Ianto Jones on:
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' s " Aliens of London". Idris Hopper has since appeared in
' s Jack, Ianto's love interest, receiving first place. ''Wired'' magazine was impressed with the way Ianto's romantic storyline was handled in the third series, and praised Davies's writing for the "deft, sympathetic handling" of the Harkness-Jones romance, compared with the "clumsiness" of the show's homoerotic overtones in previous series. Because Ianto's storyline grows out of the reality of the show, "it plays with such genuine sympathy and pathos that Jones's eventual fate is easily the miniseries' most powerful moment." ''Wired'' describes David-Lloyd's performance as Jones as "a key element in the success of the five-episode story arc." One AfterElton contributor disliked the death scene partially for the loss of a "beloved gay character", and because Ianto's death was caused by Jack's stupidity, goading on the aliens. They compared the death scene to that of Tara (' s ' s Tara, in a larger literary tradition, commenting "just as
Most of the fans expressed their displeasure following Ianto's death in the third series. The website End of Show comments that "writer James Moran was so inundated with messages to his ' s third series, a campaign to bring him back was started through networking sites such as LiveJournal, Twitter and Facebook. The resulting website, 
In an interview with io9 on 28 July 2009, creator Russell T Davies was asked about the controversy surrounding Ianto's death and the fan reaction campaign. He replied "There's a campaign, because he was a coffee boy. But do you know how many packets of coffee they've received so far? Nine. So I think people writing online might sound like thousands of people, but they are nine." However, those involved in the movement believe that this number is much higher due to a post tallying the coffee sent within the community. When asked about the backlash in a separate interview with
Ianto Jones at the BBC Official ''Torchwood'' websiteIanto Jones at the BBC Torchwood Institute website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, Ianto Torchwood characters Fictional bisexual males Fictional hackers Fictional secret agents and spies Fictional Welsh people Television characters introduced in 2006 Crossover characters in television Male characters in television Fictional LGBT characters in television
Ianto Jones is a
fictional character
In fiction, a character (or speaker, in poetry) is a person or other being in a narrative (such as a novel, play, radio or television series, music, film, or video game). The character may be entirely fictional or based on a real-life perso ...
in the BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...television program
Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...
me ''Torchwood
''Torchwood'' is a British science fiction television programme created by Russell T Davies. A spin-off of the 2005 revival of ''Doctor Who'', it aired from 2006 to 2011. The show shifted its broadcast channel each series to reflect its growin ...
'', a spin-off from the long-running series '' Doctor Who'', played by Welsh actor Gareth David-Lloyd
Gareth David Lloyd (born 28 March 1981), known professionally as Gareth David-Lloyd, is a Welsh actor and writer best known for his role as Ianto Jones in the British science fiction series ''Torchwood.''
Early life
He was born in Bettws, Newp ...
. A regular within the show, Ianto appears in every episode of the programme's first three series excluding the finale of series 3, as well as two crossover episodes of ''Torchwood''s parent show, '' Doctor Who''. Additionally, Ianto appears in Expanded Universe material such as the ''Torchwood'' novels and audiobooks, comic books and radio plays
Radio drama (or audio drama, audio play, radio play, radio theatre, or audio theatre) is a dramatized, purely acoustic performance. With no visual component, radio drama depends on dialogue, music and sound effects to help the listener imagine ...
. Within the narrative
A narrative, story, or tale is any account of a series of related events or experiences, whether nonfictional (memoir, biography, news report, documentary, travelogue, etc.) or fictional ( fairy tale, fable, legend, thriller, novel, etc. ...
of the series, Ianto begins as general support officer for Torchwood Three
The Torchwood Institute, or simply Torchwood, is a fictional secret organisation from the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'' and its spin-off series ''Torchwood''. It was established in 1879 by Queen Victoria after the e ...
, a team of alien hunters stationed in Cardiff
Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...
, and develops into an active field agent. Initially the regular character with the least screen time, Ianto's role expanded in response to growing cult appeal.
Reserved and efficient, Ianto was often used by writers to add humorous asides to the episodes' scripts. The character becomes the main romantic interest
Romance or romantic love is a feeling of love for, or a strong attraction towards another person, and the courtship behaviors undertaken by an individual to express those overall feelings and resultant emotions.
The ''Wiley Blackwell Encyc ...
of Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman
John Scot Barrowman (born 11 March 1967) is a Scottish-American actor, author, presenter, singer and comic book writer. He is known for his role as Captain Jack Harkness in ''Doctor Who'' and '' Torchwood'', and as Malcolm Merlyn in the Arrowv ...
), who is the lead male of the series. Established to have had heterosexual relationships prior to the series, Ianto's story forms a part of the show's ongoing exploration of human sexuality
Human sexuality is the way people experience and express themselves sexually. This involves biological, psychological, physical, erotic, emotional, social, or spiritual feelings and behaviors. Because it is a broad term, which has varied ...
. Expanded Universe material develops on Ianto's sexual orientation
Sexual orientation is an enduring pattern of romantic or sexual attraction (or a combination of these) to persons of the opposite sex or gender, the same sex or gender, or to both sexes or more than one gender. These attractions are generall ...
and the nature of the relationship with Jack, describing Ianto as bisexual and his feelings for Jack as genuine love. Additionally, writers have used these other media to explore Ianto's characterisation; for example, some stories elaborate on Ianto's backstory
A backstory, background story, back-story, or background is a set of events invented for a plot, presented as preceding and leading up to that plot. It is a literary device of a narrative history all chronologically earlier than the narrative o ...
, or provide insight into his feelings.
Beginning as a casual relationship
Casual dating or a casual relationship is a physical and emotional relationship between two people who may have casual sex or a near- sexual relationship without necessarily demanding or expecting the additional commitments of a more formal rom ...
, with little on-screen definition given, Ianto and Jack's relationship deepened over the first three seasons of the programme. The character's creator Russell T Davies
Stephen Russell Davies (born 27 April 1963), better known as Russell T Davies, is a Welsh screenwriter and television producer whose works include ''Queer as Folk'', '' The Second Coming'', ''Casanova'', the 2005 revival of the BBC One scien ...
chose to kill off
The killing off of a character is a device in fiction, whereby a character dies, but the story continues. The term, frequently applied to television, film, video game, anime, manga and chronological series, often denotes an untimely or unexpect ...
Ianto in the third television series. Professional critics by and large gave the story extremely positive reviews. A number of fans, however, were upset by the death of the character, particularly with regards to the romantic storyline's abrupt ending. Artistically, Davies felt that the relationship's unexplored potential maximised the viewer's sense of grief. Subsequent to the departure, fans set up websites in the character's honour, petitioning the writers to resurrect him in future episodes of the series, raising money for charity. ''Torchwood'' writers and actors have expressed an unwillingness to reduce the weight of the death scene by bringing the character back, though David-Lloyd penned a ''Torchwood'' comic book wherein an alternative universe Ianto survives.
Depictions
Television
The character of Ianto Jones is introduced in thefirst episode
A series premiere is the first aired installment of an episodic entertainment series, most often a television series. In the United States, many series premieres are aired in the fall time or, for mid-season replacements, either in the spring or ...
of ''Torchwood'', in 2006. Introduced as a mild-mannered and quiet administrator working for Torchwood Three, the first episode to focus on him was "Cyberwoman
"Cyberwoman" is the fourth episode of the first series of the British science fiction television series ''Torchwood''. Written by Chris Chibnall and directed by James Strong, the episode was first broadcast on the digital channel BBC Three o ...
", which dealt with both his backstory and motivations. In the episode, Ianto is revealed as a former employee of Torchwood One in London (first seen in parent series ''Doctor Who''), whose girlfriend Lisa Lisa or LISA may refer to:
People
People with the mononym
* Lisa Lisa (born 1967), American actress and lead singer of the Cult Jam
* Lisa (Japanese musician, born 1974), stylized "LISA", Japanese singer and producer
* Lisa Komine (born 1978), J ...
