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Ambivalent to sexual boundaries

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I’m really looking forward to getting to know Torchwood. I know lots of (naughty) people who may have downloaded the episodes given they have a wide range of views on the show -ranging from enthusiastic to those who feel it was over-hyped.

So I was quite excited to get the Press Kit that arrived this week with advance episodes delivered to me from “the Torchwood Academy.” But I did notice something amiss….

In the entire 23 page document I struggled to find any reference to the sexual identity of leading character “Captain Jack Harkness.” Why is this a big deal? Because in Doctor Who, when he was introduced by actor John Barrowman, he was decidedly bisexual, even planting a smooch on Who’s Christopher Eccleston. It’s part of who he is, and part of the show’s point of difference.

In the character descriptions for Torchwood, he is simply descibed as “ambivalent to sexual boundaries,” which is true enough, but a little shy of the mark, really. Nor in John Barrowman’s biography is there any reference to him as an openly gay actor or to his partner. Yet there are other references to the personal lives of the other cast members…

And to make matters worse, there is no biography on writer / creator Russell T. Davies, who created Queer as Folk. Instead there are notes from Davies on the show itself, promising a show “bleak, brutally funny, full of all the sex and swearing that usually gets cut from sci-fi.” Hmm that isn’t the only thing getting cut, Russell.

It feels suspiciously like the show’s sexuality, part of its DNA, is being whitewashed here. Whether that’s happened at TEN or by the info that has been forwarded to them by the BBC is hard to tell. But I think in 23 pages it’s reasonable to ask.

I only hope I don’t find myself ambivalent to the show as a result…

Torchwood premieres 9:30pm Monday June 18 on TEN.

4 Responses

  1. Will I agree that the series is rather hit and miss, when it works, it works wonderfully. At other times, yes, it falls flat and feels derivative. That said, episodes 3, 5, 6, 10 and 12 (especially 12!) are especially memorable, to my mind.

    With Davies only focusing on the series part-time, saving his full attention for Dr Who, Torchwood definitely lacks the vital spark required to lift it into the heights it aspired to. It’s still rollicking good fun much of the time, though, even when it falls short of the mark.

  2. Well, maybe I need to watch more than 2 – 3 eppies (can’t quite remember, coz I tried this show a few months ago).

    It was TERRIBLE Muriel, just plain awful. And the main female character was just plain annoying. I hope she finally stopped being a bumbling fool.

    Might try it again on telly, to see if I change my mind.

  3. I hope you don’t have too high a level of expectation David – because the plain truth is that Torchwood is just not very good – and I have doubts that the show will make it to the end of its 13 episodeson Channel 10. I suspect it will get axed just like Jericho.

  4. Firstly, you MUST watch the first four episodes before making a clear decision on what the show is about and if you like it … which is kind of unfortunate in our very disposible TV viewing market.
    There is a lot of sex of various kinds, and violence, and sex, and horror, and more sex in this series.
    I actually think that making the sexuality of Captain Jack and creator Russell T Davies “a non-issue” is a very appropriate and balanced move. The gay community are already aware of the “gay” connections to the show, and the straight community do not need to be put off by “excessive” focus on this aspect of the show before they get a chance to see it, like it, and accept it!
    This is not a “gay” show, it is a Sci-Fi show that deals with sexuality as a “matter of fact” thing and acceptance of differences of any kind is normal … just as it should be. Anyone who judges others, rather than accepting them, is wrong!
    Approach this show with no preconceptions!
    Jack!

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