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Jun. 30th, 2009 08:07 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shapinglightFinally got around to watching the first of the final 12 episodes of BSG last night. At the end of the previous 12 (ie. the end of season 4 part 1 in the US/Canada), I said that just as you think things can't get any worse, BSG finds a lower place. And blimey if they haven't done it again! Great stuff, though I am very displeased with what happened to one of my favourite characters. :(
Behind cut, a short piece transcribed from the Radio Times article about next week's 5 part Torchwood: Children of Earth. Must say, this looks more and more like TW's swan song to me. No spoilers.
Julie Gardner says re: the decision to air the series over 5 consecutive nights : '"TW is very much more than a sci-fi show....but it has sci-fi elements (you think, Julie?) and it's exciting to take something that is often niche and look at how you make it accessible to as wide an audience as possible. That's partly about making it an event."'
'Hence airing Children of Earth across 5 nights - "event television", in TV-speak - following successful similar broadcasts for BBC1 crime dramas Five Days and Criminal Justice. Which might feel like a step-up depending on your viewpoint. "I'm gong to get a little political and I'll probably get in trouble for it," says John Barrowman, "but...we were the most successful show on BBC3, ever (averaging 1.3 million a week; the opener drew 2.4 million). We moved to BBC2 because the ratings were so good; the ratings were great again (averaging 3.1 million) and we were beating shows that had been on BBC2 for a long time. The decision was made to go to BBC1 - and then we were cut. From 13 episodes down to 5. The 5 episodes, the miniseries, as I call it, are incredible - I have no doubt about that - but personally I felt like we were being punished. Other shows move from BBC3, and 2 to 1, and they don't get cut. So why are we? It felt like every time we moved we had to prove ourselves."
'Over to RTD: "Part of us thought, 'We could do another 13 episodes, we've learnt how to do that, and the second series was better than the first. But why not change it? I know if this was America, they'd try to keep it going for seven years, doing the same thing every week. And BBC America, who show TW, are furious that we've changed the format. But they're not our paymasters. It's the British audience we make these for. And I don't think audiences are remotely lost by a change in format."'
So there you have it, from the man himself. We're getting cut down TW because we, the British audience, are so sophisticated we can cope with change, unlike those stupid Americans (that was in sarcastic font, in case anyone doesn't realise). Personally, I don't believe a word of it.
Otherwise, the TV trailers are great. I'm looking forward to it, and am not nearly so anti-Jack/Ianto as I was because GDL is such a sweetie. Still wish there was room for Captain John, but it's plain there isn't this time (which, sadly, may be the last time).
And in better news, the week after next, the lovely Mitchell from Being Human is back on telly as Dante Gabriel Rossetti, with scary sideburns!
Behind cut, a short piece transcribed from the Radio Times article about next week's 5 part Torchwood: Children of Earth. Must say, this looks more and more like TW's swan song to me. No spoilers.
Julie Gardner says re: the decision to air the series over 5 consecutive nights : '"TW is very much more than a sci-fi show....but it has sci-fi elements (you think, Julie?) and it's exciting to take something that is often niche and look at how you make it accessible to as wide an audience as possible. That's partly about making it an event."'
'Hence airing Children of Earth across 5 nights - "event television", in TV-speak - following successful similar broadcasts for BBC1 crime dramas Five Days and Criminal Justice. Which might feel like a step-up depending on your viewpoint. "I'm gong to get a little political and I'll probably get in trouble for it," says John Barrowman, "but...we were the most successful show on BBC3, ever (averaging 1.3 million a week; the opener drew 2.4 million). We moved to BBC2 because the ratings were so good; the ratings were great again (averaging 3.1 million) and we were beating shows that had been on BBC2 for a long time. The decision was made to go to BBC1 - and then we were cut. From 13 episodes down to 5. The 5 episodes, the miniseries, as I call it, are incredible - I have no doubt about that - but personally I felt like we were being punished. Other shows move from BBC3, and 2 to 1, and they don't get cut. So why are we? It felt like every time we moved we had to prove ourselves."
'Over to RTD: "Part of us thought, 'We could do another 13 episodes, we've learnt how to do that, and the second series was better than the first. But why not change it? I know if this was America, they'd try to keep it going for seven years, doing the same thing every week. And BBC America, who show TW, are furious that we've changed the format. But they're not our paymasters. It's the British audience we make these for. And I don't think audiences are remotely lost by a change in format."'
So there you have it, from the man himself. We're getting cut down TW because we, the British audience, are so sophisticated we can cope with change, unlike those stupid Americans (that was in sarcastic font, in case anyone doesn't realise). Personally, I don't believe a word of it.
Otherwise, the TV trailers are great. I'm looking forward to it, and am not nearly so anti-Jack/Ianto as I was because GDL is such a sweetie. Still wish there was room for Captain John, but it's plain there isn't this time (which, sadly, may be the last time).
And in better news, the week after next, the lovely Mitchell from Being Human is back on telly as Dante Gabriel Rossetti, with scary sideburns!