An open letter to Russel Davies Re: Torchwood season finale

[Lepidina]

Dear RTD,

First off, love the new Who! Thanks so much for bringing it back. Tell David Tennant he's a git if he leaves the series at the end of the 4th season. Don't you guys have the BBC mafia for those sorts of negotiations?

Thanks as well for giving Jack Harkness his own series. One can never get enough of John Barrowman though the fact that he just married his partner of 15 years has sorely disappointed the squeeing fan girls.

Now getting to the point. Having the Roman soldier fall through time in the last episode of Torchwood was a nice touch and kudos for the shouting in Latin. I do have one question for you - What's up with the farby armor?!?!

Come on RTD!! You can do better than cheap Hollywood leather crap - unless the part where the guy is really an extra from a spaghetti Roman movie of the 20s and 30s and came from that time got cut from the episode. There are scads of historically correct Roman reenactors all over the UK and you can't find one within spitting distance of Cardiff? Were they all up in York for the big reenactment when you were filming? Could you have at least borrowed some decent armor? Or heck, done away with the armor entirely and had him just in a tunica with a belt and a danglium?

So in closing, you've got the BBC costume department at your disposal. They are world famous for making historically correct costume dramas. Please use them next time eh? You did a smashing job with the costumes inGirl in the Fireplace episode of Doctor Who. Try and get one measley Roman correct, ok?

Thanks loads!!

Hugs and kisses from a huge fan

P.S. Was that a cameo of Christopher Lee shouting the street?

[Tarbicus]

ROFL :lol: :lol:

I just imagined he was wearing a subarmalis, and it all felt much better. I certainly wouldn't have messed with him.

[Salvianus]

He had a lovely ring buckle too :twisted:

It was specially galling seeing as there seemed to be some English Civil War re-enactors knocking about. I bet it was the Latin: they needed an actor for the speaking part, so the costume department grabbed something off a rack instead of getting one of us in. A rack in a fancy dress shop, obviously. Little did they realise how well I can swear in latin when struck at the right angle :roll:

I have to confess I have been a bit disappointed with the writing of several episodes as well - plot holes like the work space moths - looking very much like death by committee!

And don't get me started on the heavy-handed business with 1940's Jack: Russell's genius has always been to play it subtle, like that quick snog with Ianto - much better done

[Carus Andiae]

Torchwood has had some brilliant moments, but a lot which had been dreadful.

And the Roman soldier - oh dear, oh dear. Some other errors for you to chew on - the Black Death was not Bubonic Plague (no one is really sure what it was, how it started or why it ended); medieval peasants didn't have a sugary enough diet to have black teeth; the Civil War soldiers were seen too briefly to be sure, but at least one of them looked like a cavalryman armed with an (infantry) musket.

As Lepidina said, Doctor Who did a terrific job with costumes and historical accuracy in general - the Victorian ones, Girl in the Fireplace and (apart from the tape recorder) The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances. But ever since the ghastly 'Robin Hood', pretty much all attempts at accuracy have been bunged out the window history-wise.

[Robert Vermaat]

But ever since the ghastly 'Robin Hood', pretty much all attempts at accuracy have been bunged out the window history-wise.

That was SO DREADFUL that I stopped watching the series. :evil: :evil: