Fox developing an American version of Torchwood

[Skydiver]

the term 'viewer friendly' scares me.

i'm sure some in the network will see that as 'dumb it down, sex it up and make it appeal to the lowest common denominator'

what made the bbc torchwood so fun was, yeah, they had a sense of fun at times, but they also weren't afraid to do the non-pc stuff.

captain jack being gay was...just part of the show, not a 'look at us, aren't we politically correct?' and he wasn't a joke like the Jack character on Will and Grace. it had a good mix of angst and tragedy and humor and hilarity

I don't have much faith in Fox having any class when they remake it

[Pharaoh Atem]

fox?? it won't last. the uk version is superior

[SaberBlade]

the term 'viewer friendly' scares me.

i'm sure some in the network will see that as 'dumb it down, sex it up and make it appeal to the lowest common denominator'

what made the bbc torchwood so fun was, yeah, they had a sense of fun at times, but they also weren't afraid to do the non-pc stuff.

captain jack being gay was...just part of the show, not a 'look at us, aren't we politically correct?' and he wasn't a joke like the Jack character on Will and Grace. it had a good mix of angst and tragedy and humor and hilarity

I don't have much faith in Fox having any class when they remake it

Plus, I wouldn't expect Jack to be as... what's the word... dedicated. If you've seen Children of Earth, you'll know what I mean. I couldn't see a US version ending like that.

For some reason, I also expect a US version to be way patriotic. Not sure why this idea came to mind since it's so different to what I am expecting. In Dr. Who, Torchwood was out to do what is best for "the British Empire" and after the battle of Canary Wharf, the show Torchwood completely changed to being about doing what is right regardless because it had Jack in charge. I'm already seeing pictures of Obama on the wall and the Stars/Stripes hanging in someone's office and aliens looking somewhat Arab or Mexican who are out to commit acts of terrorism.

[Skydiver]

i doubt they'll be that un-politically correct.

i'm honestly expecting ti to be more like x-files, just with more CGI and a bigger focus than the perpetual 'cover up' taht the x-files had

[Girlbot]

Shock, horror and fear, yeah someone put it that way, and I agree. either we go with the real Jack, or just can the whole idea. Torchwood wouldn't be Torchwood without him.

[Ashizuri]

Honestly, I figure TW US will be in the vein of CoE in regards to story and characterizations, and Jack's sexuality was very toned down in the miniseries. No wild flirting, so sex stories, no sexual banter, hell, to a lot of fans he barely seemed to like Ianto...

If they keep him as he was presented in CoE I can't imagine that there would be any changes to his character that weren't first presented to us in CoE. Besides, Jack's not gay, so if they put him in a relationship with a woman it's really not out of character for him.

[Skydiver]

will they use the same characters? or will they just have an american team of the torchwood contingent?

a 'spinoff' that isn't really a spin off

[SaberBlade]

Honestly, I figure TW US will be in the vein of CoE in regards to story and characterizations, and Jack's sexuality was very toned down in the miniseries. No wild flirting, so sex stories, no sexual banter, hell, to a lot of fans he barely seemed to like Ianto...

If they keep him as he was presented in CoE I can't imagine that there would be any changes to his character that weren't first presented to us in CoE. Besides, Jack's not gay, so if they put him in a relationship with a woman it's really not out of character for him.

Jack isn't anything. Not gay, straight, bisexual, he just comes from a time where people's sexuality isn't limited by societies views. That said, by today's standards Jack could be described as bisexual however I think that using gay seems to work best with Jack, not because John Barrowman is gay, but because Jack has shown more interest in men within the show than in females.

There was the original Captain Jack, Captain John too, Ianto, Alonso, and while nothing ever happened, I think he'd have jumped 10th if given a chance.

will they use the same characters? or will they just have an american team of the torchwood contingent?

a 'spinoff' that isn't really a spin off

I'd hope for new American characters. This way the show can fit into the same overall continuity of Dr. Who, Torchwood UK, Sarah Jane Adventures and those animations that were done with 10th/Martha as opposed to being treated as a remake and having no canonical value at all. Having it as a spinoff like this, as opposed to an American remake of Torchwood would also, in my opinion, make it more welcomed by fans as opposed to being treated like the weird uncle who no one wants to talk about, ever.

