empty Child " is an episode in the British Science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast on " The Doctor Dances " is an episode in the British Science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast Rose Marion Tyler is a fictional character played by Billie Piper in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who Billie Paul Piper (born Lianne Paul Piper on 22 September 1982 is an English actress and pop Singer. The Ninth Doctor is the ninth official incarnation of the Fictional character known as the Doctor, in the long-running BBC television Christopher Eccleston (krɪstəfə ˈɛkəlstən born 16 February 1964 is an award-winning English stage, Film and Television Actor The Blitz was the sustained bombing of Britain by Nazi Germany between 7 September 1940 and 10 May 1941 in World War II. Posing as an American volunteering in the Royal Air Force and wearing the uniform of a Group Captain the audience learns Jack is a former "Time Agent" from the 51st century who left after inexplicably losing two years of his memory. Group Captain ( Gp Capt in the RAF and Indian Air Force, GPCAPT in the RNZAF and RAAF, G/C in the former He became a con man, and is unwittingly responsible for releasing a plague. ^[1][2] After the Doctor cures this plague, Jack redeems himself by displacing an unexploded bomb, and joins the Doctor in his time machine, the TARDIS. The TARDIS ( T ime A nd R elative D imension(s I n S pace is a time machine and Spacecraft in the ^[3][4][5] During his time with the Doctor, Jack matures into a hero,^[6] and in his final 2005 appearance, he sacrifices himself fighting the Daleks; Rose brings him back to life while suffused with the power of the time vortex. A Dalek (, ˈdɑːlεk is a member of a Fictional extraterrestrial race of Mutants from the British science fiction television In the Science fiction Television series Doctor Who, the time vortex (sometimes called the space-time vortex) is the medium that ^[5] He is then left behind by the Doctor and Rose, who depart Satellite 5 in the TARDIS. The decision behind Jack's absence in the 2006 series of Doctor Who was so that the effects of the Doctor's regeneration on Rose could be explored. This is a list of Doctor Who television serials and episodes. Regeneration, in the context of the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who, is a biological ability exhibited by the ^[7]

The character returned in 2006 as the star of the spin-off series Torchwood, where he leads the Cardiff-based Torchwood Three, battling alien threats. Cardiff ( 'kɑːdɪf) is the Capital and the largest city and county in Wales. This article is about the organisation within Doctor Who; for the spinoff programme see Torchwood. A changed man,^[8] Jack became immortal after his resurrection and spent years on Earth waiting to reunite with the Doctor. Jack recruits policewoman Gwen Cooper (Eve Myles) to his team; there are hints of romantic feelings between them,^[9] while Jack begins a sexual relationship with existing employee Ianto Jones (Gareth David-Lloyd). Gwen Elizabeth Cooper is a Fictional character in the BBC Television programme Torchwood, a Spin-off from the long-running Eve Myles (born 1978 in Ystradgynlais, Powys) is a Welsh Actress, most notable for playing lead characters in Belonging Ianto Jones is a Fictional character from the BBC television series Torchwood and its Parent show, Doctor Who Gareth David-Lloyd (born March 28 1981) is a Welsh actor best known for his role as Ianto Jones in the British science fiction television ^[10] Despite having worked with him for some time, his present-day colleagues know very little about him;^[11] over the course of the season they discover that he cannot die, and that "Jack Harkness" is not in fact his true name, but an alias taken from a deceased WWII soldier. The following is a list of characters in the BBC science fiction television series Torchwood, including supporting characters and important human villains ^[12][13] The audience also comes to learn Jack was once a prisoner of war,^[13] and was an interrogator who used torture. ^[14] In the Series 1 finale "End of Days",^[12] Jack returns to the TARDIS, and in the 2007 Doctor Who episode "Utopia", the character meets the Tenth Doctor (David Tennant) and his companion Martha (Freema Agyeman). "End of Days" is the final episode of the first series of the British science fiction television series Torchwood, which " Utopia " is an episode of the British Science fiction television series Doctor Who. The Tenth Doctor is the name given to the tenth incarnation of the Fictional character known as the Doctor seen on screen in the long-running David Tennant (born David John McDonald; 18 April 1971 is a Scottish Actor. Dr Martha Jones is a fictional character played by Freema Agyeman in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who Freema Agyeman (born Frema Agyeman on 20 March, 1979) is an English actress of Ghanaian and Iranian descent Jack explains he returned from Satellite 5 to the present day by travelling to 1869 via vortex manipulator, and lived through the 20th century waiting for the Doctor. This is a list of items from the BBC Television series Doctor Who. ^[15] By the series finale, having spent a year in an alternate timeline enslaved by the Master (John Simm), Jack opts to return to his team in Cardiff, after cryptically hinting that he and the mysterious "Face of Boe" (a recurring character voiced by Struan Rodger) may be one and the same. The Master is a recurring character in the British Science fiction television series Doctor Who. John Ronald Simm (born 10 July 1970 in Leeds, West Yorkshire) is an English Actor and Musician. The Face of Boe is a Fictional character in the British Science fiction television series Doctor Who that appears to consist Struan Rodger (born 1956) is a British actor who has appeared widely in a range of supporting roles since 1971 ^[16][17]

