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antigwenallies Jul. 29th, 2011 11:15 pm)
dr-doomsduck.livejournal.com posting in antigwenallies Jul. 29th, 2011 11:15 pm)Sooo, about those spectacular ratings and how much the fans love/hate Torchwood? It doesn't really matter apparently.
Starz CEO Chris Albrecht told EW.com that it’s popularity will not guarantee it an annual place on it’s viewing schedules.
Starz CEO Chris Albrecht told EW.com that it’s popularity will not guarantee it an annual place on it’s viewing schedules.
He later added that much of the show’s future is dependant on writer and showrunner Russell T Davies and whether he can come up with the goods in relations to Captain Jack Harkness again..
Albrecht said:
“Torchwood is not one of the show we went into thinking about a yearly return.”
he added:
It’s about Russell T Davies … he has a lot of things on his plate. If Torchwood is at the top of his list, that will effect the future of Torchwood.”
So help me God, The future of Torchwood lies in the hands of RTD's commitment. This should be interesting. Also, what does coming up with the goods in relations to Captain Jack Harkness again mean?
Source: http://primetime.unrealitytv.co.uk/starz-reveal-torchwood-may-not-be-back-ion-2012/
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Maybe that Starz has heard Rusty say he's off to do other new projects in Hollywood as well as that he's got one more story left, about Gwen...and Starz bought MD based on Jack and not Gwen?
Seriously, I'd think that Starz isn't thrilled with the number of ongoing negative reviews/comments or with their viewing numbers.
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He's been allowed to make a pilot for Channel 4 (after swearing to never work with them again) and if that shit tanks, I'm guessing Torchwood will get another chance. If not, say bye bye to Torturewood.
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So, for now, Torchwood is depending on RTD making much more effort then he's used to. This was basically a last warning for him and a first one for the viewers; that they shouldn't expect to see Torchwood back again. Now that RTD has a foot in the USA, has used his last moneycow (SJA are done, DW isn't his anymore, QAF is long history) to get there, why should he bother is with it anymore? he can move on to the next big thing.
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Forgot to add: being an (apparently self-hating) gay man doesn't mean you can write gay men convincingly. I'm a middle-aged female and straight like a board, but my vampire stories brought me a considerable readership among gay men quite a few years back, who liked what I was doing, and one of them kept writing me for years afterwards. So, let's face it, it's not about sexual orientation, it's about talent and devotion to the story - lacking that, you produce crap, no matter which side of the street you're walking.
Sorry for the shameless self-promotion. I just wanted to make a point here.
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well, he could've called it pickle...
Yeah, it's a lame uninspired title, Queer as folk was much more original and had a historical background to it, but I can't possibly see how you could go deeper with Cucumber other than the obvious phallic euphemism. Maybe the characters will grow cucumbers for a living, or sell them...but other than that?
being an (apparently self-hating) gay man doesn't mean you can write gay men convincingly.
oh emh, if CoE wasn't enough example of thát, you can always look at other examples. Joss whedon has a habit of writing strong independent women who love men (most of em, Willow being the exception, but if a straight man can write about a gay woman)...while being a straight man himself, it means nothing. In the end it's like you said, all about talent, devotion and I'd like to add the ability to empathize with the characters.
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In the Renaissance cucumber were viewed as a symbol of sin because when the Israelites were losing faith while wandering in the wilderness, they yearned for the cucumbers they'd had in Egypt. The phallic shape of cucumbers made them the subject of sexual puns.
In Ukraine it has been known since the pre-Christian era, that the cucumber is a symbol of the preservation of life because of its ability to retain water.
Other symbolism for the cucumber are chastity, healing and fertility.
So symbol of sin, sexuality , preservation of life, chastity, healing and fertility. Somehow, I don't think this show will be about the preservation of life and healing. Which will basically just reduce pretty much everything to the phallic euphemism.
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It gives me a good idea what Cucumber will be like.
