Hey #BarrowFans!!

Let's start out with HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOHN BARROWMAN!! What a great day, JB's been making the world a happier place to be in for 45 years now!!

Now onto the #TwitterParty! This is going to be pretty much 24 hours of high intensity #BarrowmanDay! The party is going from 12am-12am GMT which is 4pm-4pm PST (if you're in California like me) or 7pm-7pm EST if you are in the current Barrowman time-zone. Just follow @BarrowmanDay on twitter to join in!

If you don't want to read all the details below all you need to do to participate is tweet about John Barrowman and tag it #BarrowBirthDay, maybe we could get it trending!

Last year we listed 44 reasons we love John Barrowman - posted at the bottom of our 2011 Twitter Party Breakdown. I thought instead of just adding another to the list or coming up with 45 more reasons (which I probably could do) a fun way to celebrate would be to share 45 fantastic BarrowFaces. Fans are often discussing the phenomenal expressiveness of John's face, it's part of what makes him such a great entertainer and a joy to watch, so I thought it would be a nice way to celebrate. I'll be posting screen grabs and photos of 45 Barrowman looks. Just 45 of the countless many and they are in no particular order. I'll be tweeting them over the 24 hours, some shortly followed by links to their source videos or photos. And when the party is over I will post the completed collection here for everyone to see. I'll tag the tweets #45BarrowFaces so you can check them out there as well. 

To make this as interactive as possible (after all BarrowmanDay is all about encouraging fan to fan interaction) we'll also be playing a #BarrowGame. It'll be straight forward but certainly something we can do throughout the day. The name of the game is #NameTheBarrowFace. I'll post a photo and the goal is to either name the source or come up with a name to describe the look, or both. Or you can just chime in to chat. It's as always just a day to share in the #BarrowLove with other fans. Oh and if you are playing the game you are encouraged to describe the #BarrowFace with a #BarrowWord - and example tweet could be:

John looks #BarrowBright in that picture #45BarrowFaces #BarrowBirthDay

                                        OR 

That #BarrowFace is from The Producers #45BarrowFaces #BarrowBirthDay 

(ps I really wanted to include Producers in the 45 but it didn't work out)

Remember the #45BarrowFaces tag or to put @BarrowmanDay at the end so I can read all your tweets and RT some. The tweets can be serious or silly, obvious or random. Just any thought you may have and as many as you want to share. The fun will be as with every #BarrowmanDay all of us fans sharing in conversation about how we adore John!!

One DISCLAIMER:

As you may know we get a lot of tweets from everyone and it's GREAT, so much fun to hear from all of you and by all means tweet @BarrowmanDay all the time we LOVE to read your thoughts and #BarrowGame posts. BUT it's simply not possible to respond to you all or for each tweet. We'll be talking and RTing as usual but if you don't hear back from us, we HAVE seen your tweet but we are doing our darnedest to avoid #TwitterJail. If we tweet too much they freeze our account and we cannot tweet at all. But if you talk to us on non #BarrowmanDay's we will ALWAYS respond. And we read them all I swear.

I think that'll give you a pretty good idea of what to expect for the #TwitterParty - it'll just be me probably as Mickie is still on her extended break from #BarrowmanDay, but who knows she may pop by. Let's all just have a lot of fun. Happy #BarrowBirthDay! xx 

<3Dana


PS - As stated most of the photos are screen grabs and the others are as far as I know things we have permission to post - but mistakes happen, if I accidentally post something that is yours let me know and I'll be happy to credit you and link to the source - we are not claiming ownership of any of it and we are certainly not making money using these photos, or on this site at all. 

Gally, Gally, Gally. Galllifrey One is the yearly Los Angeles based Doctor Who convention that makes me happy, happy, happy. This was my 3rd year in attendance and every year I have a lot of the same feelings and experiences coming out of it. First, I am thrilled that such a convention exists at all and that it's so close to where I live. Second, I marvel in the deliciousness of 3 days with like-minded geeks. Third, I enjoy the fantastic programming, guests and yes shopportunities. Finally, I leave the convention realizing something is missing. I've been debating how to best describe my weekend at Gally this year and come to the conclusion that overall it was very similar to my feelings last year. You can read all about last year in my blog Gallifrey One: Confessions of a BarrowFan.

But this was a new year, with lovely new memories to share even if the final word sounds familiar. 

If you live in LA or can get there in February I highly recommend you attend this event. It's pretty rare as a US BarrowFan to get to talk to people about John Barrowman and have them know who you mean. Gallifrey One is primarily a Doctor Who event, but it does include creators and programming pertaining to Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures. 

