BBC Announces Adult Doctor Who Spin-Off

Dogtanian writes "The BBC has just announced a new 'Doctor Who' spin-off called 'Torchwood'. It is intended to be more adult in tone, and will follow a team investigating alien activities in modern-day Britain. Described as a cross between 'The X-Files' and 'This Life', it will feature Captain Jack, the bisexual time-travelling conman who featured in a number of recent Who episodes. The BBC are likely hoping that this spin-off will be more successful than 'K9 and Company'. The title is an anagram of a popular British sci-fi series, by the way."

Comments

First "Bad Wolf" post

[PCM2]

Am I the only one who isn't totally sold on Russell Davies' ability as a science fiction writer? The interpersonal drama elements of the new Who were well done, but pretty much all the sci-fi was rubbish. At least two episodes ended with some kind of big beam from the sky hitting the Tardis as a way of resolving the plot. One episode had the Doctor developing some kind of force field so the Tardis wouldn't get hit by Dalek missiles (how can you get hit by a missile when your ship dematerializes to travel through both space AND time?). And when it came right down to it, the whole "Bad Wolf" plot thread was a huge letdown at the end and didn't really make any kind of sense at all. I'm hoping the second season is better, but I get the feeling that will depend on its relying more on independent writers rather than Mr. Davies himself. The two-parter with the gas mask zombies was the best one, and the direction I'd like to see them go. Try watching a bunch of Philip Hinchcliffe-era episodes starring Tom Baker and you'll see how the new series really sort of pales in comparison.

Re:First "Bad Wolf" post

[PCM2]

I just watched "Pyramids on Mars" and "Talons of...". These had a great atmosphere and were fun to watch. But you ain't gonna convince me that these were science fiction. There was very little science fiction content, just a bunch of horror/science fiction cliches thrown together.

Ouch. Harsh, but I guess I can't really argue with you there, if your definition of science fiction requires actual "science." (Except for Talons, maybe ... that little homonculous with the brain of pig sounded particularly nasty.)

Is Quatermass not sci-fi, then? Because that's what a lot of the Tom Baker and Pertwee era Whos seemed to be modeling themselves after. There were some rockets in the Quatermass stories, granted, and some theorizing, but not a lot of science, really.

Anyway, what's interesting is that I seem to remember early interviews in which Davies was quoted as saying he thought Doctor Who worked best as a horror show. Can't find them now, though.

On the other hand, the Empty Child/Doctor Dances had great science fiction content. And I thought Long Game and Unquiet Dead also had some good science fiction content.

"Empty Child/Doctor Dances" was clearly my favorite. "Long Game" had some good content, but again it was one of two out of a total of just thirteen episodes in which the plot was resolved by yet another cheap sci-fi plot device -- blowing up the big, unintelligible blob-monster at the end. (Historically, the Doctor hasn't really confronted all that many blob-monsters in the past.) "Unquiet Dead," similarly, had a glowing alien energy-being at the end. I mean, come on -- compare that to, say, "Seeds of Doom" or "Robot," where the stakes were raised as the plot progressed. By comparison, a stationary monster in a cellar (or top floor, whatever) just isn't that dramatic.

To me, that's one of the natural necessities of action or suspense drama: raising the stakes. But Russell seems so enamored of his characters that he never bothers to do it. There's something wrong at the beginning of the episode but we know that, by the end, the Doctor will figure it out and right it. You seldom get the impression that the Doctor or Rose are in any kind of danger, with the possible exception of the cliffhanger episodes ("Empty Child," again, being the most effective). But the cliffhangers get resolved in the first minute of the next episode in such a lame way that if they keep it up, nobody's going to pay attention to those either. I mean, come on -- "Haha, doesn't work on me after all, I'm an alien"? Fine then, time for me to head to the refrigerator to make a snack...

End this ambivalence!

[ettlz]

The new series was good, but plagued with ambivalence. On the one hand, the Doctor makes jokes and the soundtrack plays the occasional circus melodies. On the other, he's a dark, damaged bugger of a Timelord (who may or may not have designs on his impressionable young companion), there are scenes of torure, talk of prostitutes... I for one welcome our grown-up over— no, Timelords. Now let's get rid of the pretence that this is some children's show and make it something challenging and credible*.

*Yes, I know this is fiction, but I think you catch my drift.

Re:The Anagram is....

[jangobongo]

The "agenda" may belong to Russell Davies who admits, "Yes, I'm a gay writer," and goes on to say, "...to get hung up on it [the fact that Jack's bisexual] is almost too sad for words, frankly."

The problem is that people are going to get hung up on that very fact. I predict that this spin-off wouldn't do well here in the U.S.

Re:The Anagram is....

[ianpm]

Actually, I probably would. Dr Who should be sexless. Its not about that, nor should it be. The Sci-Fi is supposed to be the core of the show. Not who is getting laid with who (no pun, really, no pun intended).

The bisexual thing doesn't bother me at all in fact. But it does irritate me slightly that Russel T Davis is using the show to "enlighten" everyone that being gay or bisexual is fine. Of course its bloody fine, but I don't care about it in my sci-fi. Well, not in Dr Who anyway.

I have Lexa Doig for my sci-fi sex interest ;)