Torchwood America

[SiHart]

News from today's Hollywood Reporter:

Fox developing U.S. version of 'Torchwood'
Original producing team on board to adapt U.K. series
By James Hibberd

Jan 19, 2010, 10:00 AM ET

"Torchwood"

Huge news for sci-fi fans: Fox is developing a stateside version of the U.K. hit series "Torchwood."

The project is from BBC Worldwide Prods., with original series creator Russell Davies writing the script.

A more straight-faced spinoff of "Doctor Who," "Torchwood" is about a covert group that investigates and fights alien activity. Two series aired domestically on BBC America as well as last year's well reviewed stand-alone miniseries, "Children of Earth," which broke all ratings records for the network.

Unlike U.S. adaptations that have gone awry, "Torchwood" fans can take comfort that the original producing team is on board. In addition to Davies, exec producers include Davies' producing partner Julie Gardner (former head of drama at BBC Wales for the show's first season) and Jane Tranter (another BBC vet, now exec vp programming and production at BBC Worldwide Prods. in the U.S.).

Also, some of the current cast -- most likely John Barrowman, who plays the immortal Capt. Jack Harkness -- might star if Fox orders "Torchwood" to pilot.

As for the new show's plot, the U.S. version will contain a global story line compared to the more localized sensibility of the first two BBC seasons.

Si xx

[Andrew Curnow]

Hmm... does that spell the end for the UK version then? Russell seemed to be behind a series 4 in various comments last year, but now he's doing the US version, plus Barrowman's in it too...

It strikes me as an odd decision careerwise too - RTD's surely got more than one trick up his sleeve, but he's in danger of making himself just 'the Doctor Who man' I think, by his brand new start in the US being... well, being more of the same.

Surprising news anyway!

[WhiteCrowNZ]

Sounds like Dr Who the TV Movie and it's move to America all over again. So it'll be filming in Vancouver ... doubling up as Los Angeles? Where have I heard that one before.

I do think though they need to really up the game and deliver some better stories than they put out in Season One to have a chance.

Be interesting to see what they do with Captain Jack, I can imagine the TV Exec talking to RTD now, "Look we know he's bisexual and all, but we feel we'd like to play more on his straight side of his bisexuality. It'll still be there. But we won't mention it."

[Philipnet]

OMG it's Fox!

It will be awful and get cancelled after the first season.

[Llordllama]

I feel in my waters this'll be Red Dwarf USA all over again. And just as gritty.

[WhiteCrowNZ]

But the good news it is might get John Barrowman off the BBC and his endless Kids Say They'll Do Anything To Solve A Problem For Lloyd Webber!

[Perry Vale]

It could run alongside a UK version, being set in a Torchwood HQ in America, with Barrowman not needing to be in all of it....

They could get in Colm Meaney, and then replace him with Harvey Keitel.

[Si Hunt]

Sounds like Dr Who the TV Movie and it's move to America all over again.

This seems to be the (to me, surprising) consensus - but don't you think Torchwood has always seemed less, well, British than Doctor Who? It suddenly strikes me that Torchwood has ALWAYS seemed like an American show being made by British producers - sort of like the anti-TV Movie. Thus I reckon an American version will feel more natural than its UK incarnation - they'll probably do all the shoot-outs, gritty nightclub deaths and covert alien activity much better than they managed in Cardiff.

Si.

[Martin Penny]

I generally tend to find American drama (and TV in general) to be far superior to UK TV - so I think I might enjoy this, as long as Barrowman isn't it.

I find the UK version of Torchwood to be pretty awful, aside from a few episodes. I did think COE was fantastic though, and would be happy to see them continue on in that style, maybe with some of the new characters introduced as new team members.

[WhiteCrowNZ]

As long as they don't bring back Mr and Mrs Smith.

[Perry Vale]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8637901.stm

Plan to make a US version of the Doctor who spin-off Torchwood have been put on ice after TV network Fox pulled out.

In a statement, BBC Worldwide said both companies had "mutually agreed not to progress together with a 13-episode serialized Torchwood format".

However, the BBC said discussions with other networks were continuing and plans to get the show made for US audiences were still in the pipeline.

The sci-fi drama, starring John Barrowman, has been a hit in the UK.

The show, which follows a group of secret agents battling human and alien enemies, began life on BBC Three in 2006.

It proved so popular that it was moved to BBC Two - and attracted another ratings boost when a third series was shown on BBC One last year.

However, the last move resulted in the series being cut from 13 episodes to five - allowing a single continuing story to be stripped across a week of programmes.

At the time, Barrowman criticised the decision, saying he felt like the show was "being punished".

BBC Worldwide is the commercial arm of the BBC.

[WhiteCrowNZ]

Actually this was a ridiculous idea. Torchwood was set up by British monarch Queen Victoria to monitor and restrict alien activity throughout her Empire.

There's a little thing called the American War of Independence, which they keep reminding us of, where America decided to sever relations with the UK.

So how would a UK based operation set up in the US? It'd be considered a terrorist anti-American institution.