Series 4 (Torchwood)

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Revision as of 21:57, 18 December 2011 by Tybort (talk | contribs) (I know they were aired around the same time, but do these have anything to do with series 4?)
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Series 4 of Torchwood consisted of ten episodes broadcast between July and September 2011. Like Series 3, the season carried an umbrella title, Miracle Day. This season marked a major departure from past Doctor Who-franchise productions as it was a co-production of BBC Wales and the American cable network, Starz, and was filmed in both Wales and Hollywood. The episodes of Miracle Day were broadcast on Starz in the US several days before their broadcast on BBC One in the UK.

Production occurred after an aborted attempt to interest the Fox network (which had aired the 1996 Doctor Who TV movie) in mounting a fully Americanised remake. The Starz/BBC production is a continuation of existing canon, set at some point after the events of TW: Children of Earth: Day Five and featuring several returning cast members, primarily John Barrowman, Eve Myles and Kai Owen, along with several scripted references to the Doctor and creatures from both Doctor Who and The Sarah Jane Adventures.

Overview

When C.I.A. agent Rex Matheson investigates a global conspiracy, he finds himself unearthing a threat which challenges the entire Human race.

One day, nobody dies. All across the world, nobody dies. And then the next day, and the next, and the next. People keep ageing. They get hurt and sick, but they never die. The populace of the planet dub this "Miracle Day" for the immortality they now seem to have. However, this leads to a negative result: a population boom, overnight. With all the extra people unable to die and continuing births, resources have become limited. It’s suggested that in four months’ time, the human race will cease to be viable. But this can’t be a natural event – someone must have caused "Miracle Day". It’s a race against time as C.I.A. agent Rex Matheson investigates a global conspiracy. The answers lie within an old, secret British institute. As Rex keeps asking “What is Torchwood?", he’s drawn into a world of adventure, and a threat to change what it means to be human, forever.

The answers seem to lie within Torchwood itself. But Torchwood (3rd branch) was destroyed, years ago, and the keys to the institute are held by its only two surviving agents: former Police Officer Gwen Cooper, who has long since disappeared along with her husband and child, and the mysterious Captain Jack Harkness, a man whose history seems to stretch back for centuries and has disappeared off the face of the earth.

Things become even more complicated as Rex soon becomes one of the people continuing to live thanks to "Miracle Day" and his firing from the C.I.A. along with his assistant, Esther Drummond. Luckily, Gwen comes out of hiding and Jack returns to Earth to help. Combining their experience with bizarre situations and information gathered from one of Rex's contacts, a new Torchwood team takes shape.

Adding to the bizarre circumstances, Jack has lost his immortality. While some pharmaceutical companies take advantage of the people needing pain killers, Jack begins to think that something from his past may be causing "Miracle Day". [1]

Miracle Day was written by Russell T Davies and co-produced by BBC Wales, BBC Worldwide and Starz Entertainment. It starred John Barrowman as Jack Harkness, Eve Myles as Gwen Cooper, Mekhi Phifer as Rex Matheson, Alexa Havins as Esther Drummond, Bill Pullman as Oswald Danes and Arlene Tur as Dr. Vera Juarez. It was primarily set in Wales and the US.[2] The series covers an arc in which death ceases to exist on Earth.[3]

Regular series

Note: for the first time in a Doctor Who franchise series, individual episode titles are not displayed on screen.
# Title Writer Director Notes
1 The New World[4] Russell T Davies [5] Bharat Nalluri [6] Return of Jack Harkness. Introduction of Rex Matheson, Esther Drummond, Oswald Danes and Vera Juarez. Beginning of "Miracle Day".
2 Rendition[7] Doris Egan[8] Billy Gierhart[9] Introduction of Jilly Kitzinger.
3 Dead of Night[10] Jane Espenson[11] Billy Gierhart
4 Escape to LA[12] Jim Gray & John Shiban Billy Gierhart
5 The Categories of Life[13] Jane Espenson[14] Guy Ferland Final appearance of Vera Juarez.
6 The Middle Men[15] John Shiban[16] Guy Ferland
7 Immortal Sins[17] Jane Espenson[18] Gwyneth Horder-Payton Introduction of Angelo Colasanto.
8 End of the Road[19] Jane Espenson[20] & Ryan Scott[21] Gwyneth Horder-Payton Death of Angelo Colasanto.
9 The Gathering[22] John Fay[23] Guy Ferland
10 The Blood Line[24] Russell T Davies & Jane Espenson[25] Billy Gierhart Death of Noah Vickers, Allen Shapiro, Geraint Cooper, Esther Drummond, Oswald Danes and Charlotte Wills. End of "Miracle Day".

