Friday, September 12, 2008

London Road Trip

Filming on Torchwood's shortened third season - titled "Children of Earth" - continues in Cardiff, before moving to London later in the year, according to the news section of the latest Torchwood Magazine. Inside issue 9 we're told that, despite being only 5 episodes long, the arc will form the most expensive story ever attempted by the team at Upper Boat studios.

Torchwood has never filmed outside of Wales before - although several Doctor Who episodes ("Rose", "Aliens of London", "The Shakespeare Code") have had footage shot in London; although most of the time, Cardiff is 'dressed' to have the appearence of the English capital.

Says Russell T Davies, "As the title suggests, Children of Earth will see the Torchwood team face a crisis of global proportions, so it makes perfect sense that Torchwood should be crossing national borders. But the story is still rooted firmly in Cardiff, and the team will always call it home." It's been suggested one possibly reason for filming in London rather than merely set dressing Cardiff is [POSSIBLE SPOILERS! HIGHLIGHT TO REVEAL] accomodate both Freema Agyeman and Noel Clarke for block two - episodes 4/5 - as they're busy in the city recording other material, like Law & Order: London.

In other news John Barrowman has announced plans for another album, to be released November 24th. Called "Music Music Music" it'll feature covers of well known musical theatre tracks, as well as some country/western too - and straightforaward pop! So, if you've ever wanted John to 'do' Bette Midler or Dusty Springfield, then this is for you. Think I'll give it a miss personally... Kinda have a thing against musical covers!

Also, plans are afoot for some sort of Torchwood/Doctor Who crossover appeal for this year's Children in Need - although no details have been leaked as of yet. It could be anything from another ruddy musical concert (John Barrowman doing Bette Midler, anybody?! No, seriously, he can sing, honest! Act and dance and run the egg and spoon race too!) to a short scene specially recorded for the night, a la last year's 5th/10th Doctor Who minisode, "Time Crash".

More news on the development as it comes in.

The rest of the new issue is pretty straightforward, by the numbers stuff. There's a look behind the scenes of Wednesday's radio episode "Lost Souls", a look at the team's S.U.V, an interview with make-up designer Marie Doris, new adventures through original fiction and the latest part of the comic strip - not to mention the start of a brand new feature. More below...

Yep, the magazine has decided to go down the route of publishing a series guide - plotting each episode in detail, and probing all the behind the scenes gossip. This month, "Everything Changes" - and I'd like to say I learnt something, or that it read like one of Andrew Pixley's genius Doctor Who Magazine archives. Alas, on both counts, not. If you've already seen the episode in question, then you won't learn anything new here. It seems like just another way of filling five pages of the magazine, in the six or so months before the new series starts and the publication has anything new to report!

Come on Torchwood Magazine, you can do better than this! Aside from the original fiction and news section, you seriously need to pull your finger out of your ass! Honestly, this is getting embarrassing now. You could be *so* much better.

Torchwood: The Official Magazine issue 9 is out now priced £3.99.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

The Spoilers are not hidden!

Anonymous said...

think you should had spent more time on vacation why all the nagative comments? what are wrong with covers can think of many singers who have done them you must have a very small cd collection also there is a new song on JB's new cd. your rude ranting was not you best moment

Anthony Garnon said...

Anonymous, you hit the nail on the head: I *should* have spent more time on vacation. There, I said it - in the process outing myself as a holiday-whore. ;)

My problem with covers? They's so damn lazy, and demonstrate no imagination whatsoever. Worse still, there's a sense that the artist is gaining ground and popularity based upon the already established fanbase of the original artist or musical piece.

As I said, lazy.

John Barrowman has a great voice - he could use it more wisely. This is, after all, his second CD of covered tracks on the trot (and that's not including his CDs from before his time on 'Who or 'Wood).

I feel my comments were justified. You like covers? Great, then go buy the damn CD. Me? I'll give it a miss, but I'd never force any of you guys or gals reading to do so too (hence the "think I'll give it a miss PERSONALLY" comment - key word, "personally", as in me, singular).

