Torchwood: Children of Earth -- five night event - was awesome!

[slay]

Best sci-fi I've seen in years. Don't be put off if you didn't care much for the previous seasons of Torchwood - this is 10 times better.

Airs in the US in little over a week from now - nightly from Monday, July 20th thru Friday, July 24th at 9pm on BBCAmerica.

Promo here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-RsdkaIihA

Enjoy. :)

[KatyaR]

1. OMG, was that not incredible?

I was absolutely gutted by the end of it. I've never seen anything so both mesmerizing and horrifying, and I HATE horror movies, but I couldn't tear myself away. The cast and crew absolutely outdid themselves, it was unbelievable.

[slay]

4. It was incredibly powerful, scary, and moving

I liked the first episode but thought for sure it could not keep up that level of intensity for 5 nights or would degenerate into head writer's Russel T. Davis's overuse of silliness - but I was wrong! It was soooo good, and soooo dark. Not your typical sci-fi for sure. Definatly made me think, and feel, and in a powerful way. I hope other sci-fi fans give this a shot - it's better than any movie I've seen at the theater this whole year! Absolutely fantastic stuff! :hi:

[KatyaR]

35. After this week, I truly believe RTD is a genius.

How someone can touch all points in the spectrum and be so consistently brilliant, in storyline, characters, and emotionally, is amazing. In the book he released this spring, he talks about how he has difficulty in actually getting things written, but it's hard to believe when you look at his work. Just amazing.

I heartily recommend "Bob and Rose" if you want to see another side of Russell Davies' talent. Six episodes, emotionally charged material, and it's wonderful and entertaining.

[Tripper11]

2. We're on vacation that week..but TIVO is ready to go!

We've been waiting ever so patiently for this for the last year...can't wait!

[Tikki]

3. Our cable company has it so we can ....

set it up to record even if we are gone that week...

Can't wait...love Torchwood.


Tikki

[JitterbugPerfume]

5. dammit

it's not on Dish yet

I love me some Jack Harkness (yes, I know he is gay )

[Bill219]

6. After watching the eps I grabbed off of usenet

This was the best TV series that I watched all of this year. It completely blew away anything the US networks gave us this year.

Every night you were left wanting more...and now we will have to wait to see if the ratings in GB warrant another season.

[slay]

9. "Premiering to an audience of almost 6 million viewers and holding fairly steady all week long

the BBC's "event programming" of Torchwood: "Children of Earth" looks like a success.

Series star John Barrowman griped last week about the BBC producing only a five-episode series for Torchwood's third season. But, the week-long mini-series turned the 2009 appearance of the Doctor Who spinoff into a TV phenomena desperately awaited by its fans.

Torchwood's move to BBC One more than doubled the show's season two ratings, and there's no telling how high those numbers could go for tonight's mini-series finale.

http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/07/10/torchwood-burning-up-the-uk-weekly-ratings/

So.. looking good there.. there's also this: http://io9.com/5312391/torchwood-was-amazing-but-what-happens-next

and http://gallifreynewsbase.blogspot.com/2009/07/torchwood-ratings-day-five.html

My guess is.... that we will see a full 13 episode season of Torchwood in 2010. This is indeed the strongest/best TV series I've seen this year as well. :)

***Possible minor spoilers in links***

[Deja Q]

12. 6 million? In 1985, "Doctor Who" got more than 7 and was axed due to 'poor ratings'

I recall Torchwood series 1. Poorly scribbled garbage. This Children of Earth story doesn't look half-bad... maybe the show has gotten better.

[slay]

14. I was never a fan of Torchwood

until now. Even season 2 was not very good IMO. This is so different, written SO much better as to almost be a different show. It will never get the ratings of Doctor Who, but these ratings are double what Torchwood got last season - and rightfully so - this Torchwood: Children of Earth puts every sci-fi show i've seen this year to shame - with the possible exception of BSG. You should definately give it a shot Deja Q. :)

[mwooldri]

24. Doctor Who got axed more due to Michael Grade than ratings.

He didn't care for the show. He fired the Doctor (he was dating Colin Baker's ex-wife at that time though), and suspended the show. When it came back it was scheduled against ITV's Coronation Street - a death knell for any programme back then.

6 million *is* very good ratings - it's a Top 5 rated show in today's TV viewing ratings. Only a handful of shows would get more than 6 million: Coronation Street (9m), EastEnders (8.6m), Top Gear (7m), Emmerdale (6.1m) and Casualty (6.0m) are the only shows on TV in the UK that consistently get ratings in the 6 million viewer range. A real test of ratings will be to also see how the show rates on re-runs on BBC Three.

If Torchwood sells well too, then it'll stick around. Good sales of a show to other broadcasters can help keep a show around even if ratings at home aren't that great.

[Bill219]

7. deleted

[Lydia Leftcoast]

8. The local Dr. Who group has an inside source for advance copies of programs

(We saw Planet of the Dead a week after it was broadcast in the UK) so we'll be seeing Children of the Earth on July 18.

Reviews in The Guardian make it sound like a don't-miss event.

[slay]

10. The episodes are...

readily available - if you know where to look. The first 3 were on YouTube until BBC complained. My "sources" have the eps ready to watch within 10 minutes after they air on BBC. Same with Doctor Who. :) It is indeed a don't-miss event.

