Doctor Who

[Patticus]

Resuming in September for the other half of the series. With Sherlock presumably filling the gap.

[PSI Wind]

And thankfully, when the series comes back, BBC America doesn't have an American holiday to worry about (Damn TV views dropping on Memorial Day weekend) to delay the episodes.

Found a good stream after an hour or two of looking. Absolutely outstanding work of Entertainment. This just really proves me one thing: British TV is vastly superior

Also: DAT CLIFFHANGER (Not the River reveal, this one)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kY8qY2mgIMQ

Is the Doctor dead? Will he die!? DAMNIT MOFFAT!

[Tobbii]

Great episode, obvious ending, but great.

Problem is, now all the shows I'm watching has ended... Back to every week being boring I guess.

[TheGerkuman]

The one thing that annoyed me about the episode was how River could blame the Doctor for anything. I mean, what was he supposed to do. Not intefere? The whole speech she made gave off lots of mixed messages, and I really don't get it.

[Flyboy Fox]

I dunno, I think he needs to occasionally be held accountable by someone with the (proverbial) balls and the experience to tell it to him straight. The Doctor is a truly good man, but he's far from infallible, and sometimes someone has to remind him of the impact he has on the lives of the people who get caught up with him. I think River was probably exactly the right person to give him that dose of reality.

[Tobbii]

The thing is however, the Doctor ALWAYS says that follow with him is a dangerous choice. Ever since the 2005 series started each "partner" has been told how dangerous it is to be around him, hell, the first season was all about how the Doctor brings an evil storm with him wherever he goes. People know he's dangerous to go against and dangerous to be around, he does not keep that secret. I don't consider Demon's Run to be his fault.

Also, I never liked River... Like her less now, oh well.

[TheGerkuman]

If River had come out and said that the issue was with The Doctor trying to use his reputation to beat his enemies, as he has been doing recently, then I'd understand it. I just have a problem with the way she said it. It wasn't clear that that was the issue.

[Sion-Ta]

We have people that are trying to contruct the ultimate weapon just out of fear of the Doctor's name. Could argue that this reputation was unavoidable, but alas that doesn't change the fact that something has to be done about it. The Doctor is no longer finding trouble, he's creating it. :/

[-Mark-]

I'm glad I tuned in yesterday. The whole 'ganger plot underwhelmed me pretty badly until right near the end, I felt like I was almost losing interest enough to drop the series. So yeah, glad I didn't.

[Kevin]

Great episode, especially the ending! Although I agree with those who said the ending was pretty predictable. I also agree with Flyboy about the better acting in this episode too. I can't wait until the series resumes in September!

[Tobbii]

Google Messsage Board in 1995

http://groups.google.com/group/rec.arts.drwho/browse_thread/thread/7cd734f99a62ae98/c845f05e9b213df9?lnk=st&q&hl=en&pli=1

Look who wrote the first post.

Here's a particularly stupid theory. If we take "The Doctor" to

be the Doctor's name - even if it is in the form of a title no

doubt meaning something deep and Gallifreyan - perhaps our

earthly use of the word "doctor" meaning healer or wise man is

direct result of the Doctor's multiple interventions in our

history as a healer and wise man. In other words, we got it from

him. This is a very silly idea and I'm consequently rather proud

of it.

Steven Moffat

[Doctor MK]

Confirmed: No full series of Doctor Who in 2012

It has been confirmed that there won’t be a full series of Doctor Who in 2012.

The news was brought to light earlier tonight through a tweet from BBC News Entertainment Correspondent Lizo Mzimba, who posted: “There will not be a full series of Dr Who in 2012! BBC confirms that BBC One Controller said this earlier today”. The BBC recently announced fourteen new episodes, including this year’s Christmas special, starring Matt Smith, however it’s not known how many will be aired next year.

http://news.whoviannet.co.uk/2011/06/confirmed-no-full-series-of-doctor-who-in-2012/

...discuss?

[Patticus]

For what appears to be the BBC's biggest series, they aren't half inconsistent with handling it are they? Constantly moving time slot, the break during Tennants era (understandable, but still not really something you'd see anywhere else) and now, potentially, this! I need my Doctor!

