I am – Hercules!!




Here in the states BBC America is getting "Torchwood: Children of Earth" July 20-24, two weeks later than the BBC. If you don’t get that channel, it hits DVD and Blu-ray July 28.

Hi Herc

So TORCHWOOD's back, this time in a miniseries format, with one story (CHILDREN OF EARTH) being screened over five hours, one hour a night Monday to Friday this week on BBC1. Ep 1's just finished here in the UK.

The good news is, the Beeb's getting more of a handle on what to do with the concept. Granted, the series 2 finale acted effectively as a reboot, by stripping the cast down to the essentials. However, this time Captain Jack Harkness and company have got something meatier to contend with than the monster-of-the-week material that blighted so much (and particularly so much of series 1) of the earlier outings.

The set-up is lifted straight from John Wyndham's THE MIDWICH CUCKOOS (filmed twice as VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED); aliens have taken over the children. Except here, it's all children, everywhere. A dormant extraterrestrial signal's been reactivated, and it's taking over all the kids. At periods, they just stop, chanting in unison "We are coming" over and over...

Cue Torchwood staff running around (there's some soapy material to give each of the principals more backstory and a personal interest in the case), some excellent guesting from Peter Capaldi (last seen swearing to magnificent effect as Malcolm Tucker from IN THE LOOP) as a twitchy civil servant who knows too much and an awesome Liz May Brice as military queen bitch Johnson.

Throw in a mental patient who can scent alien activity, some impressive visuals, plenty of sneaky government activity, multiple deaths, an assassination squad out to remove Torchwood from whatever the equation is and a pleasing comic touch to the script and ep one at least gives an intriguing opening which should guarantee viewers returning to see how the story pans out.

Though the backstory material is shoehorned in a little too obviously (everyone gets a kid to care about), there's lots to enjoy here.

Script for ep one and five is from Russell T Davies, with eps 2, 3 and 4 contributed by WHO writer James Moran and ROBIN HOOD's John Fay.

Basically, thumbs up, and looking forwards to tomorrow's ep already. A killer last line sets things up marvellously: "We are coming...back!"

Palimpsest

Hi Herc, big follower of yours on the CoAx. Got a review of Torchwood for you if you want to use it

Hey folks, here's my relatively spoiler free review for Torchwood: Children of Earth - DAY ONE

From the off a very interesting teaser, although it reminded me of various mythology scenes from The X-Files. Once the show was underway proper it was very tense and gripping; particularly with Peter Capaldi as John Frobisher…. that man just screams “weight of the world on his shoulders”.

The Torchwood team themselves, well the actors look very at ease and it feels like they’ve slipped back into character like putting on some comfy slippers. You can tell its some time after series 2, but long enough for things to be settled in to a regular routine now.

One thing i wanted to clarify, are Jack and Ianto living together, or is Jack still living at the Hub?

My thoughts on Rupesh? Im so glad he didnt make it past episode one… just didnt feel like he could have been part of the team at all. Yes ok, he had a nice paralell with Gwen’s first discovery of Torchwood, but that was it.

Anyways, i loved the little bits like Ianto’s fantasticly moving “coming out” scene, the pathos broken up with a comedy line that was drastically needed to keep us on course.

I wasn’t overly impressed with Jack and Alice’s scene. It just seemed a little bit “hey look, here’s a bit about Jack you never knew”, though where she and her son fit in in the overall arc i dont know yet.

Best scene in the show for me was Gwen’s visit to Clem in the care home… Eve Myles is such a pro at empathy! I was just amazed by her… it may be her gigantic eyes, but she just gets me every time.

The “spectacular” ending would probably have had more impact for me if i hadnt heard all about it for months in advance.. but i suppose it sets up the teams actions over the next four days.

If you use this call me Mass

Hi Herc,

Gabba-UK here with a short review of the new and 3rd series of Torchwood: Children Of Earth

Well, it seems that RTD has gone all '24' on us. This new series is is a shorter than usual 5 episode's but being broadcast at 9.00 every night Monday to Friday and been promoted to BBC1. What fun.

The story is being told in a Day One, Day Two style and if tonight's first episode is to go by, it's a change of style that will benefit it greatly. I won't go too spoilerific as this seems to be building up rather nicely and the TalkBackers should have some fun discussing it. So I'll leave any spoilers to them.

We start with a prologue set in 60's Scotland and a bus of children being driven and dropped of in the darkness where a big bright light appears and scoops them up.

Back in the present day Cardiff and Gwen, still of course played by the gap-toothed but still strangely incredibly fuckable Eve Myles, is walking to work and the children going to school have stopped. Literally. All over the world in fact and speaking in English 'We are coming'. Which frankly, was creepy as hell to watch.

UNIT are mobilised and Torchwood are investigating. But a mysterious branch of the British civil service is activated who talk of the '456' and blank pieces of paper and a Kill Order issued with a very familiar name and face at the top of the list.....

What was good about it? Most of it actually. The move to BBC1, post watershed or not, has perhaps made RTD reign in a lot of what made some people a little uncomfortable about Torchwood when it was on BBC2, namely the overt use of bisexuality as a theme. It was never a problem with me and if he could somehow crowbar in Gwen getting steamy with a girl again I'll be happy.

But to me, RTD always used bisexuality as a lazy way out of certain situations and why think hard about using wit in one's writing when smut is easier and can still get a titter-ye-not from the audience. Here on BBC1 RTD can't be as in your face and actually had to write like a grown up, something he can do and do very well but only when he's forced to by the situation.

But don't worry too much if you liked the smut and bisexual stuff, it's still there but used sparingly and as a result much more effectively gets RTD's point across. Less is much more Russell, make that your new mantra.

A little spoiler? At the end Capt. Jack has some indigestion that frankly seems a little beyond the healing powers of Rennie Tablets and Pepto Bismol......

So tomorrow then. Gwen and Ianto are picking up the pieces, an adult who was speaking as the children did and a secretary on her first day at the Home Office when it all kicked off, seem to hold some answers. And a government official is supervising the construction of a cage for 'them'.....

Looking forward to it!

Gabba-UK

If you’d like to see a spin on “The Midwich Cuckoos”/”Children of the Damned” that really rocks, I highly recommend Warren Ellis’ FreakAngels series:

Galactica: The Complete Series

Galactica: The Complete Series (Blu-ray)