Before I start the required fan-girl squeeing, this is going to air on BBC America right? At the same time as in Britain?

Can I commence with the flipping out now? ;)

deepgirl187 | November 21, 07:03 CET

As far as I know we don't have a specific air date for the UK and my guess is it'll be a little before BBC America show it but it's going to be close.

helcat | November 21, 07:26 CET

Wow... a concurrent airing. I never thought I'd live to see such a thing. Huzzah!

Y'know, I've always felt Torchwood was a bit of an Angel pastiche, with now-immortal Captain Jack in the role of Angel (broody immortal, complicated past, mind can't be read) and now they have a Spike-like character coming in to be his counterpoint... and it's actually James playing him! Life's a funny thing.

Speaking of Angel pastiches... seems Moonlight now has Mick's supposedly dead Vampire sire/wife coming back to life as a Human. I wonder if she'll get be revamped by some lady Mick drove crazy then turned. And Mick will go all dark and stuff, until Sophia (I can't remember her character's name) tries to kill herself.

IMForeman | November 21, 07:47 CET

Sophia Myles, who was consequently on Doctor who as Madame de Pompadour in the season 2 eppy the Girl in the Fireplace, which is of course the original series to torchwood's spinoff. tee. Anyways, I am still in the dark because the only way to get BBCA is pay 50 dollars for other channels I don't want....

dulce_serenidad | November 21, 07:58 CET

Sophia Myles, who was consequently on Doctor who as Madame de Pompadour in the season 2 eppy the Girl in the Fireplace, which is of course the original series to torchwood's spinoff. tee.

She's also dating David Tennant... the Doctor himself. Been dating him since her Who appearance.

IMForeman | November 21, 08:09 CET

Squeeeeee!!! More Captain Jack Harkness!!
I'm also looking forward to Martha Jones (the most recent Companion to The Doctor) being on the series. As a new member of the Torchwood team? Hmmmmm.....
Time to start booking a "flight to the UK" (wink-wink).
Oh, how I do love me some BT Airlines.

AmazonGirl | November 21, 08:15 CET

Okay...here goes..........Squeeeee!!!! :)

I don't have to wait a year for my Torchwoody goodness! Yay!

deepgirl187 | November 21, 08:21 CET

Seriously? I don't have to stoop to less savory means to get my Captain Jack goodness/crack? I see that BBC America is getting a clue. Good for them! And the new season of Dr. Who will be shown in the US when? C'mon skiffy, get with the program!

TamaraC | November 21, 08:26 CET

She's also dating David Tennant... the Doctor himself. Been dating him since her Who appearance. How I'd like to forget that...:( lol Sorry, I didn't mean to imply that you didn't know who she was, I thought you meant her last name my bad... I shall read more carefully from now on.

dulce_serenidad | November 21, 08:26 CET

oh! YAY! I love Torchwood way more than I do the current eps of Dr. Who. Sorry, I'm a die hard Eccleston fangirl.

mifeng | November 21, 08:43 CET

There is nor enough Squeeeeeee!!!! in the known or unknown universe for this!!! And I will admit, I have never, ever "squeeed" before, online. Thought I'd preserve a shred of dignity, as my own little secret.
But JM, John Barroman and a show I love so much it turns me inside out, & I don't have to wait a year for it? *faints dead away in a fog of bliss.*

Shey | November 21, 13:53 CET

...and my cable provider does not even offer BBCA.

newcj | November 21, 14:57 CET

Dear BBC,

How dare you provide the release date for Torchwood in the US when you haven't even said when it is airing here in the UK. Talk about betraying your British fans. As a license fee payer I am utterly outraged at this shoddy behaviour.

Simon | November 21, 15:07 CET

Well, they say you should share the wealth, only seems fair we share the other thing too ;).

Still, if, as many others have said it gets better near the end of series 1 that may bode well for series 2 (watching it anyway for Martha and JM but I live in hope that it won't be a case of suffering through it just for them). Guess it's getting time to pick up where I left off (episode 7 or 8 of S1 - the one where Tosh is a complete idjet).