(Caroline Chikezie
Caroline Chikezie (born 19 February 1974) is a British Nigerian actress, best known for playing Sasha Williams in '' As If'', and Elaine Hardy in ''Footballers' Wives''. In recent years she has gained popularity as Angela Ochello in the Niger ...
) has been partially converted into a Cyberman
The Cybermen are a fictional race of cyborgs principally portrayed in the British science fiction television programme ''Doctor Who''. The Cybermen are a species of space-faring cyborgs who often forcefully and painfully convert human beings ( ...
, a cyborg species seen repeatedly in ''Doctor Who''. Ianto has been keeping her alive, concealed in the basement of the Hub, but she eventually breaks loose and kills two civilians. Ianto is forced into confrontation with team leader Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman
John Scot Barrowman (born 11 March 1967) is a Scottish-American actor, author, presenter, singer and comic book writer. He is known for his role as Captain Jack Harkness in ''Doctor Who'' and '' Torchwood'', and as Malcolm Merlyn in the Arrowv ...
), who is later able to revive Ianto with a kiss when Lisa knocks him unconscious. Ultimately, the rest of Ianto's team is forced to kill Lisa. Although Ianto's thoughts continue to be concerned with Lisa, mid-series he begins to develop a sexual relationship with Jack. By the penultimate episode of the series, Ianto is willing to shoot colleague Owen Harper
Dr Owen James Harper is a fictional character played by Burn Gorman, and a regular in the BBC television series ''Torchwood'', a spin-off from the long-running series ''Doctor Who''. The character last appeared onscreen in the Series 2 finale, ...
(Burn Gorman
Burn Hugh Winchester Gorman (born 1 September 1974) is an English actor and musician. He is known for his roles as Owen Harper in the BBC series ''Torchwood'' (2006–2008), Phillip Stryver in ''The Dark Knight Rises'' (2012), Karl Tanner in the ...
) to protect Jack, and refutes claims he is merely his "part time shag
Shag, or Shagged, or Shagger, or Shagging, or Shags may refer to:
Animals
* Shag or cormorant, a bird family
** European shag, a specific species of the shag or cormorant family
** Great cormorant another species of the family
People Pseudonym
...
". In the series finale, an image of what appears to be Lisa's ghost is used to bring Ianto to mutiny against Jack, but still later when Jack (who cannot stay dead) returns to life, he and Ianto immediately kiss one another.
''Torchwood''s second series (2008) begins with the team working without Jack, who departed the Hub at the end of series one to reunite with the mysterious "Doctor
Doctor or The Doctor may refer to:
Personal titles
* Doctor (title), the holder of an accredited academic degree
* A medical practitioner, including:
** Physician
** Surgeon
** Dentist
** Veterinary physician
** Optometrist
*Other roles
** ...
" from his past. Ianto's role within the team now more frequently includes field missions, to accommodate Jack's absence. When Jack returns in the series two premiere, having seen the end of the world, he attempts to formalise his romantic relationship with Ianto, successfully asking him on a date. Jack and Ianto's relationship becomes more overt, and Ianto's character becomes less burdened by secrets and happier, beginning to express a newfound confidence and dour sense of humour. The penultimate episode of the series, " Fragments" explores Ianto's backstory, specifically how he was recruited into Torchwood Three two years prior; Ianto is persistent that Jack hire him after the destruction of Torchwood One, but only succeeds once he is able to aid Jack in capturing a stray pterodactyl
Pterosaurs (; from Greek ''pteron'' and ''sauros'', meaning "wing lizard") is an extinct clade of flying reptiles in the order, Pterosauria. They existed during most of the Mesozoic: from the Late Triassic to the end of the Cretaceous (228 to 6 ...
. In the second series finale, Ianto and the team face Jack's 51st-century ex Captain John Hart Captain John Hart may refer to:
*Captain John Hart (Torchwood), fictional character on Torchwood TV Series
*John Hart (South Australian colonist)
Captain John Hart CMG (25 February 1809 – 28 January 1873) was a South Australian politician ...
( James Marsters) and younger brother Gray
Grey (more common in British English) or gray (more common in American English) is an intermediate color between black and white. It is a neutral or achromatic color, meaning literally that it is "without color", because it can be composed o ...
(Lachlan Nieboer), who has vengefully sought to destroy Jack's world. After Gray kills his teammates Toshiko
Toshiko is a feminine Japanese given name.
Possible writings
*敏子 "agile/clever, child"
*俊子 "genius, child"
*淑子 "graceful/polite, child"
*寿子 "longevity, child"
*年子 "year/age, child"
*歳子 "age/time, child"
*稔子 "humble, ch ...
(Naoko Mori
(born 29 November 1971) is a Japanese actress based in the United Kingdom. She is known for her roles as Toshiko Sato in ''Doctor Who'' and ''Torchwood'', Yasuko Namba in ''Everest'', Sarah in ''Absolutely Fabulous'' and Nicola in '' Spice Wor ...
) and Owen, the Torchwood team is left with a membership of only three. Following from this, Ianto makes his first crossover appearance in ''Doctor Who'' alongside Gwen (Eve Myles
Eve Myles (born 26 July 1978) is a Welsh actress. She is best known for her television roles portraying Ceri Lewis in the long-running BBC Wales drama series '' Belonging'' (2000–2009), Gwen Cooper in the BBC science-fiction series ''Torchw ...
) and Jack in the two-part finale of the 2008 series, where Torchwood is called on to help contact series protagonist the Doctor (David Tennant
David John Tennant (''né'' McDonald; born 18 April 1971) is a Scottish actor. He rose to fame for his role as the tenth incarnation of the Doctor (2005–2010 and 2013) in the BBC science-fiction TV show ''Doctor Who'', reprising the rol ...
) during a Dalek
The Daleks ( ) are a fictional extraterrestrials in fiction, extraterrestrial race of mutants principally portrayed in the British science fiction on television, science fiction television programme ''Doctor Who''. They were conceived by write ...
invasion.
''Torchwoods third series (2009) is a five-part miniseries broadcast over one week, called '' Children of Earth''. In part one, Ianto starts to express insecurity to Jack about their status as couple. The audience are introduced to Ianto's sister Rhiannon (Katy Wix
Katy Victoria J Wix (born 28 February 1980) is a Welsh actress, writer, author and artist. She is best known for her television roles as Carole in ''Stath Lets Flats,'' Mary in ''Ghosts'' and Jules in '' Big Boys''. She has also appeared as a s ...
) and brother-in-law Johnny Davies (Rhodri Lewis), who confront Ianto about sightings of him on a date with Jack. Ianto eventually admits to being involved with Jack, but concedes that he is not sure where he stands. When aliens called the 456 return to Earth, John Frobisher (Peter Capaldi
Peter Dougan Capaldi (; born 14 April 1958) is a Scottish actor, director, writer and musician. He portrayed the twelfth incarnation of the Doctor in ''Doctor Who'' (2013–2017) and Malcolm Tucker in '' The Thick of It'' (2005–2012), for ...
) puts a hit on Torchwood's lives to cover a conspiracy. In part two, Ianto and Gwen survive a Hub explosion that obliterates Jack. Once regenerated, Jack is sealed in cement by agent Johnson (Liz May Brice
Elizabeth May Brice (born 8 September 1975) is an English actress. She is known for roles such as the convicted murderer Pat Kerrigan on ITV1's '' Bad Girls'', and Agent Johnson in '' Torchwood: Children of Earth''.
Career
Brice was born in R ...
) until Ianto rescues him with a forklift truck. In part three, the group watch helplessly as the 456 demand a tribute
A tribute (; from Latin ''tributum'', "contribution") is wealth, often in kind, that a party gives to another as a sign of submission, allegiance or respect. Various ancient states exacted tribute from the rulers of land which the state conqu ...
: 10% of the Earth's children; the government appears willing to comply. In part four, Ianto and Jack storm Thames House
Thames House is an office building in Millbank, London, on the north bank of the River Thames adjacent to Lambeth Bridge. Originally used as offices by Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI), it has served as the headquarters of the United Kingdom' ...
to confront the 456. The pair refuse to sacrifice any lives to the alien demands. In response, the aliens release a fatal virus into the atmosphere. Thames House locks down, and Ianto dies in Jack's arms, telling him that he loved him and begging Jack never to forget about him, to which Jack replies he never could.
Literature
Ianto appears in the first six of the ''Torchwood'' novels, published byBBC Books
BBC Books (also formerly known as BBC Publishing) is an imprint majority-owned and managed by Penguin Random House through its Ebury Publishing division. The minority shareholder is BBC Studios, the commercial subsidiary of the British Broadcasti ...
. The first wave, '' Another Life'' by Peter Anghelides
Peter may refer to:
People
* List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name
* Peter (given name)
** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church
* Peter (surname), a sur ...
, ''Border Princes
Borders are usually defined as geographical boundaries, imposed either by features such as oceans and terrain, or by political entities such as governments, sovereign states, federated states, and other subnational entities. Political borders c ...
'' by Dan Abnett
Dan Abnett (born 12 October 1965) is an English comic book writer and novelist. He has been a frequent collaborator with fellow writer Andy Lanning, and is known for his work on books for both Marvel Comics, and their UK imprint, Marvel UK, sinc ...
, and '' Slow Decay'' by Andy Lane
Andrew Lane (born 17 April 1963), as Andy Lane, is a British author and journalist best known for the Young Sherlock Holmes series of Young Adult novels.
He has written novels in the Virgin New Adventures range and audio dramas for Big Fin ...
, were published in January 2007. Published in March 2008, and tying in with the concurrently airing second series of ''Torchwood'', Ianto appears in the novels '' Trace Memory'' by David Llewellyn, '' The Twilight Streets'' by Gary Russell
Gary Russell (born 18 September 1963) is a British freelance writer, producer and former child actor. As a writer, he is best known for his work in connection with the television series ''Doctor Who'' and its spin-offs in other media. As an a ...
, and '' Something in the Water'' by Trevor Baxendale
Trevor Baxendale is a writer. His first ''Doctor Who'' novel ''The Janus Conjunction'' was published by BBC Books in 1998. He has also written novels for ''Torchwood'' and ''Blake's 7'', as well as short stories, comic strips and audio drama scri ...
. October 2008 saw the release of three more ''Torchwood'' books by Peter Anghelides, series writer Phil Ford and writer for the ''Doctor Who'' and ''Torchwood'' websites, James Goss, the latter's cover for ''Almost Perfect
''Almost Perfect'' is an American sitcom television series that aired on CBS from September 17, 1995, until December 11, 1996. The series focused on the professional life of the female executive producer of a television cop show, her witty, zany ...
'' reflecting changes to the cast after the episode 2008 finale episode "Exit Wounds". The character next appears in '' Into the Silence'', '' Bay of the Dead'' and '' The House that Jack Built'' in June 2009, and ''Risk Assessment
Broadly speaking, a risk assessment is the combined effort of:
# identifying and analyzing potential (future) events that may negatively impact individuals, assets, and/or the environment (i.e. hazard analysis); and
# making judgments "on the ...
'', '' The Undertaker's Gift'' and the short story anthology ''Consequences
Consequence may refer to:
* Logical consequence, also known as a ''consequence relation'', or ''entailment''
* In operant conditioning, a result of some behavior
* Consequentialism, a theory in philosophy in which the morality of an act is determi ...
'' in October of that year.
First published in January 2008, the monthly ''Torchwood Magazine
''Torchwood – The Official Magazine'' was a British magazine devoted to the BBC science fiction television series ''Torchwood''. The first issue was released on 24 January 2008 and concluded on 16 December 2010 The United States version was du ...
'' began occasionally including ''Torchwood'' comic strips, in which Ianto also appears. In 2010, ''Shrouded'' is one such two-part comic, written by Gareth David-Lloyd. The comic posits a "what-if" scenario wherein Ianto, "who struggles with his feelings for Jack from the offset", sees a face from the future and embarks on a mission that could change the course of his life (from that of his eventual death in ''Children of Earth''). David Lloyd comments that he "knows hecharacter implicitly". In the first part, Ianto (originating from the timeframe of Season Two) is approached by Rhys and Captain John, both post-''Children of Earth'', who warn Ianto not to believe the offer made by a seductive, time-travelling woman; they do not tell him that their mission is to preserve the timeline in which he dies. In part two, the woman, Mairwyn, informs Ianto of the events of "Exit Wounds" and ''Children of Earth'', and of Jack's departure. Ianto tearfully watches the scene where Jack learns of Gwen's engagement, and sleeps with Mairwyn. After learning of the devastating consequences of assisting Mairwyn, he defeats her and later "retcons
Retroactive continuity, or retcon for short, is a literary device in which established diegetic facts in the plot of a fictional work (those established through the narrative itself) are adjusted, ignored, supplemented, or contradicted by a subse ...
" himself. However, in a divergent timeline Ianto appears with Mairwyn, observing his funeral, saying "I can't believe there's a reality where I said no." In 2010, "Shrouded" was republished in Titan's dedicated ''Torchwood'' comic book.
During series two, the ''Torchwood'' website, www.torchwood.org.uk also hosted an interactive online game written by series writer Phil Ford. Updated weekly with the airing of the new episodes, the website features specially shot footage with Gareth David-Lloyd in character as Ianto debriefing and informing the 'player' with regards to their mission. Throughout both series one and two, the interactive websites co-written by James Goss featured electronic literature content (such as fictitious internet messaging conversations and letters) which depict aspects of Ianto and the other ''Torchwood'' characters' work and personal lives. ''The Torchwood Archives'' by Gary Russell
Gary Russell (born 18 September 1963) is a British freelance writer, producer and former child actor. As a writer, he is best known for his work in connection with the television series ''Doctor Who'' and its spin-offs in other media. As an a ...
collects much of this online literature in hardback form, along with new original material, some of which expands on what we know of Ianto. For example, it introduces his sister, Rhiannon and brother-in-law Johnny; Rhiannon and Johnny later appear in 2009's third televised series.
Spin-off media has tried to fill in the gaps of Ianto's character history from before he began working at Torchwood Three; Ianto's first week at Torchwood One is shown in a flashback in the novel '' Trace Memory''. The segment also depicts his budding relationship with Lisa Hallett. Also expanding on Jones's time living in London, the comic '' The Legacy of Torchwood One!'' (''Torchwood'' #1) shows how Ianto was taken under the wing of Rupert Howarth, a senior researcher, during his first few weeks at Torchwood One. Ianto's characterisation
Characterization or characterisation is the representation of persons (or other beings or creatures) in narrative and dramatic works. The term character development is sometimes used as a synonym. This representation may include direct method ...
is explored in ''The Twilight Streets'', in which Ianto sheds some light on the difficulty he had " coming out" as a teenager; Ianto's mother tried to have a conversation with him about it, but he remarks "She didn't work me out, Gwen. No one has. And if I ever do, I'll let you know." He then engages in a diatribe with Gwen about what it means to him to be bisexual after Gwen jokes to him that he has the "best of both worlds". A scene in David-Lloyd's "Shrouded", in which Ianto is emailing his sister, Owen is seen to wrestle control of the computer and tries to write to her that "I've recently discovered that I'm a Big Old Gay"; Ianto rebukes him. In the storyline's conclusion, an alternate timeline
Alternate history (also alternative history, althist, AH) is a genre of speculative fiction of stories in which one or more historical events occur and are resolved differently than in real life. As conjecture based upon historical fact, altern ...
is created where Ianto did not die in the events of ''Children of Earth''.
