# Torchwood: Miracle Day



## scandia101 (Oct 20, 2007)

Here's the first peek at the new Torchwood series.






This looks good. Can hardly wait.


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## whitson77 (Nov 10, 2002)

Deal me in


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## lachacg (Jan 11, 2003)

Does anyone know if Netflix will be streaming this as part of their Starz Play? They did it for Party Down when it was on.


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## danterner (Mar 4, 2005)

lachacg said:


> Does anyone know if Netflix will be streaming this as part of their Starz Play? They did it for Party Down when it was on.


I seem to recall hearing about a 90 day offset. I think it was in reference to both this and also the next season of Spartacus.

ETA: found it - Camelot, not Spartacus..,

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=467168


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## tiassa (Jul 2, 2008)

Looks sufficiently creepy (and fascinating). I'm wondering if this is going to be a Multi-episode story (Like Children of Earth) or if this is the "Pilot" for Torchwood US


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## Fleegle (Jan 15, 2002)

tiassa said:


> Looks sufficiently creepy (and fascinating). I'm wondering if this is going to be a Multi-episode story (Like Children of Earth) or if this is the "Pilot" for Torchwood US


From everything I've heard and seen, it's a continuing plot like Children of Earth. I won't rule out stand-alone episodes, but I don't really think there will be any.


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## busyba (Feb 5, 2003)

Hello Newman. 


Wow, Bill Pullman is barely recognizable.


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## stellie93 (Feb 25, 2006)

Is Torchwood going to be based in America now? Gwen was the only Brit in there. Looks awesome.


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## Malcontent (Sep 5, 2004)

stellie93 said:


> Is Torchwood going to be based in America now? Gwen was the only Brit in there. Looks awesome.


Well, the actor playing Captain Jack is really Scottish. He does a very good "American" accent.


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## dtle (Dec 12, 2001)

First Prediction: 


Spoiler



Some Alien being is saving us and fattening as up for food.


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## Fleegle (Jan 15, 2002)

stellie93 said:


> Is Torchwood going to be based in America now? Gwen was the only Brit in there. Looks awesome.


The production was moved to the U.S. and in being jointly produced by Starz and the BBC.


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## Rob Helmerichs (Oct 17, 2000)

Malcontent said:


> Well, the actor playing Captain Jack is really Scottish. He does a very good "American" accent.


He grew up in the US, though, so you can't give him TOO much credit.


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## BeanMeScot (Apr 17, 2002)

That looks excellent!


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## TonyTheTiger (Dec 22, 2006)

I worry a little about Starz' involvement, but it does mean a bigger budget. Hopefully, all they provided was funding in exchange for first-run rights and probably a share of the profits! From what I understand, it was them that meant it was made in the US. Grabbing a big name like Bill Pullman must help, too!

At least RTD is the writer and, hopefully, has creative control.

There are 10 episodes listed on IMDB, all subtitled Miracle Day.


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## astrohip (Jan 7, 2003)

I've never watched Torchwood, in any of its incarnations. Do y'all know if this is something a newbie can start with?


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## busyba (Feb 5, 2003)

I'm sure they'll load up on the historical exposition as much as they need to, but as far as a story goes, it seems like it's fairly well self-contained.


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## Fleegle (Jan 15, 2002)

astrohip said:


> I've never watched Torchwood, in any of its incarnations. Do y'all know if this is something a newbie can start with?


Considering how the last season, Children of Earth ended, I imagine a newbie will be able to start off with Miracle Day without any problems. I'm sure they'll give the returning characters, of which there aren't many, a decent explanation.


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## danterner (Mar 4, 2005)

I recently listened to an interview with Jane Espenson (one of the writers for Miracle Day). She said it is definitely and intentionally written in such a way as to be a good point of entry for new viewers, while still being rewarding for returning fans.

Having said that, anyone who is a fan of science fiction, and who has not seen Torchwood: Children of Earth, should definitely watch it. It is only 5 episodes and is also a self-contained story. It is fantastic.


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## mrdazzo7 (Jan 8, 2006)

danterner said:


> I recently listened to an interview with Jane Espenson (one of the writers for Miracle Day). She said it is definitely and intentionally written in such a way as to be a good point of entry for new viewers, while still being rewarding for returning fans.
> 
> Having said that, anyone who is a fan of science fiction, and who has not seen Torchwood: Children of Earth, should definitely watch it. It is only 5 episodes and is also a self-contained story. It is fantastic.


See I've read quotes like that about shows I watched and I"ve always thought to myself "there's no way someone who's NEVER seen this show could follow this..." Myabe it's just me because I like to know all the history and background before I start something. BUt this is a different case because of the "first time airing the US" / "re-launch" kind of feel it has so I'm sure it'll be fine.

I'm definitely looking forward to this though. This, Breaking Bad, and I guess True Blood are all I have for the summer so hopefully I like it. I don't see how I won't though, it definitely seems good. if COE is only 5 eps maybe I'll pick up the DVD"s from blockbuster. I've never been able to get into those British shows for some reason but at 5 eps there's no down side.

The only thing I'm getting annoyed with in regard to TW:MD is all the complaining only about how pissed people are that they're "dumbing it down" by making it partly an American production, as if EVERYTHING produced by us is a single layered, explosion-filled mess. That bugs me--we have plenty of awesome, expansive, detailed, thought provoking shows.

Don't be hatin'.


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## tiassa (Jul 2, 2008)

TonyTheTiger said:


> I worry a little about Starz' involvement, but it does mean a bigger budget. Hopefully, all they provided was funding in exchange for first-run rights and probably a share of the profits! From what I understand, it was them that meant it was made in the US. Grabbing a big name like Bill Pullman must help, too!
> 
> At least RTD is the writer and, hopefully, has creative control.
> 
> There are 10 episodes listed on IMDB, all subtitled Miracle Day.


The "Undead CIA Agent" is Mekhi Phifer -- not as big a name a Bill Pullman, but still.