My favorite thing to do during the weekend (and this works) is go up to a random stranger and without any introduction or preamble proclaim "I love John Barrowman" because more often than not they will reply "Me too!". Honestly that alone is worth the admission price. For 3 days you are surrounded by die-hard Whovians - and it's a bit like being in a brought to life message board - lots of opinionated fans that want to talk about every little thing to do with Doctor Who, the spinoffs and in fact anything remotely related. It's completely fantastic. 

As if shoving all us fans together wasn't enough, Gallifrey One also provides an opportunity for attendees to meet creators and actors and enjoy and array of celebrity panels, episode screenings and fan discussions. Among the guests this year - and relevant to Torchwood - were MATT RIPPY ( Captain Jack Harkness, Torchwood: Series 1: Captain Jack Harkness), JOHN DE LANCIE ( Agent Alan Shapiro, Torchwood: Miracle Day), DANIELE FAVILLI  (Angelo Colasanto, Torchwood: Miracle Day), JANE ESPENSON (Writer, Torchwood: Miracle Day), DORIS EGAN (Writer, Torchwood: Miracle Day), and JOHN SHIBAN (Writer, Torchwood: Miracle Day). We got 3 writers and 3 actors, 2 of whom have kissed John Barrowman, not a bad showing at all. 

I'm sure various bits of panels and convention whatnot will be turning up online for weeks to come - but as for now and this blog, we've reached the recorded memories portion. Below are some enjoyable clips and pictures I collected over the weekend. I'm excited particularly to share a couple video moments with Matt Rippy and Daniele Favilli speaking briefly about working with John, so let's get straight to that!

First was Daneile Favilli who was set up signing in the hallway leading to the dealers room. It's was sort of a blink-and-you-miss him placement but the great thing is you passed him on the way everywhere and he was there most of the weekend. A number of my friends met Daniele previously at the Hub 7 convention and told me how sweet he was and they were so right. He was very friendly and welcoming with all the fans, I really cannot say enough nice things about him. He was kind enough to tell me a story about filming Miracle Day with John so I could share it with you.

There was also a picture with Daniele that I took, he looks adorable and I look a hot mess, so that one is staying in the vault - sorry kids. To soften the blow take a gander at this pretty pic of Daniele planting one on a fan's Ianto bear, what would Jack say? I can already imagine the fanfic to come - please please resist the urge to 'ship Angelo and Ianto Bear. As cute as this is, that's just not OK.

Then there was the delightful Matt Rippy. That fellow has quite a smile and I'm not gonna lie I got a little giggly goofy talking to him - he's just so pretty! Enjoy the terrible embarrassment of girly titters accompanying his video about John.

Honestly Matt ended up being the highlight of my convention. I wasn't sure I'd get a chance to see him but I did and he was such a presence. In the same way John has a contagious happiness about him, it's impossible not to smile around Matt. What a darling man, seriously.

As great as the temptation was I resisted the urge to ask either gent about kissing John Barrowman. Why? Because I'm sure they've answered that question 1 million times and I was hoping to get something different out of them. I mean, who thinks it was a great hardship kissing John Barrowman? Matt mentioned it in his video but for those who are a little sad by my lack of inquiry, my friend David asked Danielle about it at the Torchwood panel.

In addition to these videos I got a few pictures - with a shared theme…

I decided to go around to Torchwood creators and cast in my Team Barrowman shirt and get them to swear allegiance…no not really. In a slightly less psychotic request I found Torchwood celebrities to take photos with us pointing at my…Team Barrowman. Cause we're all Team Barrowman, right? (Disclaimer: the pointing of fingers and following captions are not binding and none of these celebrities are officially stating they are Team Barrowman. Also, I mean I am that I am Team Barrowman in the "I support John" way, not that I am in anyway officially affiliated with John's official team - why did the disclaimer feel necessary? Oh well. PICTURES!)

Lets get to the point:

I also had a quick chat with Doris Egan about working with John and I got two magical quotes that should be constantly used. She managed in a 5 minute conversation to work in the following two thoughts:

When asked about working with John and writing for Jack she said: 

It's a wonderful character, I was just glad to write ANY part of it. In person I made him look at pictures of my dogs.

While discussing John's singing Doris shared a funny story:

I have at home a Cole Porter CD and there's a part where Kevin Cline sings with someone and every time I would think that person sounds JUST like John Barrowman - it's amazing! It was like a year later when I found out.

Finally for our picture show I have two miscellaneous pictures that just make me smile.

STILL needs more Jack. Next year I'm going to do a kick line with many, many Jacks and me in the middle. If I remember. 