(and the correct phrase Simon is "Quite frankly I am appalled and I post on the internet" ;)

Saje | November 21, 15:17 CET

No, for the full "Points of View" effect the bleating missive should start "Why oh why oh why...?"

Jack Diamond | November 21, 15:40 CET

(episode 7 or 8 of S1 - the one where Tosh is a complete idjet).

Thanks, Saje, for helping to confirm I am not utterly crazy (or at least that this is not proof of it). There are folks complaining about "Cyberwoman" on another thread, and yet no one has mentioned the extreme pain and suffering caused by exposure to the episode to which you're referring. After watching it, my eyes were aching from all the rolling I was forced to do.

And, hey, barely related, but we were watching The Producers (musical remake) on HBO the other day, and we noticed with great squees of recognition that the Lead Tenor in the "Springtime for Hitler" number is John Barrowman with bleached blonde hair and eyebrows. Heh.

swanland | November 21, 17:37 CET

OK Saje,, your subtle (and not so) sarcasm is legendary .... well, at least duly noted. But how can anyone seriously not love Torchwood? Surely one pretty bad ep (Cyberwoman) in one very short (by U.S. standards) first season, shouldn't damn the entire show.
And, They keep On Killing Susie plus Random Shoes more than restored the balance. If Torchwood is an indication of "the other thing" you guys in the UK share, I say bring it on. Just make sure Eddie Izzard is in the creative Care Package.
Although Absolutely Fabulous deserves to be sunk to the bottom of Loch Ness and devoured by Nessie. Or better yet, dropped in Cardiff to be eaten by Weevils.

Shey | November 21, 17:45 CET

Holy squee!

Torchwood has its flaws, but it seems to be smoothing itself out and getting better. I'm actually looking forward to it each week, and I can't wait to see James and Freema in it in just a couple of months. "In just a couple of months," squee!

Now when's the next season of Doctor Who going to be on, Sci-Fi? *taps foot*

Dizzy | November 21, 18:23 CET

Cyberwoman wasn't the worst episode. I liked it. The third last episode "Combat" was perhaps the most cringeworthy hour of tv I have ever had the misfortune to sit through and a result of that and bits and bobs from other episodes I can't take it seriously anymore.

Saying that the show has a lot of potential and it is lovely to see a new UK show get the same fan dedication that US shows have enjoyed. However series one was hampered by the lack of a ongoing plot arc and writers taking a schizophrenic approach to characterisation.

Simon | November 21, 18:27 CET

OK I swore I wouldn't have another go at 'Torchwood' but you did ask ... ;). It hadn't completely won me over by "Cyberwoman" anyway Shey but I think for me that may have been a genuine jump-the-shark moment i.e. not only was it very bad (what most people think when they think JtS), it was so bad that it coloured my appreciation of every episode that followed.

"Countrycide" had some good, even great, ideas but again, it had plot holes you could drive a bus through and unrealistic character moments IMO. "Greeks Bearing Gifts" I found to be pretty clichéd (I remember a few times thinking "Oh surely they're not gonna ... Yep, they did" e.g. where Tosh "hears" exactly the wrong part of someone's thoughts - how many times have we seen that with overheard conversations ?) and an absolute insult to the supposedly deeply clever Tosh (OK, she's lonely but is she a child ? A grown woman - especially one charged with protecting the entire planet - should be able to put her own feelings aside and actually, y'know, think about the consequences of her actions).

I don't mind characters you don't always like (I disliked every one of the Scoobs at various times) and I don't mind characters making mistakes that make sense for them to make (Xander with Anya, Anya with the frat boys, "General" Buffy etc.) BUT if i'm watching a show and I routinely think the supposed heroes of that show are bloody idiots that deserve zero respect, let alone admiration then something's gone wrong in a big way I reckon.

The most frustrating thing is, it's got such amazing potential but it's just not living up to it for me.