One reason it was moved to America is because RTD Moved to America (hopefully he won't "Go Hollywood" on us)


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## tiassa (Jul 2, 2008)

dtle said:


> First Prediction:
> 
> 
> Spoiler
> ...


Yeah, read Larry Niven's "Bordered in Black"


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## tiassa (Jul 2, 2008)

mrdazzo7 said:


> See I've read quotes like that about shows I watched and I"ve always thought to myself "there's no way someone who's NEVER seen this show could follow this..." Myabe it's just me because I like to know all the history and background before I start something. BUt this is a different case because of the "first time airing the US" / "re-launch" kind of feel it has so I'm sure it'll be fine.


Yeah, the way Children of Earth was done it could have been a series ender (and I suspect that the writers were thinking that way as well), so Miracle Day is pretty much a "fresh start"



mrdazzo7 said:


> I'm definitely looking forward to this though. This, Breaking Bad, and I guess True Blood are all I have for the summer so hopefully I like it. I don't see how I won't though, it definitely seems good. if COE is only 5 eps maybe I'll pick up the DVD"s from blockbuster. I've never been able to get into those British shows for some reason but at 5 eps there's no down side.


Ironically COE may be a little harder to get into as it was the 3rd "Season" (however brief) of original Torchwood. The first 2 seasons are a little uneven, COE is a lot better than any of them, but there is still some background needed



mrdazzo7 said:


> The only thing I'm getting annoyed with in regard to TW:MD is all the complaining only about how pissed people are that they're "dumbing it down" by making it partly an American production, as if EVERYTHING produced by us is a single layered, explosion-filled mess. That bugs me--we have plenty of awesome, expansive, detailed, thought provoking shows.
> 
> Don't be hatin'.


I'm trying to figure out how anyone can form an opinion about a show they haven't seen yet. Even if they read the scripts what ended up on screen would still likely be very different. 
I'll be the first to admit that American *Network*TV is less "edgy" than most mainstream BBC stuff but Starz isn't network TV. Let us also not forget that BBC America silenced use of the "F word" (and blurred out Capt Jack's bare butt). I'm not saying that those things necessarily make "Better" TV, but not having to live with those constraints is indicative of a level of artistic freedom that Network TV lacks.


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## danterner (Mar 4, 2005)

dtle said:


> First Prediction:
> 
> 
> Spoiler
> ...


(My spoilers below are not speculative. Rather, I've spoilerized my comments because they refer to things that have have actually happened in prior seasons of Torchwood, and I don't want to spoil that for anyone who may choose to watch back episodes).



Spoiler



I think that "aliens using us for food" may be a bit too similar to Children of Earth. Not the same, but a similar enough theme that I don't think Miracle Day would go there.

My own speculation is that the events of Miracle Day may somehow be associated with the Risen Mitten and Life Knife. Seems like when brainstorming Miracle Day, someone in the writers' room said "Imagine a world filled with Owens..."

Both gloves were destroyed, but the show hasn't yet explored the circumstances surrounding their creation. Also, Faith is still around and about, occasionally visiting with Jack, right? I'm assuming the ageless fortune teller girl we saw in a couple of episodes, including Dead Man Walking (where she specifically spoke about the glove causing further complications), is Faith, the girl of legend who prevented Death taking his 13 victims the first time around.


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## Peter000 (Apr 15, 2002)

If I don't like Dr. Who, should I bother with Torchwood? Or is it different enough I may like it on it's own?


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## Rob Helmerichs (Oct 17, 2000)

Peter000 said:


> If I don't like Dr. Who, should I bother with Torchwood? Or is it different enough I may like it on it's own?


It's pretty different. Much more adult tone (in the real sense of the word, not the porn sense) (although a little of that too, I guess ), and more down-to-Earth.


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## danterner (Mar 4, 2005)

Peter000 said:


> If I don't like Dr. Who, should I bother with Torchwood? Or is it different enough I may like it on it's own?


I'd give it a try. Children of Earth, especially, has a much darker tone than typical Doctor Who. Doctor Who is supposedly a family show (though I think there are elements that make it too scary for young viewers). In comparison, I don't think anyone would suggest Torchwood as being good for all ages. The feel between the shows is different enough that the Doctor has never crossed over into a Torchwood episode (well, other than his hand and a reference to him now and again), and if he did, he'd seem pretty out of place.


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## busyba (Feb 5, 2003)

Rob Helmerichs said:


> It's pretty different. Much more adult tone (in the real sense of the word, not the porn sense) (although a little of that too, I guess )


On that point, I wonder how massively bi and sexed up MD is going to be.

Then again, they did tone it way down for CoE, so I suppose it's a safe bet that we won't be seeing Mekhi Phifer and Bill Pullman getting it on.


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## cheesesteak (Jul 24, 2003)

I liked T:CoE enough that I'll up my cable bill some more and subscribe to Starz next month. I'd have bailed on the franchise because of its move to a pay channel if I hadn't liked CoE so much.


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## kaszeta (Jun 11, 2004)

I may get Starz for this as well. This has possibilities.


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## Rainy Dave (Nov 11, 2001)

I'm looking forward to this!


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## sieglinde (Aug 11, 2002)

Drat, I prefered it in the UK. Gives a different flavor to it because of the differences in power that the UK has compared to the USA in the world. Makes it look like a bunch of people with less resources saving the world rather than International 911 that the USA has become.


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## Rob Helmerichs (Oct 17, 2000)

It's still a British organization, however. And it might (probably will) be interesting to see how this very British organization copes with the US! (And vice versa...)


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## Peter000 (Apr 15, 2002)

Thanks for the input! It's streaming on Netflix (the first three seasons) so I'll give it a shot.


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## JoeTiVo (Jun 25, 2001)

Peter000 said:


> Thanks for the input! It's streaming on Netflix (the first three seasons) so I'll give it a shot.


The wife and I just did the same thing after seeing the promos for Miracle Day. It was well worth it, even if not absolutely necessary to get up to speed.