If I had one fangirl moment this was it. I was so excited, LOOK, we're holding hands! So cute.

I had a really fabulous weekend but at the end of it all I had a bit of sadness too. Not only the sadness of leaving behind all the fun, but a sadness similar to last years, upon final reflection. There is no question that this is a great event. I will attend them as long as they are around; I already have my ticket for next year. That being said, there was still something missing. Or rather someone I was missing. In a convention filled to the brim with BarrowFans I again felt very little of a Barrowman presence. It's odd, really, there wasn't a total lack of Torchwood representation. As I said there were 6 guests from the show as well as a few panels. But, and it's something really sticking with me, at the end of the weekend I found myself wishing there was more John Barrowman.

I count a total of 4 times I saw John Barrowman (in picture or on screen). The first was at a back-to-back screening of Doctor Who: The Stolen Earth and Journey's End which I specifically attended wanting more Barrowman time. Second was at Daniele Favilli's table, he had his miniature laptop set up playing his episode of Miracle Day. Third was a picture on the wall of Jack that was part of the weekend long scavenger hunt. Finally, they showed The Ballad of Russell & Julie clip at the year in review panel. 

It may seem weird that I remember each instance but I think the fact that I do is an indicator that it was a rare occurrence. I know I may be a bit biased, check the site you're on, and perhaps my Barrowman needs are greater than most, but I just wished for more. I think this year specifically part of the lack of attention had to do with the downplayed role Jack had in Miracle Day - there was simply less to talk about. This is off topic a bit and really a whole separate blog topic but whether you think Jack had a big enough role story wise, as far as actual scenes and screen time are concerned, he simply wasn't as prominent. 

I said last year I would contact those in charge of the convention about doing a John Barrowman panel and I'm an ass-hat for not getting around to it. This year, I'm going to make it a point. I would love to have even a brief time dedicated to John and his fans, like an in-person Barrowman Day. I have a couple of panel topics in mind or just a general BarrowAppreciation panel wouldn't be a bad thing. I'll let you know if that works out. 

I just keep thinking of the opening of "Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang" and Jack's entrance with "Hey Kids, did ya miss me?" and I feel like shouting "YES!". Final analysis: Gallifrey One is a heck of a convention but it needs more Barrowman. xx

<3Dana

First let me say
HAPPY CHRISTMAS
to all the #BarrowFans around the world! And to those who don't celebrate Christmas, hope your winter holiday or general cold time is fabulous! May 2012 be filled with lots of sparkles, smiles and love!

Now that that's out of the way...

As many of you who talk with me outside of Barrowman Day know, this holiday season has seen me slaving away with a massive stack of greeting cards and home made card stuffers. What you don't know and what I've kept purposely secret (TIL NOW) is the Barrowman aspect of my holiday creation. I can't post the finished stuffer as many haven't received them yet but below is the holiday art work that went on it:

I couldn't resist putting Jack in another iconic coat! And to be very honest I almost put Ianto in an Elf get-up, but I don't think he would - even if Jack asked nicely - not his style. Well, maybe after hours, but that's a VERY different card and this is a family show!

Of course that wasn't the only John Barrowman/ Jack Harness aspect of my holiday plotting...

Some of you have seen some pretty spectacular train wrecks around the holiday time from me - when I try to get creative with food and it's very scary (see my Passover Blog). Well this Christmas season I got creative in the kitchen again. My Christmas Elf Kristine and I decided to make MASSIVE gingerbread men for our friends, all in the likeness of characters from shows and books. This was no easy task. I don't have a scale pic but these cookies are the size of my head! When I got to decorating for my friend Cristina I decided on a Jack cookie. Seriously, cookie decorating, not a talent of mine, you may want to look away...

Take my word, these cookies were an ordeal and every step of the way they got a little uglier! The reason why Jack is bleeding is that the frosting base didn't quite dry right and when I went to draw on him there it started tearing away and he looked chewed up. I figured I would just make him reviving Jack. He clearly just died and that face is him gasping back to life. It WAS a smile originally but it didn't seem right with him bloodied, then again, if anyone would be smiling. Is this cookie very pretty or even close to John Barrowman levels of attractive? No, no it's not. But I tried and the cookies are delicious!

