Torchwood panel at Gallifrey One
Feb. 23rd, 2012 07:05 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
cowgrl_ficThe following is my summary of the Torchwood panel at Gally-23 (last week in Los Angeles)
Here are photos of the folks on stage (in two pics)
Left to right: moderator whose name I don't remember who does the same thing at the Hub conventions (obviously at Gally to make me feel at home!); John Delancie; Daniele Favilli
Left to right: writers John Shiban, Jane Espenson, Doris Egan
And now to see if I can make sense of my scribbled notes from this panel. (I have absolute mush for a memory so if it's not written down, it's gone.)
Jane Espenson tried to bring Doris Egan on board and at first Doris wasn't interested. She'd assumed Miracle Day would be an American remake on Fox, with a whole new cast. But when she found out some of the original actors would be in it she reconsidered.
Both Jane and Doris are big fans of CoE.
John Shiban was originally a Who fan only, was not at all familiar with Torchwood, now he's a big fan of the show.
Daniele had seen a little TW but stopped watching after being cast so his character would be more "virgin". (His word. Much merriment ensued. Being around Captain Jack, his character didn't stay a virgin for long! John Delancie said something along the lines of loving how someone can reclaim virginity.)
John Delancie, didn't know TW before. Wasn't impressed by Series 1, liked CoE. He likes the "tongue in cheek" tone of the writing for this show.
Daniele told the story about his eye problem (very familiar to me since he told it at Hub7, about how they had to work the broken blood vessel in his eye into the script in a hurry).
The writers talked about the creative process saying the UK method of writing/collaboration gives the writers more freedom to create, but there's subsequently more rewriting. The US method is more of a team collaboration, mapping out story lines in advance. Whereas Russell only gave guidelines.
Someone asked Daniele -- in Italian -- the usual question. "What is it like to kiss John Barrowman?" LOL Daniele's answer: "He's got great lips."
John Delancie came into the show late, and he says neither the director or John could quite explain to him what was going on, plot-wise. (That's ok, it made no sense to us either. Oops, sorry, editorializing. :-) )
Someone asked John Delancie about his being on My Little Pony and much hilarity ensued about Bronies. There are YouTube vids out there, apparently, if you want to know what was said. I didn't write it down.
Someone asked if Rex being made immortal was a set-up for a US spin-off series. Jane said no, it was just something they could follow up on (or not) if another series gets made. She says according to RTD Rex's immortality was "the last gift of the rift". (I'm assuming she meant the giant vagina, not the Rift as we knew it on Torchwood.)
Doris Egan said Rex's immortality was something the writers didn't plan (this was pure RTD apparently.) she said it was a surprise to her.
Doris Egan has written quite a bit for the series House, has doctors to consult on that show for accuracy, and consulted with one for Miracle Day, for scientific credibility. That doctor was the person who coined the term "Miracle Day."
All three writers like writing stand-alone episodes. Jane was glad she got to write Episode 7, which was basically a stand-alone. Doris enjoys writing dramatic scenes, doesn't care quite so much if it's single-episode or part of a longer story. John Shiban wrote for the X-Files and liked writing standalones for that series.
Daniele would have liked more about his character, and others (Jane probably) mentioned there was quite a bit cut for time (as there always is for a television show.)
Doris Egan loved the Angelo episode and would have loved 4 episodes of that story. "We could make a series!" Of course Daniele agreed. (Me, too!)
Jane loved the Welsh stuff. Used the word 'exotic'.
And there's more but it's hard for me to understand my own scribbles so I will end here.
Here are photos of the folks on stage (in two pics)
Left to right: moderator whose name I don't remember who does the same thing at the Hub conventions (obviously at Gally to make me feel at home!); John Delancie; Daniele Favilli
Left to right: writers John Shiban, Jane Espenson, Doris Egan
And now to see if I can make sense of my scribbled notes from this panel. (I have absolute mush for a memory so if it's not written down, it's gone.)
Jane Espenson tried to bring Doris Egan on board and at first Doris wasn't interested. She'd assumed Miracle Day would be an American remake on Fox, with a whole new cast. But when she found out some of the original actors would be in it she reconsidered.
Both Jane and Doris are big fans of CoE.
John Shiban was originally a Who fan only, was not at all familiar with Torchwood, now he's a big fan of the show.
Daniele had seen a little TW but stopped watching after being cast so his character would be more "virgin". (His word. Much merriment ensued. Being around Captain Jack, his character didn't stay a virgin for long! John Delancie said something along the lines of loving how someone can reclaim virginity.)
John Delancie, didn't know TW before. Wasn't impressed by Series 1, liked CoE. He likes the "tongue in cheek" tone of the writing for this show.
Daniele told the story about his eye problem (very familiar to me since he told it at Hub7, about how they had to work the broken blood vessel in his eye into the script in a hurry).
The writers talked about the creative process saying the UK method of writing/collaboration gives the writers more freedom to create, but there's subsequently more rewriting. The US method is more of a team collaboration, mapping out story lines in advance. Whereas Russell only gave guidelines.
Someone asked Daniele -- in Italian -- the usual question. "What is it like to kiss John Barrowman?" LOL Daniele's answer: "He's got great lips."
