Torchwood
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Torchwood | |
|---|---|
 Title logo of Torchwood |
|
| Genre | Science fiction drama |
| Creator(s) | Russell T. Davies |
| Starring | John Barrowman Eve Myles Burn Gorman Naoko Mori Indira Varma Gareth David-Lloyd |
| Theme music composer | Murray Gold |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| No. of episodes | 13 (List of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Running time | approx. 50 min. |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | BBC Three (Series 1) BBC Two (Series 2) |
| Picture format | 1080i (HDTV) |
| Original run | 22 October 2006 – present |
| Links | |
| IMDb profile | |
| TV.com summary | |
Torchwood is a science fiction crime drama television programme, created by Russell T. Davies and starring John Barrowman and Eve Myles. It deals with the machinations and activities of the Cardiff branch of the fictional Torchwood Institute, who deal with supernatural occurrences. An initial 13-part series was commissioned by the BBC as a spin-off from the long-running science fiction series Doctor Who with which it is closely interlinked. In December 2006, the BBC announced that it was renewed for a second series.[1] BBC Wales Head of Drama Julie Gardner serves as executive producer alongside Davies.
An in-house BBC Wales production for digital television station BBC Three, it is the first television spin-off from Doctor Who since the undeveloped K-9 and Company series, of which only a 1981 pilot was produced. Another spin-off, a children's programme called The Sarah Jane Adventures, has aired in pilot form on BBC Television, and a further spin-off series K-9 Adventures is in development by an independent company, but Torchwood was the first spin-off to be commissioned by the BBC for a full series.
The first two episodes of Torchwood premiered on 22 October 2006 at 9 p.m. on BBC Three and BBC HD with all subsequent episodes of the first series shown at 10 p.m. every Sunday evening; each episode was repeated on BBC Two every Wednesday at 9 p.m. The second series will premiere exclusively on BBC Two.[1] According to actor John Barrowman, it will likely air in 2008.[2]
Contents |
[edit] Overview
The title "Torchwood" is an anagram of "Doctor Who". The name was used as the "codename" for the new series of Who while filming its first few episodes and on the 'rushes' tapes to ensure they were not intercepted.[3] Davies connected the name of Torchwood to an idea for a modern British telefantasy programme in the style of American dramas like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel that he had been developing before he began work on Doctor Who.[4] The name was subsequently used in the series, leading to this spin-off.
The series is set in Cardiff, some time after the Doctor Who series two finale, setting it in 2007 and later in early 2008 ahead of its actual air date. It follows the Wales branch of a covert agency called the Torchwood Institute which investigate extraterrestrial incidents on Earth and scavenges alien technology for its own use. To paraphrase Torchwood Three's commander-in-chief, Captain Jack Harkness, the organisation is beyond the government, the police, and the United Nations. Their public perception is as merely a 'special ops' group.
The main writer alongside Davies is Chris Chibnall, creator of the BBC light drama show Born and Bred. Other writers include P.J. Hammond, Toby Whithouse, Doctor Who script editor Helen Raynor, Cath Tregenna, and Doctor Who cast member Noel Clarke, who gained acclaim for his screenplay for the film Kidulthood. Russell T. Davies wrote just the first episode.[5][6]
In a 17 October 2005 announcement, BBC Three controller Stuart Murphy described Torchwood as "sinister and psychological... as well as being very British and modern and real." Davies further described it as "a British sci-fi paranoid thriller, a cop show with a sense of humour... dark, wild and sexy, it's The X-Files meets This Life."[7] Davies has since denied ever making this comparison, instead describing the show as "alleyways, rain, the city".[8] As Torchwood is a post-watershed show — that is, after 9.00 p.m. — it has more mature content than Doctor Who. Davies told SFX:
- "We can be a bit more visceral, more violent, and more sexual, if we want to. Though bear in mind that it's very teenage to indulge yourself in blood and gore, and Torchwood is going to be smarter than that. But it’s the essential difference between BBC One at 7 p.m., and BBC Three at say, 9 p.m.. That says it all — instinctively, every viewer can see the huge difference there."[5]
According to Barrowman:
- "I don’t do any nude scenes in series one; they’re saving that for the next series! I don’t have a problem with getting my kit off. As long as they pay me the right money, I'm ready to get out my cock and balls."[9]
Davies also joked to a BBC Radio Wales interviewer that he was "not allowed" to refer to the programme as "Doctor Who for grown-ups".[10]
BBC Three described Torchwood as the "centrepiece" of their autumn 2006 schedule.[11]
[edit] Cast and crew
[edit] Regular characters
Torchwood, unlike its parent programme, centres around a team instead of a single character and companion(s). The series is based around Torchwood Three, the Cardiff branch of the Torchwood Institute, tasked (among other things) to keep an eye on the space/time Rift that runs through the city, and whatever washes through it. Torchwood Three is a team of five operatives, led by Jack Harkness (John Barrowman), with Gwen Cooper (Eve Myles) as the "new girl" who joins in the first episode and acts as a point-of-view character for the viewer. Aside from the team, a recurring character is Rhys Williams, Gwen's live-in boyfriend, who is unaware of the nature of Gwen's new job.