(as mentioned though, I haven't actually watched "They Keep Killing Suzie" or "Random Shoes" yet, maybe the later eps can bring me back onboard though, as you may have gathered, they've got an uphill struggle ;)

Saje | November 21, 18:29 CET

Showing Torchwood in the US BEFORE they showed it in the UK....weird.
Anyhow, I am glad that I do not have to wait 12 months for series 2.

While I like Torchwood over all, the quality is a bit of a rollercoaster. For example, "Cyberwoman" and "Greeks Bearing Gifts" were I found really bad. "Countrycide" and "Out of time" were very good, yet those two episodes were VERY different. I do hope series 2 will be more even. However, I also do think it is good that they take chances, even though the result can be dodgy at times.

Different issue....with the strike in Hollywood...since chances are slim that a whole lot of Without a Trace episides will be shot (and Smalville too), maybe James can pop over to Cardiff for some more Torchwood episodes??

Jonas | November 21, 18:36 CET

For those that don't have BBC America and have digital cable,
you can usually add it for just a few dollar with another "tier".

TaraLivesOn | November 21, 18:45 CET

JM, JB.... *will not squee* Uhem, tis truly a great time to be slasher.

*runs off to set three reminders on her cell phone*

Mirage | November 21, 18:49 CET

Showing Torchwood in the US BEFORE they showed it in the UK....weird.

Well, it starts in January over here too Jonas. I'd imagine it'll air here a week or two in front of the US.

I wonder if they've brought it into step for budgetary reasons ? I.e. if it's an expensive show (and, 'Torchwood's relative merits aside, by BBC standards it probably is) then they may want to recoup some of the costs more quickly.

Saje | November 21, 18:52 CET

This is lovely news for us Yanks, but my complaint is BBCA edits out the good stuff to appease the Americans' delicate sensibilities *insert rolling eyes here*

Thank goodness for DVDs I guess.

TheSpark | November 21, 18:54 CET

I think BBCA only recently started editing out certain bits. I remember first tuning in and thinking "wow, they sure get away with a lot over in the UK".

What pissed me off is the fact that Sci-Fi edited out about eight minutes worth of Doctor Who's third season finale. Bastards... :(

deepgirl187 | November 21, 19:10 CET

Whaa ? Don't remember anything in the series 3 finale that merited that much cutting. Or was it just for time ? Over here it's on at around 7 pm on a Saturday and is most definitely a family show so I don't see there being much to cut (unlike 'Torchwood' which is shown after the 9 pm 'watershed' and is billed as an adult show - hence the saucy content, swearing, violence etc.).

So you guys have had [new] series 3 ? Which means Dizzy's enquiry above about 'Doctor Who' is referring to [new] series 4 ? That hasn't even started over here yet, in fact they've probably not finished making it yet - it normally airs from about Easter onwards.

Saje | November 21, 19:24 CET

Saje - Ok, sorry I did not realize that. BBC America keeps saying that Torchwood' is their biggest success ever, so one can understand they want to capitalize on that success. They used to show Ultimate Force (originally not a BBC show but ITV, right?) but they replaced it with reruns of Torchwood. I wish they would hurry up and show Life on Mars series 2. I have waited since summer 2006!!!!

Jonas | November 21, 19:28 CET

From what I've heard, Series 4 may be later than normal due to the Doctor doing something called...a play? *grin* I can't remember what link that was, but, I do remember the talk of series 4 will be later due to David performing on stage.

As for the cutting out...*sigh* That's why we spend the big bucks on the DVDs. That and the fact that I want them at my fingertips to watch over and over again.

And, certainly an overload of happy on the Torchwood season 2 announce. I just keep falling more and more in love with that series!

ctofine | November 21, 19:29 CET

I think it's pretty smart of BBCA to follow up closely with their biggest hit in the US. They won't lose momentum this way, and they have the JM appearance right away to add to the build up. With a little luck, this tactic will carry over to Dr. Who, and they will play up the connection, and show us Season 4 at the same time as in the UK.

