News on Shuffle would like to give a great big birthday shout-out to one of our favorite actors in the sci-fi/fantasy world: James Marsters. Marsters has been on a number of our favorite shows, and has also played some of our favorite characters on those shows. The list includes Spike on Buffy/Angel, Braniac on Smallville (a role he will be reprising for the 200th episode), and Captain John Hart on Torchwood. He was also on one of our favorite episodes of Lie To Me. Besides being a television star, he is also a stage actor (he has been in a number of plays) and a musician. He played at a performing arts center very close to my school, but I was unfortunately unable to make this. There are a few videos on YouTube though that tell me he is worth checking out if I ever get the chance again. There are also some really good Q&A videos that are pretty entertaining. Next chance to see him in person will be this weekend at Chicago Comic Con. A complete list of upcoming events can be found on his website. For those in the NY/NJ area, look for him at NY Comic Con in October.
The birthday treat for today involves the musical episode of Buffy – Once More With Feeling. One is from his Q&A at Phoenix Comic Con and the other is a scene from the episode that featured Marsters as Spike. Enjoy!
The whole episode is available for Instant View on Netflix, if you subscribe to the service. I also highly encourage you to watch the rest of the videos from Phoenix Comic Con. James is a very good public speaker, and his answers were both informative and entertaining.
It’s official – Starz and BBC have joined forces to give us an International Torchwood. Not all the details are available but here is what we have so far:
Russell T Davies wrote the pilot 7 months ago and did not take what network it would be on into consideration. Which I think is code for he didn’t care what anyone said and is not going to be watering things down to make people happy. Which shouldn’t be a problem now that Starz will be the network airing the series.
The people behind the show want it to be made clear that this is not a reboot of the show but a continuation of the old series. They are just changing locations to enable more flexibility with the story.
Speaking of story, the only details on that front are the number of episodes that it will take to complete said story – 1o. Which is twice the length of Children of Earth. Imagine the possibilities…
Besides Russell being involved, there are also many other names connected with the previous series coming back (on both sides of the camera) including the two main stars: John Barrowman and Eve Myles. There will also be some new faces as well to complete the team.
Finally, the series air date has not been officially announced but we know it will be sometime during summer 2011. That means we only have one year to wait before we finally get our fix of Torchwood that we’ve been craving. And I’m sure there will be lots more updates from Team Barrowman both on Twitter and his website. News on Shuffle will also give you the latest news as it is made available to us.
Last week The Doctor took Amy back home after their adventure with the Weeping Angels. This week brings us to that same night before her wedding. The Doctor gets Amy’s future husband, Rory, to try to sort them out. He sends them both to Venice for the biggest date ever. Little does he know that there are Vampires in Venice.
I loved the giddy reaction Amy and The Doctor had upon discovering the vampires. And poor Rory totally doesn’t know how to handle the situation. The scenario kinda reminded me of Torchwood and the dynamic with Jack, Gwen, and Rhys. Jack and Gwen had a working relationship that Rhys never really understood and at times was jealous of because of the fact that they shared things he was not a part of. The same seems to be the case here with Amy and The Doctor. It’s nothing that threatens the engaged couple, but Rory (like Rhys) is still somewhat jealous of what they share and the fact he is not a part of it. Yes, there were moments in both cases where it looked like there might be something to be jealous of but that was never the case.
The speech Rory gives about The Doctor not knowing how dangerous he is to the people who are with him hurt more than he could possibly realize. The Doctor most certainly does have an idea how dangerous he can be, which is why he traveled without a companion for awhile. After what happened with Rose and Donna he did not want that to happen to anyone else. I’m not sure what changed his mind and made him decide to take Amy along. He probably just got lonely and convinced himself it would be alright this time.