In 2008, Torchwood series two began with Jack returning to his team to find they have moved on without him, with Gwen leading the team. Returning with a new attitude,^[18][19] Jack finds his team more insistent to learn of his past after meeting his former partner, the villainous Captain John Hart (James Marsters). The following is a list of characters in the BBC science fiction television series Torchwood, including supporting characters and important human villains James Wesley Marsters (born August 20, 1962) is an American actor and musician best known for playing the popular platinum-blond character Spike ^[20] The episode "Adam" explores Jack's childhood in the Boeshane Peninsula, revealing through flashback sequences how his father Franklin (Demetri Goritsas) died and a young Jack (Jack Montgomery) lost his younger brother Gray (Ethan Brooke) during an alien invasion after releasing his hand. " Adam " is the fifth episode of the second series of British science fiction television series Torchwood, which was broadcast by In history film television and other media a flashback (also called analepsis) is an interjected scene that takes the narrative back in time from the current Demetri Goritsa is an American Actor. From Greek and Norwegian parentage Goritsas was born in Eugene Oregon, USA, Jack Montgomery (WEED (born 1992 is an English Child actor, who has appeared in television stage productions and motion pictures The following is a list of characters in the BBC science fiction television series Torchwood, including supporting characters and important human villains This article is about invasion by Extra-terrestrial beings as a theme for other uses of the term see Alien invasion (disambiguation. ^[21] The series' penultimate episode "Fragments" features flashback scenes depicting Jack's capture by Torchwood in the late 19th century. " Fragments " is the twelfth and Penultimate episode of the second series of British science fiction television series Torchwood The 19th century of the Common Era began on January 1, 1801 and ended on December 31, 1900, according to the Gregorian calendar Initially their prisoner, Jack is contracted into becoming a freelance agent for the organisation, eventually appointed the leader of Torchwood Three at the turn of the 21st century. A freelancer, freelance worker, or freelance is a person who pursues a profession without a long-term commitment to any one employer The New Year is an event that happens when a Culture celebrates the end of one Year and the beginning of the next year The 21st century is the current century of the Christian Era or Common Era in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ^[22] The series finale featured the return of Captain John and Jack's brother Gray (Lachlan Nieboer); who after a lifetime of torture returns with a vendetta against Jack. Jack is eventually forced to place Gray in cryogenic stasis, and while somewhat repairing his friendship with Captain John, is forced to mourn the losses of teammates Toshiko (Naoko Mori) and Owen (Burn Gorman). Cryopreservation is a process where cells or whole tissues are preserved by cooling to low sub-zero Temperatures such as (typically 77 K or −196 is a Fictional character from the television series Doctor Who and Torchwood, played by Naoko Mori. (born 1975 is a Japanese actress well-known for roles as Sarah Saffron's friend in Absolutely Fabulous, Mie Nishikawa in Casualty Dr Owen Harper is a Fictional character played by Burn Gorman, and a regular in the BBC television series Torchwood, a Burn Gorman is a British - American Actor and Musician born in 1974 ^[23] John Barrowman will also appear as Jack in episodes of the 2008 series of Doctor Who,^[24] including its series finale. ^[25]

Literature

Jack as he appears in the first Torchwood comic book, art by SL Gallant; the character is featured in a number of different mediums.