I agree that it is uneven, and that Cyberwoman and Greeks were bad, but I loved Out of Time, and, well, I just can't stay away from Torchwood. I'm not sure what it is, but it's just got something. I mean, something besides the obvious. (Barrowman, that is.)

toast | November 21, 20:27 CET

The editing BBCA do (and Sci Fi do) are primarily to fit the episodes into the time slots with the necessary ads - Sci Fi has more ads in their shows so need to cut more from the episodes. From what I've gathered so far TW's edits have been all to do with that rather than editing out scenes deemed too daring/naughty for the US audience.

helcat | November 21, 21:01 CET

From what I've heard, Series 4 may be later than normal due to the Doctor doing something called...a play? *grin* I can't remember what link that was, but, I do remember the talk of series 4 will be later due to David performing on stage.

AFAIK series 4 will show as usual from about March/April (they started filming in August) but "series" 5 will only consist of 3 or 4 specials while David Tennant is acting on stage (so 13 episodes plus Christmas special in 2008, but only 3 or 4 specials in 2009 then a full series again in 2010).

Saje | November 21, 21:09 CET

I don't doubt that, but I've got the original BBC episodes thanks to bittorrent, plus I've viddied the BBCA versions. Much of the "naughtier" stuff was taken out.

Er, not that I checked that closely mind you :) It's just almost jarring because I'd watch the original and go 'whoah, they get away with a lot in Engerland.' and then watch the BBCA version and think, 'Er, they didn't show the bouncer wanking.'

I wouldn't have let my 16 yr. old daughter watch the original episodes, but the BBCA eps are ok.

TheSpark | November 21, 21:32 CET

AFAIK series 4 will show as usual from about March/April (they started filming in August) but "series" 5 will only consist of 3 or 4 specials while David Tennant is acting on stage (so 13 episodes plus Christmas special in 2008, but only 3 or 4 specials in 2009 then a full series again in 2010).

That is also how I understand it.

I also agree with Saje about Torchwood. I'll keep watching it, but by the end there wasn't a character I didn't actively dislike except for Jack. Hopefully Martha will inject some sense into the group.

Re: Season 3 finale edits. I didn't watch all of it because, unless I missed something, the entire "I Can't Decide" dance was snipped!!!

Lastly, a month or so ago, the British tabloids were full of the rumor that Sophia Myles and David Tennant had split. I don't know how much truth there is to it, however.

swanjun | November 21, 22:03 CET

I am enjoying Torchwood. I guess I don't see the need to pick things apart, I just either like it or I don't and in this case I do. I am hoping the 2nd season develops the characters a little more, but there are no characters that I currently dislike. I was always kinda confused about the hype about Jack having sex with anything with a zip code, and thanks to TheSpark, that question has been cleared up. I'll have to Netfix it when it comes out on dvd cuz, frankly, I like the naughty stuff. And most of all I can't wait to see James on it!!!!! I am so glad the wait won't be too long!!

luvspike | November 21, 22:30 CET

From what I've heard, Series 4 may be later than normal due to the Doctor doing something called...a play? *grin* I can't remember what link that was, but, I do remember the talk of series 4 will be later due to David performing on stage.

There's The Voyage Of The Damned on Christmas Day. Then Series 4 next year. Then another Christmas special. Then in 2009, there's going to be 3 specials (one of which may or may not be a Chrismas special), then Series 5 in 2010.

This is so that David Tennant can appear on stage in Hamlet (along with Patrick Stewart). It's also widely rumoured that RTD threatened to quit as showrunner after Series 4 and this was designed to give him a break and keep him on board.

williamthebloody1880 | November 21, 23:20 CET

I didn't like Series 1 of Torchwood at all (except maybe 'Out Of Time' a little bit.) In fact, I wrote a blog post contrasting Torchwood (boo) and Angel (yay!) that topped out around 1000 words.

But I will watch Series 2. And I'm almost looking forward to it. In addition to the great guest stars, it sounds like it will be a bit lighter in tone. Besides, it's not like the show could get any worse, right?

Right?

Lady Brick | November 22, 00:38 CET

We in Australia probably won't even get Torchwood 2. We had all this hype before the initial series airing earlier this year but Channel 10 dumped the episodes from primetime to after midnight from about episode 4 onwards (without telling anyone either!). I don't know which network will get the rights to the new series but I hope they give the show a little more time to find it's audience again.