Going back to the actually story though – turns out the “vampires” are really fish from space. More specifically, they are aliens from Saturn 9. They were running from the cracks that have been popping up everywhere this season. Rosanna asks for a partnership with The Doctor. Reasons why I love The Doctor – this answer: “I’m a Time Lord. You’re a big fish. Think of the children”
So now The Doctor and company have to stop the fish from space before they take over Venice. Super! Yet again The Doctor sends Amy off to the TARDIS when things get too dangerous. I know part of this was b/c of what Rory said but he’s been doing a similar thing all season. And just like in the past, Amy doesn’t listen to a word The Doctor says. Amy picked an equally foolish fellow to marry when she got engaged to Rory though. I get he wants to protect his girl but some of the stuff he tried was just plain stupid. He’s lucky he didn’t get himself killed. It kinda reminded me of when Mickey was on the show in the Rose years. He would eventually become quite brave and clever though, so maybe there is hope for Rory too.
Back to the vampires, I mean, space fish – The Doctor is his usual amazing self and does the thing where he saves the day yet again. The sun shines, the birds sing, and everyone cheers – yippee! Well, not everyone is happy. Rosanna gives The Doctor some guilt trip about another dead race being on his hands that kinda puts a damper on things. We also get a preview for what looks to be an amazing second half of the season.
This week’s Doctor Who Confidential gave us a look at the location where they shot most of the episode. It also showed us some of the research they used to get the story just right. If you enjoy all that behind-the-scenes stuff then this is something you’re definitely going to want to check out.
Doctor Who won’t be on next week, but it will return June 5th with a seemingly super tense episode. So hold onto your sonic screwdrivers, kids. It’s going to be a bumpy ride.
The title link today is from theTVaddict and discusses a few things American TV can learn from Doctor Who. I have actually discussed the ways in which British television (specifically Doctor Who and Torchwood) are superior to what you get on this side of the pond, just never on this blog. Methinks it is time to rectify that.
The first thing that jumps at me with these shows is the writing. Since they have a 13-episode season instead of 22 or more like there is here, it forces the writer to work harder at every script. There is no longer room for “fluff” episodes that don’t move the plot along. At the same time, there always seems to be a good balance between humor and drama. Know how 24 says, “Every second counts”? It really is true with these shows.
Moving on to the acting side of things… the acting is superb. This is true of every actor involved, not just the big name stars. Honestly, the only big names I can even think of are David Tennant and John Barrowman. (Is JB even a big name, or am I just overly obsessed with him?) No matter how famous the actor is though, they always seem to give it their all and bring their character to another dimension. This isn’t to say that there aren’t American actors who are equally talented. I just mean that British shows don’t always need big names to make big things happen.
Next I’d like to talk about the special effects. More specifically, how surprised you might be at the budget some of these shows get. Americans seem to think that the more you spend, the better it will be. (Capitalism in action!) In reading interviews with Steven Moffat on Doctor Who, I found it especially interesting how low their budget is and how much they are able to accomplish for such a small amount. It just goes to show, you can get quality programming even on a budget.
Finally, I would like to speak on the creativeness some of these shows offer. In a way this goes with the things previously mentioned (writing, working on a budget) but there is more to it than that. Take, for example, Doctor Who. The premise for that show seems simple enough, and yet it has an intricacy to it that makes it one of the most unique shows in television history. The character of the Doctor is both simple and complex at the same time. At times he seems almost childlike, but when you take a deeper look you see many layers and the burdens underneath. Then look at Torchwood, which is possibly one of the most successful spin-offs of a show ever. Rarely do you see the same level of excellence in a show that the original had. With Torchwood, you get the connection to Doctor Who while also developing a whole new world to explore. And yet again, the acting and writing for this show are just as sharp as the series it was spawned from.
There are many reasons why British television can be more appealing to American viewers. All elements of the series I have mentioned make for excellent programming. (Plus, the accents don’t hurt much either). If you don’t want to take my word for it, I suggest you watch an episode of Doctor Who and decide for yourself. (Another great thing is you can watch almost any episode and it won’t matter if you have no background in the series to start with). So go check out what you have been missing. Once you do, you may never look at television the same way again.
That was the biggest complaint on hearing Torchwood would be moving to America. After the few updates I found last night, however, it now makes much more sense to me that Russell Davies would want to make the switch.
Fact: Davies has written scripts that will pick up where Children of Earth left off.