(send me a message with your email addy if you can't wait til next week to see them and i'll point you in the right direction)

[Lydia Leftcoast]

11. I can't get into watching things on line

July 18 is soon enough for me.

[slay]

15. Oh you don't watch it online...

but if the 18th is soon enough, dats cool. ;)

[JitterbugPerfume]

28. me too Lydia

I just never got into watching stuff online:hi:

I am really looking forward to it!

[Deja Q]

13. The Guardian was probably paid. It's all marketing.

Stacked reviews is an age old tradition... (I'm also in college for marketing. If you can't beat them, join them...)

[slay]

16. Google "Torchwood Children of Earth reviews" - they are very positive

TV.com (which has viewers rate the shows) has the eps between 9.4 and 9.8 out of 10 (previous eps of Torchwood nowhere near as high). But don't trust me, or them, judge for yourself. It really is quite remarkable what they achieved with this IMO. My previous favorite sci-fi show before it ended was BSG if you want an idea what I think good sci-fi is. I also rather enjoyed Firefly and Serenity. :hi:

[Lydia Leftcoast]

18. Actually, the readers' comments were about 3/4 positive, 1/4 negative

and they're pretty uncontrolled.

[KatyaR]

33. One of the writers, James Moran, has a blog.

He's been attacked right and left by quite a few people about the direction these 5 episodes took.

http://jamesmoran.blogspot.com/

I think it's totally unfair for him to be treated this way--it's a TV show, for cripe's sake. It's causing him to step back from his blog for a while. Too sad....

[slay]

36. I love his line: "I stand by every single decision. Yes, including *that* one"

ooooh..... Good stuff - and good for James for standing up for his decisions - which made for the best sci-fi series of the year.. so far.. ;)

[bikebloke]

17. I was going to skip Series 3

The first two series were trying to break away from the monster-of-the-week format, sometimes successfully; sometimes not. Then they offed a couple major characters.

But the Guardian has been blogging Series 3 this week. Sounds better with a single story arc. The DVD is coming out 28 juli. I shall order it.

[Liberal_in_LA]

19. Ohhh... I'll try to watch. Thanks for the heads up

[slay]

20. Watch Torchwood: Children of Earth - Day One here:

(note to mods - this has been posted on blogspot.com since July the 7th and is only the first of five episodes - i assume it would have been removed by now if the BBC had a problem with this - but feel free to delete if you think this violates some rule)

So at any rate, here's Day One courtesy of lifetheuniverseandcombom at blogspot.com: http://lifetheuniverseandcombom.blogspot.com/2009/07/watch-torchwood-children-of-earth-day_07.html

[BulletproofLandshark]

21. Looking for torrents now.

I can't wait a week to watch this.

[Bill219]

22. Usenet will be faster than torrents

Each episode I grabbed in under 35 mins

Make sure to get the 720p.HDTV.x264 versions!

Binsearch is your friend

[slay]

23. very easy

to find them at the normal sites.. the 720p's are great, but the xvids are good too - being 550 megs due to the 1hr run time gives a fair res of 624x352.. very interesting times we live in.. as noted in these torchwood eps.. ;)

[NashVegas]

25. I Can't Wait - But I Will

The TiVO is set.

[Bill219]

26. I just hope that BBCA does not edit the crap out of it...

like they did for Doctor Who and other seasons of Torchwood when the eps aired on BBCA

[Lydia Leftcoast]

32. If BBCA DOES edit the crap out of it

(I never knew how much I was missing of MI-5 until I saw the full versions), the DVDs will be released on July 28, according to Netflix.

[KatyaR]

34. I hope they don't, but there's some pretty intense-ness there.

It's amazing to me that British TV is so different that the US. I've watched so much British TV lately, I feel we are being cheated.

[MountainLaurel]

27. How familiar with Torchwood do you need to be?

For whatever reason, I've missed that series completely, though I have wanted to see it. Will not watching the regular series make it impossible to get Children of Earth?

[philosophie_en_rose]

29. Not very

They strip most of the wacky things from the first seasons out, so you'll probably only miss little references.

[Bill219]

31. no...

my wife does not know anything about the Doctor Who/Torchwood universe and said it was the best thing she watched all year.

I had to answer maybe 3 questions having to do specifically about The Doctor and Jack Harkness.

[philosophie_en_rose]

30. It was brutal.

It was so good I couldn't believe I was watching Torchwood, but it was horrific. If it were longer, I'd complain they didn't show enough civilian resistance, but I can see governments acting exactly like that.

[JawJaw]

37. "We are Coming..."

It was a great idea to expand the story arc into 5 episodes over consecutive nights. I'm hoping that Torchwood will repeat this format in future - 2 or 3 a year would be very nice!

Without giving the plot away too much, the underlying theme is a very contemporary one - to what extent do we become monsters in order to defeat monsters?

Brilliant performance from Eve Myles, who finally appears to have been given the sort of script that her character was crying out for; and Peter Capaldi who plays a government official put in an agonising moral dilemma.

If I have one small criticism, it is that the "solution" to the alien problem seemed to pop up out of nowhere. If the solution had been more elegant I would have given the show 10/10 - as it is, I give it a very worthy 9/10 !