However, as with all ''Doctor Who'' and ''Torchwood'' spin-off media, the canonicity
The adjective canonical is applied in many contexts to mean "according to the canon" the standard, rule or primary source that is accepted as authoritative for the body of knowledge or literature in that context. In mathematics, "canonical example ...
in relation to the television series is unclear.
Audio drama
Ianto also appears in ''Torchwood'' audio books, the first two being '' Hidden'' written by Steven Savile and narrated by Naoko Mori, ''Everyone Says Hello
''Everyone Says Hello'' is a BBC Audiobooks original audiobook written by Dan Abnett and based on the British science fiction television, ''Doctor Who'' spin-off series ''Torchwood''. It was released on 4 February 2008.
Plot summary
Early in the ...
'' written by Dan Abnett and narrated by Burn Gorman, released February 2008, and '' In the Shadows'' by Joseph Lidster
Joseph Lidster is an English playwright and screenwriter, best known for his work on the '' Doctor Who'' spin-off series ''Torchwood'' and ''The Sarah Jane Adventures''.
Biography
His debut work was the audio play '' The Rapture'' for Big Finis ...
, released in September 2008. Joseph Lidster also wrote a BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...
''Torchwood'' drama, " Lost Souls" which aired in Summer 2008 as an ''Afternoon Play
''Drama'' (formerly ''Afternoon Theatre'', ''Afternoon Drama,'' ''Afternoon Play'') is a BBC Radio 4 radio drama, broadcast every weekday at 2.15pm. Generally each play is 45 minutes in duration and approximately 190 new plays are broadcast each ...
'' featuring the voices of John Barrowman, Eve Myles, Gareth David-Lloyd and Freema Agyeman
Freema Agyeman (; born Frema Agyeman; 20 March 1979) is a British actress. She rose to fame with her role as the Doctor's companion Martha Jones in the BBC science fiction series ''Doctor Who'' (2007–2010), and received further recognition f ...
(Martha
Martha (Hebrew: מָרְתָא) is a biblical figure described in the Gospels of Luke and John. Together with her siblings Lazarus and Mary of Bethany, she is described as living in the village of Bethany near Jerusalem. She was witness ...
). Set after the events of the 2008 series, Ianto and the team make their first international adventure to CERN in Geneva
, neighboring_municipalities= Carouge, Chêne-Bougeries, Cologny, Lancy, Grand-Saconnex, Pregny-Chambésy, Vernier, Veyrier
, website = https://www.geneve.ch/
Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevr ...
, as part of Radio 4's special celebration of the Large Hadron Collider being switched on. The special radio episode's plot focuses on the Large Hadron Collider's activation and the doomsday scenario
''The Doomsday Scenario'' is the collective name of a series of ''Judge Dredd'' comic stories published in '' 2000 AD'' (progs 1141-1164) and the ''Judge Dredd Megazine'' (vol. 3 #52-59) in 1999. Written by John Wagner, it was the third such cros ...
some predicted it might incite, as well as the team's mourning of Toshiko and Owen's recent deaths.
Three further BBC radio dramas were produced in 2009 for the ''Afternoon Play'' slot on Radio 4, each of which feature Ianto Jones. Chronologically, these occur between the second and third televised series but after "Lost Souls". Transmitted in July 2009, the first drama is "Asylum
Asylum may refer to:
Types of asylum
* Asylum (antiquity), places of refuge in ancient Greece and Rome
* Benevolent Asylum, a 19th-century Australian institution for housing the destitute
* Cities of Refuge, places of refuge in ancient Judea
...
", the second is "Golden Age
The term Golden Age comes from Greek mythology, particularly the '' Works and Days'' of Hesiod, and is part of the description of temporal decline of the state of peoples through five Ages, Gold being the first and the one during which the G ...
", and the third is " The Dead Line". "The Dead Line" in particular focuses on Ianto's characterisation, particularly with respect to his relationship with Jack. AfterElton
TheBacklot.com (TheBacklot), founded in January 2005 as AfterElton.com (AfterElton), was a culture website that focused on the portrayal of gay and bisexual men in the media and was the companion site of AfterEllen.com (AfterEllen). TheBacklot wa ...
reviewers stated that the radio drama "delivers for Janto _portmanteau_used_by_the_ _portmanteau_used_by_the_ shipping_fandom.html"_;"title="shipping_(fandom).html"_;"title="portmanteau.html"_;"title="_portmanteau">_portmanteau_used_by_the_shipping_(fandom)">shipping_fandom">shipping_(fandom).html"_;"title="portmanteau.html"_;"title="_portmanteau">_portmanteau_used_by_the_shipping_(fandom)">shipping_fandomfans";_David-Lloyd_delivers_a_monologue_as_Ianto,_verbalising_his_insecurities_to_a_comatose_Jack._When_Jack_awakens_from_his_coma,_he_promises_"You_will_never_be_just_a_blip_in_time,_Ianto_Jones."Torchwood
''Torchwood'' is a British science fiction television programme created by Russell T Davies. A spin-off of the 2005 revival of ''Doctor Who'', it aired from 2006 to 2011. The show shifted its broadcast channel each series to reflect its growin ...
'' audio dramas with Big Finish Productions, beginning with 2015's ''Fall to Earth
"Fall to Earth" is the second play in the main series of Torchwood audio plays produced by Big Finish Productions. It was written by James Goss and is a spin-off from the British science fiction television series ''Torchwood'', itself a spin- ...
'', in stories taking place prior to Ianto's death.
Characterisation
Conception
Gareth David-Lloyd has revealed that his character was originally named Idris Hopper. This has led to speculation that he was the same Idris Hopper played by Aled Pedrick who appeared in the 2005 ''Doctor Who'' episode "Boom Town
A boomtown is a community that undergoes sudden and rapid population and economic growth, or that is started from scratch. The growth is normally attributed to the nearby discovery of a precious resource such as gold, silver, or oil, although ...
" as Margaret Blaine's (Annette Badland
Annette Badland (born 26 August 1950) is an English actress known for a wide range of roles on television, radio, stage, and film. She is best known for her roles as Margaret Blaine in the BBC science fiction series ''Doctor Who'', Mrs. Glen ...
) personal assistant. Writer Stephen James Walker wonders if Russell T Davies intended Idris to become a major character on ''Torchwood'' in the same way as Toshiko Sato, who originated in ''Doctor Who''Gary Russell
Gary Russell (born 18 September 1963) is a British freelance writer, producer and former child actor. As a writer, he is best known for his work in connection with the television series ''Doctor Who'' and its spin-offs in other media. As an a ...
's ''Torchwood'' novel '' The Twilight Streets''. Initially, Ianto is introduced as a quiet worker and the least active character in the supporting cast. David-Lloyd started the role believing Ianto would be killed off at the end of the first series, and was surprised when they "worked the character to become more popular, and it started growing from there."
When Gareth David-Lloyd was cast in the role, the character was renamed Ianto Jones. This was inspired by the character of Yanto Jones, also played by David-Lloyd, in Russell T Davies's 2004 comedy-drama ''Mine All Mine
''Mine All Mine'' is a British television series produced by Red Production Company for ITV. It was written by Russell T Davies and starred Griff Rhys Jones. The story takes place in Swansea, Wales.
Overview
Rhys Jones plays Max Vivaldi, an e ...
''. Ianto shares the surname "Jones" with ''Doctor Who'' characters Martha Jones
Martha Jones is a fictional character played by Freema Agyeman in the long-running British science fiction television series '' Doctor Who'' and its spin-off series, ''Torchwood''. She is a companion of the Tenth Doctor in ''Doctor Who'', afte ...
and family as well as Harriet Jones
Harriet Jones is a fictional character played by Penelope Wilton in the long-running British science fiction television series '' Doctor Who''. Having worked previously with lead writer and executive producer Russell T Davies, Wilton was keen ...