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## mrdazzo7 (Jan 8, 2006)

Ok I'm not versed in the world of Dr. Who or Torchwood, so I though this Children of Earth situation WAS Torchwood... didn't realize there were two full seasons before that. I'm gonna watch COE-- you guys definitely don't think I need to have seen the other two seasons to get it? Isn't there mythology/set-up that I'm gonna miss by not seeing those other seasons? I guess could do what I normally do and just read full descriptions of those seasons to get caught up.


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## pteronaut (Dec 26, 2009)

mrdazzo7 said:


> Ok I'm not versed in the world of Dr. Who or Torchwood, so I though this Children of Earth situation WAS Torchwood... didn't realize there were two full seasons before that. I'm gonna watch COE-- you guys definitely don't think I need to have seen the other two seasons to get it? Isn't there mythology/set-up that I'm gonna miss by not seeing those other seasons? I guess could do what I normally do and just read full descriptions of those seasons to get caught up.


Here's a primer:


Spoiler



Torchwood was set up after Queen Victoria's encounter with The Doctor in Scotland on her way to Balmoral, it's purpose was to defend against threats from outside the planet and The Doctor himself, it's main mandate was collect alien tech to use against the aliens regardless of the situation.
Earlier in The Doctor's timeline but in 2006?, Torchwood was decimated by a short war on Earth between two Alien Factions, the Daleks & The Cybermen.

All that remained was Torchwood 3, based in Cardiff with five members, Cpt. Jack (who was made immortal by The Doctor's travelling companion who was imbued with The Heart of the TARDIS, in the 2005 year end episode of Doctor Who), Toshiko, Owen, Suzie & Ianto. Suzie died in the 1st episode was was replaced by Gwen. After the Battle of Canary Wharf (2006 Doctor Who Season finale), Jack rewrote Torchwood's mission statement to protect humanity from alien threat with no collateral damage if at all possible.
At the end of the series run, Owen & Toshiko were dead.

I assume that you saw CoE.


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## mrdazzo7 (Jan 8, 2006)

No I haven't, I'm watching it this weekend. 

And this is why I rarely watch British shows--I don't understand 80% of what you just said...


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## Barmat (Jun 1, 2001)

This looks fantastic. Torchwood for any one that hasn't seen it, imho is one of the all time best BBC sci fi series ever.


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## mrdazzo7 (Jan 8, 2006)

just for the record, I'm halfway through episode 1 of COE... Love it so far! No spoilers from here on out please... I'm definitely into it so far and am thinking of grabbing seasons 1 and 2 and just going marathon style before MD starts but I don't know... 31 episodes is a lot. We'll see.


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## Peter000 (Apr 15, 2002)

Peter000 said:


> Thanks for the input! It's streaming on Netflix (the first three seasons) so I'll give it a shot.


Stayed up almost all night watching the first three episodes of CoE. Some pretty damn fine TV. Some cheese there as well, but overall I enjoyed it a lot.

I won't be able to get to the rest until Sunday night at the earliest. :-|


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## sieglinde (Aug 11, 2002)

I don't have problems understanding Torchwood but I have given up on at least two British shows because I didn't understand them. (Hex comes to mind immediately)


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## JoeTiVo (Jun 25, 2001)

sieglinde said:


> I don't have problems understanding Torchwood but I have given up on at least two British shows because I didn't understand them. (Hex comes to mind immediately)


We had that problem with Torchwood and unfortunately we were watching via Netflix streaming. No closed captioning.


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## phox_mulder (Feb 23, 2006)

sieglinde said:


> I don't have problems understanding Torchwood but I have given up on at least two British shows because I didn't understand them. (Hex comes to mind immediately)


Don't try to watch Misfits then.
I describe them as "wrong side of the tracks English accents", one of the characters I can't understand a word they are saying, even after multiple rewind/replays.
Had the same problem with The Fixer, but still enjoyed it, and Misfits is growing on me.
I think I hung on through Hex, but had the same problem.

Source I chose to get them from is uncaptioned, and I refuse to watch the shrunk down overcompressed BBCA SD on DirecTV.

phox


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## Agatha Mystery (Feb 12, 2002)

JoeTiVo said:


> We had that problem with Torchwood and unfortunately we were watching via Netflix streaming. No closed captioning.


Once you watch it for a little bit, the accents are much easier to understand.


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## mrdazzo7 (Jan 8, 2006)

Peter000 said:


> Stayed up almost all night watching the first three episodes of CoE. Some pretty damn fine TV. Some cheese there as well, but overall I enjoyed it a lot. I won't be able to get to the rest until Sunday night at the earliest. :-|


I started w/ CoE and got through half of the first episode but decided I'd rather know all the background of the mythology and the characters first so I stopped and started with episode 1 of the series. Probably won't finish 31 episodes leading up to Miracle Day but it's fine. I'm actually psyched because I needed a new show to get into and so far, I'm loving TW. I was foolishly ignorant of it before.



JoeTiVo said:


> We had that problem with Torchwood and unfortunately we were watching via Netflix streaming. No closed captioning.


I was pleasantly surprised when I started watching to find out the lead guy is American (for the most part) because I obviously have no trouble understanding him. The asian girl and Owen are fine and then Gwen walks the line between understandable and not. But I've have to rewind almost every scene w/ gwen's boyfriend Rhys--I can't understand a word that guy's saying.

Without giving anything away, does the show get more serialized as it goes? I got through three episodes yesterday and it was pretty episodic with some "higher level" stuff going on in between, so I'm thinking its just tryng to get people in at this point and then gets more "you have to watch every week" as it goes.


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## danterner (Mar 4, 2005)

Without spoiling anything, I'll say that it does become more more serialized as it progresses. I'll also say that season two is better than season one, and that season three (Children of Earth) is an order of magnitude better than either of the prior seasons and is entirely serialized (it's essentially a five part mini-series). If you check out the COE threads here on TCF, you'll see a number of people commenting that it's the best sci fi they've seen in a long time. Miracle Day, according to its show runners, is supposed to be more along the lines of COE in terms of style and tone, so that's a good thing. I can't wait!


