Torchwood Episode Discussion (Spoilers for all eps aired in the UK)

[morjana]

From TV of the Absurd, two interviews with (writer) Chris Chibnall and Noel Clarke:

Torchwood Revealed: A Conversation with Chris Chibnall and Noel Clarke

http://tvoftheabsurd.com/?p=84

Torchwood Revealed: Part Two

http://tvoftheabsurd.com/?p=85

[morjana]

From Starlog Magazine:

STARLOG MAGAZINE ISSUE # 359

http://www.starlog.com/ghastly_review.php


CALL HIM CAPTAIN JACK
By JOE NAZZARO

"If it’s alien, it’s ours.”

That’s the motto of TORCHWOOD—a covert government agency that uses scavenged alien technology for their own scientific and political purposes.

Introduced in the second season of the newly-revived DOCTOR WHO, Torchwood’s London branch was subsequently wiped out in a pitched battle between Dalek and Cybermen armies, with an interdimensional rift thrown in for good measure. The good news is that Torchwood’s Cardiff base is still operating successfully. The bad news: It’s being operated by a bunch of high-spirited, hormonally-challenged techno-geeks who aren’t afraid to use pirated alien technology every now and then to make their lives a little easier.

Their leader is Captain Jack Harkness, a charismatic time agent from the 51st century, now living in the present-day UK. He’s also immortal, which comes in awfully handy when one is faced with life and death situations on a daily basis.

Played by John Barrowman, Jack appeared in several DOCTOR WHO episodes during the first season, and proved to be so popular that when the producers began making plans for a Who spin-off, Jack was a perfect fit.

TORCHWOOD was an instant hit when it debuted on the BBC in October 2006 and, according to Barrowman, the second season (currently in production) is looking pretty darn good.

“Like any show when you begin it, there are always birthing and teething problems,” he explains, “but over the course of the first year, I think we found out what they were. So we’ve tried to take them on board and iron them out during the second season.”

TORCHWOOD’s first season debuts Stateside on BBC America September 8th at 9 p.m. EST.

Barrowman joins cast members Eve Myles (former cop Gwen Cooper), Burn Gorman (medic Owen Harper), Naoko Mori (computer/surveillance specialist Toshiko Sato) and Gareth David-Lloyd (support/receptionist Ianto Jones).

Although there were reports that the BBC had toned down some of the series’ racier, more adult aspects halfway through Season One in order to attract the younger WHO audience, Barrowman is quick to dispute those accounts.

“It had nothing to do with kids watching, because it’s an adult drama,” he states. “We’ve never compromised to change things, and Russell T. Davies, the show’s creator] was adamant about this, because we think children are watching. But it isn’t our responsibility to change things; it’s the parents’ responsibility to stop their kids from watching.

“One of the reasons that certain things were toned down a little bit was because of the budget. Special effects, the blood and gore, the medical stuff—you have to pay an extortionate amount for all of that. So we saved money for certain things toward the season’s end.
If anything, in Season Two, we’re back to pushing the envelope. We don’t swear as much as we did, which was partially taken out because we knew it was going to be sold to the [States]. So we didn’t tone it down for the children; we toned TORCHWOOD down for the American audience. But as long as they watch it, I don’t give a sh!t!” “

"...One of Jack’s superhero qualities: he cannot die.”

Although Jack was killed off by the Daleks in the (first season) Doctor Who episode “The Parting of the Ways,” he was subsequently resurrected by the power of the time vortex, hence his immortal condition. And while Jack may have been left behind by the Doctor in that episode, the WHO producers weren’t prepared to give up on Captain Jack.

After finishing TORCHWOOD’s first season, Barrowman jumped right back into DOCTOR WHO for a three-episode arc, appearing with David Tennant and new companion Freema Agyeman, who plays Martha Jones in the third season (currently airing on SCI FI).

“I said it before,” reflects John Barrowman, “but right now I’m living my dream, and I cannot reiterate that to people enough about how grateful I am and how much fun I’m having. I get up every morning and go to work and I either fly in a spaceship or shoot laser guns or fight aliens.
What kid wouldn’t want to do that?”


Read John Barrowman's full interview, in STARLOG #359

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[Willow'sCat]

Hmm, so they are pandering to the US now, why? Were they, or are they hoping series two will get picked up by a non-BBC related station in the US?

