Torchwood: Miracle Day - Publicity

Saturday, 11 June 2011 - Reported by Chuck Foster

With less than a month to go, publicity is ramping up for Torchwood: Miracle Day arriving in the United States on the 8th July. Tonight sees a ten minute preview expected on Starz after Camelot, and the co-producer of the series has also released two behind-the-scenes videos:

» Torchwood Miracle Day - Special Look
» Torchwood - In Production Now

(please note these are only available to watch in the United States)

In addition, a number of short character-specific trailers have also been released, each focussing on an individual star from the series. The videos were released as exclusives by a number of entertainment sites in the United States - some of these were restricted so transcripts of the items follow:

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**** THIS ARTICLE CONTINUES WITH SEVERAL MEDIA ARTICLE QUOTES AND IMAGES
**** THESE CAN BE CONSIDERED SPOILERS!!!
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Captain Jack Harkness (US only, via Starz)

My name is Captain Jack Harkness, and I have seen the universe. But none of those endless horizons could prepare me ... for what I found on Earth. I found a world convulsed by the Miracle. But it was far more than just a blessing on mankind. It's part of a conspiracy dating back almost a hundred years.

I thought I could bring Torchwood back. I thought Torchwood could fight this thing and save the world. I was wrong.

Gwen Cooper (worldwide access, via New York Magazine)

I was happy. Once upon a time, I had a husband, I had a daughter, I had a life. Then Miracle Day came along and nothing was the same again. That's when I started to run, they all tried to stop me, the government, the CIA, the families.

But what they didn't know is, I've got a secret of my own. Torchwood.

Rex Matheson (worldwide access, via TV Guide)

I was king of the world, man, I thought I knew it all, and look at me now. My name is Rex Matheson, former CIA. Now representing the Torchwood Institute, because the Miracle came along. Look what it did to me, so listen to me, listen to me!

I discovered the secret behind Miracle Day, I discovered what they're really doing, to the whole world. Don't trust anyone, they're all a part of it. Don't trust anyone!

Oswald Danes (worldwide access, via Entertainment Weekly)

My name is Oswald Danes, you might have heard of me. Fifteen days ago, I was executed, and that was just the beginning of my journey. Now, I have risen from my past, I have been forgiven, I have been blessed. Now, my new life can began. So trust me, the government has failed us, corporations have robbed us, so trust me when I say that miraculous days call for miraculous people, and I have such discoveries waiting to be made, so walk with me, walk with me, come with me on the next great leap for mankind, walk in my side. I know, what they're doing. I know, what the miracles for. God help you, God help every last one of you.

One word I keep hearing, this one word. Torchwood.

Jillian Kitzinger (worldwide access, via TV.com)

Hi, my name is Jilly. Jillian Alexander Kitzinger. My job is to see this miracle for what it is, a benefit for all mankind. It's my job to sell it, even if that means I have to strike a bargain with the devil himself. But I think there's something else happening, beyond the miracle, behind the panic, someone is hiding a secret, and Jillian Alexander Kitzinger is gonna find it first.

Word of advice, get out of my way. Phew! You're welcome.

Esther Drummond (worldwide access, via Daily Motion)

My name is Esther Drummond, I have a BA in Linguistics from Brown with a second to Nature and Computer Science. Masters is in Cognitive Science from the University of Chicago -

I tried to stop them, okay. And everything changed. I thought it was wonderful; I thought ... I thought we could live forever. But I was such an idiot. I thought Torchwood could help. The Miracle was just the start. There's nothing we can do.

Several pieces have appeared in the media recently; these contain number of plot points, twists and revelations that can certainly be considered spoilers for the forthcoming episodes!

John Barrowman recently spoke to Entertainment Weekly, during which he discussed Jack in the news series; talking on his love life, "(Jack) gets to have full-on boy-sex a couple of times. On those days going to work I’d wake up and Scott my partner would say, ‘What are you filming today?’ And I’d say, ‘Oh it’s going to be a tough day, I get to have sex with a 24 year old.’”. He also commented that: "you’re going to get a lot into the history of Jack; you see one of his big relationships that defines a lot about who he is. You also find out a lot about Jack and Gwen.".

The article also revealed that in a world where people cannot die, Jack finds that his own mortality has returned. This was expanded upon by Russell T Davies in an interview with AOLTV: "Well he's literally, physically different. He's mortal. Everyone else is immortal, he's mortal. It's the biggest switch in the show, which we did in order to give us new insights into Jack. I appreciate what you're saying, that he's a different character. I think that's my job. I [there can be] a great passivity and inertia when it comes to characters on shows that are successful -- they keep coming back and they keep being the same. I'd much rather change them."

