The BBC Torchwood Twitter account has announced that the current composer for Doctor Who, Murray Gold, will be returning to the series to compose music for Torchwood: Miracle Day.
The announcement was made via Twitter at 9:41pm BST on 31st March:
THIS JUST IN: The 'Doctor Who' veteran Murray Gold will be composing Torchwood: Miracle Day. BRILLIANT.
Gold co-wrote music with Ben Foster for the first two series of Torchwood with the music being performed by the National Orchestra of Wales. He has also composed music for the computer-animated film, Hoodwinked Too! Hood VS. Evil which is due for release on April 29, 2011.
A quieter fortnight in terms of news filtering out from the ongoing production of Miracle Day - at this point, principle photography was taking place on episode five, with production meetings taking place for episodes seven and eight. However, public announcements over the course of the two weeks more than made up for quieter set reporting!
Last week saw the first official poster released by Starz for Miracle Day, announcing the launch date in the United States for Friday 8th July 2011, with a press release indicating the time as 10pm ET/PT. The United Kingdom broadcast date is yet to be confirmed, but is widely expected to be close to the the same date.
However, publicity photos have yet to be released for the series, though shoots for these took place in Swansea (28th January) and in Los Angeles (5th March). It seems likely that the publicity engine will kick into full gear at the MIPTV Media Market in Cannes on Monday 4th April; as previously reported, the show is one of several being showcased at the event, with principle stars John Barrowman and Bill Pullman there to help with promotion, alongside executive producer Julie Gardner.
The press release for this event also indicates that the series will consist of ten 50 minute episodes.
Another name associated with the new series is Olivia Hallinan; listed on IMDB as playing "Emma / Kate Dysart", the actress has appeared in Torchwood before in the Series One episode Out of Time, where she played Emma-Louise Cowell, the only time traveller from that story to continue her life in the present day. However, there has been no official confirmation of the actress's casting, or if "Emma" is indeed the same character.
Production-wise, the BBC Production Office reported that special effects and makeup supervisor Greg Nicotero had joined the production team; previous television projects include The Walking Dead, The Pacific and Deadwood, and films like Predators, Surrogates, Sin City and Kill Bill Vols 1+2.
Times cited within reports below are in Los Angeles local time.
Monday 14th March
Back to the beach! The production returned to Venice Beach for further filming during the day, this time along Westminster Avenue; scenes involved John Barrowman, Mekhi Phifer and Alexa Havins, with action including Rex being taken away in the back of an ambulance.
Jeremy Burleson was visiting the beach that day and saw some of the activity, even ending up in the background for a shot!
14:56 At this movie shoot on Venice Beach!!!!!!!! Wow 14:57 Literally at a Movie shoot right now. 15:01 They bout to start filmin. 15:11 Mann!! We get to be In the Background of this movie.. 15:16 Torch 1.. 16:31 Naww its a Tv Show 17:16 haha naww it was some white actors.. We was in the background tho 21:21 I still can't believe we got to be in the Background of this TV show they was filming in LA today.
At this TV shoot in Los Angeles (via TwitVid) (note: some browsers may need to right-click, "reload frame" to see video)
Other filming-related tweets include:
14:11 CF Walking down Venice and ran into the #Torchwood team filming a scene there! So random and cool :) 15:18 SBA I just went to get coffee on westminster in venicebeach venice beach #losangeles and walking into the torchwood Scifi set filming today lol 16:55 BBC We're having our first spotting session for Episode #1 RIGHT NOW! While the crew films at the beach. Here's to great Mondays. 17:09 AS Life's a beach. http://twitpic.com/49kgv3
Photos from the shoot were also published of the cast members by the Visual Press Agency, and may be seen via Padabee.
Tuesday 15th March - Friday 18th March
Documentation reported that filming would be taking place at Angels Gate Park at San Pedro for the rest of the week, though little was to be heard of the crew whilst there, Kai Owen also indicated further work at Venice Beach on Wednesday, though of course he could just have visited as a tourist!
Jane Espensonrevealed on Tuesday that Brad Bell, aka "Cheeks", would be guesting on the show; an artist who experiments in the world of music, art and the media, he has become a popular icon on the Internet. This will be one of his first television roles.
On Wednesday the BBC Production Officereported that Greg Nicotero was on board to build an alien for the show - the first indication that there is more to the mysterious 'immortality' that pervades the 'Miracle Day' than meets the eye!
Tweets over the next couple of days:
15 18:17 KO Beautiful LA evening off out for a burger and beers with @natiejay. 16 10:32 WK Finished Shooting Torchwood in L.A. and its a buuuuzzz. I feel this is my best role since Nedry. Your in for a treat folks! watch this space 16 12:02 NS Working background on Torchwood today. But we talk about Doctor Who, not Torchwood. 16 16:03 AF Torchwood tomorrow! 17 01:03 AF Ah, but you shall not see me for I be but a stand-in. :) 16 18:50 KO Been down Venice Beach today! Crazy place. 16 20:11 ST Crazy busy day Started on location two hours away Raced back to WB for fitting with JB,new ep to break down, budget meetings I <3 my job :-) 16 20:13 ST Late call tomorrow so I get to drive my kids to school. Bonus :-) 16 20:52 BBC Looks like tomorrow is the start of our late night shooting. Team Torchwood, nocturnal entertainment like you've never seen before...
Back in Week Five, Shawna Trpcic posted this photo via Twitpic of a 'mystery man' posing alongside herself and John Barrowman. Filming on the day (11th February) had revolved around a bar, with the storyline reported of Jack picking up a barman for the evening. The man of mystery has now been revealed as actor Dillon Casey, who talked about his experiences with Torchwood and John Barrowman in his blogging video:
Living in LA With Dillon Casey! Episode 7: Gay Day! (via Funny or Die)
As reported above, night shoots were on the way, with schedules indicating long production days of 09:00-04:00 (17th) and 09:00-05:00 (18th), the final evening this week assuming its usual 'Fraturday' designation!
