If They Could Do It All Again...

[thepeachymonkey.livejournal.com]

Originally posted by thepeachymonkey at If They Could Do It All Again...

When I think about Torchwood, I often wonder if RTD & co. would have done things differently, had they known how very wrong they were about how fans would react to characters and events in the series. Because while it was a great show, and gave us wonderful characters that continue to capture our hearts and inspire us, there's no denying that some bad choices were made.

So, knowing what they do now, if TPTB had a chance to go back in time and do the series again, do you think they would have made any changes?

* Knowing what a beloved character Ianto would become, would they have spent more time developing his character? Would he have gotten more stories? Would Jack have cherished their relationship more? Would he have been allowed to live?

* Similar questions could be asked for Owen and Tosh. Also, would a true relationship be allowed to grow between them? It could have been a beautiful thing!

* Would less focus be put on Gwen? Would an effort have been made to make her more likable? She was the only character who never truly experienced hurt, hardship or loss. She was stubborn, and didn't see beyond her own tunnel vision. Yet she was the supposed "heart of Torchwood". We were given no reason to root for her or like her, and no real evidence of her supposed "heart". Making the show all about her was a mistake.

* Would Jack have grown a spine and not given in to Gwen so often? Would he have stopped dividing his attentions between Gwen and Ianto, and instead put them exclusively on Ianto, where they belonged? (It seems Jack didn't truly see how much he loved Ianto until after his death.)

* Would Jack have given more thought and consideration to how his actions affect those around him? (Especially Ianto)

Fan reaction to these issues has been pretty strong. I know that I certainly have strong feelings about them!

So what do you think? If they knew then what they know now, do you think they would have made these changes? Changes that would have surely made for a more satisfying show.

Comments

[tlen2.livejournal.com]

As for RTD I doubt it. This man seems so convinced that he knows everything and all his decissions are rigth and just audience is too stupid to cheerish it. Maybe when TPTB at BBC had forced him down and handed the show to someone else, preferable not Moffat since he seems more and more to go down the same path like RTD did (at least with Sherlock, I'm not watching DH anymore).

[thepeachymonkey.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately, it seems a lot of the shows I love have show runners with this mentality. (I won't even get into what they did to Tony on NCIS...)

And I agree that Moffat would be a terrible choice to take over. For all RTD's faults, his time running DW was my favorite. I had to stop watching about two seasons in after Moffat took over. It just played out like bad fan fiction.

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Don't even remind me of Sherlock's 3rd season! *shudders*

[thepeachymonkey.livejournal.com]

Personally, my aversion to Moffat has prevented me from even starting Sherlock.

[tlen2.livejournal.com]

Horrible, just horrible, rigth?

[holdingoff.livejournal.com]

It is unlikely the people in charge of BBC Drama at the time would change their actions. The main drive at BBC Wales then were RTD supporters and he could do no wrong. RTD has made several public statements that he really couldn't care less what the audience thinks about his writing- in fact, he's basically said that we should all be grateful he even considers writing for television.

Yeah, he's a dick.

You will notice that once the change in command at BBC went through, RTD no longer had any shows on. Then he moved to the States and basically insulted everyone. BBC and Starz let him create the abomination, but you will notice, there's not been another RTD show since?

Chris Chibnall and Steven Moffat are cut from the same BBC school of television- kill characters as "drama" rather rather than invest effort into development. It is a sad statement that if BBC approved Torchwood today, it would probably be a chav-tastic pile of excrement.

[thepeachymonkey.livejournal.com]

Wow...RTD sounds like a real douche nozzle. He has some nerve to show such disregard for his audience! We were the reason he had a career in the first place. I'm glad he's been failing recently. Sounds like he deserves it.

[tlen2.livejournal.com]

He did gay-themed Shows Cucumber and Banana last year, but I think it not really got much recognition at all.

[thepeachymonkey.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I'd never heard of them.

[sagrario martínez castro (from livejournal.com)]

This is the problem when the writers believe of themselves than they´re the best writers in the whole world (and they aren´t). I don´t see DW anymore too and Sherlock with reserves. About TW, no comment (No Ianto, no Torchwood).

[thepeachymonkey.livejournal.com]

Yes, it's terrible. They should respect their audience. They owe us their careers!

Exactly! That's why I don't count MD as a proper season of TW. Without Ianto, the show is dead to me!