Davies was also interviewed by SFX; talking about how characters would cope with immortality, he said: "I think you should never forget that during the greatest national crises people just go to work, and go home, and get on with it. If this really happened, you and I would just carry on as normal. If something conceptual and huge has happened, nonetheless, you’ve got a deadline tomorrow, and I need to go to work and write a script tomorrow, and if our granddad is ill in bed, he’s still ill. So it’s a very unusual concept, in that it’s hard to dramatise in many ways. That’s why I like it. It’s a very powerful concept, because it takes hold subtly, and you have to find ways to dramatise it, because it’s not immediately obvious."

On the origins of the "Miracle Day" he said: "It’s not a virus, it hasn’t spread, it didn’t take a day for it to travel from the North pole to the South pole; it’s literally a flick of the switch and it’s happened. To Jack, that instantly suggests what has happened, and that takes a few episodes to evolve. It’s more about explaining what has happened to society while this has happened, that’s the real meat of the story. But it is explained in the end, and finding it out… this story goes back in history as well. We’ve got episodes that go back to 1927, so it’s a broad story covering continents and covering time as well; it’s one of those stories with a plot that’s been planned for decades, so there’s a lot of expanse and muscle in the story."

This week After Elton published interviews with several of the other guest stars taken during production.

Eve Myles on Gwen: "We find Gwen absolutely bored out of her mind but constantly on alert, constantly looking over her shoulder. She will remain on alert for the rest of her life. She’s exhausted. You find her living, literally, on the edge of a cliff somewhere in the UK, overlooking the most fabulous beach. They’re self-sufficient – they grow their own food, and they live in this cottage. And for Rhys, it’s wonderful; for Gwen, it’s hell."

Kai Owen on Rhys: "I think Rhys is kind of an extra-secret member of the team now, especially because of his driving skills, and he’s such a normal bloke. He doesn’t look like an undercover CIA agent or anything extra-terrestrial. He’s just a run-of-the-mill guy who loves his food and loves his beer and his family, and he’ll do anything Gwen asks him to. If it means helping her out, and bringing a mission to an end as quickly as possible, he’ll help her out, no problem."

Bill Pullman on Oswald: "He’s not necessarily a likable man, in that he’s been ostracized, he’s got a little bit of a chip on his shoulder, because he’s assuming that everyone wants him dead, which is the irony of it all. But he’s got great perspective, and he’s kind of clever – he’s been operating very successfully online for a very long period of time, so he’s got some skills that the others don’t." ... "Oswald is fluid, he seems to be back and forth. You see he’s got the opportunity, where the world has suddenly changed and he’s in the spotlight, and the question becomes, What is fame and how do you use it, and how do other people want to co-opt you when you gain power? And that becomes as much a part of his journey as sneaking around, trying to get into rooms with small people."

Promotional images for the series:

The character of Captain Jack of course owes its origins to Doctor Who, and Zap2It asked John Barrowman about whether his character could return to meet up with the Doctor once more:

It's in the cards, but who knows whether it will happen? I like Matt Smith. He brings his own quirkiness to it... When a new Doctor starts, everybody goes along for the journey because they love the show. But then you attach yourself to that Doctor. There's a whole new generation who are now attached to Matt, and rightly so.... but David Tennant is my Doctor.

However, should Torchwood prove successful for Starz, it would seem likely that a second series would be made: a recent announcement on tax credits made as part the Californian incentive plan to keep projects and jobs in the state intimated that this was possible, with Bad Wolf Productions (the BBC Worldwide Americas company set up for the show) being allocated some $8 million dollars - the highest allocation of the $100 million pot!

FILTER: - Torchwood - Miracle Day (Series 4)

Chart Placing - The Almost People

Friday, 10 June 2011 - Reported by Marcus

Doctor Who just missed out on a top twenty place for the week ending 29th May, seeing Episode Six The Almost People, become the 21st most watched programme of the week.

The episode, which had a share of 29.5% of the total audience, was just edged out of the top twenty by Emmerdale, which has a particularly good week, with all its episodes inside the top twenty.

The chart does not include iPlayer figures which have seen over a million people access the episode. Final figures for the last episode before the series break should be out on Monday.

