Torchwood/Barrowman article round up!!!
Barrowman and Klass on Fogg trail
John Barrowman and Myleene Klass are taking part in the charity challenge
1 hour ago
John Barrowman and Myleene Klass are among a team of stars becoming global racers in a bid to trace the footsteps of Phileas Fogg for a BBC One series.
They will be joined by celebs like Frank Skinner and Shane Richie as they strive to travel Around The World In 80 Days in a giant relay, recreating the Jules Verne story.
The against-the-clock challenge, for Children In Need, is part of the BBC One autumn season.
In the early 1990s Michael Palin started the first of his TV adventures by reliving Fogg's journey. Now the BBC has divided the world-spinning trip into six legs - each to be undertaken by a pair of stars.
They include Sir Alan Sugar's poker-faced television sidekick Nick Hewer who will be teamed with Apprentice runner-up Saira Khan, while Torchwood star John shares his journey with Myleene. Comedian Skinner is travelling with fellow funnyman Lee Mack.
In the spirit of the original book - written way before the age of the aeroplane - the travellers will not be allowed to use planes, but any other form of transport will be acceptable.
Each will be raising money for Children In Need, including bringing home items for auction.
On the evening of the BBC's fundraising marathon on November 20, the stars - which also include Julia Bradbury, Matt Baker, Bill Turnbull, Louise Minchin and Josie Lawrence - will head to the studios.
Copyright © 2009 The Press Association. All rights reserved.
source: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5joWGWBYWRPm3GjfX2kw3wmuSZwIQ
BBC NEWS
Barlow to launch BBC charity gig
Take That singer Gary Barlow will stage a concert at the Royal Albert Hall to kick off the BBC's Children In Need annual charitable event.
"I can promise a night to remember, a night that will, I hope, play a small part in changing the lives of disadvantaged children," Barlow said.
Take That will perform at the concert, along with other acts, but a full line-up has not been announced yet.
All proceeds made from the gig will be donated to Children In Need.
"It's fantastic to be able to kick off BBC Children in Need 2009 in such a special way," Barlow said.
BBC One controller Jay Hunt said fans can expect the "very best of British musicians" to participate.
Travel challenge
A special series of Around The World In 80 Days will also help raise money for the event.
Six pairs of celebrities, including Frank Skinner, Myleene Klass and John Barrowman will re-enact the travels of Phileas Fogg - and Michael Palin.
The BBC said the team must "pass on the baton in the ultimate relay race, undertaken non-stop, in real time".
During their journeys each celebrity will be raising money and will bring home items to be sold at auction in aid of the charity.
Children In Need was launched in 1980 and has become widely recognised through its mascot - a yellow teddy bear with a bandage over one eye called Pudsey.
In 2008, the BBC Children in Need Appeal raised more than £36 million.
source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8142275.stm
'Torchwood' retains strong audience
Thursday, July 9 2009, 5:40am EDT
By Dan French, TV Reporter
'Torchwood' retains strong audience
Last night's episode of Torchwood held a strong audience for BBC One, according to the latest viewing figures.
The third instalment of the five part series pulled in an impressive 5.87m (27.1%), making it the most-watched show during the 9pm hour. The audience figures are up slightly from yesterday's performance and remained fairly even with Monday's premiere.
Its nearest rival, ITV1's Trial & Retribution repeat, put in 3.37m (15.6%), while new BBC Two comedy Taking The Flak, about a group of BBC journalists covering an African war, was seen by 1.21m (5.6%).
Channel 4's Big Brother highlights show managed 2.03m (9.3%), the highest midweek audience figure since the Wednesday, June 10 show, which logged 2.14m (12.3%) during the 10pm hour.
Five's Jodie Foster film, Panic Room, averaged 960k (5%) between 9.15pm and 11pm.
The Bill led the 8pm hour, drawing 5.01m (24.4%) for ITV1. BBC One's Celebrity Masterchef was close behind with 4.62m (22.5%), while a repeat of Embarrassing Teenage Bodies logged 1.79m (8.7%) for Channel 4.
Over on BBC Two, a repeat of Sunday's Top Gear grabbed 1.78m (8.7%), and 1.24m (6%) watched Five's Build A New Life In The Country.
The 10pm screening of the latest episode of Channel 4's Ugly Betty was seen by 1.22m (6.9%).
