With Torchwood broadcasting on Fridays in the USA and the following Thursday in the UK, we’re striking a not-too spoilery balance over the next few weeks with our coverage of Series 4 of Russell T Davies’ Doctor Who spin-off.
The New World airs on Starz from 10 pm this evening, while the UK follows suit on Thursday, July 14th at 9 Pm.
Very brief details can be found on the Starz website concerning the synopsis for Torchwood: Miracle Day, episode 101. In fact, this is all you will find:
Ep 101: ‘The New World’ When death itself comes to a halt, the whole world faces its greatest danger yet. CIA agent Rex Matheson has only one clue – Torchwood.
Instead, you’ll have to head to the UK to find a more comprehensive synopsis for the episode.
In The New World, the launch episode of Torchwood: Miracle Day, Agent Rex Matheson is impaled in a car crash and miraculously survives, while his analyst, Esther Drummond, sets out to discover what Torchwood is. Far away, in Wales, Gwen Cooper lives in hiding with her husband Rhys and daughter Anwen – she’s the last surviving Torchwood member and is determined to stay hidden. In Kentucky, convicted murderer Oswald Danes survives his own execution. And when Esther meets the mysterious Captain Jack Harkness, assassins are activated to kill them all…
And to get you in the mood before the big kick-off tonight, a few snaps!
![How Leaks Are Spoiling Doctor Who's 50th [SPOILERS]](http://www.kasterborous.com/wordpress/wp-content/plugins/special-recent-posts/cache/NTA1MG5vNTB0aC1jYXN0aW5nLWh1cnQ=.jpg)
I’m boycotting the UK transmission. I’ll catch it when it is released on DVD. This whole broadcast six days after US airing sets a dangerous precedent for future US/UK co-productions. What if BBC America fund other DW episodes and they insist on first broadcast rights as a condition of that arrangement?
Yes, a six day delay is far too long. A 07/8/2011 broadcast would possibly have been acceptable. Having said that, I am confused as to how at it’s core this is any different from the BBC delaying US transmissions of Doctor Who until after the BBC UK transmissions. By the way, BBC America is owned by BBC Worldwide. BBC Worldwide partnered with Starz for this new series of Torchwood. This new series of Torchwood is not being broadcast on BBC America, just on the Starz cable network.
This scheduling cock-up could potentially be a major own goal for the BBC.
I for one have chosen to download the Starz episodes and thereby watch them within hours of transmission instead of waiting six days for the privilege.
I had originally decided to wait for the BBC’s transmission but on reflection I thought “why the hell should I?”
If this results in the viewing figures for Torchwood being lower than expected, because many potential viewers end up doing the same, then the BBC have no-one but themselves to blame.
It’s absolutely idiotic and deserves to fail.
Besides all that, the actual programme itself has left me rather underwhelmed by it all. I didn’t enjoy the show very much at all… and I was SO looking forward to it.
Oh well, perhaps it will improve over the next ten weeks – I certainly hope so!