[Doctor Sοnic]

This is definitely not something I was expecting to hear. I suspect this is likely for financial reasons, could be a case of them saving money in 2012 to do something extra big for the anniversary in 2013. I hope its that rather than them just generally cutting back on Doctor Who.

[Tobbii]

For what appears to be the BBC's biggest series, they aren't half inconsistent with handling it are they? Constantly moving time slot, the break during Tennants era (understandable, but still not really something you'd see anywhere else) and now, potentially, this! I need my Doctor!

Tennant was because of the writers strike though, right?

@Doctor Sonic

Actually, Moffat said he liked the idea of two mini-seasons with Torchwood in the middle.

[Doctor Sοnic]

Tennant was because of the writers strike though, right?

The writers strike only effected the US. The reason for the lack of a full series in 2009 was because of the change in production teams and David's departure.

@Doctor Sonic

Actually, Moffat said he liked the idea of two mini-seasons with Torchwood in the middle.

I read that, but it doesn't explain why there won't be a full series next year.

[Patticus]

Torchwood Pics, E1 Review (Spoiler Free) and Interview with RTD:

Review:

4.1 Miracle Day: The New World

With each subsequent series of Torchwood, as we were reminded prior to the screening of the opening episode of Miracle Day, things have escalated. The show started on BBC Three, then moved to BBC Two, and for the acclaimed Children Of Earth, it jumped to BBC One. Now? Miracle Day sees Torchwood on a global platform, courtesy of a co-production between the BBC in the UK, and the Starz network in the US. It's the show's biggest challenge to date.

This, then, gives Torchwood’s creator and lead writer, Russell T Davies, a balancing act. How do you manage giving something to the existing Torchwood fanbase, whilst also bringing a new audience to the show? Turns out, on the basis of episode one, he’s got the answer.

To be clear, though: all we’re going to discuss in this piece are some very outline story points, which have already been revealed. There’s nothing spoiler-y about the review itself, save for explaining the premise of the show.

Miracle Day’s opener, then, has a real sense of scale about it. It's split between Wales and America primarily, as it gradually unfolds that nobody in the world is dying. This is most graphically demonstrated right at the start of the episode, as Bill Pullman’s Oswald Danes, a particularly nasty breed of criminal, is being prepared for death by lethal injection. Only it doesn’t go to plan, and it begins to dawn on the world that something very drastic has changed.

Hence, Torchwood. Or what’s left of it. Thus, we get the return of John Barrowman as Captain Jack Harkness, along Eve Myles as Gwen Cooper. More to the point, it's Gwen Cooper with husband, Rhys (Kai Owen), and their baby.

Davies gradually reintroduces us to the familiar faces, and he does it through the eyes of characters on the other side of the channel. Those eyes belong to Mekhi Phifer’s Rex Matheson, and Alexa Havins’ Esther Drummond, with the former in particular snaffling the lion’s share of some very funny moments. Davies has always been a skilled writer of comedy lines, amongst other things, and he's on fine form here.

He's also very strong at pulling the various threads together, to lay the foundations for the show. This opening episode introduces everyone, and spares time to lay in the threads and moral questions of Miracle Day.

Given the fact that Russell T Davies has ten episodes to work with here, rather than the five that Children Of Earth ran for, there’s less instant grab to the main narrative. But then it’s a slower burning story he’s telling. Children Of Earth had some instantly notable sequences in its opening episode, that made you sit bolt up and take notice. Miracle Day isn’t working quite like that, and it’s, as you might expect, playing a longer game.

It is a good one, though, at least on the evidence thus far. While some will want things more fast and furious (and the episode is hardly a slouch, with plenty of action, and a lot going on), I enjoyed the fact that this opener made enough space to lay a lot of pieces on the proverbial board.

I also enjoyed the episode itself a lot. It’s Americanised to an extent, but mainly in the sense that that’s where the story’s primarily taking place. And it boasts a series of sequences that instantly manage to show off the increased bank balance behind the show. The money, thus far, has been well spent. And filming action sequences in Wales does wonders for the wind-swept look, clearly.

Yet it’s the smaller, quieter moments that shine through. The scenes shared by Gwen and Rhys. Captain Jack’s ongoing realisation of just what’s happening. And a few other bits I’ve no intention of spoiling here.