Then of course there is Christmas day. How am I celebrating? Well, first thing is to get in the holiday spirit with some Christmas songs, sung by John Barrowman. Below are a few of my favorite, and you can find more on YouTube, these are from "A Musical Christmas with John Barrowman" a BBC Radio 2 show from 2006. There are a few Christmas Barrowman bits otherwise, a performance here and there as well as appearances on Christmas specials and technically all the Panto clips are Christmas-y . Right, songs, listen:

Honestly, I could listen to John singing "My Grown Up Christmas List" all day. Speaking of singing the holiday through lots of you are going to see, or have seen, John this holiday season in his latest Panto Robinson Crusoe and the Caribbean Pirates.  I am over the moon happy for all of you that will have that chance! Panto time is super happy fun and if you're going I'm sure you'll have a blast! For those not going, like me, we'll wait for some kind soul to put something on YouTube and you know I'll pass it on when I see it.

There's another part of Christmas that I imagine most of you are looking forward to (or enjoyed already, depending on when this is up and where you live) and that's the Doctor Who Christmas special. You know what would make it really special for me? If Jack turned up. I'm sure it'll be a great episode anyway but I am so desperate to see how Jack would interact with 11 and it hasn't happened yet.

My Christmas wish and New Year prediction (mark my words) is we'll see Jack back on Doctor Who in 2012. I think with the state of limbo Torchwood is in it's unlikely John will be filming that any time soon, which while it breaks my heart, means that he'll free up a little time, maybe he'll only need two clones instead of three. Then MAYBE - he'll have time to film an episode of Doctor Who. For those of us who can't wait to see John Barrowman and Matt Smith together, I'll direct you again to my hideous cookies - Jack and Doctor:

Finally, I want to remind all US #BarrowFans of a WONDERFUL treat. New Years Day Starz Edge (one of the Starz channels) will be airing a Torchwood: Miracle Day marathon. Starting at 6am and going on past 12am they will air the entire series of TW: MD in order TWICE! This is it, if you haven't seen it - or just need a little more Jack in your life - get watching or set up recording. The second run through of the series starts at 3:14pm, so no excuses about having to wake up early. I'm considering watching it all back-to-back twice.

From myself and the rest of the Barrowman Day gang I hope you have a wonderful holiday season and get lots of awesome Barrowman related gifts! Let me know if you do, I want to see pictures people. xx

<3Dana

_Remember how John Barrowman was on the web, turned TV series Goodnight Burbank? Of course you do! Wait...some of you don't? Let's have a reminder shall we? John played himself and it was hysterical. If you haven't seen the show here's a clip of John's appearance:

_So why am I bringing this up?  Well, the lovely people behind Goodnight Burbank have bestowed upon us a #BarrowBonus. Now available for download - anywhere in the world- are 2 blooper videos which include outtakes from John. They are $0.99 each and totally worth the purchase price. We've all seen what John is like behind the scenes so expect goofing off and talks of nudity. If that's not enough to entice you here's a screen grab of John, who clearly enjoyed the filming process:

The best part of these bloopers are the faces John pulls, the sort of faces only John's rubber face could form. Go to GoodnightBurbank.com to download, you'll thank me. Once you get there here's the purchase process:

* Click on the red bar at the top of the screen that says "Video Store"
* In the search bar copy/paste GNB BLOOPERS S1E6 and click the search magnifying glass. That will turn up 2 results, those are the  the 2 videos.
*Click "Buy Now" and follow the instructions on the screen, it's easy from there.

I have completely laid it out for you, no excuses. If you like what you see you can also purchase episodes of the series. Episode 4 Demon Seed and Episode 6 The Casting Couch are the ones that have John in it.  You can also watch them for free in the US on the Goodnight Burbank Hulu Page and airing on HDNet Wednesdays at 9pm ET.

And don't forget to check out this nifty blog THE AMAZEBALLS MR. BARROWMAN which has details about John's appearance on the show. For the latest on Goodnight Burbank you can follow @GoodniteBurbank on twitter and tell them how much you adore John Barrowman, I bet they never tire of hearing it.

John Barrowman, despite being based in the UK, has fans all over the world. When it comes to the release of albums, dvds, magazines, etc. or the airing of TV shows figuring out the how and where can be a mess. To help clear things up I am starting a as-the-need-arises blog called "BarrowWorld Breakdown". One blog for each substantial release that groups the information we have regarding viewing and buying in any given part of the world. I'll update as often as I get new information and if you have any details we don't have listed please comment below, with a link to the source.

This blog is to track John's upcoming album Tonight's The Night - The Very Best of John Barrowman.

Please note that what is listed is one example of where to purchase and there may be others. Also, some sites allow you to order from out of country. Check the delivery options on the bottom of each country to see where they ship to. Be aware that additional shipping time, charges and taxes may apply when ordering out of country.

United Kingdom 
Release Date:  Monday, 5th September
Price: £8.99
Order/Pre-Order: Amazon UK
Delivery Options: Most countries in the world. Please note that customers in the US and Canada may be restricted to one copy of certain book titles.

