Why is Torchwood so utterly bollocks??

I like Torchwood, but if you asked me to name a good episode outside series 3 I would be really hard pressed. It is just fluffy silly sci-fi with a couple of cool characters and a few annoying ones.

I thought Torchwood was great. There isn't enough Science Fiction on TV. I always thought it had some good science fiction ideas and showed them with a bunch of interesting characters. Except for that rat guy - how can he get work as an actor?

I agree with jpat that Miracle Day felt like it should have been a one or two parter that had been spread super thin to get to ten episodes.

No, there isn't enough GOOD science fiction or GOOD drama. There's plenty of shit drama and shit SF. Torchwood is in the latter category.

The acting is absolutely dire, so much so, it interferes with the story. You can usually tell this when you start thinking 'you know, that character would NEVER do that' or 'what kind of facial expression is THAT?'. Writing is nearly as dire as the acting.

When all the actors seem flat it's a sign of bad direction. Torchwood just seemed adrift when I gave up on it.

S.

Isn't Torchwood written by the same writers as Doctor Who?

There has hardly been any Science Fiction at all on British TV this year: Doctor Who, Torchwood, Sarah Jane Adventures - all Doctor Who related. That is all I can think of. There is stuff like Misfits, Sherlock, The Fades, Merlin, Being Human - they aren't really Science Fiction. There is certainly no shortage of Drama on the TV. If they got rid of Torchwood, you know it would just get replaced by another baking with Z-list celebrities show.

Outcasts? No one watched it and it was cancelled...
Started off really slowly but got to a good cliff hanger for the finale.

Torchwood had the same head writer - Russell T Davies, but he handed Doctor Who over to Stephen Moffat. Russell T Davies is in charge of Torchwood currently.
The rest of the writers had some overlap but the majority were separate I think.

Sam

I watched Outcasts - it was OK not great. I hate that lead actor, the one that looks like a baby. I would have enjoyed it twice as much if they had never hired him. There was Survivors as well but both series were on over a year ago.