17 21:45 ST Moulin rouge inspiration 17 22:48 ST A visiting DP asked us to cover red soles of shoes huh... Any one know why NOT! 17 23:25 JE Production meeting in the morning. So it's time to put what's left of the pies back in the fridge and close my eyes. Z! 18 09:43 ST Concept meeting with @JaneEspenson and the dept heads for episode 8. This show is amazing!! 18 12:01 AS Tree trimming outside my hotel room at 8am (on the morning I get to sleep in) makes me not a very happy camper. Happy Friday!
After late nights, it's early calls for next week!
19 07:37 ST Monday call for 3 of my crew is 4:30am @ location 2 hours away rest of us in at 6:42am we r shooting in rain possibly laced w/ radiation :-/ 19 07:37 ST Love my job though. :-)
Monday 21st March
Monday saw filming return (according to schedules) to Angels Gate Park, with Brad Bell filming his first scene and rumours of Greg Nicotero's creation being on set too!
"Arriving at location. So pretty!" - Jane Espenson, via Twitpic
06:08 BB Long drive. Rain. Aliens. 06:28 JE Arriving at location. So pretty! 06:41 JE Luckily, California is not playing the role of Wales today. 07:47 JE Rumors of more rain on the way. But right now, #torchwood set is dry and dramatic. And cheeky. 09:07 JE Torchwood shooting going so well. Ep 5 hits hard. 10:06 JE Pouring rain can't dampen our torchthusiasm! 10:39 AS Omfg... Seriously, miserable does not begin to describe this. 11:08 BB The set is incredible! ...and drenched. Shot my scene with @Mekhi_Phifer. Awesomely nice dude. Chatting w/ Alexa Havins. Trying to stay dry. 11:13 BB You're gonna DIE for the new season! It's unreal! So excited for the fans & as a fan, I'm quite excited to see it myself! 11:26 BB Already asked what I could share. "The fans are gonna wanna know!" Answer: Top Secret. Gotta wait til summer... 13:06 ST Wow @JaneEspenson LOVE!! The rewrites on episode 7. Really really love it. Wow. Powerful stuff! 13:12 JE Thank you much @Trpcic ! The last polish was the work of RTD, and it put the frosting on it. I'm so proud of it!
Tuesday 22nd March
Tuesday was another quiet day, believed again to be the park; meanwhile, plans for the next photoshoot for Captain Jack were also unveiled ...
10:29 KO Just been for a run around the park. Great way to start the day. 16:43 BBC We can't say who yet but we're prepping for some serious publicity for tomorrow's shoot. We're finally all back on the lot! 18:07 JE We are sharing the writing credit on episode ten. It's still very much his baby-- he'll do all the final writing on it. 18:10 ST One crew working 5am to 5pm one crew working 3pm to 3am. And a promo shoot with Captain Jack headed for a TV near you. Busy costume dept :-)
Wednesday 23rd March
Today it was reported that filming would be taking place at the Alexandria Hotel, though the famous iconic site may have been used for the Captain Jack promotional shoot mentioned on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Jane Espenson further elaborated on Russell T Davies's importance to the show:
12:46 Torchwood does not require prepping with Doctor Who. 13:37 Jane Espenson: It's Russell's show. I'm just riding on top and enjoying the breeze! 14:14 Worry not. Original producers with hands firmly on wheel. Feels like same show.
And of course, todsy was when Starz unveiled the launch date for Miracle Day for the United States - 107 days and counting!
Back to the backlot it seems, and at least Kai Owensounded happy: "On set today with some fine WELSH talent."
Meanwhile, production meetings continued apace:
13:35 BBC Production meeting for Episode 7 happening upstairs! @JaneEspenson it sounds fun up there what's happening?? 13:54 JE @BBC_Torchwood it IS fun! Ironing out all the production details for eps 7 and 8. 14:16 BBC A look inside our production meeting! #Torchwood. Going to set, will report with more news soon.
Plenty of faces to recognise around that table!
Onto Friday, and two views from Torchwoodland, courtesy of Shawna Trpcic:
View outside torchwood offices misty California morning. Photo: Shawna Trpcic, via Twitpic
Sunset near the Torchwood set. Photo: Shawna Trpcic, via Twitpic
08:08 All TW offices are in "houses" that are used on lot as sets. 14:06 Wow running like wild today, 2 units costumes in every one. Background as well as actors all new. My cutter/fitter is going crazy Sew sew sew 21:18 1st and 2nd units still shooting. Been here since 6:30 I'm starting to drag :-) waiting to move on to next big scene to establish new looks 00:18 JB is awesome!! 00:21 Still going @Team_Barrowman just encouraged the crew got applause
Key to initials: AF - Allyson Floyd (stand-in); AS - Alana Stone (fashion designer); BB - Brad Bell; BBC - BBC Torchwood (production office); CF - Chrissie Fit; JE - Jane Espenson (writer); KO - Kai Owen (Rhys); NS - Nick Salter; SBA - SB Arts TV; ST - Shawna Trpcic (costume designer); WK - Wayne Knight
For Week 12, Cris D'Annunzioreported that he would have a guest role on the series. And Kai Owen has suggested that next week he'll be joined by his 'partner in crime', Tom Price:
18:55 @pricetom looking forward to seeing you on Wednesday mate.
And finally, to whet our appetites: "Monday morning beautiful sunny day. All is peaceful as we shoot and continue to prep biggest ep yet ..."
TV Tonight blog reports Torchwood: Miracle Day will be fast-tracked to Australia on UKTV Australia in early July, immediately following its global premiere on Starz.
Jana Bennett, the new President for BBC Worldwide Networks and Global iPlayer, said:
Torchwood: Miracle Day is a courageous and exciting piece of drama which will resonate with audiences all over the world. I’m genuinely delighted that Torchwood will add to UKTV’s compelling selection of first-run drama in 2011.
Julie Dowding, Sales Director for BBC Worldwide Australia, added:
Torchwood: Miracle Day is set to be one of the most exciting dramas we’ve brought to Australia this year. UKTV audiences and Torchwood fans alike are in for a huge treat with this latest chapter from Captain Jack and the team.
John Barrowman and Bill Pullman will be promoting the new series of Torchwood at the MIPTV Media Market in Cannes. The two stars will be joined by executive producer Julie Gardner to launch Torchwood: Miracle Day to buyers on Monday 4th April.