Overall, ITV1 came top during primetime with an average share of 22.7% to BBC One's 22.1%. Channel 4 was third with 7.1% (+1: 1.1%), followed by BBC Two with 5.3% and Five's 5.2%.
Elsewhere, BBC Four's new documentary series, The Grandparent Diaries opened to 366k (1.8%) at 9pm. The first episode of Jo Brand's new comedy drama Getting On followed, putting in 728k (4.2%) and making it the most-watched programme on the multichannel stations.
The latest episode of Gossip Girl interested 136k (0.7%) for ITV2. A further 45k (0.2%) watched the show on timeshift.
source: http://www.digitalspy.com/tv/a164287/torchwood-retains-strong-audience.html
5 Doctor Who universe characters who could join Torchwood
See? There's room for at least one more there...
Pete Dillon-Trenchard
It's not likely to happen, but could these five characters from across Doctor Who and The Sarah Jane Adventures fill out Torchwood's roster?
Published on Jul 9, 2009
The Torchwood gang are doing their thing all over BBC One every night this week, but the eagle-eyed amongst you will have noticed that they're still a couple of members short following the deaths of Owen and Tosh last year. And with the remaining members being hunted down by shady forces, perhaps it's a good time to look at some potential Torchwood candidates from Doctor Who and The Sarah Jane Adventures, should they still need to replenish their numbers after Friday...
Mickey Smith (Noel Clarke)
When we first met Mickey Smith, he was little more than an irritant, a one-note character designed to give Rose Tyler someone to want to run away from. Many of the millions of viewers watching Rose were left thinking, 'I wish the Doctor had decapitated the real Mickey instead of the plastic one.' And yet, as the months went on, Noel Clarke managed to turn Mickey into a sympathetic character, albeit still a bit of a feckless one. But while Rose and the Doctor grew smugger, Mickey grew braver, and it was a changed man who finally ditched his peroxide bimbo in favour of a life hunting down Cybermen in a parallel universe. He's made a few reappearances since then, and last time we saw him he was following Martha and Jack as they strode off into the sunset together. Owen's death has created a vacancy in the team for someone brave but ultimately a bit dim; could Mickey the Idiot be the one to fill it?
Why it probably won't happen:
While Mickey would seem like an ideal candidate for the Torchwood treatment, what with last year's Who finale seeming to set up his presence within the team, actor Noel Clarke has bigger fish to fry. With three films in post-production and another one having just finished filming, it looks like Mickey's going to be otherwise indisposed for the time being...
Sarah Jane Smith (Elisabeth Sladen)
It's been a funny old few years for sometime-journalist Sarah Jane Smith. At the start of 2006, she was a bitter old spinster who lived in a big house with only her robot dog for company, pining after that mysterious man with two hearts she travelled with all those years ago. These days, it seems like she can't move for fear of tripping over her gang of youngsters, most notably her teenage 'son', Luke. And the wanderer from Gallifrey keeps knocking on her door for one last adventure. She still lives with the robot dog, but more on him shortly. Sarah Jane has more than proven herself still capable of fighting aliens, having saved the world from the Slitheen, the Bane and the Sontarans, to name but a few. Will she soon be taking Tosh's place as the less annoying woman in Torchwood?
Why it probably won't happen:
Journey's End showed us that Jack would probably hire Sarah in a heartbeat (even though a journalist wouldn't normally be his first choice to join the team), but it seems unlikely that she would say yes to such an offer; she's stated on numerous occasions that she disapproves of Torchwood's methods, and the move from Ealing to Cardiff would be a hell of a strain on poor old Luke. So until Jack and the gang decide to start defeating their enemies with custard pies, this is one woman who'll be keeping her distance.
Jenny (Georgia Moffett)
For some, Jenny (surname unknown) should never have happened. The by-product of arguably one of Doctor Who's weaker episodes, the Doctor's daughter was created to give David Tennant and Catherine Tate some more angsty material to perform, while Freema Agyeman wandered around fulfilling a contractual obligation with a mute alien. However, thanks to some snappy dialogue and a top-notch performance by real-life Doctor's daughter, Georgia Moffett, Jenny sprung to life as a feisty, flirtacious femme fatale who would be more than a match for whatever alien race happened to wander in her general direction. In short, Jenny would make the perfect foil for Captain Jack as they battled and bantered their way to the bedroom... What would daddy say?