Other characters who have appeared in more than one episode include Tom Price as PC Andy, Caroline Chikezie as Lisa Hallett, and Louise Delamere as Diane Holmes. Towards the end of the first series, the character of Bilis Manger was introduced as another villain. It has not been indicated whether these characters will reappear in series two.
Before the programme's debut, publicity materials prominently featured Indira Varma as Suzie Costello among the other regular cast members, giving the impression that she would appear beyond the first episode. However, Suzie was unexpectedly killed off at the end of the first episode, Everything Changes. She has however appeared once since in the capacity of a recurring villain.
| Actor | Character | Position |
|---|---|---|
| John Barrowman | Captain Jack Harkness | Leader, Torchwood Three |
| Eve Myles | Gwen Cooper | Police liaison |
| Burn Gorman | Dr. Owen Harper | Doctor; second-in-command |
| Naoko Mori | Toshiko Sato | Computer specialist |
| Gareth David-Lloyd | Ianto Jones | General support |
[edit] Crew
Richard Stokes produces Torchwood. Originally, Doctor Who director James Hawes was lined up as producer. After directing the BBC Four drama The Chatterley Affair, Hawes backed out of the project. Davies told Doctor Who Magazine that Hawes "has been having such a good time... that he's decided directing is his greatest passion, and as a result, he's stepped down."[12][13]
Helen Raynor and Brian Minchin are the programme's script editors.[12] The series also shares Doctor Who's production designer, Edward Thomas. The show's theme tune is written by Doctor Who's composer Murray Gold, and music for the series is composed by Ben Foster and Murray Gold .
The first block of episodes, directed by Brian Kelly, comprises "Everything Changes", by Davies, and "Day One", by Chibnall.[6] The second block, which includes Helen Raynor's "The Ghost Machine" and "Greeks Bearing Gifts" by Toby Whithouse, was directed by Colin Teague;[14] Block Three, directed by James Strong, consists of Chibnall's "Cyberwoman" and "They Keep Killing Suzie" by Dan McCulloch and Paul Tomalin.[15] Block Four, directed by Alice Troughton, was again made up of two episodes: "Small Worlds" by Hammond and "Out of Time" by Cath Tregenna.[15][16]
[edit] Production
The programme began filming on May 1, 2006. Speaking at the London Film and Comic Con on 2 July 2006, Barrowman said that he would finish filming Torchwood in October, "just as it's going on air", after which he has been contracted to appear in the third series of Doctor Who, once again as Harkness;[17] Jack will appear in the episode Utopia, having returned to the TARDIS in End of Days.
Some of the writers for Series 2 have been announced. Three episodes will be scripted by lead writer Chris Chibnall, with two more from Cath Tregenna, one more from Russell T. Davies, and one more from Helen Raynor, with plenty more currently being scripted (perhaps to be commissioned as part of the main series) by as yet unknown writers.
[edit] International broadcast
The Canadian network CBC is co-producer of the series, with exclusive rights to broadcast the North American premiere of the show.[18] Series One will be broadcast on TV2[19] in New Zealand, and on Cuatro TV[20] in Spain in 2007. In early January 2007, it was reported that the ABC[21] was to broadcast the series in Australia, however according to a later report in TV Week both of the free-to-air government-owned television networks - the ABC and SBS - passed on the series.[22] On February 28, 2007, it was finally announced that Network Ten have acquired the rights to air the series in the country.[23]
[edit] Setting
Torchwood is filmed and set in Cardiff. Russell T. Davies told the South Wales Echo, "With Doctor Who we often had to pretend that bits of Cardiff were London, or Utah, or the planet Zog. Whereas this series is going to be honest-to-God Cardiff. We will happily walk past the Millennium Centre and say, 'Look, there's the Millennium Centre.' "[24] The makers of Torchwood deliberately portray Cardiff as a modern urban centre, contrasting with past stereotypical portrayals of Wales. "There's not a male voice choir ... or a miner in sight," said BBC Wales Controller Menna Richards.[25] Conservative MP Michael Gove described the debut of Torchwood as the moment confirming "Wales' move from overlooked Celtic cousin to underwired erotic coquette."[26][27]
The team's headquarters, referred to in Doctor Who Confidential as the Hub, is beneath Roald Dahl Plass in Cardiff Bay — formerly known as the Oval Basin. This is where the TARDIS landed in the Doctor Who episode Boom Town and is the location of the spacetime Rift first seen in The Unquiet Dead. The Hub itself is around 3 storeys high, with a large column running through the middle that is an extension of the fountain above.