Steve Macallister, Managing Director of BBC Worldwide Sales & Distribution, commented:
We’re thrilled to have John Barrowman and Bill Pullman with us at MIPTV. The fact that Torchwood: Miracle Day is able to attract such a high-calibre, international cast reflects the quality of the production – so it’s sure to prove popular with buyers again, along with the rest of our exciting drama slate.
Wednesday, 23 March 2011 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Torchwood: Miracle Day co-producer Starz have released a poster confirming the USA premier for the show, revealing the date for when the series commences as Friday 8th July. The BBC has yet to confirm if it will also broadcast the first episode on the same evening.
It's week nine in the production of Torchwood, and the end of the second month of the shoot! However, there's still some three months of filming left to go so no time to wind down for the production team - as usual there was filming in progress by two or more units over the course of the week, both around Los Angeles (with scenes taking place at places like the beach and an old stadium) and on the Warner Bros studio backlot. Plus, a rather important birthday to celebrate ...
Cast highlighted this week included John Barrowman, Eve Myles, Mekhi Phifer, Ernie Hudson, Dichen Lachman and Alexa Havins - not to mention of course the silent majority of supporting actors, extras and stand-ins working on the production!
The BBC Production Office reported that this week would see filming commence on Jane Espenson's episode five. Two new directors were also revealed as working on the production, Gwyneth Horder-Payton and Guy Ferland. Horder-Payton's credits include Battlestar Galactica, Fringe, The Walking Dead, Sons of Anarchy and The Shield; Ferland has also directed for the latter three shows, with other credits including The Mentalist, Human Target - IMDB reports him as working on John Shiban's episode six of Torchwood: Miracle Day.
It was also reported elsewhere that John Wells is one of the producers for Torchwood; his credits include Southland, Shameless, E.R. and The West Wing.
Times cited within reports below are in Los Angeles local time, except where indicated
Monday
Torchwood hits the beach! It was one of those rare occasions when the production was in an open place, with members of the public appearing in the background if they so wished (as long as they agreed to the conditions laid out on the notices!).
Eve Myles and Mekhi Phifer were on location today, with filming taking place by the DogTown skate park on Venice Beach. Tweets from Dichen Lachman suggested she was enjoying the beach, too!
16:00 AF After thinking it was going to rain all weekend, the sun today feels SO good. :) 11:03 AF Hard at work! http://t.co/yTJcP8P 11:08 AF http://t.co/LVMiLg7 11:18 MP shooting on venice beach right now... was supposed to rain but we been blessed with sunshine. 11:45 AF The sun is warm and lovely, but wind is a bit chilly. :) 14:53 AF GAH! Sandstorm! O_O 14:55 AF Pre-sandstorm! http://t.co/fgdTHQB 17:52 AS Cold, sun and wind burnt. Still its so beautiful. Yay for the beach. 18:37 AF I miraculously managed to get thru it without any kamikaze grains going for my contact lenses! :D 18:47 AF I think this is my favorite photo I took of Venice Beach while down at the #Torchwood shoot today. ALIEN SEAGULLS! :-) http://t.co/sxZMt3r
Paul Sauser was also on hand to see some of the action at the skate park, including Eve Myles apparently being filmed as Gwen on her mobile. Additional photos of her were published by Caught on Set.
After such a public location on Monday, the production disappeared into relative obscurity once more. However, it was possible to infer that one of the units was present at the Inglewood Forum based on snatches of conversation on Twitter:
07 20:48 CS Working a show for Starz called Torchwood tomorrow in Inglewood. I just Google searched it... seems very intriguing *scratches fake goatee* 08 18:01 CS I just shook Lonestar's hand #Winning 08 20:13 CS The end to a long ass day which I so needed. It's good to be paid. So grateful to be called back for tomorrow. 08 23:11 CS Yeah 14 hours on set was no joke. So exhausting but was awesome to be part of somethin so hush hush. Also met great new peeps. Recall baby! 09 13:07 CS Adventures in extras holding. So exciting.
Allyson Floyd chatted a little bit about the life of a stand-in:
08 14:53 AF I spent more time wrangling with UPS today than I spent on set! :P Oy. 08 23:07 AF I'm literally not there at all, lol! Stand-ins are only used to set up camera angles and lighting! 08 23:19 AF I've done kind of a ridiculous amount of extra work though... if you knew where to look, you'd see the back of my head everywhere! 08 23:20 AF And a few places where I'm pretty recognizable, but it would be too tedious to look up all the episode #'s and movies. 11 01:15 AF I generally stand in for one of the main cast, so that usually puts me there several days a week.
Meanwhile, the BBC Production Office were prepping for two kinds of activity later in the week ...
08 14:45 BBC We have a birthday coming up soon, 3 days to be exact. Mission #3 get JB the perfect gift. Are surprises still classy? Oh the possibilities! 09 18:38 BBC Wonderfully productive day! RTD is typing away and we're prepping two units. Phones are ringing! Carpal tunnel arising! Action galore.
Two locations were listed for activity Thursday, the James Oviatt Building (home to the Cicada Restaurant), and possibly the Yard, a kick-boxing club - however this address is also listed for the Willow Studios so their resources might have been in use instead! Reports also indicated other locations were visited throughout the day, with at least two units operating! Matthew Arnold reported that filming was taking place on a street at his uncle's, and this unit includedAlexa Havins.
Meanwhile, another unit had to contend with a minor disaster on set:
09 17:18 AF Then it's back to work on the set of #Torchwood: MD tomorrow! 10 09:56 AS Another early morning. Yawn! But I have my honey with me today. :) 10 12:22 AS A water main just broken now there's a river running thru set. Too bad the waters nasty or I would run thru it like the 10 yr old I am. LOL 11 13:00 BBC A water main broke at our 2nd Unit location, a cool looking salvage yard. Awesome location 11 13:04 BBC The water leak had nothing to do with us!! It was just a crazy random event. 11 14:27 AF I missed out on that! I had a later calltime. ^_^
Another location in use turned out to be the Los Angeles City Hall again, with John Barrowman and Ernie Hudson present; John was later to receive two big cakes for his birthday on Friday (celebrated UK time!)