Why it probably won't happen:
On paper, there's no good reason why Jenny couldn't find her way to Torchwood Cardiff. We last saw her blasting off from the planet Messaline in the far future, but experienced viewers will know that this wouldn't prove too much of a problem, particularly with Cardiff having its own space-time rift. However, the return of the Doctor's daughter feels like something that would need to be handled by the parent series. Indeed, it was incoming showrunner Steven Moffat's idea to bring her back from the dead in the first place! So until the Doctor and his daughter meet up again, this is one potential member of the gang who's firmly out of bounds. Still, there's always next year...
K-9 (John Leeson)
Having spent the last couple of years guarding a black hole in Sarah Jane Smith's attic, everybody's favourite robot dog is set to return to Earth later this year for the third season of The Sarah Jane Adventures. But with the occasionally-evil Mr Smith taking care of all the team's information needs, is there really a place for K-9 on Bannerman Road? While K-9 Mark IV hasn't had as much chance (not onscreen, anyway) to prove himself as his space-faring counterparts, he's made of the same stuff, better, even, since he was rebuilt by an older and wiser Tenth Doctor. And his cameos in Sarah Jane and Doctor Who prove that he's an excellent deus ex machina. So with Torchwood missing one computer expert, why not hire a girl's best friend to fill the void? The Hub even has (or at least, did have) a handy lift for K-9 to use, which is more than can be said for Sarah Jane's attic...
Why it probably won't happen:
As I said before, K-9 is set to return to The Sarah Jane Adventures for a six-episode stint this Autumn, so he's going to be indisposed until that's finished. After that? It's hard to say. Despite the crossover in Doctor Who, the Beeb might still be reluctant to let a child-friendly character like K-9 encroach upon the more adult Torchwood, and rightly so. K-9 would look a little ridiculous trundling around with the Torchwood gang, if we're honest. And with a K-9 series set to debut in Australia later this year, the character's fate as a children's television staple would seem to be sealed. Quite right, too. Good dog. That said, I'd give anything to see Ianto's reaction to the metal mutt.
Chrissie Jackson (Juliet Cowan)
Maria's mum, Chrissie, may seem like a strange choice to join Torchwood. She's loud, brassy and borderline rude, essentially The Sarah Jane Adventures equivalent of Jackie Tyler. But, in spite of appearances, Chrissie's a shrewd woman. She cottoned onto there being something a bit weird about Sarah Jane before her ex-husband did, even if she was a little off about the specifics. She also managed to come to the rescue of the gang when they were at the mercy of a Sontaran commander, by jamming a high heel into his probic vent. She parted company with Sarah Jane with her memory intact, and with a greater awareness of aliens and what she could do to stop them than most people. Could it be that what Torchwood really needs is an older woman to order them into line?
Why it probably won't happen:
Chrissie was intended as The Sarah Jane Adventures' comic relief, connected to a character who isn't in the show anymore. It'd also be pushing the show's boundaries to have the hormones of Chrissie and Jack raging in the same room together; they'd likely be too busy getting busy with one another to go out and fight aliens, which probably wouldn't please Ianto. There's also the question of what would happen if she happened to introduce Jack to her friend Donna Noble. Or perhaps that's just a pet theory of mine. Bizarrely, though, of all the candidates on my list, Chrissie's probably the one who'd be most likely to make the transition. Watch this space!
So that's a few of my own suggestions, but there are so many other characters I could have chosen. Who would you like to see filling the remaining places on the team? Leave your suggestions in the comments box below.
Check out the new and ever growing Doctor Who page at DoG, where we are marshalling all the Who content at the site, including interviews, DVD and episode reviews, lists, opinions and articles on our favourite time traveller...
source: http://www.denofgeek.com/television/283564/5_doctor_who_universe_characters_who_could_join_torchwood.html
Hot Box: TV worth talking about
Jul 09, 2009 04:30 AM
[excerpt]
Twitter Twits: The New York Times reports that British fans of the BBC series Torchwood have been twittering about the first episode of the show's five-night miniseries, in which the Torchwood alien-hunting team comes under attack. Problem is the episode won't air here until July 20, but excited Brit fans have pushed the series into Twitter's top-trending topics, with posts that contain spoilers. Here in Canada, you can catch Torchwood: Children of Earth beginning July 20 at 10 p.m. You can also catch the first of David Tennant's final four adventures as Doctor Who July 25 at 9 p.m.
source: http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/article/662989
Carrying a torch
Torchwood: Children of Earth: Day Three
Infiltration and invasion are the order of the third day, as the 456 reveal their sinister demands. But did some of the action scenes fall a bit flat?
