Torchwood: Shit Title

[tencrush]

LOL Wayne Knight. Lol. I promised myself I wouldn't post about Torchwood: Shit Title ever again because I don't actually plan on watching it. I lie, I totally DO, guys, I can smell the stale stench of cancellation and despair and I think I probably wouldn't miss it for the world except for the bit where I HATE Barrowman and I don't much like Eve Myles and so there is very little pulling me in here, guys. The new names mean nothing to me and the SRS BSNS DRAMA aspect of it makes me think it'll be like Outcasts, but more depressing and uncomfortable to watch. What's up with that fucking show? Even the hot Torchwood Victorian lesbian from Being Human can't keep me watching that downer of a series. I'm hoping Daniel Meade will start a fashion magazine. God knows they need it, why does everyone in those futuristic sci-fi dramas always look like they need a bath? I liked my sci fi with crack and an embossed car and shit, man. God, I miss my show.

Thankfully, of course, they brought back PRIMEVAL just for me. But no Cutter and it's just not the same without his wooden presence. But, you know, pet dinosaurs. Alexander Siddig. Fuck me, when's Primeval back again? That was way too short a pleasure. I have no idea what happened but I looked at it every week and there were monsters and shiny anomalies and Alexander Siddig. It was kind of like watching DS9, I never had any idea what was going on there either and only ever looked up from my tea if it was an amusing Ferengi episode.

Oh, and when's Who on already? I need more Rory/Amy cosplay.

Comments

[fide-et-spe.livejournal.com]

Outcasts is dire so far. All that whispering exposition in corridors. Clearly no budget. Although it won't be any more expensive than Torchwood, they could have made that in Britain, no need to get some second rate cable company to pay for it.

The new names mean nothing to me either, although I do remember Newman, none of them are interesting enough to draw me in. I also have a strong feeling this is too American for BBC1. I can see they are filming the first episode in Wales to appear British, but the rest is LA and with an American cast. I know Outcast is filmed in South Africa, and there were two South African actors, but the rest are British, and because the location is supposed to be a planet (crap planet, no monsters or evil alien Overlords in sight. ) I think they can get away with that. I can't see it surviving on the BBC at all. With RTD leaving it, I would either agree with your cancellation prediction, or it gets relegated to a cable show, like Spartacus, which is shown somewhere, and has some well known actors, but maybe a few hundred thousand viewers, if that.

I really don't like this colon: shit title business. It's like The Bill or something, always seems a bit desperate to me.

[jo02]

I REALLY hope this is one of your predictions that will come true. There is nothing on Earth that will make me watch it in real time, but if it DOES get cancelled before it runs its full season, I will CHEERFULLY go back and watch the downloads of its downfall. If wanting it to fall in the most public way makes me a queen bitch I will gladly buy the t-shirt and wear it with pride.
.

[radiant-pip.livejournal.com]

I don't know...speaking as an American, it seems to have "hit" stamped all over it. (Although, the latest news that Wayne Knight is also appearing produced a major eye roll. I know he's not a big name actor, but he is recognizable, so seriously, what's with all of the stunt casting? I liked watching a show where I only occasionally recognized the actors. Now, it's feeling like Will & Grace...or Glee. It sounds like they're not that known across the pond, though, so hopefully they'll be fresh faces to you!)

I find myself supremely grateful for the return of Primeval. Let it never get delusions of grandeur like some other show that used to entertain. I'm still pulling for a Myfanwy crossover event.

("Torchwood: Shit Title" indeed. LOL)

[forgiveninasong.livejournal.com]

"I'm hoping Daniel Meade will start a fashion magazine."

Most hilarious thing I have read in a long time!

[wounded-melody.livejournal.com]

But as an American too, are you really going to pay for Starz just to watch it? Most of the actors on there haven't worked in a long while, so why it may seem they got "big" names, it's more like former big names who need money. I can't see it being renewed for another season.

[radiant-pip.livejournal.com]

Well, I have Starz as part of my cable package, so I won't be paying extra for it (and Starz is often included with cable deals). Starz already has a significant amount of subscribers; they're happy with their Spartacus viewership. Yes, they want to increase their subscriptions, but Torchwood has an established pattern of ratings in America, so they at least have an idea of what it should pull in. IMO it's poised to be major event television (especially if they're airing it in the summertime); it would have to fail magnificently for it not to get renewed. It doesn't have to perform as well as a network show. I really don't think they could've asked for a better situation (except maybe HBO or Showtime, but Starz is a younger channel and more willing to take risks on such fare IMO).

