Forums → Archive index → Panopticon archives → Implications of US premiere for our Torchwood Miracle Day coverage
With the annoucement that Torchwood Series 4, will air 6 days after the US, Canada and Austrilia [1], which leaves the question - when do we create the relevant pages and add the relevant information to existing pages? I think we should wait till after the UK airing, as its only 6 days and we can easily keep an eye on any pages be created. Also, we create Doctor Who and SJA pages after the UK airing, so we should continue to do the same. I know Doctor Who airs first in the UK, but it can be weeks or months before the US or another country gets it so the wiki should be able to wait 6 days before page creation? Mini-mitch\talk 17:30, June 27, 2011 (UTC)
- We should create the pages 6 days before it airs for the first time, and then add the info immediately after the episode airs for the first time. That's what we've done before, and I see no reason to be hypocrites now. --Bold Clone 17:38, June 27, 2011 (UTC)
- We absolutely shouldn't wait to create. Tardis:spoiler policy is quite clear. We go with the country of first publication, according to the first (and totally unambiguous) paragraph of that policy. Personally, speaking as an American, I think it's great to finally have the advantage of this policy, and I see no reason to kowtow to British viewers. British viewers, with all the respect in the world, can cry me a freakin' river. I didn't hear anyone bitchin' about the creation of K9 story pages prior to the British debut.
- The real question with Miracle Day is what we're going to do about the fact that there are different US and UK cuts. Which one do we view as "correct"? The one where Captain Jack is holding a can of Coca-Cola, or the one where you don't see the brand? I ask, because it could well have an effect upon our "from the real world" pages.
czechout ☎ ✍ 17:50:05 Mon 27 Jun 2011
- The real question with Miracle Day is what we're going to do about the fact that there are different US and UK cuts. Which one do we view as "correct"? The one where Captain Jack is holding a can of Coca-Cola, or the one where you don't see the brand? I ask, because it could well have an effect upon our "from the real world" pages.
- As a UK viewer, I find it weird that it will air in the US first, however, I will be watching online the day after it airs in the US and I'll also watch it when it airs on BBC 1. I accept that the pages will be created after it airs, now I now how you felt with the eariler series or Torchwood, Doctor Who and SJA.
- As for the cuts, since I am planning to watch both (The US version online and the UK version on BBC 1) I may try and spot the differences. Also, once episode one airs in the UK, we can have a forum discussion and have Users raise note things they think might be different in the cuts. I.e I could say "There was an advert for a British company in place X", whereas you, Czechout could said "No there wasn't there was an American company advertised". But would this not affect all the episodes of Torchwood and Doctor Who? Or have they been the same? Mini-mitch\talk 18:02, June 27, 2011 (UTC)
How significant are the differences? Are we just talking this legal jumbo, as in your example, or are we talking additional scenes?----Skittles the hog--Talk 18:38, June 27, 2011 (UTC)
- We don't know yet, but it's likely to be quite a unique situation. This is the first time I'm aware that there have been announced differences as to country of origin. Obviously, there have long been cuts for commercials when DW has gone out on commercial TV in the US, but it's never been aired on what could remotely be considered a "network of origin" in the US (save for the first two eps of series 6, which were shown in their entirety on the initial broadcast on BBCA). Fans have known they're watching an (in some cases heavily) edited show. It's somewhat "expected" on US TV, because of the precedent set by syndication, where a second-run show (like M*A*S*H or Cheers or Friends) is often massively cut to allow for additional commercials. This is different, because Starz is the major stakeholder in the project, and we're seeing it in its first run. Thus when they show it on their network, they're showing it the way they intended. Philosophically, the question becomes, do we accept the episode as aired on the network of the primary stakeholder (Starz) or that of the junior partner (BBC)?
- Here's the bit from aintitcoolnews.com that explains what's known at this point:
- Timing and suitability of material are said to account for the disparate versions.
- Miracle Day, the fourth season of the Doctor Who spinoff Torchwood, will be different depending on whether you watch it in the UK or the US. That's according to the editor of the official Doctor Who Magazine, Tom Spilsbury.
- Posting on Twitter earlier in the week, Spilsbury said that some content would be removed from the US version because of episode timing, while other content would be excised from the UK version because it was unsuitable to be shown on the BBC. Spillsbury said that the BBC version wasn't being censored per se, but didn't expand on what was actually going on. He also baited the hardcore fans by posing the question of which version would be the "proper" version, and entreating them to "PANIC!"
- It's not clear how different the two versions will be, but one would assume that the changes won't be too substantial; making two vastly different shows doesn't make a great of sense from a cost perspective. What's much more likely is that the BBC has removed instances of product placement, which is illegal in BBC shows. The differences will almost certainly be inconsequential to the plot.
- Torchwood: Miracle Day airs on Starz on July 8th. As yet, there's no confirmation when the show will air on the BBC.
- It should be pointed out that "episode timing" doesn't refer to making room for commercials, as would be the case with BBCA. Starz is commercial free. (Well, except for continuity announcements, at least.) So I have no idea what Spilsbury is talking about, unless we can assume that RTD made Miracle Day like he made DW — where every episode isn't quite the same length.
- I have a feeling that the real question of interest here is what happens to the home video release. If it, in turn, is also different depending on the region, there are potentially going to be some questions we need to settle. If, however, it's the same in R1 and R2, then we might have to make a ruling that, for this series only, the DVD is deemed definitive.
czechout ☎ ✍ 18:52:27 Mon 27 Jun 2011
- I have a feeling that the real question of interest here is what happens to the home video release. If it, in turn, is also different depending on the region, there are potentially going to be some questions we need to settle. If, however, it's the same in R1 and R2, then we might have to make a ruling that, for this series only, the DVD is deemed definitive.
I'm not sure what method Mini-mitch will be using to watch the American version, but I will personally be waiting for the BBC broadcast. I'd be happy to view them together as a patchwork, with the additional bits all being counted. By this I mean that all brands conveniently placed in the American version should be "counted", as should any additional scenes that happen to crop up in either version. I guess that could suffice until we get a DVD release.----Skittles the hog--Talk 19:03, June 27, 2011 (UTC)