Torchwood - Children of Earth (Series 3) [DVD]: Amazon.co.uk: John Barrowman, Eve Myles, Gareth David-Lloyd, Kai Owen, John Barrowman, Eve Myles: Electronics & Photo (original) (raw)
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Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 28 October 2010
Science fiction has been my favourite genre of TV show and film for a very long time now. I know a lot about it, and love it very much. And dislike the fact that, on average, it's rubbish.
Most of the sci-fi shows I grew up with are now unwatchable - the plots are too cliche, the acting too poor, the effects too cheap, and the characters too artificial. A friend of mine pointed out how telling it is for a genre when a series involving the slightest trace of moral grey area is considered 'dark.' It seems we sci-fi fans want nothing more than for Captain Picard to rub into the aliens' faces how right the humans always are, and for the script to back him up. Yes, I know, there are some shows - especially recently - that involve protagonists who can admit they might have been wrong, or that the villains might have had some justification for their actions, shows that perhaps even have the heroes lose from time to time, and are therefore worth watching (BSG, DS9, Firefly, Angel), but they remain too few and far between.
So then, in 2005, the BBC relaunched Doctor Who, and the fandom rejoiced. The absurdity that I'd place a kids' show in higher esteem than most of its more adult-aimed competition is not lost on me; I would argue simply that Doctor Who is not a kids' show. Nor is it a family show. It is, I believe, very much an adults' show, in kid-friendly wrapping. Look at some of the themes addressed: 'Dalek' deals with a soldier who has lost all he once fought for, and has nothing left but a hatred no one else will justify, 'The Long Game' looks at how a population can be controlled with the odd word here and there in the media, and 'Boom Town' deals with the ethics of the death penalty, on a very personal level. Those examples are just the ones from the first series. Also, while Doctor Who has plenty of 'everybody lives!' moments, it isn't afraid to balance these out every now and again with things like the ending of 'The Family Of Blood,' in which the hero personally condemns his enemies to an eternal fate worse than death. Do I even need to mention the end of 'The Waters Of Mars?'
Torchwood, then, had a lot to live up to - how do you make a show like that even more adult? The answer, clearly, is by adding swearing, sex, violence, and a great deal of batting for both sides. So, as should seem fairly obvious, that answer is wrong. That's how you make a teenage show, and a bad one at that. For a good teenage show, watch Buffy The Vampire Slayer. And it's quite telling that the one episode of Torchwood that doesn't feel like a wasted, disappointing opportunity is the one that features a special guest star straight out of Buffy, playing pretty much the same Whedonesque character, just with a new name and coat. In their defence, the premise was flawed from the start - how do you create drama out of a leading man who can't die, and will sleep with anything? Out of loyalty, and a desperate hope it would get better, I watched the entirety of the first two seasons of Torchwood, despite them being about as good as something between Tesco value lager and Babylon 5. It hardly seemed surprising, then, that the BBC cut down Torchwood's next season to just five episodes.
And then, the show that had been the laughing stock of the entire genre released the best series ever made. Bar none.
This is a show that has now earned that 'dark' label. Our characters deal with adult situations, and make adult decisions, accepting that the best answer may be a very long way from ideal. There's very little gore/sex/swearing/Captain Jack hitting on everything in sight, and those moments aren't missed. Somehow, the humour is still there, only now, instead of giving the impression that the characters aren't taking things seriously, it makes them likeable. In terms of plot, it is original, unpredictable, and intelligent, but, more than anything, very very good. The acting (yes, even that of John Barrowman!) is top notch. The direction and pacing is every bit as tight as that of its parent show, and the fraught/hunted/frightening atmosphere even better. I have not a bad thing to say about it, but offer the warning that it will be impossible to top. Really, watch Battlestar and Angel first, and then this, because there's 'darker and edgier,' and then Children of Earth.
To summarise, if you want teenage funtimes, watch Buffy The Vampire Slayer. If you want happy endings, try Star Trek: The Next Generation. For giant space battles, how about Star Wars? But if you want science-fiction to live up to all it could ever be, and deliver powerful, thoughful and gripping human drama, complete with all the intricacies and moral quandries of real life, this is everything you could dream of, and so much more. Sad is happy for deep people.
5 people found this helpful
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 20 January 2024
We delivered this package on time and with care and they're enjoying this series
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 12 January 2010
Five hour long episodes, each covering one day in a week never to be forgotten. Why did all the world's children keep stopping in their tracks at exactly the same moment, in due course to chant "we are coming" and point to the sky? The answer is horrendous, the start of a nightmare ever to increase its grip. Aliens (known only as 456) demand ten per cent of the planet's children. Failure to comply means death for the human race. Politicians realize here is an enemy that cannot be beaten. Instantly they seek ways of how best to spin to their voters what needs to be done, their own children of course to be exempt. Chillingly one suggestion is at long last to put the school league tables to good use, underachievers surely the most expendable.
