I'm not at all "excited" about the new series.
Because I don’t like the way Mr. Davies treats in the old series
- his characters (Ianto, Jack, Stephen)
- the story (so many plot holes and I hate when the writers/producers think I or the average viewer is too stupid to see them)
- and the fans, or everybody who may doubt his genius
Yes Ianto was for me the best character of the show. He was more human then Gwen, and more heroic in his own way then Jack.
Gwen ”I’m the caring woman”, and Jack, “I’m the charismatic and enigmatic hero”, are so stereotypes
I never really cared.
I hated de big plotholes in CoE, and the fact they thought it’s Ok to kill a child on TV for the sake of drama and sensationalism. And also that they killed the best characters (for me) on the show just because of the stupid “they die young” statement. As if anyone believes Gwen is ever going to be hurt.
And also I don’t know if MD is as “madly” original as told. Read years ago a book about people becoming immortal because of a virus and the governments had to hide the “infected” on an island.

@chryssalys

Yes. Everyone thinks that the ONLY, SOLITARY reason that anyone is upset is because of Ianto. That is so far from the truth but no one bothers to listen. They just go "Oh, another Ianto nut" which shows that they are just as capable of being as rude as RTD proved himself.

I respect that he is open about his own sexuality, and envy him that important step in his life but sorry, the way he reacted, "Read poetry" "Watch Supernatural", tells me that though he might have claimed to want different ranges of emotions he really only wanted them if they ended in every single viewer, whether old devoted fan or new to the show, to think CoE was the greatest piece of TV ever written. And for some it was. But for some it was the worst and others still it was somewhere in between.

I agree that he should have been more professional, mature and tactful in his own reaction. Would it have killed the man to just say (and I'm borrowing your words, chryssalys) "I understand you're upset about Ianto's death, and I'm sorry for that"? It would show that he understood and respected us all (even though many claim that he doesn't have to respect fans), especially the ones who have been with Torchwood since the beginning. He needs to learn and understand that not everyone is going to like what he does, it's a fact of life. I work in a restaurant and no matter how hard we try, not every customer eats our gyros and thinks that it's the greatest thing ever but we roll with it, take the good and the bad. I actually learn a lot from the complaints I get and no, I'm not perfect therefore sometimes I get testy with a customer but they pay my salary, so I always apologize if that happens. RTD on the other hand insults us, belittles our concerns, tells us that he doesn't need us all the while making us feel like he used us. And now this new series, with "everyone's immortal therefore we're doomed, help us Gwen, Jack!" plotline is definitely a proverbial slap in the face to all the ones who are still upset.

Why-- no---HOW could I support this? He insulted me just because he could so I find it most difficult to care about him or his work. And believe me, I USED to care. The Tosh, Owen and Ianto happened too much too soon.

Don't care to read books by directors and showrunners as they always come across as arrogant or biased because it's hard for them to NOT toot their own horns and I have never liked RTD's attitude. I also never accept things like his profession or the stress he's surely under as an excuse for such an attitude.

Sadly this goes for many in his profession. Memoirs and such can be fiction just as much as TV is.

As for Steven's death: yes I was very upset and agree with others that after "Exit Wounds" and all the deaths prior to Day 5 as well as the other deaths in that episode that it was unnecessary. Ianto died, fine. But because a child was brutally murdered (by his own flesh and blood, sorry but it's true because the child did not have a choice) so soon after the death of a popular character who was the second half of a popular relationship, I (and others I assume but will not say for certain) was honestly too upset over Day 4 and Ianto that the murder of Steven truly was just a 'blip' on the radar. And I honestly as much sorrow for Frobisher's kids as I did Steven.

There is a place for death in drama and in a show like Torchwood but it was done far too much in such a short time. Because of that, by the time Gwen was in tears over Jack's departure, I truly just wanted to tell her to shut up and set BOTH Jack and Rhys free because by that time there was nothing left for me to feel.

And with as depressing as THAT was, I really can't get excited over a show where they all become immortal when Owen, ianto, Tosh, Steven and probably hundreds of innocents ("Exit Wounds", Day 4 and 5) died. Polar opposites aren't all they're cracked up to be.

@Julie. I agree that I feel that RTD and Ms Gardner didn't live up to their promises, especially, but not solely (despite what so many believe) the issue of Ianto. To be honest, I have listened to the audio books and radio plays and see much more character and relationship development in those than in CoE.

And if the fans would just remove their heads from their nether regions they might actually get that only a tiny (though yes, vocal) number of "Ianto fans" are so emotionally charged that they may actually feel loathing towards RTD, et al. Many, if not MOST, of us dislike CoE and this new series, even RTD and co for MANY MANY reasons. But all anyone bothers to notice when they see a "Ianto fan" post is that they miss and want Ianto back.

Personally, I feel that if RTD didn't want any reaction other than complete and utter joy over the events of CoE then he shouldn't have made it at all because no show, director, script, actor is perfect. Why? Because every single person involved in an imperfect human. Is it right for any of us to tell the others, say, the "Ianto fans" to "get over it"? No. Grief, even that of a fictional character can be very real for many. When I was upset over my cat dying, I was told to get over it the next day. I was told the same about CoE and what I saw as the death of Torchwood. Yes my cat was real but my grief over Ianto, Jack, Steven, Alice and all the others in CoE was too. I am a human being who refuses to put a lid on my emotions. I'm not saying that everyone is like that but just because some of us are doesn't make us less or more of a fan or human.

This should be brilliant, the first 2 seasons of Torchwood were very good but it was really with Children of Earth that it found its own voice. And yes, Ianto's death was sad but that's just Torchwood. He was a popular character (I liked him as much as anyone!) but the stuff that came after his death with Jack and his grandson was far more shocking still, and has really set the bar high for this new series.

The only thing that worries me is that living in the UK we often don't get to see shows for months after they have aired in the US... I had heard a while back that Torchwood being a joint BBC and Starz project would air simultaneously here and in the US but haven't heard anything official, was anything about that mentioned Mo?

Excellent column on Torchwood, Mo, thank you. I loved "Torchwood: Children of Earth" and think the fourth season sounds terrific. I'm just worried about how or when I'll get the opportunity to see it. (Starz?) Do you think BBCAmerica will be showing it? And don't you think that fans of Dr. Who and the first two seasons of Torchwood are very possibly NOT going to enjoy Season Three and the upcoming Season Four as much? It's true in my case. But I am slow -- I'm still trying to grasp the fact that John Barrowman grew up in Joliet and graduated from high school there. Captain Jack was a neighbor? Excellent! :)

Why am I not surprised that RTD is a Fringe-head. :) Still, it's a delicious irony that I think Torchwood & Fringe started with, and overcame, very similar problems: Trying to step out of the shadows of much higher profile parents (Lost & Doctor Who) and taking a long time to figure out what they were about tonally and thematically; a reliance on meh-some "monster of the week" stories; and a POV/audience surrogate character that was less than entirely engaging, despite being played by more than capable actresses.

RTD can keep his new series, because I refuse to watch it. I was a fan of the first 2 seasons, in which the show was great. In COE, he promised the viewers wonderful things, but by the end of the mini-series, he had killed off a beloved character, Ianto Jones, and scattered the remaining members to ends of the universe. When confronted about the false promises, he stated that the fans should go watch Supernatural, if they were that disappointed. Funny that he mentions that show in this clip. He is of the same ilk as Brad Wright, Martin Gero, and Joe Malozzi, who have affectively derailed the Stargate product.