Dr. Who spinoff, Torchwood

EvaUnit02 · Post by **EvaUnit02** » 02 Jun 2006, 16:39

Cool, a Dr. Who spinoff in the works. Based on the Torchwood Institute from the main series. It's gonna be paranormal investigation stuff, so Davies remakes his X-Files rip-off series Sea of Souls for kids in other words?

Torchwood Begins Production

LONDON—Russell T. Davies, creator of the Doctor Who spinoff series Torchwood, told SCI FI Wire the British show began production earlier this month and is definitely darker than its predecessor. "I would call it modern urban sci-fi, really," Davies said in an interview here. "It's a little bit harder science fiction than Doctor Who is, although, again, it's very character-driven."

Torchwood stars John Barrowman as 51st-century con man Captain Jack Harkness, who was originally introduced last season on Doctor Who. The ensemble cast also includes Eve Myles, Burn Gorman and Naoko Mori. "It"s quite dark," Davies said. "But when I write something dark, I automatically make it sunny at the same time, because I think that makes the dark darker and the funny stuff funnier. So I still very much have my tone of voice in it. But there are more adult emotions at play. When you see it, it will all make sense, because it's very different territory to Doctor Who. It's not about fleets of spaceships and invading monsters. It's more about ideas, like 'What if you could read someone's mind?' It's quite X-Filesy in that way. The X-Files has been off our screens for far too long, and it's a marvelous show. So we've got elements of that in it, because it works. But at the same time, it's set in a Welsh city, with a bisexual con man from the 51st century at the helm, so you've automatically got something sexier and sassier and a bit wilder in places. We've actually got six scripts in at the moment, and they're marvelous."

Not surprisingly, Davies has already enlisted some of the writers who have worked on the past two seasons of Doctor Who, as well as a few new faces. "Toby Whithouse, who wrote the Sarah Jane [Smith] episode, 'School Reunion,' has written an episode of Torchwood that is marvelous," Davies said. "And there are a lot of new people as well, because, frankly, the best people are sticking with Doctor Who, because that's at the core of it. And we're bringing people with other skills onto Torchwood."

Davies added: "To be honest, just by being set in the modern world means it's a slightly easier show to write. The difficulty of Doctor Who is believing that you're in the world [in the year] five hundred zillion. But with a modern city, there are more writers who are well versed in the language of urban drama, so it's been easier to find writers for, and that's been paying off. It's not as effects-based, either. It's much more effects-light. There are a number of CGI shots per episode, but nowhere near the amount in Doctor Who. It's a lot more 'real' than Doctor Who is, but we're still sharing some of its sensibilities."

With two shows in production simultaneously, Davies admitted that his schedule is a bit hectic at the moment. But he added that he couldn't be happier. "I've actually got to start writing the next Christmas episode of Doctor Who, and we're starting to meet with the writers right now," he said. "That's why I would only ever write one or two Torchwoods every year, because there's a certain formula you can follow on Torchwood. But on Doctor Who, the wide-open skies are open to you, and it's much harder to write as a result, so there's never a moment when I feel I can relax when I'm writing Doctor Who. There's never a moment when I think, 'This is easy!' But that's fine. That's what I need to keep going!"

The second season of Doctor Who is now airing in the United Kingdom on Saturday nights on BBC1. The first season is currently airing in the United States on SCI FI Channel, Fridays at 9 p.m. ET/PT. —Joe Nazzaro

http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/index.ph ... 103&type=0

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 25 Oct 2006, 17:06

If anyone didn't see it, Torchwood is on tonight at 9pm on BBC2 (first 2 episodes). Supposed to be darker and more adult than Dr. Who (so I've heard).
Trailers look good.

I'm going to see it.

Markgway · Post by **Markgway** » 25 Oct 2006, 18:04

Apparently there's supposed to be f-words and homosexual kissing in there.

Kinda spoils it for the young Dr. Who fans who won't be allowed to watch.

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 25 Oct 2006, 18:52

Isn't the John Barrowman character gay?
I remember when he presented kids quiz The Movie Game

Markgway · Post by **Markgway** » 25 Oct 2006, 19:22

He's gay in real life.

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 25 Oct 2006, 19:30

OK, didn't realise. Never occured to me as a youngster anyway...

Markgway · Post by **Markgway** » 25 Oct 2006, 19:33

Even when you felt strangely attracted to him...?

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 25 Oct 2006, 19:39

He is quite handsome.. er..

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 25 Oct 2006, 21:06

Markgway wrote:Kinda spoils it for the young Dr. Who fans who won't be allowed to watch.

That's the entire point silly, the writers wanted to write an adult show. Whether that needs swearing is another matter but I've not seen it so can't comment.

I'm recording it now to my HDR.

grim_tales wrote:I remember when he presented kids quiz The Movie Game

Why is that funny?

degeneration · Post by **degeneration** » 25 Oct 2006, 21:35

I saw it on sunday, and thought it was pretty good. Not great but decent enough. Some of the swearing was a little bit out of place though. Granted it is being aimed at an adult audience, but most of the rest of the episodes that were shown were pg-13 sort of rating.

