Children of Earth

Tonight (Thursday) is night 4 of the 5 part Torchwood mini-series that makes up season 3. I don't want it to end, but it's oh, so good and I'm dying to find out what's going on.

If you don't watch Torchwood, and have never seen it, I have to tell you to check it out. I must admit that I wasn't as big a fan of the show as I was of Doctor Who, I mainly checked it out when I ran out of Who episodes as something to bide my time until there were more.

It's fantastic, though!

If you have checked it out, but maybe weren't hooked after the first few eps, "Children of Earth" is a great place to start. It sort of stands alone as it's own arc -- you don't necessarily have to have watched the show before to understand what's going on. Torchwood hunts aliens and that's about all the info you need. You would, however, have a bit of a spoiler for the first two seasons if you start with the mini-series. There are some deaths in season 2, but overall I really don't think you'd be ruining it for yourself. I mean, you'd still not really know how it happens.

Though the show is currently airing on BBC America, it has already aired in the UK and is coming out on DVD next Tuesday. So, if you've missed it this week, you have a shot at watching all five eps on Sunday, right before the new Doctor Who and the re-air of the first ep of Being Human (another promising show, as I've already seen the first half of the first ep). Or, you can just rent/buy the dvds and watch them at your leisure next week. How freaking cool is that?!

Effects are a bit cheeseball, true to BBC form (a bit on par with FOX) but I absolutely love it. Love it! I haven't yet brought myself to read the Doctor Who and Torchwood books, but I have to tell you, both shows really leave me craving more sci-fi tv. I think Eureka will be next on my rental list now.

And, for a little bonus, here's the link to the BBCA site for Torchwood.

Ok, tv moment over for the week. I'm going to get ready to watch Day 4 right now! Revelations about Captain Jack and maybe we'll see what's in the glass room. You won't read this until tomorrow, though, and by then I'll be chomping at the bit for the final episode.

Working Hard or Hardly Working

Based on my appearance here of late it would seem as though I am hardly working. I assure you that is not true, for the most part. I've been desperately trying to get ready for out trip home:

• An hour and a half oil change that was supposed to take 30 minutes, oh and the snarky receptionist who "helped" me there)
  
• A trip to the county clerk's office to take care of registration mess thanks to delayed mail
  
• Flight delays out of NYC that have pushed my other a full day behind our schedule. Fortunately the two day delay seems to have been averted
  
• Getting kitties and dog ready for surrogate parenting while we are gone
  
• Boxing up all of the items I promised I would bring with me for this, that, and the other person
  
• And all the while trying to stick to a deadline for work work. 
  

How do I de-stress? Not with alcohol sadly (or fortunately, however you look at it) since I seem to be allergic. Mostly I take baths, and read, and watch various amusing shows. Since my normal tv is on hiatus at the moment, though, my only real option in the tv arena is in the form of dvd.

So what have I been watching? Well thanks to queue delays on Doctor Who Series 4, I'm finally watching Torchwood. For those who aren't enamored with BBC programming like I am, Torchwood is a spin-off series of Doctor Who (torchwood is an anagram of doctor who). The Torchwood agency is first mentioned in the Queen Victoria/werewolf episode in season 2 of Who. They are an organization that works outside of the police, and now outside of the government as well (see Who episodes 12 and 13 of season 2 and 12 and 13 of season 3 for that progression) that deals specifically with aliens, but also other paranormal stuff. 

It's fun to see all the references to Torchwood and to have met Captain Jack on Who and to now be watching his show. It is much more adult oriented than Who, that's for sure, and it's got some pretty neat storylines. I'm not too far into season one just yet, but last night I watched a fab ep about fairies ("Small Worlds"). "Cyberwoman" will be familiar to Who watchers, as will a certain prized possession of Jack's in "Day One" although what we should surmise about his attachment to it can be left up to the imagination. Overall, it's quite amusing and I'm excited to continue. I could definitely see Gwen as a Doctor companion as well (I like her!). 

There are just two seasons so far on dvd. Season three is set to air and will begin with a story arc that will span the first five eps. Not sure when this season will be airing here in the states, though, so if you want to watch, you'd better start now. 

Ah well, I have to get back to the trip preparation and find something for dinner. I'm  sure my posts will be spotty for the next week, but if I have time I'll get some ready to pre-post before I leave. 

Happy holidays, everyone!