Fears over sexy new Doctor Who spin-off
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- Publication: Daily Mail
- Date: 2006-10-20
- Author: Paul Revoir
- Page: SC1, p. 5
- Language: English
A NEW BBC Doctor Who spin-off series is set to spark outrage among the show's traditional family fanbase by airing four letter outbursts and repeated scenes of gay and lesbian kissing.
Torchwood, an anagram of Doctor Who, which launches next week on BBC2 and BBC3, sees all the leading characters in the drama indulge in same-sex kissing scenes at some point during the series.
It will also include graphic portrayals of violence, including a suicide as well as a sex scene between a man and a woman.
The sci-fi thriller series, which features a string of obscenities in the first ten minutes, follows the escapades of a team of investigators as they harness alien technology to solve crimes. The series stars previous Doctor Who cast member John Barrowman, who plays Captain Jack Harkness.
Glasgow-born Barrowman moved to the U.S. with his family when he was nine years old and has worked largely in musical theatre, appearing in West End shows such as Sunset Boulevard and Miss Saigon.
The 39-year-old is expected to see his star status rocket with his appearance in the high-profile dark sci-fi thriller.
One scene in the first episode of the 13-part run features a leading character kissing another man after covering himself with a special spray that makes other people sexually attracted to him. Two women enjoy a passionate kiss in another 50-minute episode in the series.
Despite the fact that the BBC insists the programme is being aimed squarely at a post-watershed audience, there remain concerns that young viewers of Doctor Who will tune in as well.
Just how a traditional Doctor Who audience will react to the 'blood and snogging' in the series remains to be seen, but the corporation runs the risk of damaging one of its most family-friendly brands.
BBC drama chief Jane Tranter admitted the show, which begins on BBC3 on Sunday night and BBC2 on Wednesday, includes the sex and swearing that usually gets left out of sci-fi programming. And the BBC has made no secret of the near-the-knuckle nature of the show in its promotion material.
Torchwood has been overseen by leading dramatist Russell T Davies, who was responsible for revamping Doctor Who on BBC1.
He said: 'Really, it is pushing it to call these shows quite racy. You can never make any drama fearful of a certain pocket of people being offended.
There might be some that are offended or there might be none.
'Within the first three minutes someone says f*** and that is very deliberate, so that people from that moment on won't get confused about what kind of show they are watching. It is a very clear signal saying don't mix this up with Doctor Who.'
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- APA 6th ed.: Revoir, Paul (2006-10-20). Fears over sexy new Doctor Who spin-off. Daily Mail p. SC1, p. 5.
- MLA 7th ed.: Revoir, Paul. "Fears over sexy new Doctor Who spin-off." Daily Mail [add city] 2006-10-20, SC1, p. 5. Print.
- Chicago 15th ed.: Revoir, Paul. "Fears over sexy new Doctor Who spin-off." Daily Mail, edition, sec., 2006-10-20
- Turabian: Revoir, Paul. "Fears over sexy new Doctor Who spin-off." Daily Mail, 2006-10-20, section, SC1, p. 5 edition.
- Wikipedia (this article): <ref>{{cite news| title=Fears over sexy new Doctor Who spin-off | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Fears_over_sexy_new_Doctor_Who_spin-off | work=Daily Mail | pages=SC1, p. 5 | date=2006-10-20 | via=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=21 November 2024 }}</ref>
- Wikipedia (this page): <ref>{{cite web | title=Fears over sexy new Doctor Who spin-off | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Fears_over_sexy_new_Doctor_Who_spin-off | work=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=21 November 2024}}</ref>