Would they (RTD and co) be deluded enough to think Torchwood could get syndicated in the US? Anyway I would have thought the homosexual content would have ruled out any chance of syndication a lot quicker then the slight use of the 'f' word. I don't even remember the swearing, well the first 'f' was fairly obvious, I think it was meant to be *groan* but the rest has blurred into a non-event for me. Was it really that bad?

I just don't understand US TV, or more to the point pandering to it, can't they just 'bleep' it out, South Park style? Also US TV is one of the worst offenders! Californication is full of the 'f' word and sex (and itself ) I am sure OZ had its fair share, QAF, Six feet under... did The Soprano's have swearing? Seems like the type of show that would.

*shrugs* At least tptb seem to have realised that the first season was not what it could/should have been. Fingers crossed that when they say they are fixing it, they actually are.

[Madeleine]

I saw an episode of Deadwood once. It was pretty much on a par with Torchwood for swearing, the sexual references were similarly blatant, and the violence was about level with a rather bloody episode of Torchwood.

I think it's probably down to what channel it gets shown on. Some US channels seem to be equivalent to BBC and ITV in that everyone has them, others are more like SkyOne or UK Living. Great fuss is made in the UK when the terrestrial channels show excessive sleaze and thuggery but the satelite channels can show all sorts of dodgy stuff and barely a soul notices.

[Reefgirl]

Have they shown Rome in it's uncut version in America? That raised a few eyebrows here, especially at the line "By Juno's " but then Ancient Rome is the original setting for sex drugs and rcok'n' roll

[Madeleine]

Rome was the source of a heck of a lot of lines that made me glad I wasn't watching with a maiden aunt...

[Reefgirl]

I was a little shocked by that line and I'm as broadminded as you like

[Pitry]

Now you got me curios as to what that "bleep" is

[Reefgirl]

the bleep covers a word that sounds like blunt

[Willow'sCat]

Rome was the source of a heck of a lot of lines that made me glad I wasn't watching with a maiden aunt...

Hey technically I think I am a maiden aunt. What a silly term.

I wish the reason Torchwood was moved to the late night time slot in Australia due to bad language, instead of bad ratings.

[Madeleine]

Sorry, I meant one of my own family's maiden aunts; they're eighty and rather prim. No disrespect to maidens or aunts in general intended.

[Mr Prophet]

Sorry, I meant one of my own family's maiden aunts; they're eighty and rather prim. No disrespect to maidens or aunts in general intended.

Any iron hats among them?

[scarimor]

Have they shown Rome in it's uncut version in America? That raised a few eyebrows here, especially at the line "By Juno's " but then Ancient Rome is the original setting for sex drugs and rcok'n' roll

Now you got me curios as to what that "bleep" is

the bleep covers a word that sounds like blunt

I think if I hadn't recently watched a recording of Plain English (prime time terrestrial show on BBC2 at 8pm) dedicated to that word, I might have been more startled. Seeing it daubed on a wall in bright red paint, and hearing it repeated over and over by various women in pertinent context, kind of takes the wind out of it

[Celestial]

Hello newbie on this thread.

Willow'sCat also hinted that this would probably be the best place for me to ask away any questions I had about Torchwood or discuss some stuff. Since I've now seen almost all of S1 (missed out on 2eps) I decided to jumped thread from my own into this one. I was afterall getting a bit lonely on my own thread.

Just been reading a few back pages and I'm liking what I've read so far.

Hey technically I think I am a maiden aunt. What a silly term.

Willow, you can't be "that" old are you?
I always thought that being a maiden aunt meant you were too old to get married and have next to no chance of getting married. Unless you actually didn't want to get married, then there should be another more appropriate description than a "maiden aunt" or spinster. It sounds so old fashioned.

I wish the reason Torchwood was moved to the late night time slot in Australia due to bad language, instead of bad ratings.

It probably was because there was not enough sex like Californication in which it was replaced with, or maybe Ch10 thought it wasn't "americanised" enough (no disrespect or offence to Americans in general).

And why tone down the language for the American viewers. I mean aren't there enough shows shown in America these days that have a lot of swearing that they should be immune to it by now? (Again, no disrespect if this sounds too general)

[Reefgirl]

Back to the Maiden Aunt thing, here in the UK the term usually means someone like Miss Marple, in fact in the book At Bertram's Hotel, A policeman said of her, something like, "Ah, the one that looks like everyone's Maiden Aunt"

No offence to yonger maiden aunties