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QAF is the end of a quote form the north of England- "There's nowt so queer as folk" and has nothing to do with the connotations now given to the word "queer".
Queer just means peculiar.
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For the sake of the show, I HOPE they change it before it airs.
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He's a self service ass only interested in using a show to get to the next "big project".
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RTD has never, ever been able to write CJH, I hesitate to add CJH to that sentence, maybe I should just stop after write?
Of all the DW stories, those written by RTD were the weakest, worst written in the series- relying on weak, cheap plot lines with holes you could (and on one occasion did) drive a double decker bus through. I liked "Planet of the dead" best and he only co wrote that, so that is very telling. I do not honestly think I shall ever recover from "Tinkerbell/Jesus" at the end of Last of the Timelords, it was beyond ridiculous, and shoddy. This man does not care who he rips off, he will even steal from religious history.
Wish he would try messing around with a few Muslim myths- let's see how long he lasts then!!
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aghh not completely true, RTD wrote Utopia, Sound of Drums, Last of the Timelords, stolen earth, journey's end, Boom Town, Bad Wolf and The Parting of Ways, so he at least had some mixing with the Doctor Who Jack. But I agree with you that The Moffat started with the core of the character and that RTD just wishy washy went from there when he felt like it.
If anything, I think that Chris Chibnall deserves a mention, he was after all the one who wrote 8 episodes of the classic Torchwood, which had jack as THE main character unlike about 90% of those eps RTD wrote.
RTD has never, ever been able to write CJH, I hesitate to add CJH to that sentence, maybe I should just stop after write?
let's just stop after write and call it a day.
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No matter what Starz want - for RTD to clean his game with Jack, make him real leading hero or get rid of him - it can't be good. After all, we all know how RTD just LOVES Jack. Meaning - loves to torment him and make him the cause of everything bad that brave Gwen Super-Cooper then has to save the world from.
If Starz didn't like what RTD does with Jack they had plenty of opportunities to suggest to him to correct his course a bit during the work on MD. Why didn't they? It's strange, because first they let RTD destroy this character and now they want something else? WTF?
If they finally recognized that Gwen has not leading character potential - well, it's four series too late but better late than never. No talent, no looks, no charisma, all features of Mary Sue - what they thought earlier?
Me too at a loss about what they want exactly, but whatever it turns out to be - it won't be good for Jack or Torchwood.
In the end RTD probably will have the chance to make one more story about Gwen, just like he wanted.
But in reality so far I agree that Starz probably use this excuse because they are not thrilled with MD ratings and responses. Didn't this teach them to not base any hopes on RTD' ability to write or commit, because he hasn't any talent whatsoever?
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First take a fun series and concept that could just do a bit better with continuity of writing and scripts. Give it a couple of series to bed down, for viewers to actually like IT and the characters and then remove 40% of the team.
Next take out one of the three remaining charcters, the whole premise of the show (Rift, Hub, Wales etc...) and turn it into some kind of vaguely sci-fi political drama (actually, I liked the vague premise of CoE- It just ended up silly, with excuses to kill off Ianto and Stephen with little or no thought to how stupid the deaths were, and a pile of plot holes strung together. And boy, did it drag on with its 5 episode, one story format). And at the same time make sure that the character we all love to hate becomes the main focus of the show, whatever viewers thought about her.
Step 3- Don't listen to viewers. Instead, assume that the viewing figures for CoE reflected what people really thought of series 3, instead of properly analysing them. Summer TV, not much on the telly to compete, viewers started to watch and just HAD to complete the 5 hour fiasco because they'd started so 'had' to finish, move to a major channel bumped up the figures in the UK...
Step 4- Don't listen to any of the negativity surrounding CoE. Instead of rebuilding what you've destroyed just carry on whittling away at the major character (I know, I know- RTD never saw it that way, but the viewers DID. For them, Jack WAS the focus), transplant the remaining 2 team mates to the USA (not even-so far- any 'proper' ALIENS), whilst doggedly telling everyone that this is the 'best ever yet', despite public reaction (has anyone seen the letter in RT where a couple says this is the best 'comedy' they've seen on TV in years? PS EM was in last week's RT, too)...