FILTER: - Ratings - UK - Series 6/32

BBC Books: Torchwood releases

Friday, 10 June 2011 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Last week we reported the three new Torchwood books due out this summer; the covers and provisional publication dates are now known, with the books available for pre-order:

Torchwood: First Born (available for pre-order)
by James Goss
due 21st July 2011

Gwen and Rhys are on the run. Rhys was hoping this meant a windswept cottage on a cliff top, but he’s had to settle for a miserable caravan in the isolated village of Rawbone. With the locals taking an unhealthy interest in their daughter, Gwen and Rhys start to realise that something is very wrong.

As they uncover the village’s terrible past, Gwen discovers that Torchwood will never leave her behind, and now she and Rhys stand alone in defence of the Earth. And the children of Rawbone can only bring her closer to the secret forces that want her out of the way.

Based on the hit series created by Russell T Davies, First Born is a prequel to Torchwood: Miracle Day, starring John Barrowman and Eve Myles as Jack Harkness and Gwen Cooper, with Kai Owen as Rhys Williams.

Torchwood: Long Time Dead (available for pre-order)
by Sarah Pinborough
due 4th August 2011

Cardiff Bay. The government has ordered the excavation of the wreckage of a secret underground base. DCI Tom Cutler is watching from a distance, fascinated by the process. There are people in his dreams. People he feels he should know.

The disbanded Torchwood Institute spent a century accumulating non-terrestrial artefacts and catching aliens. Who knows what – or who – might still be intact down there. But by the time they find the first body, Suzie Costello is long gone.

Based on the hit series created by Russell T Davies, Long Time Dead is a prequel to Torchwood: Miracle Day, starring John Barrowman and Eve Myles as Jack Harkness and Gwen Cooper. It features Suzie Costello, as played by Indira Varma.

Torchwood: The Men Who Sold The World (available for pre-order)
by Guy Adams
due 18th August 2011

When Oscar Lupe appears 20,000 feet up in the air, his body is frozen solid and free-falling to earth. It shatters on impact. Soon after, a CIA Special Activities Division squad goes rogue with a cargo marked ‘Torchwood’ that they’ve been escorting from somewhere called Cardiff.

The Agency puts Rex Matheson on the case. As the strange deaths pile up, Rex realises there must be experimental tech out there, but someone is obstructing him at every turn. Rex is the CIA’s golden boy – but has he met his match in the evasive Mr Wynter…?

Based on the hit series created by Russell T Davies, The Men Who Sold The World is a prequel to Torchwood: Miracle Day, starring John Barrowman and Eve Myles as Jack Harkness and Gwen Cooper, with Mekhi Phifer as Rex Matheson.

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

BBC Books: Eleventh Doctor releases

Friday, 10 June 2011 - Reported by Chuck Foster

The latest in the BBC Books range of Doctor Who novels following the adventures of the Eleventh Doctor and his companions are due for release on the 23rd June 2011:

Doctor Who: Borrowed Time (available for pre-order)
by Naomi Alderman

"You want more time Mr Brown, of course you do. We all want more time. Let me make you an offer..."

Andrew Brown never has enough time. No time to call his sister, or to prepare for that important presentation at the bank where he works. The train’s late, the lift jams. If only he’d had just a little more time. And time is the business of Mr Symington and Mr Blenkinsop. They’ll lend him some – at a very reasonable rate of interest.

Detecting a problem, the Doctor, Amy and Rory go undercover at the bank. But they have to move fast to stop Symington and Blenkinsop before they cash in their investments.

A thrilling all-new adventure featuring the Doctor, Amy and Rory, as played by Matt Smith, Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill in the spectacular hit series from BBC Television.

Doctor Who: Touched By An Angel (available for pre-order)
by Jonathan Morris

"The past is like a foreign country. Nice to visit, but you really wouldn’t want to live there."

In 2003, Rebecca Whitaker died in a road accident. Her husband Mark is still grieving. He receives a battered envelope, posted eight years ago, containing a set of instructions with a simple message: “You can save her.”

As Mark is given the chance to save Rebecca, it’s up to the Doctor, Amy and Rory to save the whole world. Because this time the Weeping Angels are using history itself as a weapon.

A thrilling all-new adventure featuring the Doctor, Amy and Rory, as played by Matt Smith, Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill in the spectacular hit series from BBC Television.

Doctor Who: Paradox Lost (available for pre-order)
by George Mann

"The Squall feed on psychic energy. They spread like a plague and if they are not stopped they will strip the Earth clean..."

London 1910: an unsuspecting thief finds himself confronted by grey-skinned creatures that are waiting to devour his mind. London 2789: the remains of an ancient android are dredged from the Thames. When reactivated it has a warning that can only be delivered to a man named ‘the Doctor’.