[edit] Reception
As a spin-off of long-running British cultural artifact Doctor Who, Torchwood's launch into British popular culture has received much positive and negative review, commentary and parody following the hype of its inception, especially in regards to its status as an "adult" Doctor Who spin-off as well as characterisations and gratuitousness in its portrayal of sex. The series initially attracted record high ratings,[28] which later dropped to a degree,[29] but ensured the programme at least a second series.
[edit] Themes
Torchwood discusses many themes in its narratives, specifically dealing with LGBT themes associated with its homosexual and bisexual characters and their problems, with various characters portrayed as sexually fluid. Certain characters offer varying perspectives on orientation, although the nature of Jack, Ianto and Toshiko's sexual flexibility is not discussed explicitly.
In addition to these, there is some discussion of the value of human life, the corrupting nature of power and of existentialism through parallels drawn between characters with the repetition of thematically important lines in the course of series one.
[edit] Spin-offs
Torchwood has "a heavy online presence".[30] At the Edinburgh International Television Festival, BBC Director of Television Jana Bennett said that the online features will include the ability to explore the Hub, an imaginary desktop, weekly 10-minute behind-the-scenes vodcasts. It should be noted that due to digital media rights restrictions most video content on the BBC3 websites is only accessible to users within the UK. "You can join the corporation of Torchwood and be one of its employees," said Bennett.[31] The Flash-based interactive website, including the Hub Tour, debuted on 12 October 2006.[1]
BBC Three is airing Torchwood Declassified, a making-of program not unlike Doctor Who Confidential. Each Declassified episode runs under ten minutes, in contrast to Confidential's 30.[32] Torchwood Declassified is also available online at the BBC's Torchwood site.
In January 2007, BBC Books published the first three original, adult-focused[33] novels based upon Torchwood. The books were published in paperback-sized hardcover format, the same format BBC Books uses for its New Series Adventures line for Doctor Who. The books are Another Life by Peter Anghelides, Border Princes by Dan Abnett and Slow Decay by Andrew Lane. There have been eight more Torchwood books confirmed to accompany the second series.[34]
[edit] DVD Releases
| DVD Name | Release Date |
|---|---|
| Series 1 | Part One (Episodes 1-5): 26 December 2006 |
| Part Two (Episodes 6-9): 26 February 2007 | |
| Part Three (Episodes 10-13): 26 March 2007 |
[edit] Trivia
- The Torchwood theme music, composed by Murray Gold, also appears in the Doctor Who episode Army of Ghosts from Series 2.
- There is at least one literary reference, ranging from W. B. Yeats to the Bible, in every Torchwood episode.
- The hand in the jar at the Torchwood hub is the Doctor's severed hand from the Doctor Who episode The Christmas Invasion. When the TARDIS appears unseen in the hub the hand reacts by shaking, causing an alarm to sound.
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ a b BBC - Press Office (12 December 2006). Torchwood to return for second series. Press release. Retrieved on 2006-12-12.
- ^ Torchwood Season Two to premier in 2008. Outpost Gallifrey (11 February 2007). Retrieved on 2007-02-11.
- ^ "Doctor Who spin-off made in Wales", BBC News, 17 October 2005.
- ^ Rawson-Jones, Ben. "Davies: 'Buffy', 'Angel' inspired 'Torchwood'", Digital Spy, 2006-10-17. Retrieved on 2006-10-19.
- ^ a b Doctor Who showrunner Russell T. Davies talks about Torchwood spin-off series. SFX (Christmas 2005 issue). Retrieved on 2006-03-29.
- ^ a b Hickman, Clayton; Tom Spilsbury (2006-04-26 cover date). "Torchwood takes off!". Doctor Who Magazine (368): 8–9.
