Why does Torchwood suck so bad?

I've finished season 1 and I thought it was dull and boring.
I'm half way though season 2 and I think that it's not just boring but also terrible writing. The show has its moments (I liked Adam and the Owen saga wasn't bad) but I can't in anyway recommend this show to anyone.

Here are the 5 what main problem I think are with the show:

#1 The characters are unlikable. Besides Toshiko and you could argue Ianto the characters are completely self absorbed, uninteresting, mean spirited and have little character development to care about them. At least we saw some development with Owen but its still so very little after a season and a half.

#2 They took everything that was likable about Jack, out of Jack. He was fun, exciting and funny when on Doctor Who but since Torchwood he's been stripped of any and all of those characteristics until POP he shows up in Doctor Who again and is back to being fun to watch. Not only that but he's sooooo distant he's almost a background character.

#3 Over the top Sexuality and specifically Bisexuality. Seriously we get it, everyone on the f**king show is bisexual. Yaaay you've established yourself as the first bisexual sci-fi series great...can we please move on now. It doesn't have to define your damn show!

#4 NOT ENOUGH REAL SCI-FI!!!!!

#5 Overall poor writing. All of these problems with the show come down to it AND the stories are predominantly shit.

I WANT to like this show, I was really excited about the prospects of an adult oriented Doctor Who spin off until I sat through most of it. The show is brutal. In my opinion the only way for this show to be saved from the low class sci-fi its found itself in is to scrap all the writers and give a new group full range to do what they want with the show with the message "Make this show fun and an actual sci fi".

END RANT

Short answer: Russell T. Davies

Longer answer - spunk alien.

Quote: Balf @ April 20 2009, 10:24 PM BST

Longer answer - spunk alien.

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I don't think it's great, but there are some decent episodes. You're right about the unlikeable characters though Curt. I really don't like Gwen.

But, but, I was right about you liking Tennant Who, how can I be wrong about this?
Does not compute!

I thought the second series was a definite step up after the mostly cack first series. I'm looking forward to the new mini-series.

I liked the episode with all the gore in the house in the country with that man.

Quote: Ben @ April 20 2009, 10:35 PM BST

I liked the episode with all the gore in the house in the country with that man.

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Was that the cannibal one that had no science fiction in it at all?

I honestly can't remember. All I remember about Torchwood is the aforementioned episode, one with a cyberwoman and one with fairies.

I loved both series.

What you have to do is not think of it as a Doctor Who spin off. Just approach it as a separate thing.
And it's not... serious. It's like, treat it as you would Eurovision. Embrace the tackyness. It's fun.

I actually think Jack is more shallow as a character in Who, I think he's more enjoyable in Torchwood.
It is all verrrrry gay though, yes. And I can see how that could be annoying.

But who is to say it should be 'more' sci fi?
(well apart from you, obviously)
Maybe it's not meant to be. It's not about space like Who after all, it's about Cardiff. (And they actually admit it's Cardiff, unlike Who where they insist Cardiff is London and God knows where.)

When Torchwood plays it's self as Scooby Doo for adults it's quite fun.
But otherwise it is pompous sex obsessed and ridiculous. Like some one said lets make adult Dr Who, oops that's a shit idea.

There are a few pretty darned good episodes; the one with the meat alien and the paedophile one is also pretty good.

I disagree, I think an adult Doctor Who is very possible and a very good idea. I just think Torchwood was done very poorly.

And sorry Zooo, I'll still take your recommendations seriously despite Torchwood

For me all the characters in Torchwood are fundamentally unlikeable tossers. For that reason it's difficult for me to give a shit about what happens to them. In fact I'm mostly cheering for the aliens. And the whole Bi-sex thing annoys me.

I still watch it though. So maybe I should shut up.

Can't be through lack of practise!

I still end up watching Torchwood funny that.

I think the charm of Who is however sophisticated and dark it is (and it's been very sophisticated and dark). It's always family friendly this forces tight controls on the story that actually benefit.

Once you take that away it just loses control. And the show feels purposeless, it should really be called.

"We wanted UNIT the series with the Brigadier and stuff but this is what we got."

Interestingly The Sara Jane Adventures is in my view a better show, because the tightened restrictions and very low budget focus it even more. But it's way inferior to Who.

Now series 2 when they started featuring James Marsters and it got very, very gay was alot of fun. It seemed to give the show a real sense of character. As did the bits with Jacks brother.