What does anybody else think of covered song tracks, or Torchwood Magazine?

Anthony.

PS: Rude? Me? Well naturally, this is my blog ;)

Anonymous said...

Spoilers are only hidden under certain circumstances, possibly if a user is using a certan browser they won't be hidden. they aren't hidden for me as I'm reading the RSS feed which displays the news in plain text.

As for covers... some people are just singers. Not everyone can be a singer / songwriter or has a poetic soul in their periphery that will foist epic ballads and heart-warming songs on them. I think Barrowman just likes showtunes and feels the need to put his own voice to them. Some of us are content to sing our favourite songs in the shower, others feel the need to put it out on CD. Not really my bag either, but I can see why it's done and there is a market for it.

Anonymous said...

you should enter politics you must think by saying something it becomes true you have mixed up knowledge with opion guess once a song is sung or any piece of music is played that is it? never again by anyone. talking about showing no imagination

Anonymous said...

why does doing a cover excludes someone with a "poetic soul"? what hogwash. when did you record your cd with originals? and why would that make it better than covers? music is not set in stone if it was then there would be one recording one performance and that would be it different people play, sing,performe music in their way. i have cd's with all original and cd's with covers and some of the cd's of covers are classics of their genre don't always like all songs on cd's no matter how original or if covers to exclude a cd because it is mainly covers is very narrow

Anonymous said...

Presumably then you only listen to Mozart played by Mozart, Cole Porter played by Cole Porter and Gershwin by Gershwin? I suspect your CD collection is actually full of the "covers" you so snootily sniff at, but you just don't realise they are covers.

Anonymous said...

i highly agree with the point in the blog about how torchwood magazine could do so much better - and to be honest i'd only really splash out on it if there was an interview with one of the cast which by the sounds of it there isn't one. and jeez people enough about the covers! personally i find JB songs awesome and can't wait for his CD. but don't launch an attack on people whether they do or don't like covers - sometimes it's possible to like the original AND covers! :D

Anonymous said...

Found outtake clips from the Torchwood DVD here: http://popwatch.ew.com/popwatch/2008/09/bits-and-bobs-1.html

I don't agree about what they say about James Marsters' accent.

Anonymous said...

...JESUS you people are a wee bit sensitive with the covers issue.

Calm down. It was just an opinion. No need to get all bent out of shape about it. Some people like covers, some don't. Live with it. =\


aaand if, ( for me ) hidden possible spoiler becomes true, I shall be a happy gal =D

Anonymous said...

Wow, this is cranky. Feel free to have your opinion on Barrowman's album and the magazine, but why do it in such a snide tone? Do you think it sounds edgy? If something's not for you, why be mean about it? It's not hurting anyone. I bet some of your favourite songs are cover versions, and you don't even realise. Okay, JB's interpretations are never gonna be earth-shattering, but fans of him and his voice will love to hear him sing much loved and familiar lyrics – more so than they would new compositions, which would probably be the cast-offs other songwriters couldn't flog to Robbie Williams or will Young. As for the Torchwood Magazine, what do you want them to print? They've interviewed pretty much everyone, used pretty much every picture that exists, presumably can't give anything away about series three, so what, specifically, do you think they should be writing about? It's not like DWM, which has 40+ years of history to fall back on. Don't just moan if you don't have any better ideas.

Anonymous said...

Freema back again - no !!! Dumbed down Torchwood that means.

Mind you, we kind of saw this coming after the radio play which was so dumbed down it was more like one of the worst Dr Who episodes before the "return" brought it more into the 14 - 90 age range.

Wahinetoa said...

Leave Freema alone.. she's freakin' awesome, thank you!!

Totally look forward to her and Noel returning, the chemistry between them, as well as with Jack, with Torchwood and the broken world, will be fantastic to see play out.

If "Journeys End" was a hint of what is to come.., then Yay!