10 17:43 ST A bit quiet here shooting a 6 page scene. Amazing actor with John today. Both are intense. Really great writing too. Beautiful location too. 10 19:01 ST Entire crew just sang @Team_Barrowman happy birthday and presented him a cake with candles. Lots of joy and laughter. Now we r on the move. 10 19:16 ST A glimpse of vintage LA I love this city :-) 10 20:00 ST I can't say where til tomorrow when we r gone :-) 12 08:00 ST LA City Hall
10 23:02 BBC Mission #3 SUCCESS! A surprise TWO cakes and we gave John the day off tomorrow. Happy Birthday! 10 23:54 JB Hello from LA 10 23:55 JB Thanks for all the birthday wishes.. 6 more minutes till the actual bday 10 23:57 JB Going to bed then of to Palm Springs tomorrow for celebrations with Mom and dad and family. 10 23:59 JB been very busy filming and feel bad I have not tweeted. hope to rectify that. 11 00:00 JB Dont ask Torchwood questions as I cant answer... DUH!!! But get to Comic con if you can..
As mentioned above, Friday was a day off for John Barrowman as it was his birthday, but work continued for the rest of the cast and crew as usual.
10:32 ST Concept meeting for episode 7. Creativity is not only coming up with a brilliant story it's bringing it to life on a budget. Oye!! 14:28 DC Heading to set on #Torchwood today.... time to make the doughnuts! 17:08 ST Hint pink flamingo 18:50 DC This is a light post. Only a lightpost. #Torchwood 18:51 DC Ps had a blueberry doughnut yum. #Torchwood
Filming also continued around the Willow Street facilities, as observed by Dina Kampmeyer:
11 19:01 Okay, trying not freak out, but torchwood is filming 20 feet away from me. If my bf can get me on set, i may just freak. 12 14:45 I was having a drink at Villains & they were filming next door. They were packing up, but I was there! 12 14:47 The set was all dark & dank. Looks like maybe a basement or tunnels where creepy aliens would hide.
Finally, we're pleased to include a special report on life as an extra, courtesy of Maria Zambrana:
I worked on the second unit of "Torchwood: Miracle Day" last night, (Ep5, I believe?), as one of about 150 people for the night shoot. We didn't have to sign a confidentiality agreement like I did in Episode 1 (two months ago), but common sense dictates that it'd be wise not to go into extreme detail, no?
We were shooting on "French Street" on the Warner Bros. lot (that's a street name not the location setting!), and our holding was this empty building on the corner. The room filled up pretty quickly so, despite it being a bit chilly, others took their folding chairs and lined up along the sidewalks. I found that the "store" next to this one was empty, so I simply went in there and had the place to myself. A props cart was set up right outside the door where we picked up a few items.
There were some background people there that performed two or three different roles and got there around 3pm or so, and another lump of people brought in just for the one scene (7:45pm., 8pm., etc.). We were ostensibly broken up into groups (Group A, Group B, etc.) but that's just a basic early-stage organizational thing; by the time filming takes place, you're just swept up en masse into the action. The only thing that matters is your call time... as in, the 3pm. call time allowed the earlier people to be dismissed earlier. Also, they got lunch - we didn't get any food on set, save for some people who scavenged their leftovers before catering threw them away (this food-raid done at the encouragement of one of the A.D.s, incidentally, who was rather put off by the fact that catering was not available to everyone).
(This is why I always make sure to eat before I go to a set, and to bring my own water. You can't rely on a production to take care of you. I was on the set of final episode of "24" and the entire building ran out of toilet paper. Guess who the only extra was that brought their own roll that day?)
Eve Myles was the only main cast member on our part of the lot; there were two units, ours and another over at Warner Ranch, but I've no idea what they were shooting or who with. At one point, upon finding out that one of our number was a big "Doctor Who" and "Torchwood" fan, she took a few minutes to pose with and take photos with the guy, which put him on Cloud 9! So sweet of her to do that.
All in all, though, the shoot went well. We all did one rehearsal walking around the block, past our holding area, and back to our starting positions. Then we made three or four more circles, wearing and carrying our props (aw, c'mon, why should I spoil what they were?). And we were done! Check-in to sign-out was about six hours, and a good four of those hours was wasted at wardrobe and holding.
Key to initials: AF - Allyson Floyd (stand-in); AS - Alana Stone (fashion designer); BBC - BBC Torchwood (production office); CS - Chazz Sutton (extra); DC - Daryl Crittenden; JB - John Barrowman (Jack); JE - Jane Espenson (writer); MP - Mekhi Phifer (Rex); ST - Shawna Trpcic (costume designer)
Next week sees the return of Kai Owen to filming ...
11 09:17(UK) Well our suitcases are packed, we're off to Los Angeles tomorrow for 3 months!! Crazy! 11 19:47(UK) Thank you all for your good luck messages, I'll try and keep you updated from the mad bad world that is #torchwoodmircaleday 12 19:12(US) Los Angeles beware!! We have arrived.
Just a quick note that clocks go forward in Los Angeles this weekend, meaning that for the next fortnight Torchwood activity is just seven hours behind the UK!
The eighth week of production on Torchwood saw a couple of new guest stars join the show, which was mainly based at the Warner Brothers sets for the week, though the cast did get out and about at airy heights of the US Bank Tower and the subterranean depths of a ... parking garage! The end of the week also saw a publicity shoot for the show take place.
Cast name-checked this week included John Barrowman, Eve Myles, Bill Pullman, and Lauren Ambrose, though others of course worked throughout the week, including guest stars Christopher Thomas Howell(The Outsiders, Criminal Minds, Southland, The Amazing Spider Man) and Ernie Hudson(Ghostbusters, Desperate Housewives, Transformers Prime).
Writer John Fay was interviewed by the Liverpool Daily Post on Wednesday, during which he answered a number of questions about the new series:
How many eps? Just the one. Episode Nine of ten.
I can tell you a lot of my ep is set in Wales, and has already been shot.
Russell and Julie Gardner remain in charge, so I think it'll still have the same basic tone. There are more American characters in it, so obviously it'll probably feel more American.
(on Russell as a re-writer) Ep 2 of COE is all mine I think. He moved a bit of his ep 5 onto the back of my Ep 4, and wrote an extra scene between the PM and his adviser, but that was pretty much it. I can't speak for the new series yet because I haven't seen it. With RTD it's not a problem. Apart from anything else, he's a great writer and he's the boss. I have been re-written by some lesser writers in the past though. And that does piss you off!