, ''Torchwood'' character Eugene Jones ("Random Shoes
In common usage, randomness is the apparent or actual lack of pattern or predictability in events. A random sequence of events, symbols or steps often has no order and does not follow an intelligible pattern or combination. Individual rando ...
"), and Stuart Allen Jones in Davies's earlier '' Queer as Folk''; Davies states that reusing names (such as Tyler, Smith, Harper, Harkness and Jones) allows him to get a grip of the character on the blank page. In developing the character's attire, costume designer Ray Holman comments: "Ianto has a very distinct look but his suits actually vary quite a lot. He started off with some nice but boring Marks and Spencers
Marks and Spencer Group plc (commonly abbreviated to M&S and colloquially known as Marks's or Marks & Sparks) is a major British multinational retailer with headquarters in Paddington, London that specialises in selling clothing, beauty, home ...
suits in series one, which were top-end fitted ones but always very sober. Towards the end of series one, I also got him into a waistcoat, and everyone thought that looked really good.
Development
On how he views the character, David-Lloyd says that "outwardly, he's straight-laced, but there's a darker side to him and a very playful side too." Initially, in series one, Ianto is a quiet and more reserved character. Throughout the first series, Ianto's secrets are exposed to the team, particularly in "Cyberwoman" when his motives for joining Torchwood Three are exposed. David-Lloyd was "bowled over" by the Ianto-centric script for "Cyberwoman" and the "wide range of emotions" it allowed him to play. From this point, Ianto's focus changes and he begins more and more to come out of his shell. Appearing in series two, Ianto assists the team in field missions and is used by the writers as a vehicle forone-liner joke
A one-liner is a joke that is delivered in a single line. A good one-liner is said to be pithy – concise and meaningful. Comedians and actors use this comedic method as part of their act, e.g. Jimmy Carr, Tommy Cooper, Rodney Dangerfield, Nor ...
s. Commenting on this, portrayer Gareth David-Lloyd notes that "This season it's much more relaxed and he's not all about keeping secrets, he's about Torchwood and Jack — he's found his meaning and his place so his dry humour comes out a lot more and he's happier." The developments in Ianto's character were also reflected in the wardrobe choice. "For series two," comments Ray Holman, "we evolved the look quite a lot, and now his suits come from all over the place. It's just a question of where I see something that looks right for Gareth, so I've brought him a suit from Savile Row
Savile Row (pronounced ) is a street in Mayfair, central London. Known principally for its traditional bespoke tailoring for men, the street has had a varied history that has included accommodating the headquarters of the Royal Geographical ...
and suits from Zara and Next
Next may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Film
* ''Next'' (1990 film), an animated short about William Shakespeare
* ''Next'' (2007 film), a sci-fi film starring Nicolas Cage
* '' Next: A Primer on Urban Painting'', a 2005 documentary film
Lit ...
. We realised we could be a bit more flash with Ianto now he's come out of the background and started to assert himself a bit more. So we moved him into coloured shirts and snazzier ties. He started off in white and grey shirts but we realised his skin tones can take the extra colour and now he's evolving into something much sharper, which looks really good filmed in high definition."
In ''Torchwood Magazine
''Torchwood – The Official Magazine'' was a British magazine devoted to the BBC science fiction television series ''Torchwood''. The first issue was released on 24 January 2008 and concluded on 16 December 2010 The United States version was du ...
'', actor Gareth David-Lloyd comments on some original character developments intended for Ianto. Originally, his character was the one supposed to die at the end of series two episode " Reset".Hugo, Simon (August 2008) "Me & Mr Jones". ''Torchwood Magazine
''Torchwood – The Official Magazine'' was a British magazine devoted to the BBC science fiction television series ''Torchwood''. The first issue was released on 24 January 2008 and concluded on 16 December 2010 The United States version was du ...
(5) '': 8-14 Davies's plan had originally intended for Ianto to be revived, as Owen eventually was, in episode seven. From this point on, the character was intended to be "the Living Dead — pale, but still sexy". The night before filming, however, Davies changed his mind and seven scripts began a process of being rewritten. New lines had to be handed to the actors on the day of filming. Davies also called a discussion with the actors involved to explain the change in the storyline. In the discussion with executive producer Russell T Davies and Burn Gorman, who portrays Owen, it was decided that Owen would experience the zombification
A zombie (Haitian French: , ht, zonbi) is a mythological undead corporeal revenant created through the reanimation of a corpse. Zombies are most commonly found in horror and fantasy genre works. The term comes from Haitian folklore, in wh ...
storyline as he is a character who more overtly enjoys life, making it more interesting from a narrative
A narrative, story, or tale is any account of a series of related events or experiences, whether nonfictional (memoir, biography, news report, documentary, travelogue, etc.) or fictional ( fairy tale, fable, legend, thriller, novel, etc. ...
perspective.
David-Lloyd described the character's development in the third series as "really exciting". He felt that it was "great to be a fully-fledged member of the team now rather than just the administration man." He felt flattered to have the writer and producers put so much confidence in him. In this series, the writers also explore Jones's background; David-Lloyd was happy with the execution of this backstory, through meeting Ianto's sister, and commented that it was quite beautifully written. Through meeting his family, we discover that his father has died and that Ianto has grown very distant from his relatives as per the demands of his job. David-Lloyd first concluded that Ianto was being killed off when his agent told him he was only needed for four out of five episodes. Although there was "a bit of disappointment", he considers himself "lucky" for lasting so long on the series, especially since Ianto was supposed to die in series two. He believed the character's death was justified by "the impact and the drama, and to keep the dangerous reality of Torchwood ever present". Although it was "a tragedy that anto
Anto or Antos may refer to:
* Anto (name), including a list of people with the surname or given name
* Antos (name), including a list of people with the surname or given name
* Antofagasta PLC, stock symbol ANTO
* Antăș (Hungarian: ''Antos''), ...
died", David-Lloyd felt that the series had "addressed everything about him that needed to be said".
Creator Russell T Davies felt that killing off Ianto was necessary for ''Children of Earth''; it was his first decision to create a "horrible war casualty" for the story, because it would be unrealistic to have a great threat and have the main characters all come out unscathed. Ianto's death also precedes the death of Captain Jack's grandson Steven
Stephen or Steven is a common English first name. It is particularly significant to Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen ( grc-gre, Στέφανος ), an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts, was stoned to death; ...
(Bear McCausland), and for that scene to occur it necessitated making Jack "badly, badly damaged". Ianto's death caused "maximum damage" to Jack, and the loss of his lover (and grandson) makes ''Children of Earth'' a tale of retribution, as Jack had given away twelve children to the same aliens in 1965. Davies has said that Ianto is "absolutely dead". He explains his reasoning; because it's a "much more real world in ''Torchwood''", it wouldn't work to " regenerate or go to a parallel universe." Davies feels that Barrowman and David-Lloyd would both be dismayed were that to happen. He stated "it would devalue the entire plot if we brought him back". ''Wired'' magazine described Ianto's arc, ending in the third series, as an "evolution from meek office assistant to heroic warrior".
