I haven’t watched it—but I know that it is sort of a spin-off of Dr. Who and the main character was introduced in an episode I saw. I like Dr. Who but it can be a little “formulaic” at times—kind of have to be in the right mood.
Torchwood has a lot of recurring guest characters from the Dr. Who series (which I’ve seen some of). Like Dr. Who, it can be a bit cheesy or predictable at times - costumed aliens and such. But the characters are so much fun that I don’t care. They’ve got a bit of a cult following, I hear, with fansites and conventions and such. The characters are all quirky and so much fun. I adore the actors! They did not pick cookie-cutter Hollywood style generic actors. I like that.
Mike the first couple of episodes were so-so, but the pace picks up. The characters evolve as the directors realize which characters the audience is responding to and gives them more of a main role, while lessening those that don’t have much spark.
For example, Ianto, who I would describe as almost the “butler” or low-level employee at the organization, evolves over the course of the first and second season into a character so witty and charming, you wonder why they didn’t put him up front and center to begin with.
Mike the first couple of episodes were so-so, but the pace picks up. The characters evolve as the directors realize which characters the audience is responding to and gives them more of a main role, while lessening those that don’t have much spark.
For example, Ianto, who I would describe as almost the “butler” or low-level employee at the organization, evolves over the course of the first and second season into a character so witty and charming, you wonder why they didn’t put him up front and center to begin with.
OK, now I’m going to give it another shot. I need some good escapism
Thanks for the link. I think the first season came out in 2007 or 2008? Now that Netflix offers entire series on DVD, I’m watching shows I never would have scheduled time for otherwise. I’m going back to some great series that have come out in the past couple of years that I’ve missed.
I might not have picked this one in particular, my husband actually ordered it on Netflix (we get the DVDs and the Netflix streaming to X-Box service, which streams it to our TV instead of computer. Neat service, quality of picture depends on bandwidth available at the time though, so it varies).
As with so many other series I end up enjoying, my husband starts watching it while I’m on the computer or doing chores, and I overhear the action and get interested, and come to sit down and watch with him. Now I’m hooked.
The main character, she is adorable. I love the little gap between her front teeth - the fact that she’s not “cookie-cutter actress” with bleached hair extensions, spray tan, and a boob job. She’s cute, very real, and imperfect character in her behavior.
For example, her character is torn between love and lust for three characters, each a very different sort of love or lust. I enjoy how this explores real life - how there are different sorts of love. Passionate lust vs. long lasting friendship sort of love vs. a deep but unattainable love. I love how the writers could make her character cheat on her boyfriend, yet the audience relates to it and still likes the character. That is hard to do, and they do work her guilt into the script.
The main character, she is adorable. I love the little gap between her front teeth - the fact that she’s not “cookie-cutter actress” with bleached hair extensions, spray tan, and a boob job. She’s cute, very real, and imperfect character in her behavior.
That is one of the weird/annoying things about being brainwashed by television. We watch so much of it we can’t even know how much it has affected us.
Many years ago I was watching another British show A Touch of Frost.
And while I watched this thought just comes up in the back of my mind, “Why are the women in this show so ugly?”
Then I start wondering why that question came up and started paying more conscious attention to the women. Then I notice, they aren’t ugly they just are much more ordinary looking than in American television shows. So I guess that is what I am programmed to expect from television. But what does that say about how I have been affected in real life?
I’ll check out some more Torchwood since I can download it from Youtube but alien monsters biting people doesn’t raise my enthusiasim. I liked A Touch of Frost so I don’t think it’s the Britishness that turned me off of Torchwood.
Mike the first couple of episodes were so-so, but the pace picks up. The characters evolve as the directors realize which characters the audience is responding to and gives them more of a main role, while lessening those that don’t have much spark.
For example, Ianto, who I would describe as almost the “butler” or low-level employee at the organization, evolves over the course of the first and second season into a character so witty and charming, you wonder why they didn’t put him up front and center to begin with.
Thanks for the plug—I’ll give it a try.
I didn’t know Netflix did the DVDs of TV shows - thanks for that info too
I watched Dr. Who from about 1974 for about six years when it went off the program list for the local Public Television station. Then, when I saw they were bringing it back a few years ago, I was delighted. I watched one episode and found I had two problems with it. First, it wasn’t nearly as humorous as the earlier series, and second, they didn’t have subtitles. I spent my first nine years in New England around many people with strong British accents, so I figured I could easily understand them. Not so with the actors in the recent series. I probably could have managed their accents, but they should have spit out the mouthful of peas porridge cold when they spoke.
I loved the old Dr. Who - I watched it with my Dad from the time I was very small. Went through a couple of “Doctors” in the series as the years went by. Loved the old re-runs. When I was older I’d order whatever Dr. Who stuff PBS was giving away for donations, to give to my Dad (Dr. Who coffee mugs and old series on VCR tapes, etc.)
As campy and cheesy as the old series was, it was so much fun. I do remember one episode as a child, with a severed hand that scared the bejesus out of me though! It was a dark, crumbly creepy looking hand, that inched about on its own using its fingers. I had nightmares about that hand for years as a kid. I’d dream it was inching toward me while I slept, and would choke me or suffocate me in my sleep.
Nice to see when short term actors manage to get a job on a different series. For example, the one you mentioned, Jules. I seem to remember that he moved to “The Adams Family”.
Nice to see when short term actors manage to get a job on a different series. For example, the one you mentioned, Jules. I seem to remember that he moved to “The Adams Family”.
Occam
But that Adams Family hand was a happy and friendly hand! The Dr. Who hand was murderous.
Speak of the devil, husband and I just watched an episode of Torchwood tonight called dead man walking. It had a severed metal hand jump on someone’s face and drain the life out of them. I had such a jump, and such a laugh having just been discussing my fear of severed hands. I’m sure to have nightmares about hands now! Although a metal hand is not as scary as a severed “real hand.” I hope my husband doesn’t stuff a glove with newspaper and frighten the wits out of me for April Fools.