Russell's been putting the arm on me to represent Torchwood at something called Kapow! in London. In ongoing discussions with Mrs Fay......
I keep getting a "what's your favourite Torchwood character box" flashing up on my screen and poor old Rhys is in last place on 0%! For the record - he's my favourite! So that breaks his duck!
We're also very pleased to be able to include one of Bill Pullman's own photos, taken during production on the new series.
This features both him and John Barrowman in costume as Oswald Danes and Captain Jack respectively, and has been provided to us courtesy of BillPullman.org.
Finally, another member of the cast who filmed earlier in the schedule was named by the After Elton website; actor Dillon Casey (pictured right with John Barrowman courtesy of Shawna Trpcic back in Week Five filming) is playing the character of Brad. Casey has recently been seen as Noah in The Vampire Diaries.
Times cited within reports below are in Los Angeles local time, except where indicated
Monday
Another week and another early start, for costume designer Shawna Trpcic, who later on discussed aspects of Captain Jack's new jacket:
06:20 Torchwood at 4:12 am. Funny thing is I woke up before my alarm. :-) now I'm yawning and eating too much trying to stay alert. :-) 06:23what is CJ coat Y u chose fabric? Wool w/ tiny bit of cashmere to keep it soft with goodBody. 11:29Thought JB was allergic to wool? Old Coat was cotton - the wool im using is thin and super soft no allergic reactions. 12:41costume was made of moleskin to simulate wool as JB allergic does it qualify as cotton? i suppose might b an UK/US word thing 19:59Can't wait to see our captain in NEW hero coat! I wonder if he wears the silver aeroplane cufflinks this series too? Yes!
Other Twitter-chat for the day included:
07:54 ST Ice cold but sunny & clear beautiful rained for 10hours during fri night shoot :-/ 09:02 AS Week 8 of Torchwood aka 80s revival week! 19:13 MC Abby singer! For those of you who don't know that means the second to the last shot is up. 19:19 MC Wrap 21:21 AS @trpcic lol Ralph? DWtS!!! That's amazing! Watching fo sho! 80s revival week rules! I'm so rocking legwarmers this week.
Tuesday
Back out and about, filming at two locations; a parking garage at 524 South Flower St, just around the corner from the major shoot at the US Bank Tower - the tallest building in Los Angeles! - and several photos from Shawna Trpcic and Michael Colbert showed off its views across the city!
Michael Colbert (via Twitpic) The view today. "Heroes" fans might note Kirby plaza where the orange thing is.
"TW-Spy!" today reveals John and Eve's comfy chairs, and an intriguing logo that promises "from better to best"! Meanwhile, the cast and crew go wobbly at the knees with guest star Ernie Hudson filming scenes alongside John Barrowman!
09:08 ST TV crews work sooooo hard we have units all over this morning have not stopped running and my crew are literary out of breath!! 09:47 MC Poop on a stick! It's only 9:45! 15:26 ST Publicity photos for Torchwood on the way Shooting this weekend with 7 members of the cast :-) 15:37 ST John said his undercover pants were a bit tight but he likes them. I told him Im famous for "Captain Tight Pants" gotta keep up tradition
Wednesday - Friday
Wednesday saw filming continue with two units, though it wasn't clear if this was back at the US Bank Tower or elsewhere; production was to return to the Warner Brothers lot for the rest of the week, though it would seem that adjacent activities would cause quite some excitement!
02 23:58 DC Shooting #y&r and #torchwood next week.... Busy busy. 02 21:58 AF Shooting #Torchwood back at good 'ol WB tomorrow. ^_^ | 02 22:28 ST I am soooo exhausted but gotta tell you working on torchwood is such a luv fest I am very happy two units today shopping and early fit in am 03 13:05 AF Having now read the latest script, I take that back! :D 03 15:41 AS Note: This is not Torchwood but J. Edgar is shooting on the lot near us. Looking for Leo! http://twitpic.com/45t09j 03 16:09 BBC Just spent a lovely afternoon with some of our fellow UK crew. We're also still floating on the Ernie Hudson cloud, the rumors are true. 03 17:15 JE It is almost all written, yes! All episodes but last one are in the pipeline at some stage. No word on next season yet. 03 17:56 ST Clint Eastwood and Leo dicaprio r here - squeeeel in amazing Hoover era costumes 03 21:01 ST Don't jump ship on us from Torchwood to a fancy movie set, please! Never! I have never giggled & blushed so much! Like teenage luv 04 16:08 AF More "Torchwood" (@ Warner Bros. Pictures) 04 17:39 BBC Eve Myles wants everyone to make her a promise, HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEKEND! That seems manageable right? 04 17:39 AF Conan O'Brien and Leo DiCaprio are somewhere on this lot. When am I going to conveniently happen across them?? ;D 04 17:46 AF I realized that one of the two main Torchwood stages is right next door to Two and a Half Men. Ground 0 for recent Hollywood drama! :P 04 17:48 BBC Also, we're prepping for a photo shoot this Saturday. Publicity stills, can't wait! 04 19:51 ST All packed & prepared for first PR shoot w/ the cast. Yay!! Crew shooting into the weeee hours then up for Morning shoot. Pray all sleep well 04 23:17 BBC We've got Bill and Lauren on this late night of shooting. The lot is empty... Mission #2 - Private Party on the "Two and A Half Men" set! 05 01:25 BBC Mission #2, FAIL. We're having too much fun on our own set. Such a great cast and crew. Good Morning Everyone! 05 01:35 AF Yet another Happy Fraturday to all! ;)
Key to initials: AF - Allyson Floyd (stand-in); AS - Alana Stone (fashion designer); BBC - BBC Torchwood (production office); DC - Daryl Crittenden; JE - Jane Espenson (writer); MC - Michael Colbert (electrician); ST - Shawna Trpcic (costume designer)
Saturday saw press and publicity shots being taken for the show; this is believed to have taken place at the Willow Studios, which provide a number of standing sets (bars, restaurants, apartments) suitable for filming and photo-shoots! As Shawna Trpcicreports:
As soon as I'm allowed I'll link u to the photos. You all will be very happy they are the most SEXY PR photos I've seen. Torchwood ROCKS!!!