United States  **UPDATED**
Release Date:  Tuesday, 13th September
Price: $35.69
Order/Pre-Order: Amazon US
Delivery Options: Almost all destinations outside the U.S.

Canada
Release Date:  Tuesday, 13th September
Price: CDN$ 25.99
Order/Pre-Order: Amazon CA
Delivery Options: Most international addresses.

France
Release Date:  Tuesday, 13th September
Price: Unknown
Order/Pre-Order: Amazon FR (not yet available, but listed)
Delivery Options: Unknown

Japan
Release Date:  Tuesday, 13th September
Price: ￥ 2,360
Order/Pre-Order: Amazon JP
Delivery Options: Unknown

For your consideration. In some cases even if the CD is available for purchase in your country it may be more cost effective to order it from another. For example, the case of US purchase, the album is priced at £12.74 or $20.93 more than the UK one. If you are willing to wait longer, even with the additional shipping charges it's likely to be cheaper to order from Amazon UK.

Another option would be to wait for a digital copy to be available through iTunes or something similar. I'm sure that will happen and will likely be cheaper, with immediate digital delivery, but there are no release dates that I am aware of.

I hope this helps, if anyone has further details for other countries please comment below with a link. xx

<3Dana

Hi #BarrowFans
Mickie here. I said one of us would post a blog about the news! lol And as I already had my little Netbook booted and at the ready I thought that now was a good a time as any! Lol 

As many of you know I am in the UK so with Torchwood starting here etc we UK peeps tend to have a strong opinion on what happens with torchwood, and rightly so, after all it was spawned from our beloved Doctor Who (DW) and for many of us has become more special to our hearts than DW. Not that I am saying our US friends don’t get as upset when someone starts to mess about with TW. When it was first announced that the BBC was looking to the US for funding for the series and so there for a US finger in the TW pie I think the US fans were more worried than the UK fans lol

So to the air date…It’s great that the date is when it is because July wouldn’t clash with my holidays (how selfish lol)…What worries me is that the rumours could be true and that Starz has the upper hand when it comes to airing and we in the UK see it later. Like I said it’s still largely UK owned and so it should be. I’m glad we found someone to put some extra money into it because Torchwood deserves to have money thrown at it.

If I was REALLY honest the fact that Starz has the upper hand when it comes to the money side I am concerned that A: they will put the US stars to the forefront over original cast (except John because he’s their star), as it is Kai (Rhys) and Tom (Sgt Andy)  are rarely mentioned and THEY are original cast members who as important as Jack and Gwen in my opinion. I have, of late, seen Bill Pullman mentioned as the star of the BBC series Torchwood, it hasn’t even aired yet and he’s been put on the same level as the UK original cast. And then there’s B: I’m worried that if it works the US will become the new Torchwood Hub and the UK will be left out in the cold and if RTD does what he said he might who will have control over Starz? All this may seem picky by some, but I live in the UK and I see TW as part of our television history as I do DW! Yes I am being selfish when I see it as ours! But that’s my right as a UK fan and so I worry those things.

I have huge amounts of faith in RTD and of course John, that goes with out saying. And we ALL know how much both Captain Jack and TW means to John! He has turned down other work just so he could be in TW! So I trust in what he says when he says it’s brilliant! It’s the beyond 2011 that worries me some what…

But enough of my moaning lol…Now to the poster! Lol

Well no poster has ever sold me any film or TV show. It’s the content of the show that counts not the art work! Saying that, I have few real feelings for the actual work. As I said to Dana, when I look at it I instantly think Rock poster, not Sci-Fi TV show and I definitely don’t think Torchwood. Someone did mention in a tweet that the font was wrong, but I thought it was familiar, so I had a look around and it’s the same as Torchwood: Children Of Earth. I am disappointed that there are no cast members featured or at least to have Jack on their. But I do know they have been doing the usual cast promo work recently, so that’s something to look forward too. But still the poster leaves me feeling a tad chilly lol

Well I am VERY aware that my blog has become a small essay! Like our lovely John Barrowman, I rarely do things by halves!

Do please let us know what you think of the above subjects!

So this is Mickie signing off…*poof*

Hey #BarrowBuddies!!

Let's start out with HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOHN BARROWMAN!! What a great day, JB's been making the world a happier place to be in for 44 years now!!

Now onto the #TwitterParty! This is going to be pretty much 3 hours of high intensity #BarrowmanDay! The party is going from 7pm-10pm GMT which is 11am-2pm PST (if you're in California like John and I right now). Just follow us @BarrowmanDay on twitter to join in!