Anyway, this is unfortunately where STARZ comes in- sold a turkey by a con man, hellbent on his own personal crusade to make Gwen/EM the darling of international TV when she'd be better suited to Emmerdale, and his own very personal vision of 'what people want'.
I'd say that STARZ have just realised that Rusty's vision isn't that great at all. Wouldn't it be good if they wrested TW from his grasp (or Rusty gave it up!) and they did what they wanted with it- I'm sure they could get a crack team of writers to restore it to its former (fun) 'glory'?
Incidentally I missed the last episode of MD, and, you know... I'm not really bothered. No effort to desperately iPlayer it (I'm sure I will when there's nothing to watch on TV, but no urgent need to catch up at all- not the sign of good TV in the least).
Pah.
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"I'd say that STARZ have just realised that Rusty's vision isn't that great at all. Wouldn't it be good if they wrested TW from his grasp (or Rusty gave it up!) and they did what they wanted with it- I'm sure they could get a crack team of writers to restore it to its former (fun) 'glory'?"
I don't think Starz is all that interested in continuing Torchwood, just like I think that the BBC wasn't all that interested in it after CoE. RTD can continue it if he puts in significantly more effort in it and makes it a hit (we all KNOW that he can't) but otherwise, well, Starz has plenty of new series queuing up and they are, at this point, more likely to succeed than Torchwood is.
Incidentally I missed the last episode of MD, and, you know... I'm not really bothered.
Oh shit, that's right, it's been friday...You know, these last three episodes I've been waiting anxiously for the spoilers to roll in, but now I've forgotten all about it nor do I feel the need to know where this is going....wow, to think that I would ever be this despondent towards Torchwood.
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It's almost like watching someone comitting suicide!
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I started to have a HUGE problem with EM (I shall try not to slip into bashing here, I promise, informed negative comment...) when she started to believe, as did Billie Piper, all the hype RTD had fed her. It must have been flattering, and easy to swallow. Although he is grotesque to look at, if you have ever watched tapes of the read throughs he can be charming and clever and very witty. THEN he started to believe the hype (that he was a genius) and then he started passing the hype on. BP believed him and Rose's popularity dropped through the floor and caused a war among DW fans. By the time he brought her back for the finale no-one could care less! EM obviously believed him as well and you can see the change in the person- she became pushy and on occasions quite obnoxious, too- rude even.
Yes, JB has had to have his foot extracted mechanically on more than one occasion- I have no doubt that both his sister and his partner have a mechanical foot extractor that they keep handy at all times, but I am afraid that JB just has a charisma and a charm that EM is never, ever going to have.
It is all very sad, she could have stayed, as could JB, within her comfort zone as an actor and never had to be outshone glaringly by almost everyone else on the screen. It was their choice, they were happy enough to dump the rest of the cast without a backwards look and head off to Hollywood. JB will be able to pick up a bit of his career here, when it folds, he was always frank about playing the success for all he could for as long as it lasted- he is no longer in the first flush of youth and he knows it. He will always have his looks his charm and his voice- I think he will age well.
What, exactly, will EM have?
She was a soap opera actress.
That is ALL she had done.
Does she think RTD will look after her?
Possibly she does.
I pity her, honestly, I really do.
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Oh, absolutely. He doesn't have as much to lose with TW as EM does, because his career is varied enough that something will continue to work out. And, as you said, he's got enough charisma to come up on top in the end. He's also quite a brilliant entertainer, so I'd say he'll always have the stage (music, theatre, panto, etc) at the very least. It would do EM well to remember she doesn't have as much to fall back on when TW tanks (given the reviews, I'd say it's only a matter of time) and should therefore be a bit more careful not to alienate potential fans.