Relationship with Jack
Much of Ianto's character development is centred on the character's relationship with Captain Jack. On the character's evolution from minor character to romantic interest, Gareth David-Lloyd has commented that "To have a storyline where you're involved with the leading character for any actor is awesome." On the character's development, David-Lloyd has said that through Jack's relationship, "he's found his meaning and ... he's happier." Asked what it is that Ianto receives from Jack, David-Lloyd responds "Support, meaning. I think he lost meaning. He was tortured and Jack gave him that meaning back. And reliability that he'll always be there, I think." John Barrowman and Gareth David-Lloyd have also opined that Jack's relationship with Ianto has however brought out Jack's empathy, and helped to ground him, with John Barrowman reported as saying that Ianto "brings out the 'human' in him, it brings out more of the empathy because he's actually fallen for someone and he really cares about somebody. So, it's really great and I think that's what makes him warm to other people. It makes him more approachable." In the same interview, Gareth David-Lloyd said of the relationship and his character that "I think Ianto's always made him care and that is really the heart of the show. Ianto's always bearing his emotional side and vulnerable side and keeping his feet on the ground. I think of all the characters, he's the one who tries to keep everyone else's feet on the ground. He brings everyone back to reality, often with a dry, witty remark or taking a dig at somebody just to sort of bring people back down." Comparing Jack's relationship with Ianto to his romantic tension with Gwen, David-Lloyd states "I thinkhere are
Here is an adverb that means "in, on, or at this place". It may also refer to:
Software
* Here Technologies, a mapping company
* Here WeGo (formerly Here Maps), a mobile app and map website by Here
Television
* Here TV (formerly "here!"), a TV ...
different sorts of love or lust, as it might be, and I think that's an ongoing thing ... At the moment, I think there's two different sorts of love going on there." He also states that he feels that Ianto's relationship with Jack is his first same-sex relationship, and doesn't feel that Ianto would be a " labelist", but were he, he would identify as bisexual, but that he "wouldn't regard himself the same way as Jack does because they're from different times." Author Stephen James Walker feels sorry for Ianto, perceiving his relationship with Jack as a one-sided one. To him, Ianto views the relationship as "serious and committed", as seen in " A Day in the Death" where he tells Owen that it is not just about sex. However, from dialogue in " Something Borrowed", Walker believes that Jack appears to equate his relationship with Ianto to nothing more than a "recreational activity". Walker also notes how important it was for Ianto when he cut in to dance with Jack, as this is the first time that his relationship with Jack is presented before the rest of the crew. The novel ''The House that Jack Built'' includes a scene where Gwen tries to clarify whether Ianto understands the nature of his relationship with Jack, saying "You do know he's ...", which Ianto finishes "Just a shag?" before adding "Yes I know. I can't help it, though. I've never been much good at casual." In radio play " The Dead Line", set just prior to series three, Ianto expounds his insecurities to Jack, who refutes them, confirming that his feelings for Ianto are real. When asked if the relationship will continue in series three, executive producer Julie Gardner replied, "Yes, I like seeing them as a couple", while director Euros Lyn stated that "the love story between Captain Jack and Ianto ould continueto unfold" in the third series. While Gareth David-Lloyd feels that the love story between Jack and Ianto was not fully resolved, which is "part of the tragedy", the character and his relationship with Jack had been sufficiently explored in the third series for David-Lloyd to be "happy to walk away from it."
Ianto makes a post-death appearance in 2011 audio drama "The House of the Dead". Encountering Ianto's spirit at a haunted location in Wales, Jack and Ianto are permitted a final goodbye. Without Ianto in his life, Jack wishes to be swept up into the Rift as it closes in an attempt at suicide. Ianto tricks Jack into leaving the House of the Dead, however, despite the possibility of resurrection. As they are forced to part forever by the closing of the Rift, the couple declare their love for one another for the first and last time.
Reception
Critical reception
Awarding the character of Ianto the status of "Cult Spy Icon", British entertainment news website Digital Spy describes him as a " cult legend", citing his dour demeanour, one-liners and " eye candy" label.Gay
''Gay'' is a term that primarily refers to a homosexual person or the trait of being homosexual. The term originally meant 'carefree', 'cheerful', or 'bright and showy'.
While scant usage referring to male homosexuality dates to the late 1 ...
men's website AfterElton
TheBacklot.com (TheBacklot), founded in January 2005 as AfterElton.com (AfterElton), was a culture website that focused on the portrayal of gay and bisexual men in the media and was the companion site of AfterEllen.com (AfterEllen). TheBacklot wa ...
placed Ianto as their seventh best gay and bisexual character in modern science fiction (encompassing television, film and comic books), with ''Torchwood''Amber Benson
Amber Nicole Benson (born January 8, 1977) is an American actress, singer, writer, director, and producer. She is best known for her role as Tara Maclay on the TV series ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' (1999–2002), and has also directed, produced ...
) in Joss Whedon's '' Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' which he felt was more satisfying, although "unbearably sad" because of its pivotal role in the character arc for Willow
Willows, also called sallows and osiers, from the genus ''Salix'', comprise around 400 speciesMabberley, D.J. 1997. The Plant Book, Cambridge University Press #2: Cambridge. of typically deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist so ...
(Alyson Hannigan
Alyson Lee Hannigan (born March 24, 1974) is an American actress. After starting her career at age four with appearances in commercials, she moved to Hollywood at age 11 and soon got an agent.
Hannigan began her film career with supporting ro ...
), and as being "possibly the single most significant event in the whole seven-season series." He feels that both Joss Whedon and Russell T Davies toyed with their LGBT
' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity.
The LGBT term ...
fans' affections, and claim "neither Whedon nor Davies seem aware of the impact that these characters were having on viewers starved for such representations." Later, AfterElton published an opposing view, which analysed the character's death in view of the character's earlier refusal to admit to his relationship with a man, and claimed that, instead of being an expression of homophobia, the death was a sign that the LGBT community was leaving behind its image of victimhood. In 2012 David Brown of the '' Radio Times'' described Ianto's demise as one of televisions five most shocking death scenes and "surely 'Torchwoods''finest hour".
The website Den of Geek praised Davies's writing of Ianto's death, and likened the tough story-driven decision to those used in critically acclaimed shows ''The Sopranos
''The Sopranos'' is an American crime drama television series created by David Chase. The story revolves around Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini), a New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster, portraying his difficulties as he tries to balance ...
'', '' Battlestar Galactica'' and ''The Wire
''The Wire'' is an American crime drama television series created and primarily written by author and former police reporter David Simon. The series was broadcast by the cable network HBO in the United States. ''The Wire'' premiered on June 2 ...
''. Den of Geek felt the real tension of knowing any character could die, however popular, was "refreshing" in comparison to impossibly death-defying characters such as '' 24''Jack Bauer
Jack Bauer is a fictional character and the protagonist of the Fox television series '' 24''. His character has worked in various capacities on the show, often as a federal agent of the Counter Terrorist Unit (CTU) based in Los Angeles, and w ...
( Kiefer Sutherland). In 2010, Davies's replacement as ''Doctor Who'' executive producer, Steven Moffat
Steven William Moffat (; born 18 November 1961) is a Scottish television writer, television producer and screenwriter. He is best known for his work as showrunner, writer and executive producer of the science fiction television series ''Doct ...
, commented saying "I thought his death scene was brilliant." When the series screened in New Zealand, GayNZ compared the two contending perspectives, comparing those who viewed Ianto's death from the perspective of "dramatic necessity" to those who disparaged it as the result of thoughtlessness on the part of the series creators about the relative absence of representations of enduring lesbian and gay couples within television series. Ianto's death was compared to that of Tara as in the above critiques, but also contrasted to other television series where lesbian and gay couples were able to have enduring relationships, such as '' Six Feet Unders David Fisher (Michael C. Hall
Michael Carlyle Hall (born February 1, 1971) is an American actor and singer best known for his roles as Dexter Morgan, the titular character in the Showtime series ''Dexter,'' and David Fisher in the HBO drama series '' Six Feet Under.'' Thes ...
) and Keith Charles ( Mathew St. Patrick) and ''Bad Girls''' Nikki Wade (Mandana Jones
Mandana Jones is an Anglo-Iranian actress best known for her role as prisoner Nikki Wade on the British television series, '' Bad Girls''.
