Torchwood

So, I finally got the chance to watch Torchwood on BBC America this afternoon. I'm not exactly sure what to make of it or sure how well received it'll go over with American audiences. I liked it, but then again, I've been accused of liking lots of tawdry, sleazy programs. I was anxious to view the science fiction "dramedy" since its more adult oriented than it's preceding parent show, Doctor Who.


The story involves a group of scientists working to stop aliens from invading the Earth in modern day 21st Century, Cardiff, UK. It stars John Barrowman as Captain Jack Harkness, a man from the 51st Century who cannot die and is openly bisexual. Barrowman, in real life, is openly gay. Torchwood's producer, Russell T. Davies, is also openly gay as well.

Torchwood is a spin off of the second series of Doctor Who. The name Torchwood itself is an anagram of its parent series. Torchwood was definitely more grittier than Doctor Who. BBC America left the unedited "shits" and "bollocks" (a word most Americans won't know means, unless you live here in PA Dutch Country in Central Pennsylvania, specifically Lebanon and Berks Counties) fly, which surprised me given those words are relatively verboten still in mainstream television. BBC America is known for editing its programming even to cater to American pureness, even though most have to pay extra on their cable package, at least with the mega cable media conglomerate Comcast, I have to pay extra.

Overall, I liked the first episode. I'm a loyal fan of Doctor Who. I've watched the show ever since I was a small child, watching episodes on WHYY-TV Channel 12, the PBS station, back in Philadelphia. I was glad when Sci-Fi Channel decided to pick up the newer series a few years back. I like Captain Jack's character and was disappointed he got left behind when Christopher Eccleston's Doctor regenerated into David Tennant's version of the Doctor (If you've never watched the program, I'm sure this all sounds incredibly geeky and confusing. Yes, it is).

We'll have to play a wait and see game though with Torchwood with the rest of America. It took a while for people to get acclimated to Footballers Wives. Now, Lifetime TV has gotten hip to the concept and has their own cheap imitation version named Army Wives or something to that affect.

I hope people will find Torchwood enjoyable. My earnest hope is BBC America doesn't edit the show to Hell either. Leave the questionable sexual content in! We're sensible enough to turn the channel if there's something we don't like.

Unlike Sci-Fi Channel, which edited out an on-screen kiss between the Doctor and Captain Jack, BBC America left the man-on-man kissing scene when one of the scientists goes to a bar, tries to take home another man's girlfriend, and is confronted by the boyfriend outside a local pub. I got a good chuckle...oh that must've made more than a few folks uncomfortable though.