We thought a fun way to celebrate would be to make a list of 44 reasons we love John Barrowman. Just 44 of the countless many and they are in no particular order. We'll be tweeting them over the 3 hour, some along with pictures and videos. And when the party is over I will post the completed list here for everyone to see. We'll tag the tweets #Barrow44 so you can check them out there as well.

We'll also be playing a #BarrowGame as per usual, it'll be straight forward but certainly something we can do for 3 hours. Name of the game is #ILoveJBBecause. It's just everyone joining in and adding to the list of reasons. So to play the game tweet something like:

#ILoveJBBecause He's my alarm ringer and it puts me in a good mood all day! @BarrowmanDay (and no that is not on the list but it is one of my reasons! I wake up to "De-Lovely" everyday!)

Remember the #ILoveJBBecause tag and to put @BarrowmanDay at the end so we can read all your tweets. The reasons can be serious or silly, obvious or random. Just any reasons you may have and as many as you want to share. The fun will be as with every #BarrowmanDay all of us fans sharing in conversation about how we adore John!!

One DISCLAIMER, as you know we get a lot of tweets from everyone and it's GREAT, so much fun to hear from all of you and by all means @BarrowmanDay all the time we LOVE to read your thoughts and #BarrowGame posts. BUT it's simply not possible to respond to you all or for each tweet. We'll be talking and RTing as usual but if you don't hear back from us, we HAVE seen your tweet but we are doing our darnedest to avoid #TwitterJail. If we tweet too much they freeze our account and we cannot tweet at all. But if you talk to us on non #BarrowmanDay's we will ALWAYS respond. And we read them all I swear.

I think that'll give you a pretty good idea of what to expect for the #TwitterParty hope to see you all there and please enjoy our John Barrowman birthday card that Mickie put together. Isn't it cute? xx

<3Dana

*Update* Complete list of #Barrow44

#1 He's a born entertainer and he ALWAYS keeps it entertaining! http://twt.mx/Rged #Barrow44

#2 If you touch him you'll understand what happiness is. http://twt.mx/Rgee #Barrow44

#3 He has a way with kids. http://twt.mx/Rgef  #Barrow44

#4 He's the single best singer in the universe EVER.  http://twt.mx/Rgeg #Barrow44

#5 The way he says 'Anythin' always leaving off the G #Barrow44

#6 His huggable hands  #Barrow44

#7 The way he works heels and THOSE LEGS! http://twt.mx/Rgeh #Barrow44

#8 He's not afraid to cry. http://twt.mx/Rgej #Barrow44

#9 His range as an actor. The most dashing of heroes & most menacing baddie http://twt.mx/Rgek #Barrow44

#10 He always takes time for his fans. #Barrow44

#11The SPARKLE and BLING  #Barrow44

#12 He encourages a healthy love of Bananas #Barrow44

#13 Every single musical moment and songs he makes us sing. http://twt.mx/Rgep #Barrow44

#14 His incomparable confidence. #Barrow44

#15 HIs tweets and the pictures that accompany them #Barrow44

#16 He looks good in yellow http://twt.mx/Rgeq #Barrow44

#17 His positive attitude, even in the face of hard times. http://twt.mx/Rgem #Barrow44

#18 His QVC obsession  #Barrow44

#19 He smells REALLY GOOD! #Barrow44

#20 He taught us to appreciate cheap hair products  #Barrow44

#21 He inspires us to be proud of who we are  http://twt.mx/Rger #Barrow44

#22 He wears kilts. Kilts are cool.  #Barrow44

#23 He helps us survive being alive, by being alive!  http://twt.mx/Rgeu #Barrow44

#24 He's Cheeky and Cheeky  #Barrow44

#25 His terrible Welsh Accent http://twt.mx/Rgev #Barrow44

#26  He's a fan! http://twt.mx/Rgen #Barrow44

#27 He's naughty and that famous line  http://twt.mx/Rgew #Barrow44

#28 He and Scott makes up believe in true love http://twt.mx/Rgex #Barrow44

#29 His bigger than life personality. #Barrow44

#30 Him undressed we'd like. Anything Goes!! http://twt.mx/Rgey #Barrow44

#31 He always gives us sage advice http://twt.mx/Rgez #Barrow44

#32 His wonderfully expressive face #Barrow44

#33 He's good at EVERYTHING. Every single thing but 1. (see #25) http://twt.mx/RgeA #Barrow44

#34 His giving nature and all the good work he inspires. http://twt.mx/RgeB #Barrow44

