Torchwood: Miracle Day

Dear Bitches,

One day, no one dies.  Next day, no one dies.  Third day, no one dies.  And I so wished that this series had already.  Died.  The series would have finished in the US by now though, and I'm looking forward to seeing its conclusion here in the UK tonight.

Torchwood is no longer just British.  BBC, being a public corporation, doesn't have a lot of money.  Well, it has plenty, but not enough to compete with the gloss and special effects of American television shows.  So Russell T Davies went a-sailing, as most people do when they're searching for money, to America!

To be fair, Torchwood: Miracle Day is glossy and the special effects are impressive specially compared to the previous series when it was all produced by BBC. What American $$$ can do to a TV show is readily seen here. But in many significant aspects, it is inferior to earlier seasons:

1. It is long at 10 episodes and that's not a shallow gripe.  One of the main differences between British dramas and American ones is that the former would only have about 6 episodes at a go.  And that is for very popular dramas like Dr.  Who or Downton Abbey or The Hour. 6 is great because it keeps the narrative tight and focused and there's no room for dilly-dallying (Lost, anyone?).  6 also doesn't require a lot of commitment from the viewer.  American dramas usually have about 20 episodes with re-runs in between.  They last longer than some marriages!  And there is so much kicking about that even 24 had so many wild goose chases just to fill the time.  Even a talented writer like Russell T Davies cannot sustain a suspense for 10 episodes and Torchwood: Miracle Day bears the evidence of this failing.

2. The American actors in the film are boring save Lauren Ambrose who continues to be extremely watchable.  Remember her in Six Feet Under? I'm sure you do. Bill Pullman pulls in an excellent performance as well.

3. Another key difference between British shows and American shows is that writers of the former tend to place greater trust in their audience.  American writers do not trust their audience's smarts and tend to explain or spell out the obvious.  This is most annoying and Torchwood: Miracle Day is peppered with it.

4. John Barrowman is not a good enough actor to hold an audience for 10 episodes.  He only has one expression after all.

I have more gripes but I shall stop here.  Even I am getting bored with myself writing about this.


Until next time, sweet-tarts. Kisses.

Hollie Go-Lightly


Links:
Torchwood: Miracle Day (UK)
Torchwood: Miracle Day (US)