I will say this, though: the show is bristling with great performances. Pullman isn’t used much in this opener, but there’s a calm measure about his portrayal of Oswald Danes that very much has the potential to get under the skin. And both Phifer and Havins acquit themselves very well.

But it’s the returning main trio of Kai Owen, John Barrowman and Eve Myles that continue to impress. Owen mixes humour with an earnest, and a real sense of drive about keeping his character’s marriage in tact. Barrowman has immense presence in pretty much every scene he’s in, here, and pitches his character expertly, as you’d expect. And Eve Myles? She’s just brilliant. Whoever Hollywood producers cast in the planned reboot of the Tomb Raider movie franchise, I’m fully confident that Myles could kick their ass. Twice. Before breakfast.

I should spare a quick line, too, for Murray Gold's music. His score here is strong, delicately weaving around the drama, with real balance to it. It's a very good score, used very well.

All said, the opening of Miracle Day sees Torchwood in confident form. There are big themes developing here, in an episode that’s very much setting the scene for what’s to come. And Davies gets his mix right. It feels slightly different from Torchwood of old, but then that’s what it should be. The goalposts have changed, the production has escalated, and the ambition of the show’s storytelling has increased with it.

I, for one, am really looking forward to seeing what’s coming next. For after this opening episode, I’m fully on board.

Interview:

At the UK launch of Torchwood: Miracle Day, we caught up with its creator and lead writer, Russell T Davies, for a chat about all things Torchwood…

Published on Jun 23, 2011

For Torchwood, it's been quite a journey. Starting off as a Doctor Who spin-off on BBC Three, it's developed an identity and scale over the years, the peak of which, so far, was the five-part mini-series, Torchwood: Children Of Earth.

Now, though, Torchwood has gone global, with its fourth series, Miracle Day. Co-produced and financed with Starz in the USA, we caught up with Russell T Davies at the UK unveiling of Miracle Day to find out what's what...

Note: there's a spoiler for the last series of Torchwood, Children Of Earth, in this interview.

One thing I've really enjoyed about Torchwood is that it's always been a show that's burnt its bridges as it goes along.

[Laughs] That's one way of putting it!

In a narrative sense, you've never given yourself a way back, and the way you left things at the end of Children Of Earth, you did that again. And that, presumably, is the plan again here?

Well, I can't tell you how it ends. I like what you're saying, and I'm glad you spotted that. It's a deliberate trend, because it's quite easy to end nice and safely and comfortably, and I always think it's a miracle if you come back. So, it's just more interesting than the other endings that are on offer.

Was Miracle Day the story that you had in mind at the end of Children Of Earth?

Yes. It was already in my head. It was the story that, if it was going to come back, this is the story that we would have done. But Children Of Earth could have died a death. None of us expected it to do as well as it did. I thought it'd do alright, and I was very proud of it as a piece of work. But you can't guarantee that good pieces of work will get an audience.

But the fact that we won five nights of the week, in a row, some nights we beat EastEnders, was amazing. We were amazed by that.

Episode three is usually the test, isn't it? By that point, you've usually lost the casual viewer?

Exactly. It was a miracle in itself, thrilling.

It was hard in a narrative sense. Children Of Earth didn't pull back, and it didn't pull back from logic, for want of a better word. The decisions the characters make in Torchwood always struck me as entirely based on that. So, you get the moment where Captain Jack has no choice but to kill the child in Children Of Earth. It had to be done. It was the only logical way to save the world.

To me, it was the only thing that he could do.

I love the fact that people criticise Captain Jack for doing that. It was him doing that, or ten percent of the world's children. Ten percent! He had no choice, absolutely no choice.

That's why you have to work in a drama, to put people in a position where there is no choice. It takes five hours to reach that moment, and that's when it works. That's how hard it is.

Did it strike you, in the reaction afterwards, that people complained more about the death of a character than killing a child?

Not really, I suppose. Because when you see a child die [on a television drama], part of you is thinking he's not really dead. It's a child actor. Whereas a lot of people, women in particular, had invested in Ianto in lots of different ways.

Ianto, by accident, if you look at him in hindsight, was practically designed to be a cult character. He's every minority. He's minorities within minorities. Him being Welsh, of flexible sexuality. He's even got a dead girlfriend. He ticks every box. It wasn't our plan!

But then the final item on that list is kill him, and sit back and watch the result, which is exactly what happened.

