Torchwood
FelixLeiter ♀
Staffordshire or a pubPosts: 1,286MI6 Agent
Has anyone watched this? It's the Doctor Who adult spinoff and i think it's really good! It was nothing like I expected and the second episodes storyline was just fantastic! 
Relax darling, I'm on top of the situation -{
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It did take a bit to get going, understandably, but it has masses of potential and was rather enjoyable. Though to be honest, I did forget I wasn't watching "Doctor Who" type family drama, so when the hospital alien bit the porter in the neck and blood started spurting everywhere I really was a little more than taken aback!
Could Britain be at last producing some high quality, real-world based science fiction??
Not if Torchwood's anything to go by. It is, sadly, just a kid's series with swearing and sex crudely pasted in so far; not a patch on proper adult series - which are made adult by the themes and complexity; not just language. I'm hopeful it'll improve, but it's lacking for me so far.
And how did they manage to shoot it on HD and yet make it look so bad and cheap?
I felt the same. I wondered for a while if Torchwood could possibily be before Captain Jack met the Doctor but I dismissed that thought after remembering the references of his existence during the Blitz. But it is certainly something that interests me.
I found Torchwood to be a huge let-down. It's like the new series of Doctor Who, but with all the great stuff taken out, and the annoying stuff left in. Like loud and overbearing music throughout entire episodes. Lots of over-acting and characters getting too emotional when they really don't have to.
Dan, I think I remember you mentioning you liked Buffy and Angel so you should recognise two of the episodes as being directly influenced by those shows.
Torchwood 1:2 'Day One' is essentially a poorer version of Angel1:2 'Lonely Hearts,' with a parasite spread through sexual intercourse making its mark on the urban dating scene.
And episode 1:7 'Greeks Bearing Gifts' has one of the Torchwood staff recieving a necklace that enables her to hear other's people's thoughts. Essentially a reprise of Buffy 3:18 'Earshot.' I know genre stuff always borrows from other sources, but these are fairly blatant rip-off's.
Torchwood is generally self contained (with the odd wink to the fans here and there), although ''Cyberwoman'' takes it's back-story from the finale of the first David Tennant series. Torchwood's first season was a bit hit and miss, with the scripts by head writer/co-producer Chris Chibnall getting the lion's share of the criticism. But there was also good stuff like "Small Worlds" by ''Sapphire & Steel'' creator P. J. Hammond and "Out of Time" by Cath Tregenna, which is arguably better than the ST:TNG episode that appears to have inspired it. Oh, and the Hub set has got to be one of the most impressive bit of production design I've seen on a British TV show.
I do indeed like Buffy and particularly Angel, so I'll keep a watch out for the episodes that you mentioned.
Am I correct in that most people here aren't huge fans of Torchwood?
I enjoyed Torchwood very much, but I wouldn't say I was a huge fan.
It gained a large teenage audience because it's past a children's show but at times not quite an adults show teenagers could follow it easily.
I wouldn't say I prefer it to Doctor Who, but for me it was nice to see something similar, that managed to scare me more. Though I'm sure this wouldn't be the case for any adult viewers.
The leading characters are all so dull. There's no charisma, or chemistry between them.
James Marsters, (Spike Buffy/Angel) turned up as a guest star and wiped the floor with the entire cast. In the trailer for the forthcoming episodes we saw Alan Dale, ex-Neighbours, now a reliable bad guy on US TV, Lost, 24, and Freema Martha Jones crossing over from Doctor Who. Marsters seems to return as well, so at least there will be some personalities around.
I wrote earlier on in this thread that RTD had cribbed ideas from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and sure enough this episode borrowed from Buffy's season 3:1 and 3:2 in which the gang have to fight on without Buffy and then have to deal with their anger at being abandoned when she returns. Still, if you're going to steal, you might as well steal from the best.
I do agree that it's still not right though, and you're right- James Marsters was very good.
That next week one you describe sounds like it might be the PJ Hammond one; he wrote lots of Sapphire and Steel. I'll give it try- thanks.
Sadly no. Nor any of the others. There isn't a personality between them.
{[] It's well worth a look.
I've got to be honest and say that I thought that one was absolutely appalling- sorry. Keep an eye on the guy who played the creepy ringmaster, though- you may well be seeing him again in, oh, twelve weeks or so. He'll probably not be too recognisable though. And he'll be sitting down a lot...
I watched the last Torchwood as it was the finale and it was fine. I didn't care about any of the characters and there were all sorts of problems with it, but it moved along fine and some things happened which kept me distracted. Fine.