This blogpost contains spoilers
• Read the review of episode two
• Watch Day Three on BBC iPlayer
John Barrowman as Captain Jack in Torchwood. Photograph: BBC
Jack's back ... and ready to do battle in a shiny new trenchcoat. Photograph: BBC
The prime minister has guaranteed that diplomatically he can't enter Floor 13. So whatever happens in there, whatever goes wrong, history will say that it wasn't his fault.
There's a deeply disturbing moment very early on in the third hour of Children of Earth. And it doesn't come from the mouths of the possessed kiddies. With the team having regrouped in an old containment unit from Torchwood, London, the camera pans up from the floor to reveal Captain Jack, revived and dressed in a shiny new grey trenchcoat. Ianto's been shopping. "I'm back!" declares Jack, and the spectre of Mr Saturday Night has returned. All that's missing is a CGI twinkle from his whitened teeth.
One of Torchwood's great charms is the way it gets away with what anywhere else would be hideously jarring shifts in tone. But after the events of yesterday, I'm not really buying the way they suddenly revert to being a happy-go-lucky Scooby gang. Rhys, just minutes after quite justifiably kicking off at Gwen having told Jack about the baby first, is grinning away at the Hub 2 logo he's made out of fluorescent strips. There's a jolly montage sequence, where they use Gwen's police training to go on a petty crime spree to equip themselves with pretty much everything they need for a brand new Hub.
Yes, the bit where Jack and Ianto try to send Rhys off on a "left-handed screwdriver" mission so they can indulge in some shenanigans is very funny. And yes, these sequences are necessary to allow Ianto to steal the show even more completely. But as day three unfolds there's a very real worry that all the paranoia of the last couple of days is being thrown out the window for another jolly caper.
But rest assured, it doesn't last long. Today is about invasion and infiltration. And before the hour is up, the 456 have arrived, and every certainty you had about Jack is thrown completely out the window.
In essence, the episode is there to show the sheer ingenuity of the team; regrouping as outlaws while the government blunders through the crisis. The children of Earth are all pointing towards Whitehall, and thanks to Lois, the team have worked out that floor 13 will be a reception room. In a welcome touch of continuity, Gwen fits Lois with the laser contact lenses that Martha used in Reset last year, and Lois scams her way up to floor 13 with a new addition to her arsenal of super PA skills - the made-up sexual harassment story. Seriously, that girl is a spin-off series waiting to happen.
Did anybody else find the diplomatic sequence up on floor 13 a bit flat? Yes, yes, the whole point is that Frobisher's been sent in because he's a helpless middleman, but planet Earth is just showing itself up as wussy. And if Frobisher's putting on a weak performance because he's effectively on the same side as the 456, then does the PM know this too? Does Bridget? And what are the Americans going to say? It isn't helped by the 456's BBC-speak delivery, but beneath the smoke and slime, the flashes we see of the 456 makes it look like one mean, repulsive mother. Word is that the monster is part CGI, part prosthetic, part marionette. Exciting.
And just as we were beginning to think that the Children of Earth title was actually a bit of a red herring plotwise, the 456 reveals what it wants - 10% of the planet's children. And all of this has happened before. Once again, a tightly plotted, unique episode in the saga is thrown out of the water by a sucker punch at the end. Props to revamol who worked it out yesterday, but Jack was there the first time. Mad Clem recognises him. And back in 1965, he gave them twelve children. As a gift ...
DECLASSIFIED
This is getting dark. Torchwood is no Battlestar Galactica, and whatever the characters do, right and wrong, is usually pretty clearly defined. What exactly is Jack hiding?
Newsreader Trinity Wells is back! The most regularly-recurring character in the Whoniverse makes her Torchwood debut.
After his actions today, Prime Minister Green surely has to die now. That'll be the fourth dead prime minister in a row. (Earlier in the week I forgot about the one being killed in the Aliens of London Doctor Who story.)
