Because of the unique way the BBC is funded...

[tencrush]

So, Julie Gardener has CONFIRMED that Torchwood S3 will be a 5-episode one week mini-series type event. Of course, this is all about money, pure and simple, and that's really a shame, because unlike Who, I don't think TW has enough casual fans (hardcore, yes, casual, no) in the UK to survive that kind of cutback. Unless S4 follows VERY SWIFTLY on the heels of this event, I doubt it'll get made.

God, I bet BBC America are SO FUCKING PISSED OFF right about now.

Comments

[mellacita.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I'm a tad concerned about this "television event." I hope Gareth is going on some auditions and getting his resume out there...

[kurthummel.livejournal.com]

Fuck. This sucks. So hard.

[astaria51.livejournal.com]

WHAA-T?

...that's totally ridiculous.

Dammit.

[bandgeek01.livejournal.com]

Being from the US, I've heard that BBCA is beyond fucking pissed. But I don't know much more than that.

It totally sucks for us, because I have that hesitation, that being American we may not get it because it is a 5 episode thing. Though I know BBCA has aired a lot of series that have 8 episodes, but that's usually over 8 weeks.

Yes I agree, everyone needs to be GDL's agent and yeah he needs to start doing some work, like soon (well maybe after this 5 episode thingy is shot), then he can run like the wind and never look back.

Nicole

[kateorman.livejournal.com]

Do we know yet whether S3 will be screened on BBC 1? The show already rates very well, and that would surely be a step up in the ratings.

[cionaudha.livejournal.com]

It had best be the five most mindblowingly, toecurlingly orgasmic hours of television ever produced.

I mean it, Gardner.

I'd better come so hard after each hour that it takes the whole next day to recover. Do me so good --make me scream so loud-- that by the fifth hour I'm begging you to stop before I pop a vessel.

No pressure.

[love-jackianto.livejournal.com]

You have got to be kidding me D:

'God, I bet BBC America are SO FUCKING PISSED OFF right about now.'
I wonder if they'll even show it.

I guess the BBC has to do something considering their websites millions of dollars over budget.

[ceindreadh.livejournal.com]

That sucks unbelievably.

I know that there's issues like getting all the actors *cough*finding a space in JB's schedule*cough* but surely they could have made the effort.
I mean, 2009 we're only going to be getting a few DW specials instead of a full season, and now only 5 eps of Torchwood? That's just stupid.

[holdingoff.livejournal.com]

God, I bet BBC America are SO FUCKING PISSED OFF right about now.

I would bet on it. If the contract they sign is anything like the SciFi one, they prepaid X dollars for first-run broadcast rights for a certain number of seasons(series) not episodes. So for series 3, they are paying 3 times the price per episode for basically tv movie.

if BBC Wales is so strapped for cash, why didn't they open up a call for co-production? i know one production house *cough* made an offer and was ignored.

i agree, they better plan to be back in production on S4 in like March 09 and have S4 ready for Jan 2010 if they want to keep anything going.

[baby-werewolf.livejournal.com]

Casual fans are one problem, hardcore fans are a problem too - they can alienate the casual fans by not having enough episodes to keep them interested until 2010, and at the same time alienate some of the more hardcore fans who would otherwise have stuck with it and waited for S4, because quite a respectable fraction of the fandom seems to be of the opinion that the show is going to fuck up dealing with the lack of Tosh and Owen, and aren't expecting S3 to be great. And a five-episode mini-series may not be enough time for the producers to pull it out of the bag and convince people that hey, this is actually going to work out okay.

Huh

[rowanswhimsy.livejournal.com]

While I was taking a short break, fandom has gone BOOM!

This sounds like the beginning of the end. Now I understand why the latest photos of Gareth suggest that he has fallen in a vat of pie and can't get up.

Seriously, I'm very sad for two reasons. First, I'm very skeptical they can come back from this for a fourth series and second, I really doubt their ability to give me a satisfying storyline in a mini-series event. It's going to be all Jack/John/Gwen with poor Ianto getting to strike a pose here or there. I may need to pretend that the show ended with series 2. I've done a great job convincing myself that BtVS ended with season 5. Denial ain't just a river in Egypt.

[maxine-mirkwood.livejournal.com]

God, I bet BBC America are SO FUCKING PISSED OFF right about now.

Um... you do understand that BBC America is actually owned by the BBC, don't you? It says so right here (http://www.press.bbcamerica.com/press/corporateoverview.jsp) on their corporate webpage. So while there might be departmental noses out of joint, as far as BBCA is concerned it's just a decision made by TPTB and we all know how that goes...

What I do think is interesting about all this though, is that what Julie Gardner has done in spilling the beans to TV Guide is just such an incredibly huge, unimaginable no-no. The BBC has not spoken until the Holy Press Release has been issued. Period. And they have so far been silent on the matter...

I have to wonder if there isn't some sort of power-play going on between the DW/TW producers and the Beeb. Aunty is currently sulking because she didn't get the increased funding she wanted, so therefore budgets are being cut left and right and this is the rumoured reason for the short DW series in 2009. What if Gardner has deliberately breached BBC protocol in leaking this information in the hopes of stirring up some sort of a reaction that might the BBC to reconsider how much money they are allotting to Torchwood for 2009? Maybe she wants a fan out cry? Bad press? Or even to give BBCA a chance to protest about lost advertising revenue before it's a done deal...? (For all that the BBC is a publicly funded broadcasting service, significant revenue is raised by BBC Worldwide's more commercial enterprises, like merchandising, DVDs, CDs, books and yes, overseas TV sales.)

I think this is all a quite fascinating situation and I'm quite looking forward for the BBC's press office to make their contribution.