Week Nine kicks off with the cast and crew off to the seaside!
"Under the boardwalk, down by the sea, yeah On a blanket with my Torchwood is where I'll be" ...
The actor Ernie Hudson has today been reported as having a role in Torchwood: Miracle Day:
Michael Colbert: The one and only Ernie Hudson is guest starring on this ep.
The actor has had a prolific career in films and television, having recently appeared in recent television series like Transformers Prime (voice of Agent Fowler), The Secret Life of an American Teenager (Dr Field), Law and Order (Frank Gibson), and Desperate Housewives (Detective Ridley). His sci-fi credentials include appearances in Heroes, Stargate SG-1, as Sergeant Albrecht in The Crow, and Washington in the film Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone.
But he will always be best known as Winston Zeddemore, the fourth member of the team in the extremely successful Ghostbusters, and its followup Ghostbusters II. (A third film has been mooted for production shortly!)
The casting follows on from the announcement at the weekend that Christopher Thomas Howell would also be appearing in the series. The actor reported that he would be filming during an interview with SouthLATVFans.
Another actor rising to fame in the 1980s, Howell is best known for his portrayal of Ponytail Curtis in The Outsiders; he also appeared Tyler in E.T. The Extra Terrestrial, and other films like The Hitcher, Red Dawn and Soul Man. Notable television roles include Kindred: The Embraced (Det. Frank Kohanek), Amazon (Dr. Alex Kennedy), 24 (Barry Landes), and most recently as Officer Dewey Dudek in Southland. He also has a role in the currently filming The Amazing Spider-Man.
Monday, 28 February 2011 - Reported by Chuck Foster
A shorter week for the Torchwood production, with Presidents Day being a public holiday in the States on Monday.
Cast name-checked during the week included John Barrowman, Eve Myles, and Mekhi Phifer, though of course many others were involved during filming! Also, Christopher Thomas Howell (The Outsiders, Criminal Minds, Southland, The Amazing Spider Man) mentioned in an interview with SouthLAndTVFans that he would shortly be joining the production.
The weekend before saw the GallifreyOne convention take place in Los Angeles, during which there was a panel involving writers Jane Espenson and Doris Egan who discussed their involvement with the new series; this included dealing with the nuances between UK/Welsh and US modes of speech and the cultural differences in the meaning of words like 'vest', a discussion on the differences that seems to exist between the US and UK approach to scripting a series - especially in terms of the freedom that UK writers have (though with more re-writes), and how the enthusiasm of Russell T Davies 'infects' their own approach to writing! Episodes-wise, it was clarified that the last three episodes are still being prepared, with episode eight in third draft, nine nearly finished, and ten about to be written by Russell. The two writers also admitted that they'd already bandied about ideas for future stories, though no futher series of Torchwood have been commissioned (yet!)
Back to Warner Bros for another long day's shoot. Filming continued on episode three, with John Barrowman, Eve Myles and Mekhi Phifer shooting scenes.
Writer Jane Espsensonreported that there would be a production meeting for episode four that lunch time; she also clarified that the final three episodes were still in the process of being tweaked.
Meanwhile, Shawna Trpcic also explained that no date had been set as yet for the release of the publicity photos.
Jane also provided the first "TW-Spy!" photo of the week, giving us a glimpse of how studio backdrop looks on-set!
Twitter gossip for the day included:
07:34 MC 6am call. Sick as a dog. God I want to sleep for 12 hours straight. 07:52 MP Just got on set of Torchwood.. Cold LA morning and I am going shirtless!! Not complaining though, just need some ideas on how to stay warm?? 09:06 JE Just got good morning hugs from John and Eve on set. Love this cast! 09:08 ST Hello faux Monday. Had an amazing fitting with eve at 630 am and she was still amazing :-) 09:51 KO Back to LA tomorrow for a few days filming. | 12:47 JE Tour group of UK tourists just spotted John Barrowman on lot. Apparently there was much excitement! | 14:48 MP having a great time working on Torchwood... great cast and great people to work with. lots of action/intensity
Today's "TW-Spy!" is from Alana Stone, who teased us with this shot of a set interior. This evoked a number of ideas, including: "ooohhh...is this at the new Hub?", "Now I really want to know what's behind the door.", "could the 'June 45' be significant?".
The day also saw Kai Owen setting out to return to Los Angeles for some more filming; his time at Heathrow awaiting the flight turned out to be quite a 'happy hour'! (UK time)
14:10 Having a very large vodka tonic at Heathrow, Los Angeles beware!! a drunk Welshman will be arriving shortly. 14:54 @JaneEspenson I just hope they let me on the plane!! theses 'Large' vodkas are getting Larger by the minute!!! Cant wait to see you x 14:56 Thats's it I'm starting to do typos!1 i'm drumk and have too bored this plain!! see you on the other side peeple xx 05:48 Hello Los Angeles!!!!!
Other Twitter chat included:
10:51 JE In scene that shot yesterday. Gwen: "I got you this." 10:51 AS In awe! That's all. 12:03 AF They are filming at WB, but I'm not there today. Maybe tomorrow! It is very day-to-day for me. ^_^ | 15:02 AF Torchwood tomorrow! It is confirmed. ^_^ | 15:10 MP on set on the Warner bros lot in between shots watching short films on thirdREEL.com. Definitely a cure for boredom!! Check it out!
The Doctor Who News report on Torchwood last week also seemed to generate a bit of interest!
16:19 AF @doctor_who_news It's strange to see stuff I worked on posted as "news"! 16:21 ST Wow great reporting! @alanastone u should read - lots of fun RT @doctor_who_news: Torchwood: Week Six... last week.
Torchwood takes to the roads today! However, in reality this was to actually remain on-set at Warner Bros rather than out and about on the streets of Los Angeles! Whether there would be some "low-loader" shots later in filming is unclear, though scenes were filmed this way back in the UK along the M4.
This was to be a late-nighter for filming in the (cold) studio, eventually wrapping around 3:00am.