Still can't work out whether Frobisher is pure evil, or just a fool in over his head.
Alice is, indeed, shaping up to be her father's daughter.
For the love of God, will somebody just make a passing reference to having recovered the remains of what looks like a pterodactyl from the blown-up Hub? Please?
Over on the Examiner they're making some intriguing predictions that we may have met the 456 before ...
On a little housekeeping note, I've had the luxury of watching the first three episode a couple of times before writing these blogs. But the BBC aren't sending out any preview discs of the remaining two episodes. So for the rest of the week, I'll be right there with you - on the edge of my seat ...
source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/tvandradioblog/2009/jul/09/torchwood-children-of-earth-day-three
Torchwood is a blazing success
Published: 08 Jul 2009
Success ... John Barrowman
BBC
THE BBC's Torchwood gamble appears to have paid off - after its new run in a different format pulled in six million viewers.
The ratings for the Doctor Who spin-off were significantly higher than for its previous two series.
It is running for five nights this week - a move away from the old 13-episode weekly format.
But star John Barrowman complained cutting down Torchwood: Children of Earth felt like the cast was "being punished".
The show started on BBC3 in 2006 but moved to BBC1 this year. It originally had 2.4million viewers, rising to 3.7million for the second series on BBC2.
source: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/tv/2522915/Torchwood-is-a-blazing-success.html
Who are the 456 in Torchwood: Children of Earth: the answer may be in Doctor Who
July 8, 4:46 AM · Chris McKeon - Comic Book Movie Examiner
Yahoo! Images
As with my previous article, this Examiner realizes this article has little to do with Comic Book Films. Although entries of that topic will continue as usual, readers can also now expect to see articles dealing with the Doctor Who series from now on. After all, there are comics for the good Time Lord as well. But first, to a spin-off of the good Doctor, which is on everyone's mind at the moment.
For all those watching the eagerly awaited and enthusiastically anticipated Torchwood: Children of Earth miniseries, which began broadcasting on BBC One this Monday, one question is clearly the paramount unknown quantity: Who are the aliens known as the 456? With two of the five hour episodes in the miniseries completed as of this writing, little is known about the coming aliens known for their communication frequency through which they speak to the people of Earth. Nevertheless, there are some important details which are surfacing piece by piece in this dramatic meal.
First, the 456, who primarily communicate through the planet's children (in English all over the world no less), first manifested their language through a high-pitched scream, which was decoded as a super-compressed stream of information. This information was later found to contain highly detailed instructions on how to build a safe environment for the coming aliens. Second, although no one seems to have seen the 456, they claim to have been on Earth before; at least one previous visit appears in a flashback sequence to Scotland in late 1965. Third, the 456 have had some prior contact with the British government, and only the British government. This is clear from the control of the world'd children being keyed to maximum exposure during British daily time schedule's, the fact that 456's specific transmissions are speaking to Britain only, and, by extension, that the children all over the world are speaking only in the English language. Fifth, the 456 must exist in a poisonous atmosphere. Fifth, and this is where things get interesting for the fans of Torchwood's parent series, Doctor Who, the fact that government civil servants have old tracking equipment specifically searching for space radio signals, suggests that previous contact with the 456 was via transmission only. And, finally, reference is made to the 456's safe-house environment as being like "an ambassadorial suite." The key word which pricks this Examiner's Doctor Who ears: ambassadorial.
So, who are the 456? It is too early to tell, however, given the massive drama rising with their inevitable appearance, which should be in tomorrow's third installment in the mini-series, it would seem increasingly likely that when the race finally reveals itself, fans of Torchwood, and thereby fans of Doctor Who, will recognize them. Therefore, given the accumulating hints in the series' first episode pair, I will make an educated fan prediction: the 456 are the Alien Ambassadors from the Doctor Who 1970 adventure The Ambassadors of Death. I make this prediction based on the fact that the Ambassadors of that story, as they called, are also enigmatic visiting aliens who visited Britian around the 1965 flashback era of Children of Earth's backhistory, they communicate to humans via radio signals containing super-compressed information highly similar in sound to the children's first eerie scream in Day One of the serial, their bodies exist in environments lethal to humans, necessitating containment units similar to the one built at the conclusion of Day Two, and, of course, if the 456 are the Ambassadors of Death then they are "coming back."