- ^ BBC Press Office (2005-10-17). Captain Jack to get his own series in new Russell T Davies drama for BBC THREE. Press release. Retrieved on 2006-08-17.
- ^ Griffiths, Nick (2006-10-21–2006-10-27). "The Torchwood Files". Radio Times 331 (4307): 11.
- ^ Williams, Andrew. "60 Second Interview : John Barrowman", Metro, 2006-11-02, hard copy 2006-11-03. Retrieved on 2006-11-03.
- ^ Russell T. Davies talks about Torchwood (MP3). BBC Radio Wales (17 October 2005). Retrieved on 2006-03-29.
- ^ BBC Press Office (2006-07-24). BBC THREE Autumn 2006. Press release. Retrieved on 2006-08-17.
- ^ a b Hickman, Clayton; Tom Spilsbury (2006-03-01 cover date). "Torchwood Tales!". Doctor Who Magazine (366): 5.
- ^ BBC Press Office (2006-02-24). Team Torchwood. Press release. Retrieved on 2006-11-04.
- ^ Hickman, Clayton; Tom Spilsbury (2006-07-19 cover date). "The Hub of Activity". Doctor Who Magazine (371): 5.
- ^ a b Hickman, Clayton; Tom Spilsbury (2006-08-16 cover date). "Torchwood Rises!". Doctor Who Magazine (372): 5.
- ^ Hickman, Clayton; Tom Spilsbury (2006-09-13 cover date). "Torchwood Update...". Doctor Who Magazine (373): 4.
- ^ JOHN BARROWMAN AT LFCC: 2 JULY 2006 Q&A TRANSCRIPT. johnbarrowman.com. Retrieved on 2006-07-18.
- ^ Akyuz, Gün (6 April 2006). BBC sci-fi thriller finds partner. C21 Media. Retrieved on 2006-04-06.
- ^ BBC Drama and Factual Titles Head to TVNZ. Scoop.co.nz (10 January 2007). Retrieved on 2007-01-10.
- ^ De Pablos, Emiliano. "Cuatro stocks up on U.S. fare", Variety, January 16, 2007. Retrieved on 2007-01-16.
- ^ Michael Idato (4 January 2007). 2007 from the couch. The Age. Retrieved on 2007-02-15.
- ^ TV Week. February 12, 2007
- ^ "Ten signs BBC's hit Dr Who spin-off", National Nine News, AAP, February 28, 2007.
- ^ James, David. "Dr Who spin-off based in Bay", South Wales Echo, 2006-04-17. Retrieved on 2006-04-19.
- ^ Price, Karen. "Action, aliens - and it's filmed in Wales", Western Mail, 2006-10-19. Retrieved on 2006-11-04.
- ^ Gove, Michael. "What could be sexier than South Wales?", The Times, 2006-10-25. Retrieved on 2006-11-04.
- ^ Gove, Michael (2006-10-25). What could be sexier than South Wales?. www.michaelgove.com. Retrieved on 2006-11-04.
- ^ "Torchwood scores record audience", BBC News, 2006-10-23. Retrieved on 2006-10-23.
- ^ Weekly Multichannel Top 10 programmes, BARB. Accessed 7 December 2006
- ^ Robinson, James. "BBC chief sees future in computer generation", The Observer, 2006-08-27. Retrieved on 2006-08-28.
- ^ Wilkes, Neil. "BBC goes interactive with 'Torchwood'", Digital Spy, 2006-08-26. Retrieved on 2006-08-28.
- ^ Torchwood Declassified. RadioTimes.co.uk. Retrieved on 2006-10-14.
- ^ Middleton, Adrian (2006-07-17). Justin Richards Talk - Birmingham. Jade Pagoda discussion group. Yahoo!. Retrieved on 2006-08-28.
- ^ Johnson, Richard (2007-03-11). Russell T Davies interview with The Telegraph. The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved on 2007-03-18.
[edit] References
- Burrell, Ian. "BBC to screen 'Dr Who for adults' as new spin-off show", The Independent, 2005-10-17.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Official site - BBC - Passcode = submitted
- Torchwood - BBC South East Wales
- Torchwood organisation (BBC mini-site)
Categories: Torchwood | 2000s TV shows in the United Kingdom | 2006 television program debuts | BBC television dramas | Television spin-offs | Doctor Who spin-offs | BBC high definition programmes | BBC Wales television programmes | British science fiction television programmes | CBC network shows | LGBT-related television programs