Meanwhile production meetings continued, with Jane Espenson heard to say: "Where does the reality end?", whilst the production office reported that prepping for episodes five and six were about to start as filming for episodes three and four continued.
13:21 MC Back at work FYI I did sleep for almost 20 hours straight. Feel better. 15:18 MC Complicated multiple-department car gag happening right now 15:28 MC Light car gag http://twitpic.com/43dnu7 16:20 AF Driving shots. To simulate motion, rotate fake streetlights on a contraption resembling a ceiling fan. :-) 15:42 JE Just uttered at Torchwood production meeting: "Where does the reality end?" Work stops as we ponder. 16:32 ST @JaneEspenson Should b a tshirt 21:05 AF Torchwood night shoot later tonight. Freezing outside. Did not bring furry boots. My toes will be sad indeed. T_T 23:11 BBC Getting wild tonight with the #Torchwood nocturnal crew! Stay warm everyone. Also, @KaiKaiOwen we're not going to let you leave... 23:13 BBC Tomorrow, prepping for EP 5&6 while shooting EP3&4. Perhaps a second coffee maker is in order. Go team go!! 00:52 AF Non-stop for 2 days: commercial -> DJ gig -> chilly #Torchwood night shoot -> no sleep and on to an 8AM calltime at The Bachelor. Oy. T_T 01:31 AF I was just fantasizing about the bananas foster-flavored coffee I'm going to make when we're wrapped at #Torchwood. :-) 03:03 MC Just past 3 am and finally Martini is called.
Friday
Back out on location for today, with scenes for episode four involving Kai Owen taking place in a hospital - this may have been a return to the Linda Vista Hospital where they filmed previously (a well-used film location), but wasn't confirmed. Another location mentioned by Michael Colbert was described being the "Lethal Weapon House"! The day was interrupted by rain (though fortunately not the snow that beset Los Angeles at the weekend!).
Meanwhile, amidst concerns on Twitter about possible alterations to Jack's character, Jane Espensonreassured: "Not all 'straightening' Jack! Jack is very much still Jack! Fans will be pleased."
04:06 KO Damn! I'm wide awake, wide awake!! It's 4am here. I'm on set all day. Espresso's all day I reckon! Have a good Friday everyone. X 06:45 KO I'm shooting at a hospital today. Scenes from Ep 4. 08:05 ST Early call on first unit late call on second unit we are taking over LA units everywhere :-) 16:57 MC Ugly rainy night with super cold (for southern Cal) temps. All outside and goin till probably 5 in the morning. This is what we do for you. 17:00 KO There's no official wrap time here, so it could be anything really, you finish when you finish. Longest for me so far 15 hours. 17:05 MC Sitting in the lethal weapon house. Can smell still smell Joe Pechi even with the rain. 17:30 KO It raining in LA!! 18:50 AS I'm such a geek. Hehe 20:58 AF Looks like it'll be several days before I'm back working on #Torchwood. On the flip side, I'm working on #Glee on Monday! 21:09 KO Back at the bar!! Great crew on #Torchwood. It's gonna be one helm of a show. Back to blighty tomorrow. 21:18 KO One HELL of a show, not one Helm of a show!! 21:21 AF My job on TW isn't quite as exciting as you think tho! I'm just standing in for now; hopefully more jobs with lines to come. 21:37 MC Were WAY past suck tonight already and still have hours to go. 07:34 BBC We're not going to let a torrential downpour stop us from shooting all night. Bring it. Also, @KaiKaiOwen safe travels back see you soon! 00:50 ST @KaiKaiOwen gave Kai a welcome kiss so glad to have him here feels right 05:54 MC Finally going home 16 hours later
As usual no filming took place at the weekend, though this doesn't apply to writers, as Jane Espenson observed on Sunday:
14:12 Working hard today on #Torchwood episode 8. How much can I get done before #Oscars? 14:27 Russell is incredibly positive! I've been lucky to work with a number of visionaries and he's up with best of 'em!
Key to initials: AF - Allyson Floyd (stand-in); AS - Alana Stone (fashion designer); BBC - BBC Torchwood (production office); JE - Jane Espenson (writer); KO - Kai Owen (Rhys); MC - Michael Colbert (electrician); MP - Mekhi Phifer (Rex Matheson); ST - Shawna Trpcic (costume designer)
Kai Owen is due back to L.A. for three months of filming from the 12th March, and tweets intimated that he'll be joined by Tom Price too!
23 14:53(UK) Im back on Sunday, Then on the 12th March we all head out for three months!! 26 14:41(LA) Tom, Where are you? I'm sitting in the lounge at LAX, don't let me come here alone again.
Week Eight sees the production back into the heart of Los Angeles, with filming scheduled on Tuesday at the US Tower Building (also known as the Library Building) - a tall skyscraper at 633 West 5th Street - between 7:00am and 10:00pm; another unit is also active on the same day in a parking garage at 524 South Flower Street, between 6:00am and 2:00pm.
Wednesday, 23 February 2011 - Reported by Chuck Foster
After the excitement of the previous fortnight, last week was a relatively quiet week for the Torchwood cast and crew.
Eve Myles rejoined the team in Los Angeles, with John Barrowman, Mekhi Phifer, Dichen Lachman, and Bill Pullman all involved with filming during the course of the week.
Filming was away in private throughout this week, with Monday kicking off at the Orlando International Airport. No other exterior locations were reported last week, with other work taking place back at the Warner Brothers Studios lot. As usual, followers were able to pick up little pieces of gossip from cast and crew via Twitter.
Times cited within the reports are in Los Angeles local time.
Monday
Monday saw the Torchwood team at another airport, this time the Ontario International Airport in Los Angeles (filming took place at Cardiff International Airport three weeks previously). Mekhi Phifer and Dichen Lachman were reported to be on location. Meanwhile, Jane Espenson clarified some differences between the UK and US film schedules.