John Delancie came into the show late, and he says neither the director or John could quite explain to him what was going on, plot-wise. (That's ok, it made no sense to us either. Oops, sorry, editorializing. :-) )
Someone asked John Delancie about his being on My Little Pony and much hilarity ensued about Bronies. There are YouTube vids out there, apparently, if you want to know what was said. I didn't write it down.
Someone asked if Rex being made immortal was a set-up for a US spin-off series. Jane said no, it was just something they could follow up on (or not) if another series gets made. She says according to RTD Rex's immortality was "the last gift of the rift". (I'm assuming she meant the giant vagina, not the Rift as we knew it on Torchwood.)
Doris Egan said Rex's immortality was something the writers didn't plan (this was pure RTD apparently.) she said it was a surprise to her.
Doris Egan has written quite a bit for the series House, has doctors to consult on that show for accuracy, and consulted with one for Miracle Day, for scientific credibility. That doctor was the person who coined the term "Miracle Day."
All three writers like writing stand-alone episodes. Jane was glad she got to write Episode 7, which was basically a stand-alone. Doris enjoys writing dramatic scenes, doesn't care quite so much if it's single-episode or part of a longer story. John Shiban wrote for the X-Files and liked writing standalones for that series.
Daniele would have liked more about his character, and others (Jane probably) mentioned there was quite a bit cut for time (as there always is for a television show.)
Doris Egan loved the Angelo episode and would have loved 4 episodes of that story. "We could make a series!" Of course Daniele agreed. (Me, too!)
Jane loved the Welsh stuff. Used the word 'exotic'.
And there's more but it's hard for me to understand my own scribbles so I will end here.
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no subject
Date: 2012-02-24 01:49 am (UTC)Thanks!
no subject
Date: 2012-02-24 01:40 pm (UTC)Thanks!
Date: 2012-02-24 03:25 am (UTC)Jane was there last year. I got to hear her at a panel about writing, at least.
How cool that somebody spoke Italian! I love these little details. I hope fans who didn't like Miracle Day were tactful. I was disappointed but still long for more TW if RTD's situation ever changes.
You've probably seen the post by the Team Barrowman fangirl at Gally. If not, let me know and I'll dig up the link from the Gally facebk pg. Thanks!!
Re: Thanks!
Date: 2012-02-24 01:39 pm (UTC)I wasn't disappointed in Miracle Day because my expectations were extremely low so there was nowhere to go but up! (I was devastated by CoE, though. I love series 1 and 2, don't like one-long-story Torchwood is Serious Drama. It should be cheesy. And have a pterodon.)
no subject
Date: 2012-02-24 06:55 am (UTC)I would've loved to see more of Angelo. Ep. 7 was my favorite of MD, it was a heart-rending and tragic love story. (All of Jack's love stories seem to end that way.)
I find "last gift of the rift" to be an interesting phrase. Frankly if the rift really wanted to give one last gift, it would've made Ianto immortal. RTD always seems to find a way to make me mad at him. It reminds me again how RTD and co. never think that far ahead when it comes to storylines. They had an idea that Ianto's death would bring the reaction it did, and so they pulled the trigger. If they truly thought ahead to any notion of any sort of rift "giving gifts", it would've been to give Jack the man he loved for all eternity instead of a bull-headed CIA agent he barely likes (if even). I could tolerate it if they made it into an "Odd Couple" type sitcom, otherwise the fact that Ianto seems lost to Jack forever just kills me. Oh well, guess it makes for great drama.
If there is a next series, there better be great drama (to go along with Jack/Rex "Odd Couple" hilarity)!
no subject
Date: 2012-02-24 01:32 pm (UTC)I do think Jane Espenson was actually referring to that ridiculous "miracle" thing running from China to Argentina, rather than the rift, which according to RTD was closed when the Torchwood Hub blew up in episode 1 of CoE.
And yes, Jack's love stories always end badly. If a character gets involved with Jack, he's doomed. DOOMED! (But hopefully has some fun along the way...)
Also, since I see you added me as a friend, you're better off adding this LJ, rather than my (mostly) fic LJ which I rarely post to these days...
no subject
Date: 2012-02-24 09:37 pm (UTC)I know RTD and Moffat talk over their storylines to make sure they don't clash, but I gotta say it's news to me that the rift closed because the Hub was blown up. I'd heard it closed when the Doctor fixed that crack in DW S5. I've only been watching since CoE so there's obviously a lot of news and interviews I need to catch up on. God bless the internet! ;)
Talking about Jack and his doomed affairs reminds of a joke about that old TV show Bonanza: When a girl got with any of the Cartwright boys, it was the "kiss of death"! Same thing for any poor soul who get entangled with Jack, but what a way to go! ;D
Thanks for friending me back. I love to discuss and squee about TW! My journal is mostly fandom squee, and the WIP John/Scott/Gareth rpf I've been writing with
P.S. I love your icon! The TW Babiez are so cute! :D
no subject
Date: 2012-02-24 09:53 pm (UTC)And I love TW Babiez, as you can probably guess. :-)
no subject
Date: 2012-02-24 10:15 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-02-26 07:01 am (UTC)John Delancie came into the show late, and he says neither the director or John could quite explain to him what was going on, plot-wise. (That's ok, it made no sense to us either. Oops, sorry, editorializing. :-) )
I completely agree: there was a bit of a mess with the plot. :P
Okay if I friend you?
no subject
Date: 2012-02-26 01:59 pm (UTC)