Rendition: UK Final Ratings

Monday, 1 August 2011 - Reported by Marcus
Episode Two of Torchwood: Miracle Day had a final official rating of 5.75 million viewers according to figures released by BARB.

The programme was the 7th highest rated on BBC One for the week. The final result includes those who recorded the programme and watched it within 7 days. It does not include those watching on iPlayer.

On iPlayer Episode One has been accessed  760,000 times so far, and Episode Two accessed 526,000 times.

Episode Three had an AI score of 84.




FILTER: - Torchwood - Ratings - UK - Miracle Day (Series 4)

Starz: future Torchwood not assured

Friday, 29 July 2011 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Even though ratings for the first few episodes of Torchwood: Miracle Day have proven reasonable for both Starz and the BBC, this has never been a guarantee that a fifth series of the show will automatically be commissioned.

Speaking to reporters at the TV Critics Show, Starz CEO Chris Albrecht has clarified their position, explaining:
Torchwood is not one of the shows we went into thinking about a yearly return. It’s about Russell T Davies - he has a lot of things on his plate. If Torchwood is not at the top of his list, that will affect the future of Torchwood.

Davies previously indicated that he had been considering moving onto other projects after Miracle Day's production was completed - in February he told BBC Wales Today:
It's interesting as to how long I can stay in the science fiction world. Personally I think I'm coming to the end of it now and I've saved the world and blown up the world too many times, and I hope I leave Torchwood in rude health, and then I'll probably move onto something else then.

It's time to write something just where people talk in kitchens, at least for me. But I hope we literally leave the franchise in in a very strong position that other writers come in and take it over.
Subsequently, Davies has been reported as developing a new show for Showtime, entitled Cucumber. However, with over half of Miracle Day still to be transmitted (episode four, Escape to L.A., premiering tonight on Starz), Torchwood's future cannot be written off quite yet!

(newslink: Entertainment Weekly, Hollywood Reporter)





FILTER: - Torchwood - Miracle Day (Series 4)

Next Time: Escape to L.A.

Friday, 29 July 2011 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Next Thursday (4th August) sees the fourth episode of Torchwood: Miracle Day premiering in the UK, with Escape to L.A. being broadcast at 9:00pm on BBC1/BBC1HD. The episode will also be repeated on BBC2/BBCHD the following Monday at 11:20pm, and available to watch online in the UK via the BBC iPlayer until 23rd September.


PLOT SYNOPSIS FOR ESCAPE TO L.A. FOLLOWS - MAY BE CONSIDERED A SPOILER



The fight against PhiCorp takes the Torchwood team to California, where a trap is waiting. Meanwhile, Oswald and Jilly find themselves with an enemy of their own.


The BBC have made a preview clip available to watch on the BBC iPlayer and YouTube; Starz have also released their own preview on YouTube.

Torchwood episode 4 preview, BBC, via iPlayer - may not play outside of the United Kingdom
Alternatively there is a YouTube version.






FILTER: - Torchwood - Online - Miracle Day (Series 4)

Dead of Night: UK overnight viewing figures

Friday, 29 July 2011 - Reported by Marcus
Torchwood: Dead of Night achieved an average audience of 4.2 million viewers on BBC One and BBC One HD, according to unofficial overnight figures.

The third in the series had 18.8% of the audience share and was the 7th most watched programme of the day. It won the 9pm timeslot, with Single Handed on ITV1 watched by 3.1 million viewers.

The figure was slightly down on the last week, which scored an average of 4.4 million. The episode saw a drop in viewers during the hour from 4.6 million in the first quarter to 4.0 million in the final quarter

The final ratings for Dead of Night will be released next week and will include those who record the programme and watch it within seven days.

Mondays late night repeat of episode Two Rendition had 0.4 million watching.


Initial audience figures released for Dead of Night shown on Starz last Friday indicated that 1.1m viewers watched over its opening night; the premiere broadcast at 10:00pm was watched by 636,000 viewers, with its 11:00pm repeat seen by 382,000. This compares with an average of 976,000 viewers for Rendition's opening night.