Already we know head of Torchwood, Jack Harkness, is indestructible (being blown to bits no problem)- but now he seems surprisingly vulnerable. Can the present crisis really be the direct result of action he took in 1965? He and his team, those who survived Season 2, are now to face their greatest challenge. There will be sacrifices....
This is most powerful drama - full of fine writing and acting - not to mention stunning special effects. The Torchwood leads are, as ever, excellent. Mention must also be made of other key players - Peter Capaldi as the loyal civil servant, ultimately to take measures that truly shock; Susan Brown as his faithful secretary; Nicholas Farrell as the thoroughly duplicitous P.M.
The ultimate test of a drama is surely how much the viewer becomes involved and is made to care. Here I was hooked all the way through, tension at times almost unbearable, certain sequences - two in particular - genuinely moving. Outstanding fare - warmly recommended.
5 people found this helpful
Top reviews from other countries
5.0 out of 5 stars Pour les fans de Torchwood C’est vraiment un classique à ajouter à votre bibliothèque
Reviewed in Canada on 29 November 2023
J’ai vraiment Apprécié Cette série télévisée et j’ai trouvé dommage Que n’a pas obtenu le succès qu’elle aurait dû recevoir Par le public . À propos de ce titre en particulier, il est vraiment très original et unique en soi Tout grand Quelques intrigues Vraiment Intéressantes . Je le recommanderais à tous ceux qui aiment Les science-fiction Bien ficelé et original si savent encore nous surprendre .
Rev Dr John Benjamin David Tatum DD PhD
5.0 out of 5 stars Finally Russell T. Davies Created His Own Series
Reviewed in the United States on 12 July 2011
Torchwood: Children of Earth, is the proof that Russell T. Davies, finally can write his own work and not be derivative. True, Torchwood is technically a "Spin-Off" of "Doctor Who"... but with this mini-series event, he has proven that he can write a story that can show the true human spirit with the minimum of "gimmicks". True there was an "Alien" in this series. There were characters that were introduced to us in "Doctor Who" and on the first two seasons of "Torchwood", but this moves away from the "monster of the week" sort of show that the first two seasons of "Torchwood" on BBC became (a poor attempt at an "adult program for fans of Doctor Who"). This instead was pure high quality adult science fiction, that shows the human failings, without having to use "aliens and special effects" for a "crutch". We can see how our governments are all too ready to "give in" what is of most value, when we are put against "overwhelming odds". We can see where sacrifice can be too high of a price, when it is something we most value. Numbers are irrelevant, when it comes to what we hold most dear. What price is too high to "save our skins" from what may be seen as "total destruction". During World War I and World War II, especially, we saw how we had a choice to either allow a strong enemy overwhelm us... or we could fight and not surrender for the values that mean the most to us.
This again is not the "monster of the week". It does not have some "space alien" from Galifrey, coming to save our poor defenseless human behinds because we are so weak that we can not do anything for ourselves. We can see where our worst enemy at times is ourselves, and it takes the courage of the average human being to FIGHT FOR SURVIVAL. Even if it means that we might lose everything. In World War I and in World War II, our fathers gave EVERYTHING in order to give this world safety and peace, even if it meant their own lives. In more recent moments of war, our brothers have given EVERYTHING to give this world some safety and peace in this world of terrorism, where we do not have a clearly defined enemy on a map. If anything, the wars we see in our world today are more a fight against "aliens" than any wars we have had in the past.
Are we willing to give up our souls, just for the chance of having a few more days to breathe on this planet? Or are we willing to fight the good fight, even if it means we can have a chance to lose anything.
I have read many reviews on this particular mini-series, and on the Torchwood: The Complete Original UK Series which includes this mini-series complain about it. About its strong "American Influences" (and that of the new Starz US Version of Torchwood... "Torchwood: Miracle Day"). But those who complain must be the British who are trying to compare the ORIGINAL "Doctor Who" with the "Russell T. Davies Doctor Who" which is a very Welsh production and especially "Torchwood" while technically a "spin-off" of the "Russell T. Davies Doctor Who" (but not really a spin-off of the ORIGINAL "Doctor Who")... and realize that this is a very well made Welsh drama series, that is trying to still feed those who love the classic Science Fiction of someone of the quality of a C.S. Lewis, H.G. Welles, Ray Bradbury, or Issac Asimov... which are "less monsters" and more "science" in their "fiction"... then you might be able to see the difference.
"Torchwood" was never meant to be aimed at the "Doctor Who" demographic, for the "very young to the very old". "Torchwood", deals with a lot more "adult issues" that are more typical of the previous work of Russell T. Davies. If anything "Doctor Who" is the ONE SERIES that does not really fit in the resume of Russell T. Davies, who is mostly a writer and producer of adult orientated programing (not talking pornography here by any means, I am talking about adult issues including more "regular violence" than "fantasy violence", more "sexuality" than is normal for "prime time programming", things that would not "float" on Network Television in the United States). On the BBC, much more profanity and sexuality is "okay" for a "prime time audience" (being allowed on the publicly paid for via television receiver license fees channels of the British Broadcasting Network, with minimal complaints on Ofcom in the UK which handles the FCC type complaints we have in the US). Here in the US, such programming would not be allowed on "Over the Air" broadcasts during "prime time" due to the very "Adult Nature" of even Seasons 1 and 2 of "Torchwood" (and "Doctor Who" is still a "Kiddie Show" compared to "Torchwood" even under the control of Mr. Davies).