Jack does not feature on the cover of the Doctor Who books in which he appears, but is visible alongside the Torchwood cast on the cover of each Torchwood novel and audiobook. Torchwood is a British science fiction Drama Television programme, created by Russell T Davies and starring John Barrowman Torchwood is a British science fiction Drama Television programme, created by Russell T Davies and starring John Barrowman Jack features in the BBC Books "New Series Adventures" Doctor Who novels The Deviant Strain by Justin Richards,^[26] The Stealers of Dreams by Steve Lyons,^[27] and Only Human by Gareth Roberts. The New Series Adventures are a series of spin-off novels based on the long-running BBC Science fiction Television series Doctor Who The Deviant Strain is a BBC Books original novel written by Justin Richards and based on the long-running British science fiction television Justin Richards is a British writer He has written many spin off novels based on the BBC Science fiction Television series Doctor The Stealers of Dreams is a BBC Books original novel written by Steve Lyons and based on the long-running British science fiction television Steve Lyons is a British writer He has written several Doctor Who spin-off novels as well as programme guides for Star Trek Only Human is a BBC Books original novel written by Gareth Roberts and based on the long-running British science fiction television Gareth John Pritchard Roberts (born 1968 is a British Television Screenwriter and Novelist, best known for his work related to the science-fiction ^[28] These novels take place between episodes of the 2005 series of Doctor Who. In The Stealers of Dreams, Jack refers to the Face of Boe as a famous figure in his home era; the producers of the series had not conceptualised the possibility of a Jack and Boe connection until mid-way into the production of the 2007 series. ^[17] Captain Jack also appears the BBC Books Torchwood series of novels. The first wave, Another Life by Peter Anghelides,^[29] Border Princes by Dan Abnett,^[30] and Slow Decay by Andy Lane,^[31] were published in January 2007 and were set between episodes of the first series of Torchwood. Another Life is a BBC Books original novel written by Peter Anghelides and based on the British science fiction television, Peter Anghelides is an author and dramatist best known for his work on various spin-offs related to the BBC television series Doctor Who. Border Princes is a BBC Books original novel written by Dan Abnett and based on the British science fiction television, Dan Abnett (born October 12, 1965) is a British Comic book writer and Novelist. Slow Decay is a BBC Books original novel written by Andy Lane and based on the British science fiction television, Doctor Andrew Lane (born 1963 who also writes as Andy Lane, is a British author and journalist

Published in March 2008, and tying in with the concurrently airing second series of Torchwood, Jack appears in the novels Trace Memory by David Llewellyn,^[32] The Twilight Streets by Gary Russell,^[33] and Something in the Water by Trevor Baxendale. Trace Memory is a BBC Books original novel written by David Llewellyn and based on the British science fiction television, David Llewellyn, the name of several people may refer to David Llewellyn (Australian politician Member of the Tasmanian Parliament David Llewellyn The Twilight Streets is a BBC Books original novel written by Gary Russell and based on the British science fiction television, Gary Russell (born 18 September 1963) is a freelance Writer and former Child actor. Something in the Water is a BBC Books original novel written by Trevor Baxendale and based on the British science fiction television Trevor Baxendale is a novelist who has penned several Doctor Who tie-in novels and audio dramas ^[34] The Twilight Streets offers some revelations about the character of Jack in other periods, although with all Doctor Who and Torchwood spin-off media, the canonicity in relation to the television series is unclear. This article is not about Literary canons of influential works of fiction but about the concept of a canon which defines the world of a particular fictional series ^[35] The Twilight Streets suggests Jack was a freelance Torchwood agent in the 1940s, who disagreed with their methods but was persuaded by the love of an ex-boyfriend, Greg, and also that during the events of the Doctor Who episode "Boom Town" (which was set in Cardiff),^[3] Jack placed a lockdown on Torchwood activity so as not to create a paradox. " Boom Town " is an episode in the British Science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast on Some of the details given in this novel were later confirmed "canon" in the backstory-centric episode "Fragments". October 2008 will see the release of three more Torchwood books by Peter Anghelides, series writer Phil Ford and writer for the Who and Torchwood websites, James Goss, the latter's cover for Almost Perfect reflecting changes to the cast after the episode 2008 finale episode "Exit Wounds". Phil Ford is a British Television Writer. It has been confirmed in Doctor Who Magazine #393 that he is the head writer of the upcoming second series of James Goss (born 1974 was a senior content producer for the BBC and in charge of the BBC's official Doctor Who website Almost Perfect is a BBC Books original novel written by James Goss and based on the British science fiction television, ^[36]