If this is the case then I can understand why the move from the UK. Jack isn’t going to want to stay there after everything that happened. (no spoilers here, promise). There aren’t really many reasons left for him to stay. He is going to need a fresh start. At the same time, he loved working with Torchwood and isn’t going to want to give it up so easily. It was established that there are multiple Torchwood locations, so it makes sense that he just moves to a different branch. And since he is American (I didn’t just make that up, right?) it makes sense that would be his chouce of location to move to.
It doesn’t make sense to have a Torchwood branch in America?
Sure it does. Torchwood may have been formed in the UK, but it grew to be an organization that was meant to protect the Earth from alien species. This caused it to spread outside of its original borders.
An American version won’t be as good. Anytime America tries to touch a British show it always screws it up.
Except usually the same people who created the original version aren’t also working on the reboot. With Davies and Barrowman both involved I am confident they will create a quality show that fans can be proud of.
A quick update on the American Torchwood that Russell Davies was working on with Fox. BBC Worldwide issued this statement:
BBC Worldwide Productions and the FOX Broadcasting Company have mutually agreed not to progress together with a 13-episode serialized ‘Torchwood’ format. We are currently in discussion with several interested networks.
Sorry if this sounds mean but I was actually glad to hear this. Fox seemed like a poor choice of network to host this show for a number of reasons. I think Davies would be much better off working with another network. My suggestion: ABC.
Think about it. ABC needs a show to replace Lost, which is ending this season. Plus you have the added bonus of John Barrowman already working on the network because of Desperate Housewives. And yes, Barrowman has confirmed that he will be involved in the new Torchwood series. Not only that, he says that Davies has scripts written already and the show will pick up where Children of Earth left off. More good news for Torchwood fans everywhere.
All my fears of how an Americanized Torchwood could fail are slowly being lifted. Hopefully Davies finds a good network that will do the show justice and not worry about stupid things like the sexuality of a certain character we all love. (Another reason ABC is good: Desperate has a gay couple that currently has a really good story going for them. Proof that the network won’t be afraid to work with what is apparently still a sensitive subject).
What does everyone else think about this news, or the series in general? Are you glad to see Fox removed from the process? Based on comments I saw from when it was first announced I would guess the answer to that last question to be a firm “yes”.
Two birthday shout-outs today, one mainstream music artist and one slightly lesser known television star.
First off, thought you would be interested to know it is Lady Gaga’s birthday today. She is known for her dance beats and outrageous costumes, but do any of you know her real name? It’s Stafani Joanna Angelina Germanotta, in case you were wondering. Did you also know she started out performing in the Lower East Side of NYC? The area is known for it’s music scene with Bowery Ballroom being located there, as well as a number of other venues. And I bet you didn’t know her name is based from the Queen song “Radio Ga Ga” either. There are so many things yet to be discovered about this performer, but just know there is more to her than her costumes.
Next, News on Shuffle would like to wish a very happy birthday to Gareth David-Lloyd, who plays Ianto Jones on the Doctor Who spinoff, Torchwood. Many fans consider him a favorite on the show, especially regarding his relationship to the lead, Captain Jack Harkness. Even if you don’t watch Torchwood, you still might recognize him as Dr. Watson from the recent Sherlock Holmes film.
As a combined birthday tribute, I thought it would be cool to share a video with Ianto and a Lady Gaga song. So here is Jack & Ianto’s Bad Romance
And because what’s a birthday without some dancing, why don’t we Just Dance?
After reading today’s title article, I felt the need to share a brief analysis of the anticipated American Torchwood and what I believe will make or break the success of said show.
I first became a fan of Doctor Who and Torchwood back in December, when I finally decided to spend my vacation checking out what all the hype I had heard about both series was about. When I first heard that there would be an American version of the show, my immediate reaction was… fear.
Well, maybe fear is a little strong. Concern might fit better. Worry that an Americanized version would be a poorly made and watered down mess compared to the original that stole my heart from the first episode and dragged it through the ringer through series 3. (No spoilers will appear in this post, in case some of you aren’t completely up-to-date on your Torchwood watching).