What I thought was great though is Cardiff!! The city is made to look really good on the show, and you almost saw my flat block in a few of the scenes!! I live just up the road from the Millennium centre...

For me the prog was made better as I kept thinking 'been there' or 'i know where that is...' etc!

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 25 Oct 2006, 21:51

degeneration wrote:Granted it is being aimed at an adult audience, but most of the rest of the episodes that were shown were pg-13 sort of rating.

It's the first show???

If you mean the separate but connect Dr. Who then yes 12A.

Markgway · Post by **Markgway** » 26 Oct 2006, 01:45

But obviously kids who've been reintroduced to Dr. Who are gonna want to watch the spinoff?

It's not a cinema film so why put swearing and sexual situations in it?

gojensen · Post by **gojensen** » 26 Oct 2006, 09:05

For the same reason you do in a movie?

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 26 Oct 2006, 09:36

bradavon wrote:
Markgway wrote:Kinda spoils it for the young Dr. Who fans who won't be allowed to watch.
That's the entire point silly, the writers wanted to write an adult show. Whether that needs swearing is another matter but I've not seen it so can't comment.

I'm recording it now to my HDR.

grim_tales wrote:I remember when he presented kids quiz The Movie Game
Why is that funny?

OK its not funny per se, I'm just saying thats my first memory of him on TV.

I watched both episodes and enjoyed them - great fun

I loved Barrowman's performance as Harkness and some of his quips. It was definitely darker and edgier than Who, (felt like a British X Files at times) but in a PG-13 sort of way (maybe just about scraped a 15, I don't know) - but I found some of the "adult content" (lesbian kissing and swearing) out of place but I still enjoyed it

Hardly "adult drama" as the trailer said.

(Torchwood guy upon watching the lesbian scene on CCTV):

"Let me just record some of this"...

Harkness: Eosteregen in the rain. I love this planet. At least I can't get pregnant, I'll never do that again...

Gwen (upon seeing the Perception field): There's a bloody great hole there, couldn't someone fall down?
Harkness: That is so Welsh - I show you something amazing, you only see the negatives.

degeneration · Post by **degeneration** » 26 Oct 2006, 17:25

bradavon wrote:
degeneration wrote:Granted it is being aimed at an adult audience, but most of the rest of the episodes that were shown were pg-13 sort of rating.
It's the first show???

If you mean the separate but connect Dr. Who then yes 12A.

No, I actually meant the first two episodes of Torchwood that were shown, not Dr. Who.

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 11 Nov 2006, 14:16

Seen Episode 3 of Torchwood - "Ghost Machine" - quite a fine episode, better than the Species rip-off one.
I'm sure Gwen is a bit like Rose from Dr. Who, she's the human/newbie aspect.
Next - CYBERWOMAN!

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 16 Nov 2006, 20:39

Has there been a Cybermen episode? Was it any good? Which episode number was it?

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 17 Nov 2006, 10:39

Cyberwoman was Episode 4 I think, it was OK, about a girl who gets partially assembled by a Japanese scientist to be cyber-human (I think), so most of her is cyber but part of her is still human.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 17 Nov 2006, 21:21

It sounds tosh but thanks.

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 06 Dec 2006, 16:36

"Greeks Bearing Gifts" was a good character episode, with some insight into the Tosh character. She's so sad

Is it me or is Harkness turning into a heartless asshole?

Anyone watching it (apart from me)? It's silly but its good fun, thought Episode 7 was the best so far

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 21 Feb 2008, 02:38

Is anyone watching Series 2?

I am and will watch it until the end now I'm half way through but I doubt I'll bother again. It's so utterly ridiculous at times. There's stupid then there is downright dumb. The CGI is woeful at times too. It looks like Doctor Who from the 70s at times

It also has serious delusions of grandeur and almost every week something happens just to pull our heart strings. It gets a bit much.

Doctor Who this is not!

Markgway wrote:Apparently there's supposed to be f-words and homosexual kissing in there.

There's a fair bit of man love kissing.

EvaUnit02 · Post by **EvaUnit02** » 31 Oct 2008, 22:21

Torchwood - random episode

WTF, Why is there such cursing and sex in the spin-off of a children's programme?!

The episode itself was decent, the story seems okay on first impressions. Gimme Dr. Who any day over this TBH.

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 31 Oct 2008, 23:22

The spin-off is more "adult" than Dr. Who is Eva, but only adult in a PG-13 sort of way (IMO, from what I watched). Some Dr Who DVDs are "12" in the UK.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 02 Nov 2008, 10:41

Was it from Series 1 or 2? I managed to watch most of Series 2. It's car crash TV, utter drivel. I only watched bits of Series 1.

There's no way I'm going to endure Series 3. They seem to think you have to have swearing to make it for an adult audience.