In addition to the paperback novels, Jack also appears in Torchwood audio books, the first two being Hidden written by Steven Savile and narrated by Naoko Mori,^[37] and Everyone Says Hello written by Dan Abnett and narrated by Burn Gorman. Hidden is a BBC Audiobooks original audiobook written by Steven Savile and based on the British science fiction television, Steven Savile (born October 12 1969 in Newcastle, England) is a British Fantasy and horror writer and editor living in Everyone Says Hello is a BBC Audiobooks original audiobook written by Dan Abnett and based on the British science fiction television ^[38] First published in January 2008, the monthly Torchwood Magazine began occasionally including Torchwood comic strips, in which Jack also appears. Torchwood Magazine is a British Magazine devoted to the Science fiction television series Torchwood. Below is a list of spin-off comics based on the British television series Torchwood.

Airing during series one of Torchwood, the Torchwood website located at http://www.torchwood.org.uk recounted some adventures by Captain Jack through an alternate reality game made up of electronic literature in the form of fictional incercepted blogs, newspaper cutouts and confidential letters and IM conversations between members of the Tochwood Three crew. An alternate reality game ( ARG) is an interactive Narrative that uses the real world as a platform often involving multiple media and game elements to tell Electronic literature is a Literary genre consisting of works of Literature that originate within digital environments Written by James Goss, the first series' website (archived here, August 24 2007) sheds some light on Jack's backstory in the years he worked for Torchwood. For series two in 2008, a second interactive Torchwood online game was devised, scripted by series writer Phil Ford, and as with the 2006 website contained some information on Jack's unseen adventures. During series 4 of Doctor Who, the BBC website also includes a section called "Captain Jack's Monster Files" featuring weekly videos narrated by John Barrowman in character as Captain Jack giving "top secret" facts collected by Torchwood about Doctor Who monsters, such as the Slitheen. The Slitheen are a family of massive bipedal extraterrestrials from the British Science fiction television series Doctor Who and adversaries

Characterisation

Character creation

In naming the character, executive producer and head writer Russell T Davies drew inspiration from the Marvel Comics character Agatha Harkness,^[40] a character whose surname Davies had previously used in naming lead characters in Century Falls and The Grand. Motion Pictures An executive producer of a Motion picture is typically a producer who is sometimes involved in creative or technical aspects of production A Head Writer (HW is a person who is in charge of a television/radio series' writing team Russell T Davies, OBE (born Stephen Russell Davies, 27 April, 1963) is a critically acclaimed British Television producer Marvel Comics is an American comic book company owned by Marvel Publishing Inc Agatha Harkness is a Fictional character, a powerful witch in the Marvel Comics universe. Century Falls is a British Cross-genre series broadcast in six twenty-five minute episodes on BBC One in early 1993 Jack's original appearances in Doctor Who were conceived with the intention of forming a character arc in which Jack is transformed from a coward to a hero,^[6] and John Barrowman consciously minded this in his portrayal of the character. A character arc is the status of the character as it unfolds throughout the story, the Storyline or series of episodes ^[39] Following on that arc, the character's debut episode would leave his morality as ambiguous, publicity materials asking, "Is he a force for good or ill?"^[41]

The character's introduction served to posit him as a secondary hero and a rival to the series protagonist, the Doctor,^[42] simultaneously paralleling the Doctor's detached alien nature with Jack's humanity and "heart". ^[43] In another contrast, where the Doctor is a pacifist, Jack is more inclined to see violent means to reach similar ends. John Barrowman has described Jack as the Doctor's "muscle and guns man". ^[25] Whereas in the classic series the female "companions" were sometimes exploited and sexualised for the entertainment of predominantly male audiences, the producers could reverse this dynamic with Jack, citing an equal need amongst modern audiences to "look at good looking men". John Barrowman linked the larger number of women watching the show as a key factor in this. ^[44]

John Barrowman himself was a key factor in the conception of Captain Jack. Barrowman describes that at the time of his initial casting, Davies and co-executive producer, Julie Gardner had explained to him that they "basically wrote the character around [John]". Julie Gardner (born June 1969 is a Welsh Television producer who is currently both Controller of Drama Commissioning at BBC Television and Head ^[45] John recounts Davies as having been searching for an actor with a "matinée idol quality", telling him that "the only one in the whole of Britain who could do it was you". A number of television critics have likened John's performance as Captain Jack to those of Hollywood actor Tom Cruise. United States cinema has had a profound effect on cinema across the world since the early 20th century Thomas Cruise Mapother IV ( born July 3 1962 better known by his screen name Tom Cruise, is an American Actor and Film producer ^{[46][47][48][49]}