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## Hoffer (Jun 1, 2001)

I watched an episode or two of Torchwood and didn't care for it. I've never liked British Sci-Fi shows. I just started watching Doctor Who last season and really did not like this season.

Saying that, I'll check out this new Torchwood.


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## Peter000 (Apr 15, 2002)

I really didn't like Dr. Who when I tried it out recently either, but Torchwood was much better. Much darker and more serious than Dr. Who.

I couldn't believe some of the stuff they put Captain Jack through in CoE.


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## Hoffer (Jun 1, 2001)

The episodes I watched were the first 2 of season one. Maybe the show got better.


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## tiassa (Jul 2, 2008)

Hoffer said:


> The episodes I watched were the first 2 of season one. Maybe the show got better.


Yeah. It did. A LOT!!


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## Crow159 (Jul 28, 2004)

I decided to give Torchwood a try last year after so many people here talking about it. I absolutely loved it. COE by far being my favorite. I can't wait for Miracle Day.

I've tried to get into Doctor Who but it just doesn't do it for me like Torchwood. I've watched quite a few, but I find my interest is mainly in the backstory for Torchwood. Is there a list of what Doctor Who episodes that deal with Jack and Torchwood? I'm kind of hoping that those episodes might get me more into Doctor Who.


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## danterner (Mar 4, 2005)

Here's a list, with some commentary by me but no real spoilers.



Spoiler



From memory, I think the main Torchwood-related Doctor Who episodes are "Tooth and Claw" and "Army of Ghosts."

Not from memory (I'm cheating and using a wiki, from here on out):

The first season of Torchwood takes place after the events of the finale of Season 2 of Doctor Who, and runs roughly parallel to Season 3 of Doctor Who. The final episode of the first season of Torchwood leads directly into the Doctor Who episode "Utopia." Season 2 of Torchwood includes, for multiple episodes, a crossover by a main character of Doctor Who.

Personally, I don't think that the above Doctor Who episodes are necessarily the ones I'd recommend if you want to get "hooked" on Doctor Who. Rather, I'd suggest "Blink" -- it is a standalone Doctor Who episode and has a darker tone, more similar to Torchwood. Also, you might try the two-parter "The Empty Child" and the "Doctor Dances" (both of which feature Captain Jack and provide some backstory for his character). "The Stolen Earth" and "Journey's End," which was a two-part finale for Doctor Who back in 2008, also features him. He's also in the Season 1 episode "Bad Wolf."

Note that one of Doctor Who's strengths as a show is the fact that each season has a pretty compelling story arc. You'll be spoiling that arc for yourself if you watch certain of these episodes.


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## tiassa (Jul 2, 2008)

Captain Jack is introduced in the Eccleston 2-parter "The Empty Child/the Doctor Dances" -- this one isn't so much about Torchwood, but does give you Captain Jack's backstory.
The "meta theme" behind Season 2 is the founding of Torchwood, so there are a couple of episodes that deal with Torchwood but not Captain Jack (note this is the Torchwood that Captain Jack "re-purposed" to the current Torchwood (sort of) those eposides are:
Tooth and Claw
Rise of the Cybermen/Age of Steel (kind of a 2-parter)
and the season finale 2 parter:
Army of Ghosts
Doomsday

Captain Jack also appears in the season 3 finale (a 3 parter this time)
Utopia
The Sound of Drums
The Last of the Time Lords
These episodes take place (in that anything in the Doctor Who can be said to happen linearly) after season 1 of Torchwood (Jack's disappearance is referenced at the beginning of the first episode)

And Captain Jack appears in the season 4 finale
The Stolen Earth
Journey's End
But that is more of a "mega cross over episode" and not too much to do with Torchwood

And what danterner said


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## sieglinde (Aug 11, 2002)

Isn't it implied or even stated that Jack is the immortal huge face (I cannot remember the characters name) that gives wise advice?


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## cstelter (Mar 18, 2002)

Crow159 said:


> Is there a list of what Doctor Who episodes that deal with Jack and Torchwood? I'm kind of hoping that those episodes might get me more into Doctor Who.


I think these are the torchwood/Captain Jack background episodes though I could have easily missed a couple. The story lines intertwine a bit so I tried to lay out the proper order.

*-- The episodes with *'s are excellent episodes that may help you get hooked on Doctor Who but aren't related to Torchwood/Captain Jack

?-- The two episodes with ? may or may not reallly apply-- depending on how you take the last few lines of "Last Of the Time Lords"

Doctor Who Series 1:

? The End of the World
The Empty Child (first episode with Captain Jack)
The Doctor Dances (concluion of Empty Child)
Boom Town (Not critical-- But it's the only other Cap Jack episode this series)
Bad Wolf (This and the next one really define what Jack becomes)
The parting of the ways (conclusion to previous episode)
2005 Christmas Special

The Christmas Invasion

Doctor Who Series 2:

Tooth and Claw (explains the existence of torchwood in the first place)
*The Girl In the Fireplace
Army Of Ghosts
Doomsday

Torchwood Series 1:

 All Eps-- very last ep leads right into 'Utopia' in Doctor Who Series 3


Doctor Who Series 3:

? Gridlock
*Human Nature
*The Family Of Blood
*Blink
Utopia
The sound of the Drums
Last of the Time Lords

Torchwood Series 2:

 All Eps-- 

Doctor Whow Series 4:

*Silence In the Library
*Forest of the Dead
The Stolen Earth
Journey's End

Torchwood Series 3:

 All Eps--

Doctor Who Specials 2008-2010

* The Waters Of Mars
* The End Of Time Part 1
The End of Time Part 2 (very small Captain Jack scene near the very end)
-- If you're not hooked on Doctor who by this point, these three won't likely be a difference maker. But it is likely a very small (and probably unimportant) continuity bit between COE and MD. IIRC it will also help to have watched 'Voyage of the Damned' Christmas Special that comes right after "Last of the Time Lords" to really make sense of the scene, but I'm not entirely sure I got that part right.


