Torchwood’s Back…Kinda

So, it took me several months to finally watch Torchwood: Miracle Day. I was excited about it when it was being teased. And then…I forgot it aired. And I kept forgetting it was airing. Mostly because the internet was not blowing up about it. Considering the past three seasons of Torchwood…that’s not a good sign. And then what I did catch from the internet wasn’t positive either.


But I found it on demand and so, with some trepidation and out of curiosity over what the heck Gwen and Rhys had, I pressed play on “Miracle Day.”


The New World or "How Cute is Gwen and Rhys' Baby?"


One day, everyone stops dying while the CIA is clued to Torchwood. Babe from "All My Children" meets Captain Jack Harkness while Gwen and Rhys try to protect their adorable little girl.


(Yes, I do a Moron’s Guide for Torchwood as well)

Three Year Anniversary!

Three years already? Sometimes it feels like it. Other times, I’m surprised when I scroll to find an old post.

So, what I am doing to mark the third anniversary? I’m announcing my summer recaps!

I will continue to do the Doctor Who recaps (though I would like to note that Jacob is no longer recapping the show over at Television Without Pity). However, the last new episode airs this Saturday, June 11th. This season has been split in two and the last six episodes will air in the fall.  I will start to recap sister series Torchwood when the series resumes on July 8th.

I have a few Samantha Browns sitting on my DVR that my parents are starting to wonder if I’ll ever watch. I should catch up on them. Also, Samantha Brown filmed some new Disney things—and you know I love Disney!

I have seen some of the promos for the new summer shows on ABC Family. I haven’t watched any of their original programming since “The Secret Life of the American Teenager” lost my interest. I have heard “Pretty Little Liars” is good, but I never got into the promos. However, I have seen promos for “Switched at Birth.” While the premise sounds like something from a soap opera and the girls look nothing like their families, so why didn’t anyone question this before aside, I am intrigued by the fact that one of the main characters is deaf and played by a hearing-impaired actress.

I know I said I would continue recapping Glee. Yeah…here’s the deal with that. When I started recapping, I would watch the show and recap as the show aired. My pause button got a lot of use. And there were times I was just not interested in doing that while watching the shows. Then I got sick and recapped “How I Met Your Mother.” I liked that style a lot better for scripted shows. But by then, Glee was so advanced that I decided not to go back.

Maybe next season.

But this summer, Oxygen is bringing us a new reality series—The Glee Project! I wasn’t going to recap it—wasn’t even sure I’d watch it. Then the contestants were announced. One of the contests is 18-years-old Damian McGinty from Derry, North Ireland. Yes—that would be the same Damian McGinty who I’ve seen go from high-pitched teenager to deep-voiced young adult with Celtic Thunder. Turns out he’s a Gleek! So…now I’m watching.

Don’t worry though. I will try to remain as objective as possible. I promise.

“The Glee Project” begins airing on June 12th…which is the same day as the Tony Awards. Damn. Okay, my first recap might be a bit late.

For now, here’s the finalists first video, “Firework.” Enjoy!

Torchwood: Crossing the Pond?

News has been floating around about Torchwood coming to American televisions on a main stream television station. It would not be a direct transition, where the episodes already made and aired on BBC America would be re-aired. Sources say that FOX is developing an American version of the show.

FOX is supposedly working with Russell T. Davies, who revived Doctor Who for the BBC and created Torchwood as a spin-off of the revered British programme, to create the American version. Rumors state that star John Barrowman may be lured back across the pond to continue his portrayal of Captain Jack Harkness. (Note: Barrowman was originally up for the part of “Will” in Will and Grace. He lost out to Erik McCormack). The linked website also suggests that other British stars may be lured to the American version.

I’m honestly not very optimistic about this development. Torchwood wouldn’t lend itself to an American translation as it is too tied with Doctor Who, particularly with Jack. In England, the audience came in to the series with some background on Jack from Doctor Who—his con man days, his journeys with the Doctor, how he first came back from death—that the team didn’t have. It was a bit of dramatic irony and it was fun to watch the team learn something new about their leader. However, it could be interesting for American audiences to learn the new information along with the team. Jack himself would probably have to undergo a transformation for the transition. Jack is well-known to be “omnisexual”—having sex with women, men and aliens. For mainstream American television, this would have to be severely toned down and may cause Jack to lose what makes him…Jack.

Also, it would seem that despite the ending of Torchwood’s third season finale, Children of Earth Day 5, the series is gearing up for a fourth season. Articles quote Davies as saying that he has storylines for the surviving members of Torchwood Three—Gwen, Rhys and Jack. Would Barrowman be able to do both seasons—as the British season generally runs about 13 episodes while a full American season is approximately 22 episodes. Or would it be wiser just to leave Jack across the ocean where he could just be Jack?

Thoughts?