Get Barrowman to crossover, perhaps even some of the English... well Welsh cast, sort of like starting a new Trek series with someone already established from the previous show (TNG had Bones, DS9 had Picard, Voyager had Quark). I think giving them the option of crossing over with Torchwood UK would ultimately make it a better show.

[Skydiver]

I think if they take the forumula 'group working outside the law to contain critters and knowledge about the rift' and make new characters, it stands a chance.

if they try to mimick Jack and Ianto and Gwen and Owen and Tash.....it'll die.

remake the formula and plot bunny, not all the details and characters

[SaberBlade]

I think they'd have to use that formula regardless, as it's wouldn't be Torchwood without it. Being more official about everything would make the show a bit more like Fringe, just without the aliens, and I think it would lose a lot of it's Torchwood style if people walked up flashing badges, wearing suits and taking charge.

While the biggest issue is whether it's a remake, or just a US based spinoff. If it's a remake, I'd expect the US equivalent of Tosh, Ianto, Gwen and Owen, but makes me wonder if they'd have an English version of Jack leading it however that would ultimately harm the show. If it is a spinoff, they could include John Barrownman as Jack for the pilot or if it's a limited episode series, keep him for it then do season two without him, then the US version could start standing on it's own feet without the need for such connections to Torchwood UK. As a US based spinoff (rather than remake) would allow those involved to create unique characters.

[Ashizuri]

That said, by today's standards Jack could be described as bisexual however I think that using gay seems to work best with Jack, not because John Barrowman is gay, but because Jack has shown more interest in men within the show than in females.

A bit OT, but I kind of agree and kind of disagree. I think Jack has shown more sexual interest in men throughout the series, but I think that (with the exception of Ten and possibly the real Captain Jack) he has shown more romantic interest towards women. If Jack's going to have a fling, I think it will be a man, but if they put him in an honest relationship (where he will admit and be ok with that fact) I think it will be a woman. Or I'm completely off the mark. The intrepersonal relationships in TW never made any sense to me.

remake the formula and plot bunny, not all the details and characters

I agree. As much as I'm not a huge fan of RTD's storytelling, he has always had an amazing talent for creating dynamic, likeable characters. So aside from Jack, who is the only necessary TW component IMO, he should create a whole new cast, not just American versions of the originals. Besides, the original TW cast was so well loved that I imagine that there would be a lot of comparisions being made by the audience and I know for me personally Burn Gorman as Owen and GDL as Ianto would be hard to beat.

I suppose it all comes down to whether it's a remake or a spinoff.

[shipper hannah]

What stupid, stupid, stupid idea.

[Aerilon]

This could work, but would have to be thought about, obviously.

It has been mentioned in the show that there were other teams and bases, I don't see why there couldn't be an American team / base, that has been dormant for some time. If they do start this show up though, ideally we NEED Jack to kickstart things, essentially getting an American team together, and then leaving them to it.

Simply throwing a bunch of people together wont work.

[Laertes]

As long as they leave Jack's love of kissing men alone I don't see a problem. That's the one big thing I can see an American broadcaster, especially Fox, changing

[Madwelshboy]

Ultimate sci-fi TV pilot guide: Your favorite shows of the future

Torchwood Doctor Who/Torchwood's Russell T Davies no sooner came to the U.S. than he promptly pitched Fox a U.S. version of Torchwood. There's also been talk that original star John Barrowman might reprise his role as Captain Jack and that the series, about a covert group of alien hunters, would focus on more internationally based stories. It's a long shot that this would go through. BBC America still holds the broadcast rights, and, as far as we know, it hasn't been canceled across the pond. That doesn't mean that there couldn't also be an American version, but there's some work to do to make a deal come together. It all sounds too good to be true.
Chance of pickup: 20 percent. We'll believe it when we see it, and we'd really like to see it.

http://scifiwire.com/2010/03/ultimat...i-tv-pilot.php