TV REVIEW -

Torchwood: Children of Earth - BBC & BBC America

Can I just say that Russell Davies is God???!!?? He truly is a master of everything he touches. He produced the new Doctor Who Series from it's inception, cautiously weaving it into the 30 year history of the show without alienating new audience members, giving away bits of the history in dribs and drabs, rather than in one lump sum. His strongest point is to take an alien situation that, in other hands, could come off as cheesy, and adds a human element to it making you feel bad for the characters and even the aliens they encounter (who knew one could feel bad for a space whale a season or two back on Torchwood?)

Under Russell's skilled hands (both in producing and writing), Torchwood returns for only 5 episodes for their third season, subtitled Children of Earth, but boy what a ride!! The British just simply know how to tell a good story with compelling characters and don't feel the need to milk it for a required 22 or 24 episodes. They tell the story and when they're done, they're done. In some ways that can be disappointing, particularly if you've become a fan of such phenomenal work as Dr. Who, Life on Mars, Jekyll, and Torchwood...you're always craving more.

For those not in the know: Torchwood is a spin-off from the new Dr. Who series that centers around Captain Jack Harkness who is immortal (powers gained in a Dr. Who episode, so you'll have to look that one up for now). Torchwood is a secret British Organization created in 1879 by Queen Victoria to defend the Earth against alien threats (in her mind, the threat was the Doctor). Now, in the modern times, Capt. Jack (John Barrowman) leads Torchwood aided by Ianto Jones (Gareth David-Lloyd) and Gwen Cooper(Eve Myles).

Through the first two seasons, the threats and dangers kept getting worse and worse, even costing the lives of two Torchwood agents at the end of last season. But now, the ante has been upped even further: children all over the planet suddenly stop one morning. They just stop dead in their tracks, staring into space. Most of the key people (i.e. The Government, Torchwood, U.N.I.T.) have all been alerted to this, but as the children go back to normal fairly quickly, it could go unnoticed for the most part. It isn't until later in the morning that it happens again...this time the children start to chant, "We are coming...we are coming..." and their voices are enhanced by a deep, alien echo. It's at this point that the hair on the back of your neck begins to stand on end and you get a chill up your spine. Watching the parents freak out and seeing how the world responds to this...it's just breathtaking. Oh, and it just keeps getting worse.

I really don't want to give too much away further, because your really just should see it. But, the dilemma that the humans are put in with this new threat is just mind-boggling and frightening at the same time. And everything just keeps escaliting and getting worse by the minute.

Again, the familiar players are back. Evey Myles is outstanding as Gwen Cooper and seems to be hitting her stride here (is it me, or is she even more gorgeous this season???). She seems very comfortable in the role, and it shows through as her character is very comfortable in dealing with the situation at hand. When Gwen was first introduced, she was an ordinary person thrust into an extraordinary situation. She was the audience identifier...in Dr. Who terms, she was the companion, if you will; the character who asks the questions that the audience cannot. Now she's stepped up her role and moved up the hierarchy in Torchwood. What Capt. Jack saw in her initially has proven true...she's someone you'd want watching your back in a dire situation.

Ianto is back also, and has his own emotianl dilemmas to deal with. This season, they seem to be downplaying his relationship with Capt. Jack, probably because most audience members aren't comfortable with the subject matter. But Gareth Davide-Lloyd takes the role to a personal, emotional level and moves Ianto from the guy who was pretty much Torchwood's butler, to Capt. Jack's right hand man as they leap head first into danger.

And of course, there's John Barrowman: chiseled features, matinee idol good-looks, Captain Jack is the epitomy of the tortured hero. Because he's immortal, he has seen so many people die around him through the years and he stays the same. In fact, his inability to be killed (permanently) is a key factor here in series 3, and many surprises about his past come to light...some of them not so pretty.

The three have a great onscreen chemistry together and are the heart of what makes Torchwood so good. Russel Davies again shines here with his ability to mesh compelling human stories with the fantastic in such a way that you are touched to the core at every turn. You experience fear, shock, excitement, and sadness in one breathtaking fell swoop that Torchwood series 3 plays like a long feature film, rather than a TV Series...one of those films that when it's over you go, "Aw, man! It's over already???? I want more!!!"

And be sure to have a box of tissues with you for Episode 5, as I guarantee even the manliest of men will be boo-hooing like little school girls by the end! Utterly PHENOMENAL work from the BRitish, once again.

Torchwood: Children of Earth debuts on BBC AMerica for 5 nights, starting on Monday, June 20th.

 

CD REVIEW -

Music From The Incredible Hulk TV Series - Joe Harnell

The Incredible Hulk has long been one of my favorite TV shows. They took a premise that, back in the 70s with budgets and FX what they were, could have been very laughable and instead made a program in which the viewer is left with a tear in his eye at the end of each episode!

Fans of this series will be delighted to finally hear William Harnell's score, untouched by sound effects or low quality. Harnell was born in 1924 and started studying music and piano at the age of six. In 1943, he joined the Air Force and soon toured with Glenn Miller's Air Force Band. After returning home in 1946, he resumed his career as a pianist and arranger - also working as a musical arranger for many icons such as Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland and Peggy Lee. From 1967-1973 he was musical director for the MIKE DOUGLAS SHOW and soon segued into composing, particularly for TV scores in the 70s and 80s. Among his shows are The Incredible Hulk, The Bionic Woman, and V.

The Incredible Hulk TV Soundtrack is utterly fantastic and just the tip of the iceberg for Harnell's involvement with the Greeen Goliath. Other releases including music from the episodes 'Prometheus', 'The First', and 'Married' are already available.

With this first outing, Harnell wastes no time incorporating the "modern" sounds of the 70s and creating an evocative feeling of sadness which helped shape the tone of the Hulk series. Even the 'Love Theme' is very sad (particularly if you can vividly recall the tragic details of David Banner's life in the series) and full of great strings and piano accompaniment very much reminiscent of LOVE STORY, ROCKY, and many other famous scores of the decade. (The careful ear may also notice similar riffs here and there reminiscent of the Japanese Anime Starblazers aka Space Cruiser Yamato, which shows that the sounds of the time were indeed universal).

Overall the score has many great moments: 'Growing Anger's' rising cresendo as an already frustrated Banner attempts to change a tire in a thunderstorm, only to succumb to his first transformation into the Hulk; the suite from 'Homecoming' in which the familiar theme is whistled to great effect; and 'Married: The Wedding' which, while having a touch of Percy Faith (whom I actually like very much), also has a deep sense of tragedy in its violins.

Harnell makes a small orchestra sound like a large one. His use of Bongos and tambourines (particularly in the two versions of the Hulk 'Main Theme') just bring a smile to your face as you are rocketed back to childhood for fond memories of watching a man struggle with his inner rage.

And, okay, while the 'Disco Version' of the Hulk theme suffers from a strange, almost inappropriate, Disco Duck sound at the beginning, it quickly makes up for it as the strings kick in for the theme, particularly during the second half of the song. Very dramatic sounds here for a disco song, which again evokes the feel of the decade from which it came in loving splendor.

All in all, for hardcore fans, this is a MUST HAVE, but you must remember that it is not all-inclusive. There are more releases out, and more on the way of Joe Harnell's fantastic foray into the world of a man who undergoes a 'startling metamorphosis'. Music lovers who are too young to remember the series may not like this score as much...but watch the series, then give it a try. You'll love it!!!

The CD's (along with Bionic Woman and others) can be purchased at Joe Harnell's offical website!

 

 

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