Torchwood fans have spotted a very clever Doctor Who Easter egg more than ten years later thanks to John Barrowman's social media rewatch.
Doctor Who viewers have recently been bridging the gap of social isolation by watching fan-favourite episodes 'Rose', 'Vincent and the Doctor' and 'Day of the Doctor' along with the cast and creators.
Barrowman joined fans for a Radio Times watch along to Doctor Who spin-off's series one episode 'Captain Jack Harkness', which explored his character's origins by transporting Jack and Tosh (Naoko Mori) back to a Cardiff dance hall in 1941.
Eagle-eyed viewers were quick to spot that when Jack and Tosh first approached the dance hall in the present timeline, they passed by multiple 'Vote Saxon' posters.
Related: Torchwood: an oral history by the people who made it
At the time 'Captain Jack Harkness' aired in 2007, Torchwood viewers would not have known that these political posters were actually setting up the series three storyline in Doctor Who where The Master returned.
What to Read Next
John Simm's Master had travelled to Earth under the guise of politician Harold Saxon to become Prime Minister — and he'd eventually hold The Doctor, Martha and even Captain Jack captive until he was ultimately defeated. (Of course, he came back. He always comes back!)
Many Doctor Who fans have definitely spotted this 'Vote Saxon' Easter egg before, but others enjoyed catching it for the first time:
Barrowman recently reprised his role as Captain Jack in Doctor Who to deliver a warning about the Cybermen to The Doctor's latest companions Graham O'Brien (Bradley Walsh), Ryan Sinclair (Tosin Cole) and Yasmin Khan (Mandip Gill).
The actor has also recently ventured back to Torchwood in audio form in the spin-off The Sins of Captain John, where Captain Jack reunites with his titular lover-turned nemesis (played by James Marsters).
Last year's audio story Serenity reunited Jack with Ianto Jones (Gareth David-Lloyd) ten years after their romance was shattered in the miniseries Children of Earth.
![Doctor Who: The Series 13 Specials Steelbook [Blu-ray]](https://hips.hearstapps.com/vader-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/1665652305-51YMtNr8LwL._SL500_.jpg?crop=1xw:1xh;center,top&resize=980:* "Doctor Who: The Series 13 Specials Steelbook [Blu-ray]")
![Doctor Who - The Abominable Snowmen Steelbook [Blu-ray] [2022]](https://hips.hearstapps.com/vader-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/1665652234-4193iFxIghL._SL500_.jpg?crop=1xw:1xh;center,top&resize=980:* "Doctor Who - The Abominable Snowmen Steelbook [Blu-ray] [2022]")
![Doctor Who Am I [Blu-ray]](https://hips.hearstapps.com/vader-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/1665652489-41DNIWCj4nL._SL500_.jpg?crop=1xw:1xh;center,top&resize=980:* "Doctor Who Am I [Blu-ray]")
![Doctor Who - Complete Series 12 [DVD] [2020]](https://hips.hearstapps.com/vader-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/1606311877-41aLUJcRaJL.jpg?crop=1xw:1xh;center,top&resize=980:* "Doctor Who - Complete Series 12 [DVD] [2020]")
![Doctor Who - The Collection - Season 23 [Blu-ray] [2021]](https://hips.hearstapps.com/vader-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/1635171605-41155pvA3WL._SL500_.jpg?crop=1xw:1xh;center,top&resize=980:* "Doctor Who - The Collection - Season 23 [Blu-ray] [2021]")
The Ruby's Curse (A River Song / Melody Malone Mystery) by Alex Kingston
![Doctor Who The Complete Series 10 [DVD] [2017]](https://hips.hearstapps.com/vader-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/1555513915-51pz4VQ52vL.jpg?crop=1xw:1xh;center,top&resize=980:* "Doctor Who The Complete Series 10 [DVD] [2017]")
![Doctor Who - The Complete Series 7 Steelbook [Blu-ray] [2020]](https://hips.hearstapps.com/vader-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/1606311641-61TeI7E5OtL.jpg?crop=1xw:1xh;center,top&resize=980:* "Doctor Who - The Complete Series 7 Steelbook [Blu-ray] [2020]")
![Doctor Who - Complete Specials (The Next Doctor/ Planet of the Dead/ Waters of Mars & Winter Specials) [DVD]](https://hips.hearstapps.com/vader-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/1555660608-51aDDWtuziL.jpg?crop=1xw:1xh;center,top&resize=980:* "Doctor Who - Complete Specials (The Next Doctor/ Planet of the Dead/ Waters of Mars & Winter Specials) [DVD]")
Doctor Who - Complete Specials (The Next Doctor/ Planet of the Dead/ Waters of Mars & Winter Specials) [DVD]
Doctor Who: The Day of the Doctor by Steven Moffat (Target Collection)
Doctor Who: TARDIS Type 40 Instruction Manual by Richard Atkinson, Mike Tucker and Gavin Rymill
Digital Spy now has a newsletter – sign up to get it sent straight to your inbox.
Looking for more TV recommendations and discussion? Head over to our Facebook Group to see new picks every day, and chat with other readers about what they're watching right now.
Justin is a freelance entertainment journalist and writer. He first joined Digital Spy as a freelance entertainment reporter in 2010 and also worked as a sub-editor for the brand, serving as Night News Editor from 2016 to 2024. Over more than a decade, Justin has covered numerous major entertainment events from the US and has interviewed a wide-ranging group of public figures, from comedian Steve Coogan to icons from the Star Trek universe, cast members from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and reality stars from numerous Real Housewives cities and the Below Deck franchise. Justin has also been on the ground to cover major pop culture events like the Star Wars Celebration and the D23 Expo. He's written for titles across the Hearst network, plus the likes of CBR and Us Weekly.
