Torchwood, Scheduling, BBC One
Publication date: 8 July 2011

Complaint

We received complaints from viewers unhappy that the new series of Torchwood will be broadcast in America before the UK.

The BBC's Response

We are pleased to announce that Torchwood will return to BBC One at 21.00 on Thursday 14 July.

Starz in the US have the contractual right to the World Premiere, that relates to the deal that was done and ultimately this has created better value for licence fee payers.

Contractually, the broadcasters in other territories can transmit from the next day onwards but being as close to the transmission in the US is not the only factor in the scheduling decision. We have identified what we think is the best slot for BBC One viewers and have also ensured that it's within a week of transmission in the US.

THR: We’re sure you’ve heard the rancor out of the UK about BBC’s delayed premiere of the show. What would you like to say to those fans?

Myles: We never, ever, ever wanted to take this show away from the original fans. What we always wanted to do with the show was give them a gift every year, something wonderful, a big, big present. And if that present isn’t good enough, we aren’t going to give it to you. We’ve made you the best, best series yet. And it works out that it will be a week after the U.S. showing. And obviously we have nothing to do with that -- me nor John [Barrowman] or [showrunners Russel T. Davies and Julie Gardner]. But, just hold on tight. I’d just like to remind them that they’re our fans. We want them to sit back and enjoy it, be proud of it like we are, and to stick with us. If it was up to me and John, we’d have it to them straight away. But, it’s not.

THR: So, do you understand where they’re coming from?

Myles: Oh my God, of course I do. I was the biggest Six Feet Under fan in the world. And if that had happened, it went out there first and it didn’t come out here. That did happen with the first series. It went out there and we had to wait. And the reason why I was so frustrated and kind of pissed off about it is because I couldn’t wait to see it. I was so excited about seeing it. You just want to get to see it, don’t you? I mean fair play. These people have waited just over two years for this next season. You know, they’ve waited long enough. I wish I had the ten episodes here and I can invite them to my house and we could all watch them together. You know, tonight. Unfortunately, my house isn’t big enough and I only have one [episode] myself [she laughs]. Yeah, I’d like to say that if I had something to do with it that this wouldn’t be happening. But, sit tight, because it is a fantastic ride.

Working with Steven Moffat, Piers Wenger and Matt Smith on the last two series of Doctor Who has been the most fantastic experience and I will miss them hugely... The plans taking shape for the next series of Doctor Who and for the 50th Anniversary are beyond exciting - and with Steven Moffat at the helm, this incredibly special time for the show is in very safe hands.

Much of its current success is down to her vision and ambition for the show. She has been an inspiring and instrumental force and I know will be much missed by all of us, and especially Matt Smith and Steven Moffat.

We couldn’t keep her forever, though God knows I tried. She is off to be brave and brilliant in brand new ways, and the sad news for Doctor Who is that it will be somewhere else.

I’m chuffed to bits to be welcoming her back to Kudos, where her creative instincts and no-nonsense work ethic will make her a force to be reckoned with in the drama world.

The freedom from catch-up means that we've got a lot more flexibility in terms of what we put on there and how we present it. In overseas markets where the whole gamut of the BBC's linear broadcast isn't available then applying the on-demand model we have in the UK doesn’t make sense.

Whilst it won't happen overnight, our ambition is to present a timeless mix of classic and contemporary UK creativity, showcasing the best of British content from the 1950s to the present day. Vintage British creativity but fresh and for the future.

We want the global BBC iPlayer to imaginatively engage an on-demand audience with the best classic and contemporary British shows.

The tricky thing to explain to your kids - who I'm very glad are fans of it - is that the same man who writes Doctor Who also writes Sherlock, and there's only so many hours a day he can be awake. We're very keen that Sherlock comes back too, and it will be back as another three parts next year, so he needs enough time to get that done and then start work on the next series of Doctor Who.

There will be some episodes but there won't be a full series, so we won't have a thirteen part run ... but you know the man has to sleep, he's got a family! That's the genuine reason, it's about Steven Moffat - who's the creative drive force behind Doctor Who at the moment and he also rather magically at the same time created and got to air Sherlock - we have to get that balance right. There will be episodes, but there won't be as many, and there'll be more episodes again in 2013 - which I think is the 50th Anniversary of Doctor Who, so that's a big year.

It's a very special programme, it's one of the programmes that we feel is so special that we plan for on Christmas Day.

You can listen to the whole of Danny Cohen's presentation via the Church and Media website - the Doctor Who related comments occur at 49:10, 56:30.

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