#35 His Scottish Accent "He's a bit bilingual" http://twt.mx/RgeC #Barrow44

#36 His years of work as a presenter and Tonight's the Night. #Barrow44

#37 His phenomenally entertaining family and his love for them. http://twt.mx/RgeD #Barrow44

#38 His speaking voice, those audiobooks. #Barrow44

#39 His contagious giggle! When John laughs we laugh. http://twt.mx/RgeE #Barrow44

#40 He's a storyteller - Biographies and Bedtime stories http://twt.mx/RgeF #Barrow44

#41 His curious nature and the courage to follow it where it may take him. http://twt.mx/RgeG #Barrow44

#42 He's a kid inside! And he brings it out in all of us. #Barrow44

#43 He's humble and his heart is bigger on the inside. #Barrow44

#44 He's sublime, he's a turkey dinner - HE'S THE TOP!!  http://twt.mx/RgeH #Barrow44

Greetings BarrowBuddies

Just a quick note to let you know what's going on with me. Tomorrow I'm going in for a minor operation. Nothing to worry about and I wouldn't even mention it, but my Doctor (not that Doctor) tells me I may not be up to my old self for 3 weeks after and that effects Barrowman Day.

What that means is I'm likely going to be around less for a while but I will do what I can to still hang out and have fun with you all, at the very least on Barrowman Days. It's also entirely possible that I will say pain be damned and join in as usual, I really just don't know how bad it's going to be. I am a pretty big wuss but also a workaholic, could go either way.

Before you ask and to make this blog worth reading I'm having Bum surgery...no really, I have a messed up Bum and the Doctors are gonna fix me up, you can all laugh now.  It's something I've gone through before so I'm ready with my Bum doughnut, (see picture below). It has art from a mess of my comic book industry friends including a Jack and a TARDIS drawn by Doctor Who comic creators Tony Lee and Richard Starkings. So I'll be riding the TARDIS with Jack as my companion through my recovery. Could be worse right?? xx

<3Dana

**Update**
I forgot to mention also since I don't know how the recovery will be I may be less able to check out Torchwood filming locations for a while, I will do what I can but please forgive me. Just got home from the Hospital and it went very well, on the mend. Love you all x

I've been thinking a lot about what to write regarding my weekend at Gallifrey One, the L.A. Doctor Who convention.  Part of me thought I should slip on my journalist hat and do what comes naturally and what most expect, giving you all the scoop about discussions or news from the weekend.  But another part of me, the part that eventually won out, thought that's not the story I have to tell.  If you've read my past blogs you know that's not really what this site is about to me. It's not spoilers, it's conversations with you about John Barrowman on a fan to fan level.  So "if you're interested" join me in a journey through Gallifrey in the eyes of a BarrowFan.

Going into the weekend I was beyond excited. I can't adequately express what it's like being a BarrowFan in the US and then spending a weekend surrounded by people who all know and love John Barrowman. For 3 days out of the year, everyone gets me and it's brilliant.  My first order of business on Friday morning was hitting the dealer’s room where I spent an exorbitant amount of money on BarrowMerch. It's just too hard to resist. This is stuff you would never find in the US apart from online.  I could tell you how much I spent but a 3rd world country with starved children would likely take offense.

Once that was done I spent the majority of the convention geeking out with fans and immersed in panels.  As with any convention, certainly a Doctor Who convention, I was torn between which panels and events to attend.  I wanted to see EVERYTHING.  My strategy I decided would be just to just do any and all Torchwood events I could manage unless they conflicted with something I was really desperate for on the Doctor Who end.  Part of that decision was the fact that I'm in the minority who prefer Torchwood to Doctor Who and part was that I adore John Barrowman and wanted as many BarrowRelated moments as possible. Can you blame me?

The panels all had a very fan fan-friendly vibe, encouraging questions and discussions and not very heavy on news and spoilers.  That may sound like a criticism but for me that's the ideal interaction between creators, actors, and the those who enjoy their work.  I think most of you know I am anti-spoiler as a rule; I like to experience things as they come and as they are intended.  Any potential spoilers I heard were told to me in confidence or mentioned at a Kaffeeklatsch (a gathering between a small group of attendees and guests).  I got to experience two Kaffeeklatsches, one with Gary Russell and Phil Ford and a second with Jane Espenson and Doris Egan.  Both were mostly insightful concerning the past rather than revealing of the future and in both cases those in attendance were asked not to share any of the discussions.

What I can share with you is bits of a panel that made it online, specifically Jane Espenson and Doris Egan: The Gallifrey Interview.  Barrowman Day friend @aznjackfiend2  posted a WRITE UP and @LilFerret got my question on VIDEO.  Also, I had a couple of chances to talk to Gary Russell about the wonderful Mr. Barrowman.  I mentioned Barrowman Day and asked if he had any thoughts about John I could share with all of you.  Below are the quotes I managed, one of which I wrote across my arm in sharpie because I didn't have a pad.  It made a good weekend tattoo.