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## busyba (Feb 5, 2003)

sieglinde said:


> Isn't it implied or even stated that Jack is the immortal huge face (I cannot remember the characters name) that gives wise advice?


Face of Boe. And it was implied at the end of Last of the Time Lords that maybe after millions (billions?) of years, that's what Jack eventually turns into.


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## Crow159 (Jul 28, 2004)

Wasn't The Empty Child and The Doctor Dances a two part episode where Rose meets Jack for the first time and had the creepy little kid in the gas mask? I know I've seen that one.

I think I'm going to go with cstetler's list of episodes and give it another shot.


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## LoadStar (Jul 24, 2001)

Crow159 said:


> Wasn't The Empty Child and The Doctor Dances a two part episode where Rose meets Jack for the first time and had the creepy little kid in the gas mask? I know I've seen that one.


Correct. It's the first appearance of Jack on either show.


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## busyba (Feb 5, 2003)

LoadStar said:


> Correct. It's the first appearance of Jack on either show.


...unless you count S01E02 - _The End of the World_.


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## cstelter (Mar 18, 2002)

busyba said:


> ...unless you count S01E02 - _The End of the World_.


And SE3E03 _Gridlock_

You can add those two in as well. It will make the last couple lines of 'Last of the Timel Lords' make a bit more sense', though it's been a bit spoiled in this thread already.

I'll update my list...


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## Hoffer (Jun 1, 2001)

tiassa said:


> Yeah. It did. A LOT!!


When does Torchwood get better? I think I'll just skip to that.

I watched the third episode of season 1 and tried watching episode 4. It is just awful. This 4th episode has this black chick cyborg. I'm really not trying to threadcrap, but this is some of the worst TV I've ever seen.

Does the show get better in season 2 or 3 or something?


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## danterner (Mar 4, 2005)

It does get better beginning with Season 2, but if you're four episodes in and still considering it to be some of the worst TV you've ever seen it may simply not be for you. Season three is pretty self-contained and just five episodes long, and much better than seasons 1 or 2, so if you're not giving up on it yet then maybe just ditch the first two seasons and watch Children of Earth?


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## LoadStar (Jul 24, 2001)

Hoffer said:


> I watched the third episode of season 1 and tried watching episode 4. It is just awful. This 4th episode has this black chick cyborg. I'm really not trying to threadcrap, but this is some of the worst TV I've ever seen.


I really did not like that episode either, but there was more of _Torchwood _that I did like. That episode, to me, seemed like a poor attempt to try and have some continuity with _Doctor Who_.

The "cyborg" that you refer to is one of the two longest running enemies in _Doctor Who_ called the Cybermen, and if I recall that episode correctly, the events in that episode follow directly from a pretty pivotal episode on that show. However - if you don't know anything about the cybermen, don't care about _Doctor Who_, and haven't seen the episode of _Who_ that led into this one, I can definitely agree that episode would be particularly bad.


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## Malcontent (Sep 5, 2004)

Torchwood releases a new 11-minute sneak peek


> Released by Starz, the explosive new sneak preview video (which comes complete with that professional movie-ad-style voiceover we seem to hear everywhere) features some pretty cool scenes that we haven't seen before in previous promo trailers.


http://blastr.com/2011/06/torchwood-releases-a-thri.php


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## danterner (Mar 4, 2005)

Malcontent said:


> Torchwood releases a new 11-minute sneak peek
> 
> http://blastr.com/2011/06/torchwood-releases-a-thri.php


We watched this last night - it did a pretty good job of getting us excited for the start of the season. I could actually have done without the Mr. Movie Voice voiceover. I think this got recorded just because I have a Torchwood season pass set up; I don't recall seeking it out.


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## cheesesteak (Jul 24, 2003)

Hoffer said:


> When does Torchwood get better? I think I'll just skip to that.
> 
> I watched the third episode of season 1 and tried watching episode 4. It is just awful. This 4th episode has this black chick cyborg. I'm really not trying to threadcrap, but this is some of the worst TV I've ever seen.
> 
> Does the show get better in season 2 or 3 or something?


I thought season 1 of Torchwood was pretty bad. The Cybergirl episode was terrible. Jack's team were a bunch of idiots who did the exact opposite of what he told them and I thought the "edginess" was just some unneeded crap they threw into the show to make it more sensational. Season 2 was much better. COE was frickin' awesome.


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## tiassa (Jul 2, 2008)

I saw it, didn't add a lot, but got me psyched. I've now got the Torchwood theme as the "New Email" tone on my BlackBerry


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## JamesFanscape (Jun 30, 2011)

Hi folks, 

My name's James, and I'm actually working with Starz to help get the word out about Torchwood: Miracle Day. Glad to see so much anticipation for the show around these parts!

I just wanted to give you a heads-up that starting at 12:01 AM on July 8th, Starz will streaming the premiere episode of Torchwood: Miracle Day for free on their site - I'm sure you all have Season Passes already programmed, but I thought some of you might like to catch the premiere early or tip your friends about it. The show will be streaming at bit.ly/TWMiracleDay - mark your calendars!

We've also got a Foursquare page up and running - check it out, follow us, and stay tuned for some big news coming soon: foursquare.com/torchwood_starz

Like I said, I'm working with Starz - if you have any questions about Torchwood, just let me know. Thanks for your time!


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## Peter000 (Apr 15, 2002)

Is Torchwood going to be streaming on Netflix the same way Spartacus did? Same or next day after broadcast?


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## LoadStar (Jul 24, 2001)

The other question I have: apparently I've heard that there will be scenes intended for the US market, and alternate scenes filmed for the UK market to replace the US scenes. (It might be the other way around, but the net result is the same.) Will US market people have any way of viewing the UK (alternate) scenes?

(I have a feeling this is going to be above James' pay grade to answer, if he sticks around to answer questions.)


