Torchwood (1.03)

First the review from The Sunday Times (because it made me very happy):

The first thing to say about Torchwood (Sunday, BBC3) is that the Daleks must be furious. They have plodded away as a support act to Doctor Who for years, building up a following, but without even a whiff of their own series. Then along comes Captain Jack Harkness, with his twinkly eye and winning smile, and, after just one appearance, he gets his own show. Honestly, love, it makes you want to chuck it all in and advertise Smash.

A lot of people in television say that comedy is the most difficult thing to get right, but I’d say it was science fiction. And the most difficult thing in science fiction is to stop it becoming comedy. ( Cut for spoilers )

Captain Harkness and his Torchwood team — two other men and two women — are Cardiff’s answer to Mulder and Scully of The X Files( Another spoiler )

Whenever aliens arrive in Cardiff, which appears to be some sort of intergalactic check-in desk, bold Captain Harkness is on hand with a series of entertaining gadgets to get rid of them. It not only has a touch of The X Files, but was inspired by Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel. The team even get to their underground headquarters through the back of the shop: just like they did in The Man from Uncle.

You can certainly see the American influence at work. Torchwood has that glossy feeling about it that we don’t normally associate with British television, which associates “glossy” with “shallow”. Pretty much everywhere it visits is shiny and modern and easy on the eye. In between scenes, it cuts to aerial shots of Cardiff. With the sun glinting off the water of Cardiff bay, you’d almost think you’d switched over to Miami Vice by mistake.

( Just a few of my own thoughts about 1.3 )

Also, a very nice and thoughtful little ficlet here: Hands.
ETA: vampirefever wrote Spike/Capt. Jack crossover fic! :D

Torchwood (1.03)

First the review from The Sunday Times (because it made me very happy):

The first thing to say about Torchwood (Sunday, BBC3) is that the Daleks must be furious. They have plodded away as a support act to Doctor Who for years, building up a following, but without even a whiff of their own series. Then along comes Captain Jack Harkness, with his twinkly eye and winning smile, and, after just one appearance, he gets his own show. Honestly, love, it makes you want to chuck it all in and advertise Smash.

A lot of people in television say that comedy is the most difficult thing to get right, but I’d say it was science fiction. And the most difficult thing in science fiction is to stop it becoming comedy. ( Cut for spoilers )

Captain Harkness and his Torchwood team — two other men and two women — are Cardiff’s answer to Mulder and Scully of The X Files( Another spoiler )

Whenever aliens arrive in Cardiff, which appears to be some sort of intergalactic check-in desk, bold Captain Harkness is on hand with a series of entertaining gadgets to get rid of them. It not only has a touch of The X Files, but was inspired by Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel. The team even get to their underground headquarters through the back of the shop: just like they did in The Man from Uncle.

You can certainly see the American influence at work. Torchwood has that glossy feeling about it that we don’t normally associate with British television, which associates “glossy” with “shallow”. Pretty much everywhere it visits is shiny and modern and easy on the eye. In between scenes, it cuts to aerial shots of Cardiff. With the sun glinting off the water of Cardiff bay, you’d almost think you’d switched over to Miami Vice by mistake.

( Just a few of my own thoughts about 1.3 )

Also, a very nice and thoughtful little ficlet here: Hands.
ETA: vampirefever wrote Spike/Capt. Jack crossover fic! :D