I could be very wrong...

[coldwater1010.livejournal.com]

All the spoilers make it sound like something I wouldn't be interested in watching so it'll probably be a hit. If I liked it it would be doomed. I have the gift.

[wounded-melody.livejournal.com]

I had to pay extra when I wanted Starz. I know a lot of people with cable who also do not get Starz.
I understand they don't have to pull in super ratings on cable, but didn't Starz cancel a bunch of their shows recently?
And as for summertime, I find that in July and August I am less likely to be watching TV; winter is when I usually watch the most.

[radiant-pip.livejournal.com]

Well, yeah, people have to pay for Starz. But they had to pay extra for BBC America, too, since it's usually in an upper tier of cable channels. So, I don't see much of a difference there. (I've seen just as many people on the Internet say they won't pay for Starz just for Torchwood as I've seen say they will pick up Starz when Torchwood comes out.) Plus, if it's handled like other Starz programming, Torchwood will be available through Netflix; that would probably factor into renewal as well.

Yes, Starz canceled a few extremely underperforming shows (unfortunately, Party Down being one of them), but if Torchwood does as well as Spartacus or better (which pulls in 1+ million viewers as opposed to thousands like with the canceled shows), then they have nothing to worry about. You may not watch in summertime, but cable channels like USA and AMC get millions of viewers for their summer series. Fall/winter provides too much competition, IMO (all of network television and some cable channels).

Again, it's just my opinion, but Torchwood has a strong following in America, it has the media's attention, it has enough talent in front of the cameras as well as behind to maybe actually turn into something decent...and, quite frankly, the bar is low enough that it would be easy to claim "SUCCESS!". Unless the budget is crazy excessive (like with Carnivale) or the Starz viewers just don't warm to "sci-fi" and the critics pan it, they could probably easily justify renewing it--at least for one season. We'll see. I know they have a bigger budget than they're used to, but I don't know if it's all that unruly by American TV standards.

[radiant-pip.livejournal.com]

That said, NOTHING I've heard about Torchwood: ST interests me except for Bill Pullman. So, again, I'd love to be wrong, but I think Torchwood has the potential to be 2011's The Walking Dead.

[tencrush]

I'm not exactly rooting for its demise, I really can't bring myuself to care that much, but from what I've read about it, it sounds awful, and I'm saying that in the most objective way I can, it really does sound like an absolute feast of awfulness the more I hear about it. I say I'll probably watch it, because everything I've heard put together makes me think it could be awful on a Bonekickers level, i.e. awsomely awful.

[tencrush]

The things I've heard about it, I think it's about a 40-60 split between it being a massive hit and it being the hugest flop in televisual history. If I had to bet money, I'd go with the flop, but I wouldn't be hugely surprised if it was a hit.

[tencrush]

The foreshadowing and exposition in Outcasts should win subtlety awards of some sort, if they gave those out.

The title is the most awful thing about Torchwood: Miracle Gro and the title alone is what I'm basing a lot of my suppositions on regarding its potential for hilarious failure.

[fide-et-spe.livejournal.com]

I love Miracle Gro. I think it may go the way of Shitkickers and Survivors, and now Outcasts, whose ratings have already gone down the toilet. Thing is, it could well carry on in the US on the cable channel, but for BBC 1 you actually need a lot of viewing public, more than you would on channel 4 or any of the other BBC channels. So if it does carry on, then I suspect relegation to a minor channel.

In fact, RTD leaving, and the hype about all the guest stars, plus the hype that it will carry on for years and years makes me think it's only meant as a one off. RTD just needed a foot in for his green card. Not that I would ever feel cynical about these things.

[fide-et-spe.livejournal.com]

I see you are hoping for some schadenfreude. I admit I will enjoy the schadenfreude as well, but purely because of the way RTD has behaved. Also on behalf of all the Welsh actors and technical people who could have had work if it hadn't been sacrificed in the service of RTD's Hollywood dreams.

[wounded-melody.livejournal.com]

Schadenfreude has become a good friend to me and my little black heart. *When* this disaster fails, I will organize an internet watch along with chat and plenty of good booze.

[jo02]

I don't know if you have seen this, um, piece -
http://www.ology.com/screen/torchwoods-eve-myles-spoils-us

[tencrush]

Wow, that was a non-article if ever I read one. I think they might be ramping up the hype just a tad too far. Having said that, that cropped picture of Barrowman and Myles at the top is lollarious.