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## vertigo235 (Oct 27, 2000)

Peter000 said:


> Is Torchwood going to be streaming on Netflix the same way Spartacus did? Same or next day after broadcast?


Somewhere In this thread there was a link to something saying it would not. Something like 90 days later.


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## Rob Helmerichs (Oct 17, 2000)

LoadStar said:


> The other question I have: apparently I've heard that there will be scenes intended for the US market, and alternate scenes filmed for the UK market to replace the US scenes.


Apparently the differences will be relatively minor, but will consist of cuts to the American version for time, and cuts to the British version for content (Starz is more open to sex than the Beeb).


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## Fleegle (Jan 15, 2002)

vertigo235 said:


> Somewhere In this thread there was a link to something saying it would not. Something like 90 days later.


Yes, starting with Camelot, Starz began delaying the Netflix release of their original series for 90 days.


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## Peter000 (Apr 15, 2002)

vertigo235 said:


> Somewhere In this thread there was a link to something saying it would not. Something like 90 days later.





Fleegle said:


> Yes, starting with Camelot, Starz began delaying the Netflix release of their original series for 90 days.


Not the answer I was hoping for, but thanks!


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## DavidTigerFan (Aug 18, 2001)

JamesFanscape said:


> Hi folks,
> 
> My name's James, and I'm actually working with Starz to help get the word out about Torchwood: Miracle Day. Glad to see so much anticipation for the show around these parts!
> 
> ...


That's great. We're a discerning bunch here so make sure it's good!


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## busyba (Feb 5, 2003)

Rob Helmerichs said:


> Apparently the differences will be relatively minor, but will consist of cuts to the American version for time, and cuts to the British version for content (Starz is more open to sex than the Beeb).


As long as we get the sexy version, I'm fine with it.


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## Johncv (Jun 11, 2002)

Malcontent said:


> Well, the actor playing Captain Jack is really Scottish. He does a very good "American" accent.


He was born in and lived in San Diego. Went to SDSU.


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## LoadStar (Jul 24, 2001)

Johncv said:


> He was born in and lived in San Diego. Went to SDSU.


Born in Glasgow. Grew up in Joliet, IL. Only moved to San Diego after high school.


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## Dargon (Jul 30, 2000)

Rob Helmerichs said:


> Apparently the differences will be relatively minor, but will consist of cuts to the American version for time, and cuts to the British version for content (Starz is more open to sex than the Beeb).


So now the Brits will be grabbing torrents of the US version of Torchwood for a change.


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## Rob Helmerichs (Oct 17, 2000)

Dargon said:


> So now the Brits will be grabbing torrents of the US version of Torchwood for a change.


I wonder if they'll have Director's Cut Blu-ray/DVDs, full-length but with all the naughty bits?


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## BrettStah (Nov 12, 2000)

Rob Helmerichs said:


> I wonder if they'll have Director's Cut Blu-ray/DVDs, full-length but with all the naughty bits?


Full-length naughty bits are usually appreciated.


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## cheesesteak (Jul 24, 2003)

I watched all five episodes of Children Of Earth over the 4th of July weekend. Man, that was good. I wish Lois Habiba could have made it to the new Torchwood.


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## Hoffer (Jun 1, 2001)

I saw a commercial for the Starz show last night. Might have been when I was watching Leverage. The commercial got me pretty excited for the show.


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## Rob Helmerichs (Oct 17, 2000)

I saw it in a movie theater. Looks REALLY good!


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## Cainebj (Nov 11, 2006)

Does anyone know how many episodes there are?


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## busyba (Feb 5, 2003)

Cainebj said:


> Does anyone know how many episodes there are?


The showrunners probably do.


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## Cainebj (Nov 11, 2006)

Cainebj said:


> Does anyone know how many episodes there are?


Answering my own question: according to the imdb there are 10 episodes and it runs through Sept 9th.

I actually signed up for Starz.


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## Rob Helmerichs (Oct 17, 2000)

busyba said:


> The showrunners probably do.


So do I.

Ten.

(Aren't I special? With my special knowledge? Of how to go to Wikipedia? )


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## gchance (Dec 6, 2002)

Dish Network has Starz for free until May of 2012 as part of their 30th anniversary celebration. This coincided nicely with the premiere of Spartacus: Gods of the Arena, through Camelot, including Torchwood. It may even still be free by the time Spartacus returns. 

Greg


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## Hoffer (Jun 1, 2001)

gchance said:


> Dish Network has Starz for free until May of 2012 as part of their 30th anniversary celebration. This coincided nicely with the premiere of Spartacus: Gods of the Arena, through Camelot, including Torchwood. It may even still be free by the time Spartacus returns.
> 
> Greg


That would be nice. I recently got a letter from DirecTV that I received a gift as a long time subscriber. I'm getting 3 free months of the sports package. Something I've never subscribed to in the past and that I have zero interest in.


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## phox_mulder (Feb 23, 2006)

Hoffer said:


> That would be nice. I recently got a letter from DirecTV that I received a gift as a long time subscriber. I'm getting 3 free months of the sports package. Something I've never subscribed to in the past and that I have zero interest in.


I got the same "gift" and have never purchased anything sports related from DirecTV.

My sister got free Starz for 3 months, or maybe it's 6.

Last gift I got was free Starz for 6 months (I think), wish it would have been that again this year.
Hers last year was 6 months of Showtime.

I don't get the reasoning, maybe it's because she has no movie packages and I've had HBO/Showtime since the beginning.

phox


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## Fleegle (Jan 15, 2002)

DirecTV's Channel 101, (Now named The Audience Channel), has the first episode of Miracle Day running quite a bit this next week. The first airing is one hour later than the beginning of the Starz airing.


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## madscientist (Nov 12, 2003)

BrettStah said:


> Full-length naughty bits are usually appreciated.


Actually not by most posting on this forum, from what I've read.