The Doctor and his friends must solve a mystery that has spanned over a thousand years. If they fail, the deadly alien Squall will devour the world.

A thrilling all-new adventure featuring the Doctor, Amy and Rory, as played by Matt Smith, Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill in the spectacular hit series from BBC Television.

FILTER: - Merchandise - Books

Roy Skelton (1931-2011)

Wednesday, 8 June 2011 - Reported by Anthony Weight

Voice actor Roy Skelton, who contributed to dozens of Doctor Who episodes across the eras of all seven of the classic series Doctors, has died at the age of 79. BBC News reports that the actor suffered from a stroke.

Best known in Doctor Who circles for his Dalek and Cyberman voices, he was also well-known in British television for his voice work on the famous children's series Rainbow, where he famously provided the vocal characterisation of the puppets George and Zippy.

Born in Oldham in July 1931, Skelton's first involvement with Doctor Who came when he provided voices for the Monoids in the 1966 William Hartnell serial The Ark. He returned to the series later that year to provide voices to the first ever Cybermen in Hartnell's finale as the Doctor, The Tenth Planet. It was in 1967 that he first took on the role he became most associated with on Doctor Who, when he voiced the Daleks in Evil of the Daleks, lining up against Second Doctor Patrick Troughton. He then provided Dalek voices right through until their final classic series appearance in 1988's Remembrance of the Daleks, starring Sylvester McCoy. He also made the occasional on-screen appearance, such as briefly playing the body of the Spiridon Wester, whose voice he had provided, when the character became visible on his death in the Jon Pertwee serial Planet of the Daleks in 1973.

Skelton's ability to provide Dalek voices in different registers which he could switch between as recording was in progress enabled a variety of characterisation and conversation to be played in Dalek scenes. This ability to quickly switch between voices also served him well on Rainbow, a series he stayed with from its origins in the early 1970s through to the 1990s, where he was frequently called on to voice quick-fire conversations between his two characters of George and Zippy.

His association with two such long-lasting series fondly remembered by the British public meant that Skelton often appeared in documentaries and interviews, and he even returned to voice Zippy for a surreal guest appearance in a 2008 episode of the BBC One drama series Ashes to Ashes, set in an illusory version of the early 1980s.

His Rainbow co-star Geoffrey Hayes told the BBC:

The most wonderful thing was if Zippy and George were having an argument between themselves, it sounded like he'd double-tracked it as they seemed to be talking over each other. It was a wonderful technique and I don't know how he did it. Although he was known for Zippy and George he was actually a fabulous actor with a great singing voice and a wonderful raconteur - he used to tell us some wonderful stories.

FILTER: - Obituary - Classic Series

BBC confirms fourteen new episodes of Doctor Who

Tuesday, 7 June 2011 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Sam Hodges, Head of Communications for BBC1, Fiction, Daytime and HD at the BBC has confirmed on Twitter this afternoon that Doctor Who has indeed been commissioned for a further fourteen episodes, with Matt Smith continuing in the role. Head writer Stephen Moffat re-iterated:

14 eps + Matt DEFINITELY. I've got a plan and I'm NOT TELLING YOU WHAT IT IS.
Now hush or River shoots you with her Spoiler Gun.

No details on how the next series will be broadcast have been revealed at present, though Doctor Who Magazine confirmed that one will be the now traditional Christmas Special for 2011. Meanwhile the Guardian has reported a BBC spokesperson as saying:

The new commission is a big commitment, not many other shows have such a commitment so far in advance. We do not know yet how many will air in 2012.

The news comes after UK satirical publication Private Eye commented on Twitter that details on the state of Doctor Who production appear in their latest issue; coupled by an interview with Matt Smith in Saturday's Mirror about his Hollywood aspirations, this had promoted widespread speculation in fandom over the series' future.

FILTER: - Doctor Who - Matt Smith - Series 7/33

The Crash of the Elysium

Tuesday, 7 June 2011 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Immersive theatre producers Punchdrunk are to create a new interactive experience for the Manchester International Festival based upon Doctor Who.

Aimed for children between the ages of six and twelve, The Crash of the Elysium is based around the wreck of the steamship and an exploration inside the remains. There are two tie-in websites that provide more 'background' to the adventure, the Northwest Historical Society's coverage of the crash, and a blog by salvage diver Daryl Christofi and his plans to visit the wreck.