Biography
Mandana Jones was born on 26 February 1967 to a Welsh father and an Iranian mother. She is th ...
) and Helen Stewart (Simone Lahbib
Simone Nicole Jean Lahbib Ould Cheikl (; born 6 February 1965) is a Scottish actress. She is known for her roles as Helen Stewart in the ITV drama series '' Bad Girls'', DCI Alex Fielding in the ITV crime series ''Wire in the Blood'' and Katy L ...
).
GayNZ writer Craig Young places Ianto, like ''Buffy''Iphigenia
In Greek mythology, Iphigenia (; grc, Ἰφιγένεια, , ) was a daughter of King Agamemnon and Queen Clytemnestra, and thus a princess of Mycenae.
In the story, Agamemnon offends the goddess Artemis on his way to the Trojan War by hunting ...
's sacrifice at the hands of Agamemnon
In Greek mythology, Agamemnon (; grc-gre, Ἀγαμέμνων ''Agamémnōn'') was a king of Mycenae who commanded the Greeks during the Trojan War. He was the son, or grandson, of King Atreus and Queen Aerope, the brother of Menelaus, the ...
was necessary to set in train the events of Aeschylus
Aeschylus (, ; grc-gre, Αἰσχύλος ; c. 525/524 – c. 456/455 BC) was an ancient Greek tragedian, and is often described as the father of tragedy. Academic knowledge of the genre begins with his work, and understanding of earlier Greek ...
's ''Oresteia
The ''Oresteia'' ( grc, Ὀρέστεια) is a trilogy of Greek tragedies written by Aeschylus in the 5th century BCE, concerning the murder of Agamemnon by Clytemnestra, the murder of Clytemnestra by Orestes, the trial of Orestes, the end o ...
''... just as Ophelia
Ophelia () is a character in William Shakespeare's drama '' Hamlet'' (1599–1601). She is a young noblewoman of Denmark, the daughter of Polonius, sister of Laertes and potential wife of Prince Hamlet, who, due to Hamlet's actions, ends u ...
's madness, suicide and accidental death led to the climatic duel between Hamlet
''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...
and Laertes
In Greek mythology, Laertes (; grc, Λαέρτης, Laértēs ; also spelled Laërtes) was the king of the Cephallenians, an ethnic group who lived both on the Ionian islands and on the mainland, which he presumably inherited from his father A ...
... Ianto's death can be argued to be a dramatic necessity which adds to character and narrative development." The article acknowledged there being some validity in criticisms of modern TV dramas which uphold that it is frequently the gay relationships which "can never be seen to have long-term, fulfilled relationships". However, GayNZ questioned whether the pattern was solely gay, noting the equally tragic outcomes of homosexual and heterosexual relationships in American shows ''Buffy'' and ''Nip/Tuck
''Nip/Tuck'' is an American medical drama television series created by Ryan Murphy that aired on FX in the United States from July 22, 2003, to March 3, 2010. The series, which also incorporates elements of crime drama, black comedy, family dra ...
''. The website also took note of Ianto fans' displeasure when Jack was introduced to a new romantic partner in Alonso Frame (Russell Tovey
Russell George Tovey (born 14 November 1981) is an English actor. He is best known for playing the role of werewolf George Sands in the BBC's supernatural comedy-drama '' Being Human'', Rudge in both the stage and film versions of ''The Histo ...
) in ''Doctor Who'' episode " The End of Time" (2010), mirroring Willow's romance with Kennedy ( Iyari Limon) in Season Seven of ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer''. The article intentionally avoided making a definitive conclusion as to which "side" of the argument was correct. Young later compared Ianto's death with the subsequent killing off of core heterosexual couples in two British shows, ''Misfits
Misfits or The Misfits may refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Misfits'' (1961 film), a film starring Clark Gable, Marilyn Monroe, and Montgomery Clift
* ''The Misfits'' (2011 film), a Mexican film
* ''The Misfits'' (2021 film), an American ...
'' and '' Being Human''. These latter deaths are described as even more heartbreaking than Ianto's, and Young argues that these character deaths tell us more about transatlantic differences in storytelling than about portrayals of sexuality.
Fan reaction to death
Most of the fans expressed their displeasure following Ianto's death in the third series. The website End of Show comments that "writer James Moran was so inundated with messages to his Twitter
Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
account that he posted a number of impassioned pleas to tone down the vitriol." End of Show writer Kirsty Walker comments that fans on Twitter accused Moran of "deliberately egging on the ' shippers'." Moran noted in his blog that of the thousands of messages from viewers, the "vast majority" were extremely positive, managing to express that they were "upset, angry and shocked" without making personal attacks. Moran declared the response from other commentators to be unacceptable, describing their conduct as the spewing of insults and "passive aggressive nonsense". He noted that fans had accused him of deliberately trying to "mislead", "lie" and "hurt" them, said that he hated them, was "laughing at them" and "slapping hem
A hem in sewing is a garment finishing method, where the edge of a piece of cloth is folded and sewn to prevent unravelling of the fabric and to adjust the length of the piece in garments, such as at the end of the sleeve or the bottom of the g ...
in the face", and claimed that he had "killed the show", had attempted to drive away existing fans to court newer and "cooler" viewers, and had deliberately hurt depressed people "with dark storylines." In a poll conducted by Digital Spy shortly after Ianto's death, 27.4% of voters claimed that they would no longer watch ''Torchwood''. Responding to these results, Gareth David-Lloyd thanked the fans for their dedication to the show and the character but urged them to have faith in the writers. On the show's Facebook
Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin Mosk ...
groups, fans expressed anger towards creator Russell T Davies and some claimed they would stop watching the show. Walker herself had felt that the end of Jack's relationship with Ianto could "change the show beyond all recognition."
io9
''io9'' is part of Gizmodo media since 2015, and it began as blog launched in 2008 by Gawker Media. The site initially focused on the subjects of science fiction, fantasy, futurism, science, technology and related areas but over the years has ...
commented that fans on Moran's blog accused him of homophobia; one quoted fan likened it to 1950s-style homophobia "where all the queer folks died ... and the straight people walk away completely unscathed." io9 writer Charlie Jane Anders
Charlie Jane Anders is an American writer and commentator. She has written several novels, published magazines and websites, and hosted podcasts. In 2005, she received the Lambda Literary Award for work in the transgender category, and in 2009, t ...
comments, however, that "as people have had a bit more time to consider the new series, more thoughtful discussions have arisen." One such cited notes that it is unlikely that ''Children of Earth'' was intentionally homophobic since the writer (Davies) and lead actor (John Barrowman) are both openly gay. The same reviewer notes that however, "especially when viewed on its own, ''Children of Earth'' looks a lot like the same heteronormative
Heteronormativity is the concept that heterosexuality is the preferred or normal mode of sexual orientation. It assumes the gender binary (i.e., that there are only two distinct, opposite genders) and that sexual and marital relations are most ...
, homophobic, biphobic
Biphobia is aversion toward bisexuality and bisexual people as individuals. It is a form of homophobia against those in the bisexual community. It can take the form of denial that bisexuality is a genuine sexual orientation, or of negative ste ...
and gratuitous tropes that appear in so many bad representations of queer people in popular culture." In response to the accusations of "de-gaying" ''Torchwood'', Davies advised those people do some research into his career (creator of '' Queer as Folk'') and "stop riding on a bandwagon that they actually don't know anything about". Asked to respond to viewers who felt "cheated" that Jack and Ianto's relationship did not come to fruition, Davies said:
Soon after the death of Ianto Jones during ''Torchwood''www.saveiantojones.com, has organised a protest which encourages fans to send coffee, along with postcards and letters of complaint, to the BBC, a reference to Ianto's status as the "coffee boy". Via the Save Ianto Jones website, fans are also campaigning to raise money for the BBC charity Children in Need in honour of the character. The fundraising site states that "Though we, his devoted fans, still hope that he'll come back ... we mourn him. In the series, he died saving the children of Earth; so it seems fitting to honour his memory by helping the Children in Need." ''Torchwood Magazine
''Torchwood – The Official Magazine'' was a British magazine devoted to the BBC science fiction television series ''Torchwood''. The first issue was released on 24 January 2008 and concluded on 16 December 2010 The United States version was du ...