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## JamesFanscape (Jun 30, 2011)

I LIVE

(combining several answers into one post to avoid stuffing the thread with new responses)



LoadStar said:


> The other question I have: apparently I've heard that there will be scenes intended for the US market, and alternate scenes filmed for the UK market to replace the US scenes. (It might be the other way around, but the net result is the same.) Will US market people have any way of viewing the UK (alternate) scenes?
> 
> (I have a feeling this is going to be above James' pay grade to answer, if he sticks around to answer questions.)


Sadly that _is_ above my pay grade, but I'll check with the bosses and see if I can get you an answer!



Fleegle said:


> DirecTV's Channel 101, (Now named The Audience Channel), has the first episode of Miracle Day running quite a bit this next week. The first airing is one hour later than the beginning of the Starz airing.


Good eye! As a reminder to anyone else who doesn't currently get Starz but doesn't want to miss Torchwood: Miracle Day, the premiere episode will also be streaming starting at 12:01 AM ET/PT on July 8th on Starz' Torchwood site - the link is bit.ly/TWMiracleDay if you need it.



DavidTigerFan said:


> That's great. We're a discerning bunch here so make sure it's good!


You got it


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## Agatha Mystery (Feb 12, 2002)

I love it when we get people in the know to post here.


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## wprager (Feb 19, 2006)

Quick question. I'll try to be in and out, like ducks mating, so as not to get too spoiled.

I haven't seen any of the Dr. Who or previous seasons of Torchwood. Up here, in Canada, Space is picking up "Miracle Day" and Space is also finally going HD (my provider -- Rogers Cable -- has not announced a date for the HD switchover, but hopefully soon, even if not in time for the first episode).

So, the question: Can I just jump in and watch Miracle Day or should I go back and watch at least some of the earlier seasons? Hopefully my lack of familiarity with Dr. Who won't be a complete stumbling block (and, yes, I've got some plans to start watching the 2005 version with my oldest, just as soon as we're done with Lost).


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## LoadStar (Jul 24, 2001)

My guess is yes, you should be able to start with Miracle Day. While it is a continuation of the Torchwood series, which in turn was a spinoff of Doctor Who, "Miracle Day" is technically a brand new series to Starz. As such, my suspicion is that they will "reintroduce" the series to new US viewers.

That's just a guess, of course.


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## Rob Helmerichs (Oct 17, 2000)

But I suspect you will love life just a little bit more if you see Children of Earth _before _Miracle Day, than after.


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## wprager (Feb 19, 2006)

Thank you (and I'm surprised no-one questioned, commented or otherwise brought up the "in-and-out, like ducks mating" comment; special virtual bonus geek points if you can place that reference without google's help).


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## Church AV Guy (Jan 19, 2005)

I am waiting in anticipation of how much more popular this thread becomes AFTER the show airs. It seems a lot of people are pretty eager.


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## BrettStah (Nov 12, 2000)

Church AV Guy said:


> I am waiting in anticipation of how much more popular this thread becomes AFTER the show airs. It seems a lot of people are pretty eager.


I'm expecting that we will have a new thread for episode 1, then a new one for episode 2, and so on.


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## Fleegle (Jan 15, 2002)

JamesFanscape said:


> Hi folks,
> 
> My name's James, and I'm actually working with Starz to help get the word out about Torchwood: Miracle Day. Glad to see so much anticipation for the show around these parts!
> 
> ...


Is this midnight Eastern or Pacific? If it's eastern, I don't see it posted yet.


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## Fleegle (Jan 15, 2002)

OK, a friend gave me a link to it: http://t.co/QwNJicb


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## cheesesteak (Jul 24, 2003)

Fleegle said:


> OK, a friend gave me a link to it: http://t.co/QwNJicb


That was cool. Tell your friend Thanks.


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## tlc (May 30, 2002)

dtle said:


> First Prediction:
> 
> 
> Spoiler
> ...


My prediction:


Spoiler



I think it will be more about a population explosion we can't handle (assuming there are still births). That's what the graphics imply to me. We're damn close to the carrying capacity of the earth as it is, IMO.


Wow! 4 pages of posts for a SF show that hasn't started yet!

We bounced off TW a couple of years ago, but this thread may cause me to try CoE (which I hadn't heard of) before MD.


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## mrdazzo7 (Jan 8, 2006)

tlc said:


> My prediction:
> 
> 
> Spoiler
> ...


I'm psyched for Miracle Day--the previews look pretty epic. I was gonna just watch CoE but I got through about 20 minutes of it and remembered I'm not someone who can get into a show in the third season like that, so I stopped it and have been watching TW on netflix from the beginning. Was hoping to get through all the eps before MD started but it looks like I"m gonna have to wait a week or two to start it (while hopefully avoiding spoilers).


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## danterner (Mar 4, 2005)

JamesFanscape: is Starz going to be airing Torchwood Declassified for this season? Or is there not going to be one for season 4?

(Declassified is the behind-the-scenes/interview show that accompanies each episode; it is TW's version of Doctor Who Confidential).


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## cheesesteak (Jul 24, 2003)

WTF? I just checked my newly ordered Starz channel list and Starz only has one hi-def channel? One? HBO has four hi-def channels. An extra $10/month for that? Torchwood better be worth it.


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## kaszeta (Jun 11, 2004)

cheesesteak said:


> WTF? I just checked my newly ordered Starz channel list and Starz only has one hi-def channel? One? HBO has four hi-def channels. An extra $10/month for that? Torchwood better be worth it.


Who is your provider? Directv has eight HD Starz channels (plus a west feed on the main channel)


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## BrettStah (Nov 12, 2000)

It looks like I have 7 HD Starz channels via DirecTV.


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## zordude (Sep 23, 2003)

I get 4 Starz + Encore on FIOS.


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## Crow159 (Jul 28, 2004)

BrettStah said:


> It looks like I have 7 HD Starz channels via DirecTV.


Encore HD is also included in the Starz package with Directv.


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## cheesesteak (Jul 24, 2003)

South Jersey Comcast. 1 HD Starz and 1 HD Encore. I even went onto their site to confirm the channel listings.