The experience is written by Felix Barrett, creative director for Punchdrunk, and Tom MacRae - who wrote Rise of the Cybermen/Age of Steel for the 2006 series of Doctor Who - and the story is based on an original idea by series head writer Steven Moffat.

As with a number of associated projects in recent years, there's an introductory video on the site from the Doctor himself (see below for more on this)

Message from the Doctor, BBC/Punchdrunk, via YouTube

The performances will take place at the BBC's new MediaCity UK building at Salford Quays as part of this year's festival, running from 30th June to 17th July.

The production is around an hour in length, and the audience walk throughout the performance. The show is restricted to children in the age range 6-12, with a version just for them and another which is aimed for younger children of 6-8 accompanied by a parent. Full details including booking information can be found on the festival event page.

Punchdrunk are known for their projects to convert old buildings into theatrical experiences, and as their site explains:

We focus as much on the audience and the performance space as on the performers and narrative. Our designers occupy deserted buildings and apply a cinematic level of detail to immerse the audience in the world of the show.

The video above has also appeared on the BBC website itself as part of a 'hidden messages' game played over the first few episodes of the last series.

The hidden messages seen on the BBC website were found by looking for words in italics in the Fourth Dimension section, and revealed the following:

The Impossible Astronaut: All the secrets you seek can be found here on the Webb.
Day of the Moon: We found your message! You're alive! But what secrets do you mean my friend?
The Curse of the Black Spot: I mean I glimpsed him! And may the gods help him or perhaps you can.
The Doctor's Wife: To see what I saw click on the spot beyond the Doctor's home planet.
The Rebel Flesh: Message interrupted.

The messages led to the full stop after "Gallifrey" linking to the video, entitled "Analysis Lessons"; this is turn is an anagram of a possible adversary: Lonely Assassins.

FILTER: - Doctor Who - Special Events - Theatre

John Fay to write for Doctor Who

Tuesday, 7 June 2011 - Reported by Chuck Foster

With no official confirmation on the 2012 series of Doctor Who as yet, indications are that the next range of adventures for the Doctor on television are indeed in preparation, with the writer John Fay listed as writing an episode according to his representatives, Culverhouse & James Ltd.

Fay is no stranger to the worlds of Doctor Who, having written Day Two and Day Four of Torchwood: Childen of Earth, and The Gathering for Torchwood: Miracle Day. Other television credits include Primeval and Robin Hood, and many episodes of Coronation Street - one of which won the BAFTA Award for Continuing Drama.

FILTER: - Production - Miracle Day (Series 4) - Series 7/33

May iPlayer Requests

Monday, 6 June 2011 - Reported by Marcus

Doctor Who took the top three places of the most requested programmes on the BBC iPlayer in May.

Top of the chart was the Neil Gaiman written episode, The Doctor's Wife, which was requested over 1.242 million times during the month. Close behind was The Curse of the Black Spot with 1.239 million requests and Day of the Moon with 1.120 million requests.

The highest non Who programme was The Apprentice Episode 2 which came in fourth with 1.18 million requests. The Rebel Flesh was fifth with 1.145 million requesting and The Almost People crept into the top ten with 0.848 million requesting, dispite only being available for the last four days of the month.

The most requested programme this year is still Episode 2 of the Matt Lucas, David Walliams comedy, Come Fly With Me which has been requested 1.86 million times. Hot on its heals is The Impossible Astronaut with 1.79 million requests so far, needing just another 70,000 before it goes off line at the end of this week to take the top place. Day of the Moon is currently 6th for the year.

Nothing has yet come near toppling the Matt Smith début episode, The Eleventh Hour, which still holds the record for the most requested programme ever with over 2.5 million requests.

The complete request analysis for iPlayer in May are available from the BBC Internet Blog

FILTER: - Doctor Who - Ratings - UK - Series 6/32

The Almost People - Official Ratings

Monday, 6 June 2011 - Reported by Marcus

The Almost People achieved a final official rating of of 6.72 million viewers.

The figure, which includes those who watched the programme within seven days of broadcast, makes Doctor Who the 6th most watched programme on BBC One for the week.

Overall it was either 20th or 21st for the week, depending on the numbers watching Friday's edition of Emmerdale on ITV1 HD. Figures outside the ITV1 HD Top Ten are not yet available. An ITV1 HD audience of over 290,000 would see Fridays Emmerdale push Doctor Who out of the top twenty for the first time since Silence in the Library in 2008.

Full figures, which will reveal the final chart position of the episode, should be available in the next few of days.

FILTER: - Doctor Who - Ratings - UK - Series 6/32

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