'' reported that the site had raised nearly £4,000, with individual donations ranging from £2 to £50. John Barrowman described the charity campaign as "a fun way to mourn Ianto" and stated that it was "the kind of thing that's really appreciated". Gareth David-Lloyd was flattered by the strong fan reaction, saying it is "satisfying in drama when you create such an emotional response, because that's what you set out to do in the first place". He praised the fan donations, claiming "So far, they've raised about £3,000 for Children in Need, and £1,000 for Lluest Horse and Pony Trust in West Wales, which I'm a patron of, so that's got to be a good thing". '' Coventry Telegraph'' records that by 21 July 2009, £4,172 had been donated in Ianto's name.
In an interview with io9 on 28 July 2009, creator Russell T Davies was asked about the controversy surrounding Ianto's death and the fan reaction campaign. He replied "There's a campaign, because he was a coffee boy. But do you know how many packets of coffee they've received so far? Nine. So I think people writing online might sound like thousands of people, but they are nine." However, those involved in the movement believe that this number is much higher due to a post tallying the coffee sent within the community. When asked about the backlash in a separate interview with Michael Ausiello
Michael Ausiello (born February 23, 1972) is an American television industry journalist, author, and actor. He was a senior writer at ''TV Guide'' and its companion website, TVGuide.com, between 2000 and 2008. From 2008 to 2010, he wrote and re ...
, Russell T Davies said "It's not particularly a backlash. What's actually happening is, well, nothing really to be honest. It's a few people posting online and getting fans upset". He also stated that the character was gone for good, and that his resurrection would devalue the "entire plot." He recommended that fans who wish to stop watching the show should watch '' Supernatural'' "because those boys are ''beautiful''", or "look at poetry" if they "can't handle drama". Following these statements, the Save Ianto Jones website encouraged fans to contact BBC Wales rather than Davies, and temporarily presented on its front page the message "Mr Davies has made it clear in recent interviews that he views his fans with contempt, and as disposable, which saddens us" and asked not to be "abused". At Comic-Con 2009, a fan claimed that Davies "hurt" a lot of internet fans with his decision to kill Ianto, which she called "out of line." Davies replied that he would not change his mind regarding the decision, adding, "I've got to be blunt about this, there have been campaigns to send packets of coffee to BBC Wales in protest. There have been nine packets sent. I'm not taking the mickey, but that's a very small number." Executive producer Julie Gardner
Julie Ann Gardner (born 4 June 1969) is a Welsh television producer. Her most prominent work has been serving as executive producer on the 2005 revival of ''Doctor Who'' and its spin-off shows ''Torchwood'' and ''The Sarah Jane Adventures''. ...
stated "We want people to be engaged, discuss and not always agree with us. At the end of the day, I make drama to support each author's vision. It's not a democracy. Whether people like it or not, it's storytelling." Simon Brew of Den of Geek has criticised the Internet campaigns to resurrect the character, citing that the show would "lose far more credibility" if he were brought back. Brew also expressed doubt that the fans stating they would boycott a fourth series will do so. He summarised: "''Torchwood'' now needs to continue to have the courage of its convictions, and for that to happen, the reset switch simply isn't an option."
On 31 July 2009, Digital Spy conducted a poll asking if it was "time to move on" from Ianto. However, a week later the website did not immediately publish the results, announcing "unfortunately it seems that this particular Poll was the subject of a campaign by diehard fans to distort the outcome". Neil Wilkes opined that this action by the fans "suggests the answer to the question 'Have people overreacted to Ianto's death?' is quite obvious". Later, a footnote amendment noted that 31.4% said it was time to move on, "while the remainder demanded RTD's head on a plate", a reference to his own wording of the original poll, which gave readers the option of moving on from Ianto, or the executive producer's head on a plate. James McCarthy of Wales Online described the reaction from some fans as "sickening" and quoted "crazed" fans on DeviantArt
DeviantArt (historically stylized as deviantART) is an American online art community that features artwork, videography and photography, launched on August 7, 2000 by Angelo Sotira, Scott Jarkoff, and Matthew Stephens among others.
DeviantArt, ...
and Facebook who made explicit death threat
A death threat is a threat, often made anonymously, by one person or a group of people to kill another person or group of people. These threats are often designed to intimidate victims in order to manipulate their behaviour, in which case a de ...
s against the ''Children of Earth'' writers. Gareth David-Lloyd stated he was very disappointed in those fans, whose message board
An Internet forum, or message board, is an online discussion site where people can hold conversations in the form of posted messages. They differ from chat rooms in that messages are often longer than one line of text, and are at least temporar ...
conduct he does not support at all and called "completely unacceptable". David-Lloyd added that he "would hope the writers would be able to ignore comments like that". A number of fans were upset by the tone of the first Wales Online article, and their response prompted a follow up from McCarthy. In their comments, fans pointed out that his article disproportionately highlights what they called the "ill-conceived, knee-jerk reactions" of a few individuals, and stressed that these reactions in no way represent the movement to bring Ianto Jones back, which they hold as fundamentally respectful towards the show's actors and writers. Fans have distanced themselves from the small minority of extremists, and have been keen to stress their peaceful activism, described as "thousands of fans who are raising money for charity, sending polite letters, and doing what we can to be supportive of the character and actor". In 2010, ''Doctor Who'' executive producer Steven Moffat told fans who contacted him that he wouldn't want to resurrect Ianto even if he could: "Not reversing it. Stop asking." In a 2011 poll published by the Liverpool Daily Post as part of a live Interview with writer John Fay, 70% of respondents replied that the decision to kill Ianto had been the right one, with 19% responding "indifferent" and only 11% stating that it had been the wrong decision, contrasting with the initial fan response. In response to a question, Fay also stated that he had not been affected by the "scary" fan reaction, maintaining that "a universe in which fictional characters aren't 'allowed' to die is ridiculous and limiting".
The public reaction to the death of Ianto has had a wider-reaching impact than simply the ''Torchwood'' fan community. For example, comic book writer Peter David
Peter Allen David (born September 23, 1956), often abbreviated PAD, is an American writer of comic books, novels, television, films and video games.Buxton, Marc (March 29, 2014)"From 'Future Imperfect' to '2099': Peter David's Greatest Hits" Co ...
cited the reaction to Ianto Jones's death when reflecting on where to go with the gay relationship between the Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...
characters Rictor
Rapamycin-insensitive companion of mammalian target of rapamycin (RICTOR) is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ''RICTOR'' gene.
RICTOR and mTOR are components of a protein complex that integrates nutrient- and growth factor-derived s ...
and Shatterstar
Shatterstar (Gaveedra-Seven) is a fictional mutant superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Fabian Nicieza and artist Rob Liefeld, the character first appeared in '' The New Mutants'' #99 (March 19 ...
in ''X-Factor
''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for ''Pop Idol'' (2001–2003) ...
'' v. 3. He opined that in "virtually any happy relationship", one of the characters has to die to "provide angst" to the more major character. His concern was "being tagged as against gay people", the way Russell T Davies was, even though Davies is himself gay.
References
External links
Ianto Jones at the BBC Official ''Torchwood'' website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, Ianto Torchwood characters Fictional bisexual males Fictional hackers Fictional secret agents and spies Fictional Welsh people Television characters introduced in 2006 Crossover characters in television Male characters in television Fictional LGBT characters in television