Jack is bisexual,^[50][45] and is also the first Doctor Who character to be openly anything other than heterosexual. Heterosexuality refers to sexual behavior with or attraction to people of the opposite sex or to a heterosexual orientation In Jack's first appearance, the Doctor suggests that Jack's orientation is more common in the 51st century, when mankind will deal with multiple alien species and becomes more sexually flexible. ^[2] Within Doctor Who's narrative, Jack's sexual orientation is not specifically labeled as that could "make it an issue". ^[45][51] The bisexuality-related labels "pansexual" and "omnisexual" are also frequently applied to the character. Pansexuality or anthrosexuality ( anthro- literally meaning human human sexual (sometimes referred to as omnisexuality) is a Sexual orientation ^[52] Writer Steven Moffat suggests that questions of sexual orientation do not even enter into Jack's mind. Steven Moffat (born 1961 in Paisley, Scotland) is a Scottish Comedy / Drama writer who has contributed to Television series ^[53] Within Torchwood, the character refers to sexual orientation classifications as "quaint". Sexual orientation is believed to refer to "an enduring pattern of emotional romantic and/or sexual attractions to men women or both sexes ^[11] In an interview with the Chicago Tribune, John Barrowman explained that "[H]e’s bisexual, but in the realm of the show, we call him omnisexual, because on the show, [the characters] also have sex with aliens who take human form, and sex with male-male, women-women, all sorts of combinations. The Chicago Tribune is a major daily Newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, and owned by the Tribune Company "^[50]

I didn’t make Captain Jack bisexual from any principle, but because I thought it would be interesting from a narrative point of view. But having created him, I’ll defend him to the hilt.
—Russell T Davies^[54]

Characteristics

The character is described as both "lethally charming. . . good looking and utterly captivating",^[41] as well as "flirtatious, cunning, clever and a bit of an action man". ^[44] Within Doctor Who, Jack's personality is relatively light-hearted, although this changes in Torchwood's first series, where he becomes a darker character. ^[55] In Torchwood Series 1, Jack has been shaped by his ongoing search for the Doctor and also by his role as a leader, in which he is predominantly more aloof. ^[8] In Torchwood, he would occasionally inquire or muse about the afterlife and religion,^[56] sympathising with a man's desire to die. ^[57] Returning in Doctor Who Series 3, Jack indicates he now maintains a less suicidal outlook than before. ^[15][58] In the second series of Torchwood, Jack became a much more light-hearted character once again, after appearances in Doctor Who where he was reunited with the Doctor. ^[18][19] From the pilot of Torchwood onwards, Harkness wears period military clothes from the second World War, including braces and an officer's wool greatcoat in every appearance. "Everything Changes" is an episode in the British science fiction television programme Torchwood, which was first broadcast The British Army uniform developed along roughly the same lines as Uniforms in other European armies Suspenders or Galluses, known as Braces in British English are fabric or leather straps worn over the shoulders to hold up Trousers. A greatcoat, also known as a watchcoat is a large overcoat typically made of wool designed for warmth and protection against the elements

When he observes fellow companion Martha Jones exhibiting feelings of unrequited love for the Doctor, he subtly admits he felt a degree of unrequited attraction for the Time Lord as well. The Time Lords are a fictional race and civilization in the British Science fiction television series Doctor Who, of which the series' ^[59] Jack also appears to harbour romantic feelings for two of his employees, Gwen and Ianto, telling them both that they were the reason he returned to Cardiff, and asking Ianto on a date. ^[20] In several instances in Torchwood, Jack displays no qualms about killing a person of any species,^[60][61][62] which within Doctor Who, allows Jack's character to act in ways the lead character cannot. ^[8] When reuniting with the Doctor in the 2007 series, he is verbally warned "don't you dare" when pointing a gun,^[15] and scolded when contemplating snapping the Master's neck. ^[59] Witnessing the murder of his colleague Owen Harper (Burn Gorman), Jack shoots his killer in the forehead, killing him in an act of swift revenge. Dr Owen Harper is a Fictional character played by Burn Gorman, and a regular in the BBC television series Torchwood, a Burn Gorman is a British - American Actor and Musician born in 1974 The following is a list of characters in the BBC science fiction television series Torchwood, including supporting characters and important human villains ^[63] Whilst the Doctor scolds Jack for joining the Torchwood Institute (an organisation he perceives as xenophobic and aggressive), Jack maintains that he reformed the Institute in the Doctor's image;^[59] Jack himself had initially been critical of the moral failings of a 19th century Torchwood. Xenophobia is an intense and/or irrational dislike and sometimes fear of people from other countries ^[22]