FILTER: - Torchwood - USA - Ratings - UK - Miracle Day (Series 4)

Doctor Who Magazine 437

Thursday, 28 July 2011 - Reported by Marcus
The new Doctor Who Magazine takes a look at Torchwood: Miracle Day with behind the scenes to talk to the cast and crew of this extraordinary adventure, including stars John Barrowman (Captain Jack), Eve Myles (Gwen Cooper), Mekhi Phifer (Rex Matheson), Alexa Havins (Esther Drummond), Kai Owen (Rhys Williams), Lauren Ambrose (Jilly Kitzinger) and head writer and creator Russell T Davies.

DWM asked John Barrowman, could Jack ever return to Doctor Who?
Yes, I want to come back! The beautiful thing about Doctor Who is, it’s time travel. Matt’s Doctor could go back before Jack met his Doctor. Or Matt’s Doctor could meet a darker Jack...? That’s fine too. There are ways to do it. When he’s in Doctor Who, Jack is very different to the Jack that’s in Torchwood. Everybody knows my love of Doctor Who, and I would do it at the drop of a hat.

Also in this issue:
  • Called to Action - Five remarkable individuals joined the Doctor in his fight against Amy’s kidnappers in A Good Man Goes To War – but could they return to help him again? Find out as DWM talks to the actors who played them: Simon Fisher-Becker (the ‘fat, old, and blue’ Dorium Maldovar), Neve McIntosh (Silurian warrior Madame Vastra), Catrin Stewart (Victorian maid Jenny), Dan Starkey (lactating Sontaran Strax) and Christina Chong (forest-dwelling soldier Lorna Bucket).
  • Storytellers - Doctor Who’s showrunner Steven Moffat presents an exclusive guide to the writers of the new series. Find out who’s a wimp, who’s a polymath and who’ll break you heart (twice) in Production Notes...
  • Masterpieces - It was the season that gave us Axons, Dæmons and Autons... and which introduced the Doctor’s arch-enemy, the Master! DWM takes a nostalgic look back at the adventures of the Third Doctor, Jo and the Brigadier in 1971’s Series Eight, as Countdown to 50! continues.
  • Time for a Shock - As Amy and the Doctor struggle against the ravages of time, they’re shocked when an old enemy appears… Don’t miss the thrilling final chapter of the latest comic strip adventure, Apotheosis, written by Jonathan Morris with art by Dan McDaid!
  • Roy's Roles - DWM pays tribute to the late Roy Skelton, the versatile actor who was the voice of dozens of characters, including the Daleks and Cybermen in Doctor Who... and Zippy and George in Rainbow.
  • Nice Day for a White Wedding - Emma, Michael, Chris and Will get their hankies ready as they prepare watch the emotionally-charged, time-twisting Ninth Doctor story Father's Day. Who will blub and who will retain their composure? Find out in The Time Team
  • Happy Anniversary - To celebrate the release of the 150th audio adventure in the regular monthly range, DWM catches up with the men behind Big Finish. Producers Jason Haigh-Ellery, Nicholas Briggs and David Richardson talk candidly about the past and future of the range – including the new series featuring the Fourth Doctor, Tom Baker...
  • Spoilt for Choice - What’s best – assiduously avoiding all spoilers, or finding out as much as possible about future episodes of Doctor Who? Toby Hadoke and Johnny Candon argue the pros and cons in the latest (spoiler-free!)
  • Smuggled In - The First Doctor, Ben and Polly enters a world of skullduggery, murder and deceit as they take on a band of merciless pirates – erstwhile crew of the notorious Captain Avery! Join The Fact Of Fiction as it goes back in time to reveal a treasure trove of secrets concerning the 1966 adventure The Smugglers
PLUS! All the latest official news, TV and merchandise reviews, previews, competitions and a prize-winning crossword.