This prediction may be entirely off-target and be proven wrong as early as tomorrow. In fact, as the tv story The Ambassadors of Death was first broadcast over 39 years ago, it is unlikely a direct and detailed examination of that story will occur in Torchwood:Children of Earth over the next three daily episodes. Nevertheless, if this prediction is correct, then long-time fans of Doctor Who's Jon Pertwee/Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart/UNIT years will have great reason to shout with fannish joy come late night Wednesday. Until then, viewers can only wait, and watch the skies. Or readers can feel free to comment below their feelings of Children of Earth so far. Until next time...
For more on Torchwood: Children of Earth, click here
For more on Torchwood's previous adventures, click here
(Additional photos sourced from Wikipedia images)
Copyright 2009 Examiner.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Author
Chris McKeon is an Examiner from the National Edition. You can see Chris's articles at: "http://www.Examiner.com/x-10643-Comic-Book-Movie-Examiner"
source:http://www.examiner.com/x-10643-Comic-Book-Movie-Examiner~y2009m7d8-Who-are-the-456-in-Torchwood-Children-of-Earth-the-answer-may-be-in-Doctor-Who
Torchwood finally gets it right
After two series and far too many swear words and sex jokes Torchwood has finally grown up, writes Dan Wainwright.
For an “adult” spin off of Doctor Who, the adventures of indestructible Captain Jack and co were somewhat juvenile.
It seemed as though all the episodes were written by a bunch of sci-fi nerds whose only experience of real world issues such as familiar relations were those they talked about in internet chat rooms.
Trying to give the show an edgy, gritty feel served only to dumb it down.
Attempting to follow Doctor Who’s 13-episode format with a different writer for each episode just didn’t work. With Doctor Who the title character and his sidekick would move about, meeting new characters on new planets every week.
But with Torchwood the city of Cardiff and the larger cast were vying for attention and a bit of character development that just wasn’t forthcoming.
I wish I had blogged about this last year because I distinctly remember telling my friends that the only way the show could work was if it was made into a single story arc of half a dozen episodes all written by the same person.
I remember that well because everyone turned away from me and started talking about football until I started shouting very loudly about Weevils and Time Agents and was asked to leave the pub.
Shifting the show from BBC 3 in its first year to BBC 1 for this week’s five episode bonanza has made a huge difference.
It’s as though the watchful matriarchal influence of Auntie Beeb is stronger on her main channel - like she’s supervising the kids drinking tea out of her best china instead of the disposable “stick any old tosh on it” beaker of BBC 3 - the corporation’s patronising “yoof” channel.
With Children of Earth the overall plot will probably turn out a bit disappointing - “oh dear aliens are going to invade, again, and the Doctor is nowhere to be seen”.
But sidestepping all of that we have a Gwen who has gone from gap-teethed, breathy sort of eye-candy to super tough and pregnant. Ianto is still a little wet but there’s actually some sort of a proper relationship going on with Jack that actually stands a chance of being a serious, 21st century story of same-sex love without just being the same story about sex.
So far the only good thing about Captain Jack is he spent most of episode two dead and trapped in concrete to avoid over-exposing John Barrowman but, as much as it pains me to admit, even he is coming into his own.
It’s a shame that when Torchwood nicked the idea of an unkillable captain who comes back from the dead every week from Captain Scarlet they also gave Barrowman that plastic puppet sheen. I’m also going to miss that flowing air force coat of his now it’s been blown up with half of Cardiff Bay.
If the rest of this week can keep up the suspense, and suppress the immaturity of its first two seasons, we might finally have a Torchwood worth watching.
This article posted on July 8, 2009 at 7:00 am
source: http://www.expressandstar.com/2009/07/08/torchwood-finally-gets-it-right/
Thursday, Jul 9
Cult Spy
'Torchwood's Day Three - The Verdict
Wednesday, July 8 2009, 5:00pm EDT
By Ben Rawson-Jones, Cult Editor
'Torchwood's Day Three - The Verdict
"We are coming". Yawn. "We are coming". Zzzzzz. "We are here". Woohoo! The 456 certainly took their time, didn't they? Those repetitive crowd scenes of possessed children were losing their initial shock value.