Cast

The BBC poster for the series
Promotional poster for the series

Primary cast

Secondary cast

Guest stars

Aliens and enemies

Novels

Other releases

Casting notes

Rumours

  • Alonso Frame will appear. [39] This was proven false.
  • It has been hinted that Ianto, who was killed off in the Series 3 episode Children of Earth: Day Four may come back.[40] This was proven false.
  • More of Jack's past will be revealed.[41] This was proven true. Some of his activities in his Torchwood career in the 20th century was shown, it is revealed he had a relationship with a man called Angelo Colasanto.
  • Prior to Starz confirming the writers for Series 4, two notable writers were rumoured to have written scripts for the season: A resume posted online and attributed to Andrew Cartmel indicated he had written an episode entitled "The Jinx" for Series 4[42]; and a report of TV and film writer Bryan Fuller (House, Superman Returns) meeting with Russell T Davies and Julie Gardner in the summer of 2010 led to rumours that he, too, was writing an episode. [43] These were proven false.

Footnotes

  1. http://http://gallifreynewsbase.blogspot.com/2011/01/dwn080111003008-torchwood-miracle-day.html
  2. http://www.gallifreynewsbase.blogspot.com/2010/06/torchwood-international.html
  3. http://insidetv.ew.com/2011/01/07/torchwood-plot-miracle-day/
  4. http://www.starz.com/originals/Torchwood/Episode101#
  5. http://www.kasterborous.com/2010/08/19/torchwood-a-long-slow-process/
  6. http://gallifreynewsbase.blogspot.com/2011/01/dwn070111093008-torchwood-broadcast.html
  7. http://www.starz.com/originals/Torchwood/Episode102#
  8. http://gallifreynewsbase.blogspot.com/2011/01/dwn270111123008-torchwood-news-roundup.html
  9. http://news.whoviannet.co.uk/2011/01/torchwood-cast-and-crew-return-to-south-wales/
  10. http://www.starz.com/originals/Torchwood/Episode103#
  11. http://twitter.com/JaneEspenson
  12. http://www.starz.com/originals/Torchwood/Episode104#
  13. http://www.starz.com/originals/Torchwood/Episode105#
  14. http://twitter.com/JaneEspenson
  15. http://www.starz.com/originals/Torchwood/Episode106#
  16. http://gallifreynewsbase.blogspot.com/2011/01/dwn270111123008-torchwood-news-roundup.html
  17. http://www.starz.com/originals/Torchwood/Episode107#
  18. http://twitter.com/JaneEspenson
  19. http://www.starz.com/originals/Torchwood/Episode108#
  20. http://twitter.com/JaneEspenson
  21. http://gallifreynewsbase.blogspot.com/2011/01/dwn270111123008-torchwood-news-roundup.html
  22. http://www.starz.com/originals/Torchwood/Episode109#
  23. http://news.whoviannet.co.uk/2011/03/john-fay-discusses-new-torchwood-in-live-webchat/
  24. http://www.starz.com/originals/Torchwood/Episode110#
  25. http://https://twitter.com/#!/JaneEspenson/status/60402913075400704
  26. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Start Date
  27. http://gallifreynewsbase.blogspot.com/2011/01/dwn270111123008-torchwood-news-roundup.html
  28. http://gallifreynewsbase.blogspot.com/2011/01/dwn270111123008-torchwood-news-roundup.html
  29. http://gallifreynewsbase.blogspot.com/2011/01/dwn270111123008-torchwood-news-roundup.html
  30. http://www.denofgeek.com/television/762441/wayne_knight_joins_torchwood_miracle_day.html/
  31. http://www.doctorwhonews.net/
  32. http://www.doctorwhonews.net/
  33. http://www.denofgeek.com/television/693729/torchwood_the_new_world_casting_latest.html/
  34. http://www.afterelton.com/TV/2011/03/brad-casey-dillon-john-barrowman-torchwood-miracle-day-gayhooku/
  35. http://www.trekweb.com/articles/2011/05/17/Nana-Visitor-and-John-De-Lancie-to-Guest-Star-in-Torchwood-Miracle-Day.shtml
  36. http://www.trekweb.com/articles/2011/05/17/Nana-Visitor-and-John-De-Lancie-to-Guest-Star-in-Torchwood-Miracle-Day.shtml
  37. http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/cult/s8/torchwood/news/a256963/james-marsters-wants-torchwood-return.html
  38. http://news.whoviannet.co.uk/2011/03/freema-says-the-door-is-always-open-for-her-to-return/
  39. http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/cult/s8/torchwood/news/a194870/russell-tovey-to-join-torchwood-team.html
  40. http://doctorwhotv.co.uk/torchwood-back-from-the-dead-9249.htm
  41. http://insidetv.ew.com/2011/05/27/torchwood-captain-jack/.htm
  42. http://www.janetfillingham.com/writersdirect/documents/AndrewCartmelcv_001.pdf
  43. http://www.kasterborous.com/2010/07/08/new-torchwood-writer/