# 'Torchwood comes to America.' Is this a good thing, I ask myself? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 11, 2011, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/torchwood-comes-to-america-is-this-a-good-thing-i-ask-myself/567180 "2011-01-11T02:30:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Scubaqueen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c0e974/32.png) [@Scubaqueen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scubaqueen)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2011, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/torchwood-comes-to-america-is-this-a-good-thing-i-ask-myself/567180/1 "2011-01-11T02:30:14Z")
_sigh._ every new thing I read about the show has me wincing a bit. while I would shell out good money in a heartbeat to watch john barrowman read the phone book and sing ‘mary had a little lamb,’ i’m wondering about the direction Davies is taking the show in. while i’m glad he’s the head honcho, every time a great brit show is exiled to the colonies (in this case starz) it Usually Goes Very Bad. example: ‘life on mars.’ nuff said. dopers in the know, hold forth on ‘Torchwood: Miracle Day.’ ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2011, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/torchwood-comes-to-america-is-this-a-good-thing-i-ask-myself/567180/2 "2011-01-11T05:36:57Z")
Since nearly all the original cast’s characters died… I have major issues getting excited. I mostly watched because I like Eve Myles. I still rewatch the first and second seasons. After that it gets too depressing. I may watch just to see the new torchwood team they give Jack. We could create a drinking game. Every time one dies you drink a beer. They’ll probably slaughter the new team by the end of the season. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2011, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/torchwood-comes-to-america-is-this-a-good-thing-i-ask-myself/567180/3 "2011-01-11T05:41:07Z")
This isn’t a US remake, like _Life On Mars_, though. It may be set in the US, but this is a continuation with the same team, even if it is a different production company and bigger budget. I think that’s unprecedented. I think it will be just as good as the original, which is to say cheesy nonsense with a charismatic flair. I don’t care if it fails to reach a US audience, but I think it will be an improvement overall. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2011, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/torchwood-comes-to-america-is-this-a-good-thing-i-ask-myself/567180/4 "2011-01-11T06:09:34Z")
Starz is a pay channel on DirecTv. That will dramatically limit the audience. I won’t buy the starz superpack just for this one show. I gave directv too much money already. I wonder if sci-fi will rerun the show? ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2011, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/torchwood-comes-to-america-is-this-a-good-thing-i-ask-myself/567180/5 "2011-01-11T06:26:36Z")
First, the US version of **Life on Mars** was wonderful, the end notwithstanding, and I say that as an ardent fan of the UK version. Second, they’ve got a great cast and great writers, including Jane Espenson. Third, Starz has some amazing original programming. **Spartacus: Blood and Sand** was no **Mad Men** , but it was still 13 great hours of entertainment. **Party Down** was a hilarious show that should have gone on for many more seasons, and their new series **Camelot** looks like it will be very interesting. Fourth, all Starz programming is available on the Netflix Instant Queue while it’s airing. I noticed it was only a few weeks behind eps of **Pillars of the Earth** , so it should be accessible to a sizable audience. Fifth, I’m excited to see what Davies can do with a bigger budget. I know he didn’t have many restrictions with the BBC, but Starz doesn’t say no to anything, as far as I can tell. The more blood, gore, sex, and trauma for all involved, the better. Since I can’t think of any other reason to watch Torchwood, I think this can only be a good thing. So overall, I’m actually really optimistic about it. Though as alluded to above, I don’t like Torchwood, so my opinion may not count for much. Still, the reasons I outlined above are enough to compel me to give it a chance. ---
**Author:** ![Invisible\_Chimp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f05b48/32.png) [@Invisible\_Chimp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Invisible_Chimp)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2011, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/torchwood-comes-to-america-is-this-a-good-thing-i-ask-myself/567180/6 "2011-01-11T06:27:44Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Starz is a pay channel on DirecTv. That will dramatically limit the audience. I won’t buy the starz superpack just for this one show. I gave directv too much money already. > > I wonder if sci-fi will rerun the show? Usually, Starz shows are available on Netflix streaming. I’m looking forward to it. ---
**Author:** ![Candyman74](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Candyman74](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Candyman74)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2011, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/torchwood-comes-to-america-is-this-a-good-thing-i-ask-myself/567180/7 "2011-01-11T06:48:06Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Starz is a pay channel on DirecTv. That will dramatically limit the audience. I won’t buy the starz superpack just for this one show. I gave directv too much money already. > > I wonder if sci-fi will rerun the show? The BBC will be showing it, which is all I care about! ---
**Author:** ![WotNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e19b73/32.png) [@WotNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WotNot)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2011, 10:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/torchwood-comes-to-america-is-this-a-good-thing-i-ask-myself/567180/8 "2011-01-11T10:34:59Z")
I have two reason for feeling optimistic about this. The first is that, as **GuanoLad** pointed out, this isn’t another instance of a US company buying the format and remaking a successful UK TV show. It’s a co-production between Starz, BBC Worldwide, and BBC Wales (the original production company), with the series creator fully on board. The second is _Torchwood’s_ unique history. The first series premiered on BBC Three – a digital-only channel here in the UK, targeted primarily at a young adult audience. While RTD himself admitted that it didn’t work as well as he’d hoped from the creative point of view, it was a notable ratings success for that channel. As a result of that, the second series premiered on BBC Two, a channel with a larger, broader, audience (and higher average viewing figures). Again, it was one of that channel’s highest rated programmes for the year, and generally agreed to be an improvement on the first series. The third series premiered as a mini-series across five nights in primetime on BBC One, and was a huge success, both in terms of viewing figures (about twice what it got on BBC Two) and critical reaction. It wouldn’t surprise me in the least if co-production with an American company makes _Torchwood_ even better and more popular – in fact, I suspect that it may become apparent that this is what they should have done with the concept in the first place. Next probable step: big-budget Hollywood blockbuster movie. In 3D. ---