So if you have been a fan of the work of Russell T. Davies, between 1994 and 2004 (after he first started in television in "children's programming" moved into "Adult Programming" for that decade, then even with his "coming out of the closet" in such a BIG WAY (as his adult programming shows), being allowed by the BBC to take over their "Gold Standard" franchise of "Doctor Who"... then you should have known what to expect. He moved out of the "day to day" operations of "Doctor Who" because he wanted to go back into more "Adult Orientated Drama" (designed for a demographic of those who have graduated high school and beyond), which he has done with "Torchwood". With this mini-series he finally fine tuned what he needed to do to create great adult science fiction (without needing a "blue box", a "sonic screwdriver", an "alien of the week", or even with an "alien" being the "main star"). Unlike "Doctor Who" who has a "lead character" in "The Doctor", "Torchwood" had always been an ensemble cast, that has made it such a strong drama. It took a couple of years for it to fully "break off" from the "crutch" of "Doctor Who"... but now it is becoming a great drama.
If you want to blame how "bad" this mini-series is, or praise how "good" this mini series is... you must lie it entirely at the FEET of Russell T. Davies. After all he is the one who CREATED "Torchwood", and "Torchwood: Children of Earth" was ENTIRELY HIS STORY, and he shares the writing credits on the scripts for the mini-series, but the story is entirely his. From the first word to the closing line. So if you do not like how "Torchwood" had advanced, the blame goes squarely on its creator and main writer. After all, it is a Welsh drama series created by a Welshman for an adult audience.
5.0 out of 5 stars Super ! Muss man haben !
Reviewed in Germany on 1 January 2011
Ich muss gestehen ich liebe Torchwood. Dennoch ist die Dritte Staffel "Kinder der Erde" das Beste was ich den letzten Jahren an Filmen und Serien aus England gesehen habe. Die Story ist an sich ist recht simpel. War schon vorher in etlichen Filmen zu sehen. Außerirdische bedrohen die Welt - Einzelne, oder Gruppen versuchen dies zu verhindern, am Ende ist Friede Freude Eierkuchen. Die Menschheit überlebt-wie immer! Neu ist, dass es einen bezahlbaren Preis für die "Nichtzerstörung" der Erde gibt. Unsere Kinder! Liefern wir sie den Außerirdischen (brilliant übrigens die Kotzszenen)aus, passiert uns nichts. Ein akzeptabler Preis, oder nicht? Jeder der selber Kinder hat schüttelt wehement mit dem Kopf. So nicht. Meine auf keinen Fall.-Wieder ein toller Teil der Serie als um die Auswahlkriterien geht.- Hat sich das nicht schon immer jeder einmal heimlich gewünscht: Mit einem Schlag alle Looser, Dummen und Aufsässigen Kinder weg! Und in ein paar Jahren fehlen die auch als Erwachsene. Praktisch nicht war! Wir werden eine Erde haben mit hochintelligenten, formbaren, anpassbaren Arschkriechern haben die alle auf der Erde glücklich machen. Toll, nicht!
Aber jetzt kommt Torchwood und will das alles verhindern. Vor ein paar Jahren hat das nmit dem bezahlen schon mal geklappt. Niemand hat das auf der Erde mitbekommen, außer ein paar Eingeweihte in Wales. Die Mitwisser müssen natürlich beseitigt werden. Ganz einfach, wofür hat man denn einen Geheimdienst und ein tolles SEK. Egal was die anpacken, es knallt es brennt es explodiert, doch der Kern von Torchwood ist nicht umzubringen. Wie ein roter Faden zieht sich die Tötung von Capt. Jack Harkness durch die Serie. Hier in der dritten Staffel "Kinder der Erde" versucht sich das Einsatzkommando daran. Absolute Höhepunkte sind die Tötungsversuche und die darauf folgenden Wiederauferstehungen unseres geliebten Ewiglebenden Capt. Jack Harkness. Allein dafür lohnt es sich die Serie anzuschauen.
Das er uns am Ende verlässt liegt wohl eher daran, dass die BBC die Serie enden lassen wollte und sich dennoch die Hintertür offen ließ, dass er eines Tages zurück kommt um wieder gegen Außerirdische zu kämpfen.
Ich würde mich freuen. Deshalb kann ich nicht anders. Fünf Sterne für Torchwood-Kinder der Erde!!!
5.0 out of 5 stars Great
Reviewed in Japan on 24 August 2009
Season 1 and 2 were great.
But this 5 Episode blu ray....nothing but stunning
The Quality is by far the best i have ever seen on any blu ray, and i have
quite a large collection.
Story, effects all top notch.
Worth the buy
5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable
Reviewed in Canada on 9 May 2024
I enjoyed it and hope that the series continues