Character development

The character's unexpected popularity with all audiences^[6][64][49] would later shape his appearances both as a traditional "action hero" and as a positive role model for younger viewers. This is a list of action heroes who appear in a number of genres including Action films Adventure films Swashbuckler films, Television Westerns ^[65] Expanding upon his action hero role, the character would develop some supernatural abilities in Torchwood, primary among them a seemingly absolute immortality (with alternate mechanisms of resurrection and invulnerability),^[15] the ability to heal others through kissing,^[11][61] and also a limited degree of telepathy. Telepathy ( Greek τηλε tele meaning "distant" and πάθεια patheia meaning "to be affected by" describes the purported transfer ^[62] Jack also alludes in one episode to evolved "51st century pheromones", which make him more sexually attractive. Human evolution, or anthropogenesis, is the part of biological Evolution concerning the emergence of Homo sapiens as a distinct Species A pheromone (from Greek φέρω phero "to bear" + ‘ορμόνη " Hormone " is a Chemical that triggers a natural ^[22] Russell T Davies referred to a scene in "Last of the Time Lords" as promoting a theory that Jack may one day become recurring character "the Face of Boe" (a large, mysterious disembodied head in a jar) as a consequence of his immortality and slow aging. ^[17] The Face first appeared in 2005 episode "The End of the World", appearing fully three times and maintaining a presence through to the end of the 2007 series. " The End of the World " is an episode in the British science-fiction television series Doctor Who that was first broadcast

Critical reception and impact

Following the character's initial introduction in the revived series 1 of Doctor Who, the character became incredibly popular with fans,^[6][66][64] to the extent that Russell T Davies and Julie Gardner created a spin-off series, Torchwood, primarily centred around the character. Julie Gardner (born June 1969 is a Welsh Television producer who is currently both Controller of Drama Commissioning at BBC Television and Head ^[45] The Times described the undeniable success of the character as having propelled actor John Barrowman to "National Treasure status". The Times is a daily national Newspaper published in the United Kingdom since 1785 when it was known as The Daily Universal Register. ^[67] Part of Jack's mystique was his sex appeal, swashbuckling heroism and sexual appetite. ^[68] In anticipation of the character's return to Doctor Who in series 3 after a successful run in the first series of Torchwood, mainstream media hailed his return. ^[67]

I do watch a lot of television science fiction, and it is a particularly sexless world. With a lot of the material from America, I think gay, lesbian and bisexual characters are massively underrepresented, especially in science fiction, and I'm just not prepared to put up with that. It's a very macho, testosterone-driven genre on the whole, very much written by straight men. I think Torchwood possibly has television's first bisexual male hero, with a very fluid sexuality for the rest of the cast as well. We're a beacon in the darkness.
—Russell T Davies^[69]

In the media, Jack is described as both the "first openly gay companion" and as a "hunky bisexual". ^[70] Jack's notability is largely due to his mainstream representation of a bisexual man in science fiction television, for whom sexual identity is "matter-of-fact",^[68] and not an issue. Sexual identity is a term that like sex, has two distinctively different meanings ^[51] The ordinariness with which Jack's orientation is regarded within Doctor Who embodies part of a political statement about changing societal views of homosexuality. Homosexuality refers to sexual behavior with or attraction to people of the same sex or to a Homosexual orientation. ^[44] The distinct flexibility of Jack's sexuality contributed directly towards the character's popularity and public interest. ^[44] The overtness of Jack's sexuality broke new grounds, the labels "pansexual" and "omnisexual" being applied to the character on occasion. In "The Parting of the Ways", Jack kissed both Rose and the Doctor on the lips,^[5] the latter being the first same-sex kiss in the history of the programme. Despite the boldness of the first LGB character in the series' run, there has been very little uproar about the character, although there was some controversy at the time of Jack's introduction. LGBT (also GLBT) is an initialism referring collectively to Lesbian, Gay, bisexual, and Transgender / transsexual ^[71] Speculating, Barrowman tries to link Jack's popularity with this portrayal, noting "I think audiences just get Jack because he's honest . . . to finally see a character who doesn't care who he flirts with, I think is a bit refreshing. "^[18]

