BLOGS
Torchwood
- Posted at 4:45pm
- 02 July 2009
- by AlisonGraham-RT
- 9 comments
Torchwood star John Barrowman is mightily miffed at the latest series's length and scheduling. In the new RT he claims the show is being "punished" for its increasing success. Torchwood started on BBC3, then went to BBC2 and next week all five episodes of the new series Children of Earth will be shown consecutively, Monday to Friday, at the peak time of 9:00pm on BBC1.
Barrowman's wider point is that this latest series is a mere five, rather than 13, episodes, and it's clear he doesn't like the changed back-to-back format. Of course, he's entitled to his anger as he's the show's star after all.
But talking as a viewer, I think he's wrong. I'm not a fan of Torchwood - not the show's fault, I don't like sci-fi, which I find preposterous. (Please, don't mention Battlestar Galactica. I said, don't mention it.) Yet despite my antipathy to the genre, I'm really quite excited by what amounts to a whopping TV "event".
Paying attention to an unfolding narrative five nights in a row is a lot to ask of viewers, but I'm game, and after all, we're not toddlers, are we, we have proper grown-up attention spans, don't we, dear readers?
Who knows, it could be fun. And it's like that old-fashioned sense of a TV community, where a lot of us watch the same thing at the same time and talk about it afterwards. You can't get that catching up with something on your computer days or weeks later when the magic has gone and everyone who watched it at the time can't be bothered to talk to you about it.
I love the power that TV still has to bring a lot of us together. I'm not a tennis fan, but even I dipped in and out of Andy Murray's epic match against Stanislas Wawrinka on Monday. BBC1's decision to clear its schedules, shifting EastEnders and Crimewatch to BBC2, was the right one, as it turned out: the match attracted 12 million viewers.
(And did anyone else think that Huw Edwards looked very unhappy when the much-delayed BBC 10 o'Clock News finally took to the air at 10:45pm? Maybe it was past his bedtime.)
The effect of scheduling dramas back-to-back is cumulative. Look at the recent, brilliant Occupation on BBC1. Its power grew over three nights, surely this would have been dissipated if we'd had to wait a week in between episodes.
This type of scheduling also works well with crime dramas (Five Days, Criminal Justice), allowing a build-up of tension and momentum that, again, might be lost in consecutive weekly instalments.
**
Alison Graham is TV editor of Radio Times - read her column in the latest issue of Radio Times magazine, on sale now.
Comments
- Posted on 17 July 2009
- at 7:58pm
- by loris
Sad that there weren't as many Torchwood episodes as in a full series, but loved Children of Earth. The back to back format worked for me - I don't think I could have waited a week between episodes!
- Posted on 11 July 2009
- at 8:15am
- by tanargue
The consecutive nights format for this series was very effective but it certainly looks like it is the end of Torchwood - no HQ left, staff killed off or runaway.farewell to Torchwood?
- Posted on 10 July 2009
- at 11:13pm
- by Gary
With the tragic loss of Beanto it was great that Gwenn got a chance to see Captain Harkness off inevitable I guess !!!!I supose Davyd is realy is only gay in the village now
- Posted on 10 July 2009
- at 9:18am
- by Claire
I am thoroughly enjoying the five-part Torchwood series and I agree that having it back-to-back makes it more exciting and compelling to watch. It reminds me of when ITV put on V back in the 1980s as a week-long drama - it stayed with me for a long time. Thanks BBC.
- Posted on 08 July 2009
- at 10:57am
- by barry white
TV today is not the all encompassing event it was when the "golden age" was. (2 years ago according to some) There are channels and channels of, well lets be kind a lot of dross out there to hold the attention. And it is the summer so there is the great outdoors as well to explore.
But is the point that programs are there to entertain in any way or to inform. We might not agree with what is shown, but then we chat about it all or write in this case. The point is that programs are still being made to do that and if differing points of view arise then all the better.
And I am still annoyed I bought the DVD's of the Wire before the BBC put them on.
- Posted on 06 July 2009
- at 10:33pm
- by John
How can you have a critic who dismisses an entire genre? Can you imagine Roger Ebert dismissing every period drama just because he found Victorian England boring?
- Posted on 06 July 2009
- at 8:05pm
- by Alex
I have to disagree Stephen - I love the scheduling of the Wire! I record every episode, then watch them when it suits. Its perfect - the TV equivalent of DVD boxsets. So, please can I be the first person to tell you I love the format!
- Posted on 06 July 2009
- at 2:03pm
- by stephen
Its just such a shame that the wire(my favourite series of all time) is being played back to back series after series. I have yet to hear of one person who has watched this program in this format.
- Posted on 03 July 2009
- at 10:33pm
- by Phil
At least the schedulers weren't daft enough to put it on in Wimbledon week as they did with 'Criminal Justice' last year. I tried to record the first episode but only got the first half hour as it was delayed by a tennis match. I still have not seen it to this day.
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