So, yeah, I was concerned. Concerned that they would strip down the elements that, in my opinion, made the show great, until there was nothing left but a few mere scraps. Sadly, American television seems to be under the belief that its viewers don’t want to watch anything that is controversial. Or maybe they are afraid of the few people who will take offense to something. Either way, I find this silly. If someone doesn’t like it then they don’t have to watch. And if enough people are open-minded enough to accept the show and its characters for what they are then the networks can have what they want (namely ratings and money) while the viewers get an exceptional show that makes them think.
Now comes my challenge to the networks. I would imagine that Fox sees Torchwood as a potentially huge cash cow for them. It has grown in popularity recently, mostly due to the crossover it shares with Doctor Who. And who can you thank for that? Why David Tennant and Russell T. Davies, of course. David gave them his good looks and talent which, paired with Davies’ superb writing, made the show a huge hit. It was a big enough explosion to help the show find its way overseas. Now Fox wants to take advantage of this while it can, which I don’t blame it for. My only fear is that it fails to see the elements that make the show what it is, and ultimately end up suffocating it.
What elements am I talking about? Well, the writing is a huge part of it. Davies pen is razor sharp, and his stories have an edginess that should not be touched. The man pays great attention to detail. He also isn’t afraid to write a story that his audience might be disgusted by, believing that their loyalty is strong enough that they will not turn away. The success of Children of Earth proves he is right in his beliefs. If you’ve already seen it, then you know exactly what I mean. If you haven’t, then what the hell are you waiting for?!
Go watch.
Right now.
I’ll wait.
Finished?
Good stuff, I know.
Right, moving on then. (But still, no spoilers. Promise.)
Now the issue at hand: controversy. More specifically our opposition to it here. The networks have shown that they may be ready to introduce the token gay character on their shows, but they will not risk making them the lead. And heaven forbid they also be a hero. Because our heroes have to follow a certain mold, and mostly that means being this tough, straight, man. (OK, more women are starting to play the hero too, but the ratio is in no way equal).
So this is my letter to Fox (and anyone else who cares to listen):
Dear Network,
Please do not assume that Americans don’t want to see the same kind of show that the UK has been giving its audience for years now. You may not think we can or want to handle it, but who knows? We might surprise you. Give Russell and everyone else involved a chance to do their thing without any interference. Trust that they know what they are doing. If you do, your faith will likely be rewarded.
I usually try to stay objective in my writing, but this speech has been slowly building for some time now. I only hope the networks dare to prove me wrong and show me that they have more faith in their viewers than I think they do. Here’s hoping.
Kings of Leon, recent winners of Record of the Year, will be touring this summer. The tour kicks off in Atlantic City on June 5th and continues through September 23rd, where it will stop in Dallas. Complete list of dates can be found here.
Desperate Housewives will (finally!) be introducing us to Patrick Logan, the character that is supposed to be after Angie and her family, next week. As I have already mentioned, the role will be played by Torchwood star, John Barrowman. Discussion of this story will continue in the coming weeks.
Finally, don’t forget that 24 is on tonight. You don’t want to miss a minute of this exciting season.
John Barrowman, star of Torchwood (the spin-off of Doctor Who), is celebrating a birthday today. The actor and singer turns 43 today.
Actually, Barrowman has a lot to celebrate at the moment. For one thing, he is currently in the States and on the set of Desperate Housewives, where he will guest on the show for several episodes. The first of these will be March 21st, according to TV.com. Barrowman will be playing the villain in connection with the new family on Wisteria Lane, but has said in several interviews that he will play a major part in all of the ladies’ lives on the show.
Another exciting thing in the life and times of John Barrowman is the new album he has just released. This self-titled work has been said to be his most personal yet, as he goes back to his Broadway roots and has chosen songs that have some significance in his life. (One example is the song his mother used to sing to him as a child, “You’ll Never Walk Alone,” from the musical Carousel).
There is also talk of Barrowman reprising his role of Captain Jack Harkness for the American version of Torchwood that is in the works, but he insists that he knows nothing about this at the present time. Is he just saying that because he’s not allowed to tell? Guess we will just have to wait and see. One thing is certain, it would be a crime to waste his experience with the show and his obvious enthusiasm at potentially getting to take the part back up again.