Milligan | November 22, 04:34 CET

Squee!! Torchwood season 2 in almost real time here in the states! I ordered the BBCA from my cable company this afternoon as soon as I read the news. I was expecting to have to wait another year.

I first saw the series on line and then bought the box set while at Dragoncon and have enjoyed watching it several times now. The first airing on line was a bit of a mish mash and I was disappointed that the Capt jack character was so different from the character that I fell in love with on Dr Who. But repeated viewings have increased my appreciation for all the characters, even Gwen :D

I think the show's great fun and if they actually make Capt Jack more like his Dr Who character, it will be even more fun.

And with James Marsters as Capt John on board, snogging Capt Jack when not trying to kill him - well I'm in heaven.

anindoorkitty | November 22, 05:57 CET

You bought the box set? I thought it wasn't going to be released until January. If you did, is it an edited version like what we see on BBCA or the uncut version like on BBC? I want the uncut one....Happy Thanksgiving!!!

luvspike | November 22, 21:08 CET

My question & concern, same as luvspike's ... the season1 DVD set is supposed to be available in the U.S. on I believe January 26th. So will this be the uncut U.K. version? It better be, or I'm going to be seriously pissed.

No one will put a damper on my passionate love for this show. I'm notorious to everyone who knows me as a TV snob, there aren't many shows I really like, and very few I truly love. Torchwood may have it's flaws, but so did seasson1 of BtS. And that indefinable "something" that someone mentioned, above? It's called "heart", something this show has in abundance. As well as a lot of wit, so far most apparent in Random Shoes.

There isn't a single character I don't like, for all the same reasons that I loved every character on BtS. They are well meaning but deeply flawed, trying to make sense of a situation that shouldn't exist, dealing with the need to keep a huge part of their lives a secret from most everyone. And I so hope they don't go "lighter" in season2, the last thing we need is a Dr. Who clone.

Shey | November 24, 18:24 CET

No one will put a damper on my passionate love for this show.

Certainly wasn't trying to do that Shey. I'd be amazed if I even could, surely none of us here rely on other people to form our own opinions ? ;)

Truly though, I have never seen or heard of a show that divided opinion so clearly. Even folks that agree on many other shows can be in complete disagreement over 'Torchwood'. Where you see wit I see clunky dialogue, where you see heart, I see lack of brains. Both perspectives are true because neither are.

Bizarre yet, frankly, cool ;).

Saje | November 24, 19:44 CET

No problem Saje, I'm sure that wasn't your intention. But as for divided opinion, there are some parallels with opinion about BtS. I'm on a James Marsters fan forum where you wouldn't believe how many members dislike almost everything about BtS, except for JM.
Otherwise it's a great forum, the only one I've found that enforces civility as strictly as here.
And everyone on that board adores Torchwood, so I can join in the general gush fest 'till my heart's content. ;)

Shey | November 25, 17:42 CET

Torchwood does bring out odd and interesting conflicts...even within just one person. Thanks to a very kind Fairy Internet Godmother, I was able to see Torchwood in its entirety. Maybe because so many people like it, or JM is going to be on it, I really wanted it to be good. Unfortunately, I did not care for the way that IMO the plots depended on the main characters doing stupid or amazingly selfish things and betraying each other. I also did not like the way that everyone in the show seemed to think that behavior was justifiable or forgivable in a constant life or death situation.

On the other hand, those things are mostly driven by plot, and can be changed at anytime. Part of me is afraid it won't be, the other part is hopeful it will be. For some reason, I feel like the show has the potential to be much better than it was in the first season and I really want it to succeed in that way.

What I didn't understand is the strong criticism about the sex. For me that was not problem. Of course, that probaby says more about me than the show. I won't speculate as to what. ;-)

newcj | November 25, 19:18 CET

Damn, i either can't get anything in the quote box, or the entite post goes in and I can't get it out. Forgive my computer ineptitude.