Torchwood

Perhaps you have read or heard about the Doctor Who spin off called "Torchwood". Well, my friends and gentle readers it is a darn good show. It features the character Captain Jack Harkness who you may remember from the new Doctor Who. The BBC says it is a "dark, clever, wild, sexy, British crime/sci-fi paranoid thriller cop show with a sense of humor". It is all this and more. The sexual content of this series may preclude it from ever making an appearance on TVs in the US. I haven’t had much success finding any information on Torchwood coming to the States other than a snippet briefly mentioning an interview with Julie Gardner, Torchwood and Doctor Who’s executive producer. In the interview she neither confirms nor denies future broadcasts of Torchwood in the US. So I will leave it to your own devices to get your hands on Torchwood episodes.

Will this be a worthwhile spin-off? I believe it will. Think of a cross between X-Files, Men in Black and Doctor Who then you will have a good idea of what to expect. Torchwood is a secret British government organization but this series follows the branch in Cardiff. We go along for a ride with a group of five investigators, all with varying talents and skills, tasked to keep the Earth safe. They do so by collecting alien technology, thus ensuring the Earth will be protected from future alien (or otherwise) threats. As of today I have only seen about five episodes. Within these episodes there has been everything from an alien coming to Earth to subsist on orgasmic energy to fairies to cannibalism. Torchwood’s characters are not super heroes nor do they come close to being supreme in any way. They are ordinary folks making bad decisions and showing weaknesses that are easily exploited. Their leader, Captain Jack, is a different matter. He seems to process super human abilities. First and foremost, he can not die. While every episode sheds a little more light on Jack I am unsure if he knows the origin or is unwilling to divulge the cause of his immortality.

Torchwood is very graphic and very sexual. Everyone’s sexuality seems to be in a constant state of flux. Jack even admits to being pregnant in the past. There is a heavy emphasis on women “snogging” (read: kissing). And then there are plenty of weapons to be had. They are stockpiling them like an American Militia. A comment made by one of the characters saying "I'd like to see CSI Cardiff” was quite tongue in cheek. No doubt CSI would have a hard time dealing with the rift in space and time running through Cardiff as there is all matter of bad creatures and events coming through this crack.

While this overall concept that has had its time again and again, I am finding Torchwood enjoyable. After all, it IS British, there is lots of humor AND it’s sci-fi! I can get behind that. You may also notice Torchwood is an anagram of Doctor Who. Those astute brits! And because I like this show and hope to see it air here in the States one day, I am adding a Torchwood section in our links.

Home Theather the Star Trek Way

Home theaters are all the rage these days. However, only a Star Trek fan could take it a step or two further. Our friend Mel sent a link demonstrating this very concept. Go check it out here. I wonder do the doors work AND make that cool sound too? Thanks, Mel!

Be a part of history

Thanks to the modern wonders of the Internet you could be a part of history by voting for the new Seven Wonders of the World. The final announcement will be made on 07/07/07 (how clever!). The field has been narrowed to 21 locations or sites. There can only be seven, so choose carefully. Please find the official website here. And for your convenience I have also put a special link over here to the right. So spread the word and be a part of history!

Enterprise boldly goes to the Sci FI Channel

The ill- fated UPN series Enterprise has began running on the Sci-Fi channel, starting this week, beginning the 7th of January and running thru the 11th. The show was beginning to find its feet when the UPN network, now known as the CW network, decided that it didn’t need science fiction in its series lineup and now they have no shows of any real quality to show for itself. The show producers for Enterprise said UPN did nothing to help the series and seeing the things that are on there now, I believe it is true. Science Fiction has a tough time finding an audience on network television with the exception of NBC’s Heroes and ABC's Lost, which seems to be holding their audiences. Hopefully this trend will continue for some time to come as long as the scripts remain interesting. Battlestar Galactica is about to be signed for its 4th season and the announcement should come before the beginning of the second part of the third season returning in the later part of January. Ron Moore, co-producer of the BSG series is also working on a new show titled “Caprica”. "Caprica" deals with the humans of the colonies and what may have led up to the war between the cylons and humans. I think this show has definite possibilities for fans of BSG and political science enthusiasts alike, I just hope folks at the Sci-Fi channel can see the need for good television versus the B Movies they have produced and aired lately. We here at SCIFIPUNDIT hope you enjoy our blog and we will continue to keep you updated on the most recent developments in the science fiction and fantasy world. Another quick note for movie buffs, go see Night at the Museum. It is a very fun movie for the family and Ben Stiller is pretty good in it. If you have seen it or any other good movies lately please let us know here so, we can post about it.