"One of the nicest people I have ever worked with."

"Bizarrely having been a script editor on Torchwood for an entire year, the amount of times I've spoken to John could be counted on the fingers of one hand.  He certainly wouldn't have a clue who I am.  I did direct him once, did some audio work with him…all I can say is how lovely he was."

"He was just lovely and great fun to work with.  I mean, just funny… He's a walking laugh factory.  I really like his company.  I think he's a nice guy.  I wish I got to know him better."

So it's official,  John Barrowman is a hoot and everyone loves him!  I've talked to so many people who have met him and everyone only has the nicest things to say.  If you've been keeping up with my TW4 Blogs you'll remember me going on about meeting him and how he lived up to all the praise.  Isn't it nice how sometimes the people you admire end up being just as great as you think they are?  Well, I don't have to tell you…

I bet by now you're wondering about the title of this blog, “Confessions of a BarrowFan.”  Sounds a bit like there's more to the story doesn't it?  There is, and really, this is what came through reflecting on the weekend.  I had a great time at Gally. Everything was aces.  I've been before and I'll continue going but the one lingering feeling at the end of it all was "I miss John Barrowman's face".  

Before you write me off as a creepy stalker type, hear me out.  I did just about everything there was to do in the way of Torchwood and…it just wasn't enough.  Looking back at the schedule there was maybe a lack of Torchwood specific stuff but there certainly were a fair amount of opportunities with Torchwood related guests, and writing this now, I feel like maybe that should have been enough.  But it wasn't.  I had this moment, at the end of the day on Sunday, when a couple of friends talked me into going to Live Commentary: "The Lodger," and while it was fun, the whole time I thought, "I miss John Barrowman's face."  And and I found myself regretting being there in lieu of going to the video room to see the screening of "Ghost Machine."*.

SOMEHOW, surrounded by Doctor Who and Torchwood fans and talk of virtually nothing else I was desperate for it to be Barrowman Day again.  I can't say for sure why I felt that way but I really did. The only thing I could think to make it better would have been a BarrowPanel.  No really though, if they can have a panel called "Tennant, Beloved" why can't there be one called "Barrowman, Barrowman, Barrowman"?  I am seriously going to pitch it to them for next year.  Maybe I can even get myself on the panel as a BarrowExpert?

Of course it wasn't a completely Barrowman-free weekend.  There were some great moments with people getting excited about John as Jack and quite a few folks who appreciate his other work.  The following are little things that made me BarrowSmile:

*Buying and wearing a John Barrowman button on my badge...which made people stop me to ask, "You like John Barrowman?"  Yes...I do.

*Having a hand in various convention guests on stage at karaoke singing Barrowman related songs such as "Copacabana" and "Any Dream Will Do"

*Someone singing "The Doctor & I" at karaoke, even though I was bitter she got to it first and I had to change my song.

*The countless innuendos uttered by panelists and fans alike which I dare not repeat.

…And so much more.  I could go on but this blog is quite long enough. Apologies and love to those who read it all the way through.  Can we still be friends?  xx

<3Dana

* "Ghost Machine" in the convention program was listed as "Ghost in the Machine."  I know it was a silly oversight but it irked me so.  (Yes, it's a footnote, footnotes are cool)

Hey BarrowFans!!

I am over the moon happy as I am writing this!! We won the Maddie's Corner contest which means we won $1000 donation for Dogs Trust a foundation supported by one and only John Barrowman. I just wanted to say thank you so much for all of your help, this means a lot to me personally.  I heard about this contest through Maddie's Corner and I knew this would be the perfect chance for the BarrowFans to get together and help!

Not only did we get to shine a light on Maddie's Corner and Dogs Trust but the money we won will be put to such good use. I cannot tell you what it means to me that you all came together and helped. The power of the BarrowFan is truly great!! I love everything about this contest, Kristin Chenoweth and John Barrowman are my 2 favorite people in the universe and having had puppies (before they passed) I know what that companionship can mean so it's so important to help them and love them. On a personal note, I have been trying to get a job at a non-profit but it's REALLY hard, since that hasn't happened yet I am thrilled to have been part of helping even in this little way.

I am actually still shaking as I am writing this, my heart is so filled with love. I hope John Barrowman hears about this and it makes him smile as well. Please enjoy my rambling THANK YOU VIDEO, complete with American accent. Thank you!

<3Dana