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## sieglinde (Aug 11, 2002)

Just watched it. Nothing too special about it unfortunately. Will watch the rest of course. I get Starz so no waiting for me.


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## newsposter (Aug 18, 2002)

did anyone watch this?


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## DavidTigerFan (Aug 18, 2001)

no one did. we just liked to post what we thought it would be like.


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## Hoffer (Jun 1, 2001)

I watched a couple episodes of Miracle Day and gave up. Torchwood is officially not for me. 

I like British comedy and some drama. I can not get into their Sci Fi shows.


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## zordude (Sep 23, 2003)

Hoffer said:


> I watched a couple episodes of Miracle Day and gave up. Torchwood is officially not for me.
> 
> I like British comedy and some drama. I can not get into their Sci Fi shows.


Well to be fair, Miracle day is the WORST Torchwood, and more American than British.


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## busyba (Feb 5, 2003)

zordude said:


> Well to be fair, Miracle day is the WORST Torchwood, and more American than British.


I'd go so far as to say that Miracle Day is NOT Torchwood; it's just a sci-fi miniseries that happens to have some Torchwood characters in it.

For you SAT veterans...

Miracle Day : Torchwood :: Highlander-The Source : Higlander.


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## getreal (Sep 29, 2003)

busyba said:


> I'd go so far as to say that Miracle Day is NOT Torchwood; it's just a sci-fi miniseries that happens to have some Torchwood characters in it.
> 
> For you SAT veterans...
> 
> Miracle Day : Torchwood :: Highlander-The Source : Higlander.


I had watched Torchwood from the start before I got caught up with Doctor Who, and it was all great. Then Children of Earth was great, so I looked forward to Miracle Day. What a letdown!! The Torchwood cast were just bit-part background players, and the American cast and storyline ruined the series. Miracle Day was a awful disappointment. If you have a choice, stop at Children of Earth.

BTW, "Torchwood" is an anagram of "Doctor Who".  


> When the first series of Doctor Who was being made, television pirates were desperate to acquire the preview tapes. One of the people in the office had the idea of labeling the tapes with the anagram "Torchwood" rather than "Doctor Who", as a security measure to disguise the tapes when they were delivered from Cardiff to London. Writer Russell T. Davies liked this idea so much that it later inspired him to use it as a title when creating this spin-off series.


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## gchance (Dec 6, 2002)

What you should do is watch the first episode of Torchwood as an introduction, then jump into Children of Earth. THAT is good stuff right there.

Greg


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## Church AV Guy (Jan 19, 2005)

I have to agree. Children of the Earth was reall, REALLY good, so Miracle Day was expected to be good also, but was really bad. Compared to COTE, MD was very bad. If COTE had not been that good, MD would not have seemed quite so bad. It still would have fallen far short of good, but wouldn't have seemed THAT bad. If the lame story hadn't come close to ruining it, Mekhi Phifer really pushed it over the edge.


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## Gunnyman (Jul 10, 2003)

Like the seasons of Heroes that came after the first one, I tend to deny Miracle Day ever happened.


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## kdmorse (Jan 29, 2001)

Take the first 1-1/2 hours of MD, the last 1-1/2 hours and put them together, maybe a few snippets from the middle, and you've got something pretty damn good.

Rewatching it Tivo'd isn't so bad if you skip 2/3rds of it.

But as originally aired, week by week, watching entire episodes - borderline torture....


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## LoadStar (Jul 24, 2001)

Church AV Guy said:


> I have to agree. Children of the Earth was reall, REALLY good, so Miracle Day was expected to be good also, but was really bad. Compared to COTE, MD was very bad. If COTE had not been that good, MD would not have seemed quite so bad. It still would have fallen far short of good, but wouldn't have seemed THAT bad. If the lame story hadn't come close to ruining it, Mekhi Phifer really pushed it over the edge.


No, I disagree. Miracle Day was bad by _any_ measure, not just by comparison to CoE. It was truly, painfully bad.


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## dianebrat (Jul 6, 2002)

Add me in with the rest of the folks, Miracle Day had a few flashes of "torchwoodness" but was pretty damn weak. The Jack flashback felt like Torchwood.

My feelings have always been:
S1 awesome concept, setup, and flashes of brilliance, but a weak season
S2 not as awesome since the genie was out of the lamp, but far more consistent at a higher level. (Captain John Hart FTW)
S3/CoE took it all up to another level, while I missed the various TW flotsam and jetsam, man it just knocked it out of the park from the story/emotional side.
S4/MD was so weak that there's maybe an hour of good Torchwood in it, but it's just a pale imitation.


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## busyba (Feb 5, 2003)

dianebrat said:


> Add me in with the rest of the folks, Miracle Day had a few flashes of "torchwoodness" but was pretty damn weak. The Jack flashback felt like Torchwood.
> 
> My feelings have always been:
> S1 awesome concept, setup, and flashes of brilliance, but a weak season
> ...


Excellent summary, although I think I personally would give S1 slightly higher marks, especially in the latter half.


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## dianebrat (Jul 6, 2002)

busyba said:


> Excellent summary, although I think I personally would give S1 slightly higher marks, especially in the latter half.


The problem with S1 is that Cyberwoman cancels out Random Shoes  they swing from great to mediocre far too often, but yes in many ways it has amazing flashes of brilliance.


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## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

getreal said:


> I had watched Torchwood from the start before I got caught up with Doctor Who, and it was all great. Then Children of Earth was great, so I looked forward to Miracle Day. What a letdown!! The Torchwood cast were just bit-part background players, and the American cast and storyline ruined the series. Miracle Day was a awful disappointment. If you have a choice, stop at Children of Earth.
> 
> BTW, "Torchwood" is an anagram of "Doctor Who".


Miracle Day is still worth watching., I enjoyed it. While it wasn't as good as the previous three seasons, it was still a good watch for me. I've watched it a couple of times and still enjoyed it the second time. And it's even better on BD.


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