JACK KNIFE

The third series of Torchwood, the Doctor Who spin-off, starts on BBC1 next week as the event miniseries Torchwood: Children of Earth. Five hour-long episodes – eight fewer than in the previous series, last year on BBC2 and before that on BBC3. Fans were stunned when this format choice was announced by the BBC, but as July 6th approaches with spoilers coming (http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/a162535/ten-torchwood-teasers.html), hopes are as high as impatience.

But John Barrowman, who stars in Torchwood as Captain Jack Harkness accuses the Beeb of "punishing" the show: « The five 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 » declares Barrowman to the Radio Times this week (http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/jun/30/doctor-who-torchwood-john-barrowman)

A BBC spokesman denied Torchwood was being "punished": « We wanted to create a powerful sense of event when the show came to BBC One and so talked with the show makers about a story that could run over five consecutive days » (http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/cult/a162764/barrowman-felt-punished-by-torchwood-cut.html). Bold move or lethal mistake? Is the miniseries format motivated by prestige programming or the realities of economics? Probably both but five episodes is not a shocking number in the UK for a television series, and sometimes shorter is better than the usual 22 practiced in the US (with half of the episodes useless). Torchwood: Children of Earth looks promising (http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/cult/a162087/how-good-is-the-new-torchwood-find-out.html) and the content of Torchwood seems less affected by matters external to the programme than Doctor Who and the contrived end of the RTD/David Tennant era.

« I'm going to get a little political and I'll probably get into trouble for it » says John Barrowman. Well, Captain Jack cannot die, can he?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxmOtaiDSys&feature=related

See also: http://tattard2.blogspot.com/2009/02/doctor-who-writers-tale-bbc-books_18.html