Nonetheless, the presence of an alien visitor lurking in the murky gas chamber is expertly handled by director Euros Lyn. It's a lesson in establishing and sustaining suspense, as we are given quick flashes of what the creature might look like accompanied by some horrific sound effects. The power of imagination takes a horrifying grip while we wait for the grand reveal... which hopefully won't be too stretched out this time.
Elsewhere, it's fun to watch the Torchwood trio reunited and adopting the roles of criminals to achieve their aims. In particular, the surveillance contact lenses worn by Lois Habiba add a funky Mission: Impossible-style gloss to proceedings.
The episode ends on a tantalising bombshell relating to Captain Jack's involvement in the original 1965 delivery of children to the 456. Such revelations ensure that Day Four cannot come soon enough, although there is a lingering feeling that Torchwood needs to ramp up the excitement to the levels reached by the climax of 'Day One' - and fast.
**** out of *****
source: http://www.digitalspy.com/cult/a164141/torchwoods-day-three-the-verdict.html
'Torchwood: Children Of Earth' - Day Three
A cautionary tale featuring the dark themes of the genre
By ALAN STANLEY BLAIR
Jul-8-2009
This review contains spoilers.
We are … here.
Having "Torchwood" retooled as a miniseries gives the show the extra reach that a full season does not - a five-part series is the perfect medium to crank up the tension and tell a carefully crafted story to clearly define "Torchwood" as a series in its own right and step out of "Doctor Who's" shadow on the BBC's primary channel.
"Day Three" is the first part of the "Children Of Earth" saga that exceeds the steep expectations set by the BBC, effortlessly gliding from family-themed laughs, the crime wave of the century and butt-clenching levels of intensity.
The objective is clear. Establish the helplessness of Team Torchwood. Rebuild the unit. Have some laughs. Continue to build tension. Gasp. Reveal the 456. Gasp. Show no signs of releasing the tension or slowing down in anyway. It is a formula not to be trifled with as the lighthearted overtones given to the rebuilding of Torchwood easily create a false sense of security that makes the final ten minutes so gripping.
Beyond the reformation of Torchwood inside an abandoned warehouse there are no messages (hidden or otherwise) of hope, optimism or unquenchable inspiration (the very antithesis of all things "Doctor Who"), the episode can be seen as a cautionary tale that toys with the darker themes of the genre … specifically, the dangers of ambition and cold calculation.
Not only does John Frobisher (Peter Capaldi) find himself on the front line to an alien incursion but Capt. Jack (John Barrowman) sets his sights on the Civil Servant for his part in the 1964, incidentally forcing the good Captain to look at himself in the same light. The casual nature of the Prime Minister's stating that Frobisher is expendable also generates a small degree of sympathy for the man whose family life has made him so accessible, and whose patriotic ambitions have painted him as such a target.
In much the same way, Clement (Paul Copley) also evokes a great deal of sympathy designed to transform Jack into the villain of the story … and by his own admission, he is the villain.
What Worked
The crime wave montage was brilliantly constructed, packed with a lot of humor at watching our heroes descend to the ranks of petty street criminals in order to save the day. Gwen (Eve Myles) becomes a modern day Fagan in the battle to rebuild the secret institute, offering tips on pick pocketing, silver collared crimes, fraud, and car Jacking (excuse the pun). Meanwhile, Rhys leads up the marketing department by branding their new secret headquarters as "Hub 2." But it all goes towards a good cause - what is Jack without his army coat anyway?
And it is also clear that Jack's daughter (Lucy Cohu) and grandson will have a much larger role to play in the final two days of this crisis (fending off the SWAT team by means of a clothesline was classic), as will Lois (Cush Jumbo) who is now serving as the eyes and ears of Torchwood. Both characters are now clearly established as integral parts of the extended team and their lives will directly impact the outcome of the 456 plan, not to mention the future of the series.
What Didn't Work
It may be the most intense part of this miniseries but they are here and we still don't know what happened in 1964, why it occurred or what the 456 even look like (the rare glimpses given are reminiscent of something from the Jim Henson creature shop). Keeping the secret this long may keep the suspense flowing, but also raises the bar for the final two installments.
Giving Credit Where Credit Is Due
"Torchwood: Children Of Earth" stars John Barrowman, Eve Myles and Gareth David-Lloyd. "Day One" was written by Russell T. Davies and James Moran, and was directed by Euros Lyn.