When it came to Miracle Day, you had the overarching idea. But then you've brought in a writers' room this time? Some of the writers you've got are quite astonishing.

Oh, yes, very much. And they all came because they loved Children Of Earth. It was a godsend.

How did they help you flesh out and embellish Miracle Day?

It wasn't a new process to me, because I used to work in soap operas. And everyone talks as if there's no such thing as a writer's room in Britain, whereas our highest rated programmes are run from a writer's room. It takes a slightly different format, but that's what the soaps do.

So, yes, I was used to going in and leading a room, frankly, so it wasn't a new experience to me. Yes, they're brilliant people, but somebody has to be in charge, obviously. I loved it. It's kind of what I went there for.

It wasn't the full system. We ended up with half the American and half a British system. In theory, the full American system is that you work out, on a whiteboard, every single detail of every single episode. I don't like it all worked out in advance for me. I like to go home and be able to invent stuff on the spot.

The half British system was that once there was a good layout, but not a detailed layout of an episode. We send them off and tell them to write. "Go and do what you're paid to do. Go and be brilliant."

We came along to the set visit in Cardiff earlier in the year, and you do an interesting intro to that. You hinted then that Torchwood was finite for you, that there was a point where you would duck out and leave it to other people to do?

Definitely. Yes. Who knows when, because now we get to the end of a production, I love it all over again. I just saw episode 10 on Saturday, and I'm so proud of it. It's the most magnificent finale we've ever done. It's balls to the wall action. It's just fabulous.

So, I just don't know! We'll have to see if this is a success. It's a very hard show to hand over to someone else. And I'm not sure I'd do that. But I just don't know. We'll have to see how well it does and what I feel like doing.

It'd be great to think there was more. Let's change format again. Let's make a movie. We could do all sorts of things. Let's find something new.

From your own personal point of view, your head's never been solely sci-fi.

No, exactly.

You've told lots of stories across lots of genres.

I've just been accused of being in science fiction for ten years, which is wrong! I was horrified when they said that! Six maybe, but definitely not ten!

But there are other muscles in your head that you want to use, and other voices, and other things about life that are driving you mad, or joyous. So, there's other stuff to write. And I will. Life is not endless. I will get on with them and write other things. I always will. I'll always move on.

Can you just encapsulate for us what it is about Miracle Day that should get us tuning in?

It's a great big rollicking adventure, which Torchwood always is. But the stuff it has to say about society in the west is very true, I think, and very dark. And when you look at a world that nearly collapsed in 2008 due to a financial crisis, this takes it a step further, and sees where we end up.

We really tell the story on a big scale, by the way. It seems very domestic and small to begin with, but it grows and grows and grows. The whole of western society and beyond is changing. So, if you want that size of journey, if you want to come on an imaginative ride that has so much nerve, then come and join it. It's enormously well told.

You briefly mentioned just before, but just to end with: do you think there will be a film for Torchwood?

I think that'd be a marvellous thing one day. Torchwood is infinitely flexible. So, if you've got some money, give us some money!

I'll give you some money! Russell T Davies, thank you very much.

For the Lulz:

[Doctor Sοnic]

Its now been confirmed that the new series of Torchwood will have its UK premiere on Thursday 14th of July at 9:00pm.

http://www.doctorwhonews.net/2011/06/dwn230611110108-torchwood-uk-premiere.html

[Stacy]

So anybody else watching Torchwood: Miracle Day tonight?

[Glenn]

So anybody else watching Torchwood: Miracle Day tonight?

[Badnik Mechanic]

Definately watching Torchwood tonight.

Should be an interesting series especially considering how suprising the last series ended up being.

[Doctor Sοnic]

The BBC have released a trailer for the second half of series 6:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/dw/videos/p00jb05r

I have to say it looks awesome!

Also the rumoured return date for the series is Saturday 27th August.

[Patticus]

River is seen wearing Korvarian's eye patch. She can't be her... can she?

[Doctor Sοnic]

River is seen wearing Korvarian's eye patch. She can't be her... can she?

Edited July 24, 2011 by Doctor Sοnic

[SHAX Hedgefox]

Cybermen, Weeping Angels, more Silence.......

This just might be even better than the first part of the series.

Edited July 25, 2011 by SHAX Hedgefox