07:25 AS Had to be at work at 4:12am in Ontario. I have my Valentine, Dichen Lachman, with me tho so that makes things a little better. 08:33 MC Had 5 am call at Ontario airport. Run slight risk of $11,000 fines and it's cold as hell. This business is great! 11:52 BBC Big day at the Airport location today. We're Also beginning prep for a 2nd Unit tomorrow = DOUBLE the #Torchwood fun. Happy Valentine's day 13:24 JE I think they shoot on Saturdays in the UK, but have shorter working days. We def. have Sat/Sun off. Yay weekends! 19:00 ST Past the 2000 mark for followers. Welcome all - hope to keep u entertained with stories of costume life on the set of torchwood :-) Peace 06:12 MP Could use a few more hours of sleep. On the phone for 2hrs with moms last night... If I just had half her strength!
Tuesday
Eve Myles returned to production in the US, which sounded to be another 'bloody' affair according to Mekhi Phifer. Scenes today were back on the Warner Bros lot. As previously reported, whilst exteriors may have been filmed in Wales, the respective interiors have been shot back in the States, something Jane Espenson reports as meeting the Welsh cast's approval!
10:55 ST Beautiful Eve back with us today. Even slimmer after all the action and -10 weather. Glad to have her back on set. 13:20 BBC Going to have an exciting reunion with wonderfully effervescent Eve Myles this afternoon. Lets see what she's up to... 15:54 MP Shooting Torchwood and I'm all bloodied up right now! Rain machines, green screen, u name it, we got it!! Dope ass show! 16:25 JE The Welsh people haven't objected to the interiors, so I think they must be good! 16:38 JE The current thiller / arc / connected-story feel of TW is working really well and is best done in shorter runs. 18:24 BBC "I'm terrified of Twitter because computers hate me, but (Cowgirl Voice) Howdy Partners I'm having a blast on set today" - Eve Myles
After a few days absence, a welcome return to "TW-Spy!" today as we get to see the inside of the costume truck (Captain Jack, Simpsons-style!), Russell T Davies with a (very!) large cheese, and a set visit by actress/producer Kim Evey.
Kai Owen also revealed that he'll be heading back to L.A. next week, which indicates that the return to the UK for filming wasn't to happen after all.
07:43 ST One of the walls in the costume truck :-) that's our set crew! 10:07 MC Barrowman is a tighty whitey man. 11:50 KO Nate: Hey mate! What's happening? Just having a glass of red and thinking of you!! Nice to be home? I'm back with you next Wednesday. Looking forward to have a burger with you!! Kai x 12:46 DL Mekhi Phifer has just been showing me his website called 'thirdreel' on the torchwood set. Check it out. 14:47 BBC Russell stands proud with the mystery cheese sent to us from the UK. Who's the culprit??? 15:42 KE Got to visit this set today thanks to Shawna 15:51Sarann: Are you doing exciting costume related things on the Torchwood set today? ST Always :-) 19:04 MC Eve Miles is about the nicest person I've met in awhile - charming, friendly, energetic. Super cool. 20:25 DE Just back from the Torchwood set, where I forced John Barrowman and Eve Myles to look at pictures of my dogs.
Thursday
Michael Colbert revealed more plane antics for the cast and crew, though this is was on a set rather than a inside a real plane. He also noted that a number of the production crew were unaware that they were working on a series with quite a legacy!
09:31 ST Eve Myles told Kim Evey that she is the voice of one of the characters on the DragonAge II game. Small world 10:54 MC 10 am call spending the whole day in an airplane set on 27 11:01 ST Forgot to wear my hearing aid today Driving my crew crazy. Huh? 11:36 AS I'm on a plane! 14:32 MC Strangely enough a large portion of the crew have no idea that this is season 4. 16:49 NG Kai: can't wait to see ya. Give the baba a kiss fer me. 23:11 MC I have met Barrowman he's a really sweet and hella funny guy. Big Captain America fan (if you didn't know) 23:25 MC Wrap! 00:16 DL LOVE Torchwood peeps. Having so much fun.
Another day on set, and more mysterious items that may or may not be what they seem! With conventions and holidays on the way nobody wanted another late night Friday, though Bill Pullman continued to keep everybody entertained as production completed for another week.
13:42 BBC It seems the line between salad dressing and chocolate custard is little hazy today. You only live once! 22:47 ST The rain makes me tired well that, prepping 3 episodes while shooting two, cleaning house, feeding the kids.. Time for a meeting & chocolate 17:30 AS Is it really Friday? 18:44 ST Alana: should not be a fraterday I hope :-) 22:19 BBC We're coming to set, Shawna, Alana, its dark and lonely over here. 22:25 AS BBC_Torchwood: yay!!! Can't wait for your visit! Bill is being awesome as usual.
Speaking of Bill Pullman, his fan site published a photo of him with John Barrowman in their Jack/Oswald mode!
Saturday
Friday brought an end to filming for the week, and an extended weekend was due with a holiday on Monday for Presidents Day, not to mention Jane Espenson and Doris Egan attending the GallifreyOne convention over the weekend too!
However, it wasn't a complete halt to proceedings:
01:20 BBC We're location scouting in a couple of hours! That's right we work Saturday's in the US too! (But let's be honest not a full days work)
Director of Photography Nate Goodman also commented on Torchwood so far ...
19:26 NG One week back from Wales. Saw some of Ep 1 cut together. Epic. Not your mother's Torchwood...
Key to initials: AS - Alana Stone (fashion designer); BBC - BBC Torchwood (production office); DE - Doris Egan (writer); DL - Dichen Lachman; JE - Jane Espenson (writer); KE - Kim Evey (visitor); MC - Michael Colbert (electrician); MP - Mekhi Phifer (Rex Matheson); NG - Nate Goodman (director of photography); ST - Shawna Trpcic (costume designer)
With a short break for Presidents Day, production resumes Tuesday, though with Kai Owenconfirming that he is flying out to Los Angeles on Wednesday it seems that the anticipated return to the Welsh shores for filming is not to be this week, after all!
The BBC Torchwood Twitter account has announced that the current composer for Doctor Who, Murray Gold, will be returning to the series to compose music for Torchwood: Miracle Day.
John Barrowman and Bill Pullman will be promoting the new series of Torchwood at the 
The BBC Production Office 
We were shooting on "French Street" on the Warner Bros. lot 
The actor Ernie Hudson has today been reported as having a role in Torchwood: Miracle Day:
The casting follows on from the announcement at the weekend that Christopher Thomas Howell would also be appearing in the series. The actor reported that he would be filming during an interview with 
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