“Torchwood: Children Of Earth” airs this week on BBC One, and then launches on July 20 on BBC America.
source: http://www.airlockalpha.com/node/6496
TV overnights
Torchwood drops 300,000
8 July, 2009 | By Jon Rogers
Torchwood
BBC1 drama spin-off from Doctor Who
BBC1’s stripped sci-fi drama Torchwood saw the second episode average 5.6m viewers (24% share) last night at 9pm, a fall of 300,000 compared with the opening performance.
The hour-long drama spin-off from Doctor Who saw its audience rise slightly from an initial 5.5m (23.9%) to 5.7m (24.5%) in the final 15 minutes. It was comfortably up on the slot average so far this year of 4.1m (17.9%) by 36.6%.
Torchwood, which had been moved to a new post-watershed slot following successful runs on BBC3 and BBC2, began its new run on Monday with 5.9m (25.8%). The five-part series will play out across this week.
Despite the drop in figures, BBC1 still had a clear advantage over its terrestrial rivals.
ITV1’s Australian version of Ladette to Lady came to the end of its six-part run with 2.9m (12.4%), in the same slot.
Five’s second part in the new season of CSI: Miami took a rather sharp dive at 9pm with 2.5m (10.8%) tuning in, a fall of 1.3m from last week but still well ahead of its nearest rivals.
BBC2 screened the 2003 film Girl with a Pearl Earing and seduced 1.9m (8.4%) for 90-minutes from 9pm. Just behind BBC2 at the time was Channel 4’s latest Big Brother antics with 1.8m (7.6%) and 351,000 watching on C4+1.
source: http://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/ratings/torchwood-drops-300000/5003333.article
08 July 2009 16:11
JOHN BARROWMAN - BARROWMAN BLASTS 'BIGOTED' BISHOP
Caption: John Barrowman (Picture) performing at the Royal Albert Hall London, England ....
BARROWMAN BLASTS 'BIGOTED' BISHOP
Actor JOHN BARROWMAN has blasted "bigoted" church leaders - for alienating congregation members with their strict stance on homosexuality.
The star of cult sci-fi TV show Doctor Who lashed out after Michael Nazir-Ali, the Bishop of Rochester in the U.K., urged gays to "repent and be changed".
Openly gay Barrowman slammed the comments, insisting any high-ranking church official who agrees is damaging Christianity.
He says, "From a gay man, weren't the actions of Jesus Christ supposed to be about compassion and love and understanding? And here you have a man who is supposed to be teaching that and he is teaching bigotry.
"I think more gay men would go to church if the teachers weren't as bigoted as they are. Now, I'm not saying all Christians believe like that, because there's a lot out there who don't.
"But these kind of men and women who are preaching that, they are going to lose their congregation because mums and dads are going to realise they have gay siblings - or children or family members who are gay - and they are not evil. Stop talking rubbish."
08 July 2009 16:11
source: http://www.contactmusic.com/news.nsf/article/barrowman-blasts-bigoted-bishop_1109088
Good News, Bad News: DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES, LOST, TORCHWOOD & GLEE
by theTVaddict.com
July 8, 2009 08:23 AM
[excerpt]
Good News: TORCHWOOD’s five-episode season 3 miniseries has become so popular in the UK that it has become a trending topic on Twitter. Bad News: Thus spoiling it for everyone outside of the UK who still have to wait two weeks for the series to surface on BBC America.
source: http://www.dvrplayground.com/blog/entry/18889/Good-News-Bad-News-DESPERATE-HOUSEWIVES-LOST-TORCHWOOD-GLEE/
Torchwood heads for Arundel
Wednesday, July 08, 2009, 14:06
A WEST End star who is also a familiar face on our TV screens is playing a big, open-air gig next month.
John Barrowman has recently appeared on TV as an actor in shows such as Doctor Who and Torchwood.
The versatile entertainer has also hosted his own Saturday night TV show and, not content with this, is an accomplished singer, who has recently released his own album.
Barrowman will be performing a few of his songs at Arundel Castle in August, for a one-off performance.
The Scottish-born entertainer specialises in songs from blockbuster Broadway and London stage shows.
Barrowman comes to the castle on August 22
For tickets and booking information call the ticket office on 01903 882173 or visit arundelcastle.org
source: http://www.thisissussex.co.uk/entertainment/Torchwood-heads-Arundel/article-1147277-detail/article.html