FILTER: - Doctor Who - Torchwood - Russell T Davies - DWM - Miracle Day (Series 4)

Doctor Who: episode ten details

Wednesday, 27 July 2011 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Writer Tom MacRae spoke to the Northampton Chronicle about his forthcoming episode for Doctor Who, which has now been named by the BBC in a recent roundup on their Doctor Who website.

The following gives some details about episode which might be considered a spoiler.



The episode is to be called The Girl Who Waited; says MacRae:
I went down onto the set quite a lot and it was great to see it filmed. It’s a real tear-jerker of an episode and it’s very much focused on Karen. Her acting in it is amazing. I know she’ll break the viewers’ hearts in two when they watch it, it’s so emotional.

MacRae hails from Northamptonshire, like the current Doctor Matt Smith:
It’s wonderful writing for Matt, he’s such a fantastic actor and a genuinely lovely guy. He’s about the same age as me, we’re from the same town and we’ve got a lot of friends in common, so it was great to work with him. And as The Doctor, I admire him so much. I’m a huge fan of what he’s done on the show, I would say he’s 'my Doctor'.

(newslink: Northampton Chronicle)





FILTER: - Doctor Who - Series 6/32

The New World: UK final ratings

Monday, 25 July 2011 - Reported by Marcus
Episode One of Torchwood: Miracle Day had a final official rating of 6.59 million viewers according to figures released by BARB.

The programme was the 8th highest rated on BBC One for the week. The final result includes those who recorded the programme and watched it within 7 days. It does not include those watching on iPlayer. The rating is almost exactly the same as the first episode of the last series of Torchwood, Children of Earth, which had a final rating of 6.47 million on BBC One with an additional 0.13 million watching on BBC HD.

Meanwhile Episode Two had an AI score of 85, the same as that for Episode One.




FILTER: - Torchwood - Ratings - UK - Miracle Day (Series 4)

Doctor Who Return Date

Sunday, 24 July 2011 - Reported by Marcus
BBC America have confirmed that Doctor Who will return to the channel on Saturday, August 27th at 9/8c when the series continues with Let's Kill Hitler, written by Steven Moffat and directed by Richard Senior.

The BBC will not confirm a UK date for the return until much nearer the date of transmission, but a showing in the early evening of Saturday 27th is very likely.

There are six more episodes to be shown as part of Season 32





FILTER: - USA - Series 6/32

Doctor Who Series 6 Part 2 UK Promotion

Sunday, 24 July 2011 - Reported by Chuck Foster
The BBC have released a trailer for the second half of Series Six, which returns to BBC1(HD) later this year; the trailer premiered at the San Diego Comic Con event taking place this weekend.


Doctor Who Series Six Part Two, BBC, via BBC iPlayer (may not be available outside the United Kingdom)

The series is also featured in the new Original British Drama trailer (34 seconds in), which includes other productions like The Body Farm, The Hour, Spooks and Page Eight.


Original British Drama, BBC, via YouTube (may not be available outside the United Kingdom)


An extended trailer has also been released for The God Complex by Toby Whithouse, episode 11 of the series:


Doctor Who: The God Complex trailer, BBC, via BBC iPlayer (may not be available outside the United Kingdom)




FILTER: - Doctor Who - Series 6/32 - Online

Karen Gillan stays with Doctor Who

Sunday, 24 July 2011 - Reported by Marcus
Karen Gillan had told the website Zap2it that she is staying with Doctor Who for the foreseeable future and will be returning as Amy Pond for the next series of the show which goes into production at the end of the year.

Doctor Who has been commissioned for a further fourteen episodes following this year's Christmas Special, and previously only Matt Smith was known to have been contracted for the run. Gillan was interviewed at Comic-Con and when asked if she would be returning she said, "I am going to come back, yes,That's the first time I've said that today".

The 33rd series will be the seventh full series since the show returned in 2005. It is due to be shown during 2012 and 2013.




FILTER: - Karen Gillan - Series 7/33