**Author:** ![Scubaqueen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c0e974/32.png) [@Scubaqueen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scubaqueen)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2011, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/torchwood-comes-to-america-is-this-a-good-thing-i-ask-myself/567180/9 "2011-01-11T13:21:22Z")
> [@WotNot](#): > > I have two reason for feeling optimistic about this. > > The first is that, as **GuanoLad** pointed out, this isn’t another instance of a US company buying the format and remaking a successful UK TV show. It’s a co-production between Starz, BBC Worldwide, and BBC Wales (the original production company), with the series creator fully on board. > > The second is _Torchwood’s_ unique history. The first series premiered on BBC Three – a digital-only channel here in the UK, targeted primarily at a young adult audience. While RTD himself admitted that it didn’t work as well as he’d hoped from the creative point of view, it was a notable ratings success for that channel. > > As a result of that, the second series premiered on BBC Two, a channel with a larger, broader, audience (and higher average viewing figures). Again, it was one of that channel’s highest rated programmes for the year, and generally agreed to be an improvement on the first series. > > The third series premiered as a mini-series across five nights in primetime on BBC One, and was a huge success, both in terms of viewing figures (about twice what it got on BBC Two) and critical reaction. > > It wouldn’t surprise me in the least if co-production with an American company makes _Torchwood_ even better and more popular – in fact, I suspect that it may become apparent that this is what they should have done with the concept in the first place. > > Next probable step: big-budget Hollywood blockbuster movie. In 3D. **guano** , you made my day. i wanna big overdone hollyweird blockbuster movie and i want it right now!! i loved children of earth, too. thought it was the best of the series. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2011, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/torchwood-comes-to-america-is-this-a-good-thing-i-ask-myself/567180/10 "2011-01-11T13:25:09Z")
A misattributed quote. But I’ll write a screenplay of one for you, if you like. ---
**Author:** ![Candyman74](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Candyman74](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Candyman74)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2011, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/torchwood-comes-to-america-is-this-a-good-thing-i-ask-myself/567180/11 "2011-01-11T14:48:13Z")
> [@WotNot](#): > > It wouldn’t surprise me in the least if co-production with an American company makes _Torchwood_ even better and more popular – in fact, I suspect that it may become apparent that this is what they should have done with the concept in the first place. I dunno about that. Is a pay-only cable network like Starz really likely to generate viewing figures approaching those of BBC1? Genre shows in the US tend to get very small audiences, even on bigger more accessible networks. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2011, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/torchwood-comes-to-america-is-this-a-good-thing-i-ask-myself/567180/12 "2011-01-11T15:26:39Z")
> [@pepperlandgirl](#): > > Fourth, all Starz programming is available on the Netflix Instant Queue while it’s airing. I noticed it was only a few weeks behind eps of **Pillars of the Earth** , so it should be accessible to a sizable audience. FYI, the deal between Starz and Netflix expires in the next year, and it’s not certain that it will be renewed. (The current deal costs Netflix $25 million per year, and Starz now regrets the low price, so they’re going to be asking for a lot more in the new negotiations.) ---
**Author:** ![WotNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e19b73/32.png) [@WotNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WotNot)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2011, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/torchwood-comes-to-america-is-this-a-good-thing-i-ask-myself/567180/13 "2011-01-11T15:51:02Z")
> [@Candyman74](#): > > I dunno about that. Is a pay-only cable network like Starz really likely to generate viewing figures approaching those of BBC1? Genre shows in the US tend to get very small audiences, even on bigger more accessible networks. No, Starz hasn’t a hope of reaching BBC1-level viewing figures, but since BBC1 will still be showing _Torchwood_ in the UK, that doesn’t matter. The question ought to be: can Starz better the viewing figures of BBC America? And will a larger budget, plus American writer and stars, help it do that? ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2011, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/torchwood-comes-to-america-is-this-a-good-thing-i-ask-myself/567180/14 "2011-01-11T16:09:54Z")
Besides, the more American sci-fi fans they attract, the more DVD box sets they’ll sell - which is where the real money is. ---
**Author:** ![Scubaqueen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c0e974/32.png) [@Scubaqueen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scubaqueen)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2011, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/torchwood-comes-to-america-is-this-a-good-thing-i-ask-myself/567180/15 "2011-01-11T19:21:53Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > A misattributed quote. But I’ll write a screenplay of one for you, if you like. lmao! no enuff coffee yet when i saw the message, i guess. a sincere mea culpa to **wotnot**. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2011, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/torchwood-comes-to-america-is-this-a-good-thing-i-ask-myself/567180/16 "2011-01-12T06:18:27Z")
I was really juiced when I saw that Bill Pullman had been cast. He’ll do a hell of a job. Mekhi Phifer is solid (although his character’s name is Rex, which I just don’t like as a name, so he’ll have to work harder to make me like him). I can’t say I’m impressed with the casting of Alexa Havins – seems like a bit of a lightweight – but I suppose that she deserves the chance to impress.