The presence of the character in prime time television sparked discussion of the nature of bisexuality in a number of outlets where normally it is dismissed or overlooked. Prime Time is the major News analysis current affairs and Politics programme broadcast on Radio Telefís Éireann in Ireland Bisexual erasure is the tendency to ignore remove falsify or reexplain evidence of Bisexuality in the historical record, academic materials, the ^{[40][52][72][73]} Channel4.com cites Jack as a positive role model for gay and bisexual teenagers,^[10][74] where little had been present for this audience in years gone by and subsequently leading to a greater culture of tolerance. Channel 4 is a public-service Television and Radio broadcaster in the United Kingdom centred around a television channel of the same name which began Readers of AfterElton.com, a gay mens' website, voted Jack the tenth best gay or bisexual television character of all time, the poll itself ultimately being won by Queer as Folk character Brian Kinney (also the product of Russell T Davies). AfterEllencom is a website that focuses on the portrayal of Lesbians and Bisexual women in the media. Queer as Folk is an American and Canadian Television series co-production produced by Showtime and Temple Street Productions Brian Kinney is one of the main characters on the Showtime television series Queer As Folk. The website praised Jack - one of only two bisexual characters on the list of 25 - for being having both "tough" and "tender" sides to his personality, as seen in the Torchwood episode "Captain Jack Harkness". ^[75] Amongst science fiction characters, Jack also topped another AfterElton rundown of top characters, beating Hellblazer's John Constantine for the top spot, commenting upon Jack's representation of a "'post-gay' approach to sexual themes" and awarding him a full 10/10 for cultural significance. Hellblazer is a contemporary horror Comic book series published by the Vertigo imprint of DC Comics. John Constantine ( May 10, 1953 in Liverpool, England) is the fictional Protagonist of the comic series Postmodernity (also spelled post-modernity or the pejorative postmodern condition) is generally used to describe the economic and/or cultural state or condition ^[76]

Jack has gone on to become a recognisable figure in the British public consciousness, and therefore has attracted some parody. The character of Jack Harkness has been parodied several times on the satirical impressionist television show Dead Ringers. An impressionist is a performer whose act consists of giving the "impression" of being someone else by imitating the other person's voice and mannerisms Dead Ringers was a UK Radio and Television Comedy impressions show which first broadcast on BBC Radio 4 and Played by Jon Culshaw, the show pokes fun at his bisexuality and apparent campness, as well his melodramatic personality in Torchwood. Jonathan Peter Culshaw (born 2 June 1968 in Ormskirk, Lancashire) is a British impressionist and Comedian In one sketch, he walks bizarrely towards the camera, kissing a policeman as he passes him. ^[77] In another sketch, he can be seen having a threesome with two Cybermen,^[78] classic Doctor Who villains dating back to 1966. A threesome is a form of Group sex involving three people of any gender combination The Cybermen are a Fictional race of Cyborgs who are amongst the most persistent enemies of the Doctor in the British Science fiction television ^[79] The character's popularity with young children has led to the creation of a Captain Jack action figure. The first figurine depicts Jack as he appeared in his introductory episodes,^[80] specifically "The Empty Child", in RAF uniform and carrying a sonic blaster. sonic screwdriver is a Fictional Tool in the British Science fiction television series Doctor Who. However, a second Doctor Who figure of Jack appears as part of its 2008 wave of repackaged Series 1-3 figures, revising its depiction of Jack to better match his later greycoat and revolver look as seen in Torchwood and later Doctor Who appearances. ^[81] The company GetRetro and their retail division, SciFiCollector, is planning to release a Jack action figure as part of their first wave of Torchwood action figures. ^[82][83]

References

External links

• Captain Jack Harkness on the BBC's Doctor Who website
• Captain Jack Harkness on the BBC's Torchwood website
• Captain Jack Harkness at the Internet Movie Database