Torchwood advertising...

[fajrdrako]

It seems that BBC America is announcing Torchwood DVDs available in January, which, if I understand the international marketing thing correctly, means it'll be a region 1 edition. Presumably also it will be available in Canada, though the "BBC America" thing makes me a little uneasy about that. Since it will be airing here on CBC, perhaps there will be an earlier Canadian edition? Like there was once for Smallville? I wouldn't hold my breath. We shall see.

I think the write-up is rather good, or at least, true to the original BBC UK publicity. I don't find Owen young but he is certainly hedonistic and I wish his brilliance showed more. I like it that they call the team 'bold but passionate' - does that translate as 'headstrong and stupid'? (I mean that in the nicest possible way!) I like the ambiguity of the description of Susie having 'devoted her life' to alien artifacts, there's a really nice double entendre there.

'Part CSI, part X-Files' - more like, part Buffy in my opinion.

Speaking of Torchwood advertising and publicity, I really like this promo from Australian TV. I think it has just the right touch.

I also like this one. But the next one seemed to me to be such a major spoiler that I'm glad I'd never seen it. Admittedly, once you've seen series 3 of Doctor Who it's no spoiler any more, and this is why I'm glad that I saw series 1 Torchwood first - they're showing them in reverse order in Canada, and what's the point of that? Jack's immortality was a delightful surprise to me, and I'd be sorry to have missed that moment of revelation in "Everything Changes". And obviously Jack is not 'the man who can never die' because he did die, and we saw his death in the Doctor Who episode "Gridlock". The many levels of irony make my head ache.

Comments

[beck-liz.livejournal.com]

If it's Region 1, you should be able to order it from somewhere and play it in Canada. I found this out in reverse; the DVD versions of Due South that are available down here are extra crappy instead of slightly crappy, so I went to Amazon.ca to order the Canadian editions. So you should be able to order the Torchwood DVDs whether they're officially out in Canada or not.

I can't look at the YouTube stuff since I'm at work - in what way is the third one a major spoiler?

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

If it's Region 1, you should be able to order it from somewhere and play it in Canada.

The problem with ordering from elsewhere (i.e., the US) is not the technology, it's the exorbitant cost, once you add in customs, exchange, taxes and postage. But it's bound to be distributed in Canada sooner or later - and usually amazon.ca carries the things I want as soon as amazon.com does. Well, hopefully. Fingers crossed. If worse comes to worse, yes, I will order it from the States.

Why on earth would the US version of Due South be crappy? That's a terrible thing! I protest! Benton Fraser should get the quality DVD he deserves!

The third YouTube promo clip starts out with the words across the screen, in the Torchwood style: THE MAN THAT CAN NEVER DIE. Then it shows a picture of Captain Jack with the sky behind him. Then the words CAPTAIN JACK HARKNESS. It's snappy for sure, and it would catch my attention if I were an Australian TV watcher, but it's a big spoiler for the beginning of the series, for those who have only seen him in Doctor Who series 1.

[beck-liz.livejournal.com]

Oh, right, I forgot the exchange rate was better going our way than your way. Sorry about that. :-) As for the US DVDs of Due South being crappy, well, obviously I haven't looked at them myself. But I was told that there were fewer special features (if any), and the packaging was really cheap compared to the Canadian packaging, leading to potential DVD cracking. *throws hands up* Why they can't just both be the same, I don't know, but there you have it. Different distributors, I suppose.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Why they can't just both be the same, I don't know, but there you have it

The only thing I can guess is that the people who packaged it in the first place looked at the heavy Canadian content of Due South and concluded that only Canadians would be interested in it - ? I don't know. Just as I don't know why Smallville first came out in a Canadian version quite unlike the one that eventually was released in the States. The vagaries of worldwide DVD production are a mystery to me. Why have regions in the first place? Why not give the extras to everyone? With subtitles and translations available as necessary? I think it's a case of technology outstripping distribution. But when we can all buy on the Net these days, it seems a shame.

Love your icon. I don't usually like the animated icons as much as the static ones, but that's a stunner.

(Yeah, I love that moment.)

[beck-liz.livejournal.com]

Well, I can tell you why the Regions - at least a little bit. It's the movie/TV folks wanting to be control freaks and control explicitly what comes out where when. Which is why we can't just order Torchwood & Doctor Who straight from England unless we also go to the expense of purchasing a region-free DVD player. I don't know why it's such a big deal to them that they control that sort of thing, but it is. *shrug*

I'm not normally one for animated icons either (especially the really fast ones as they tend to make me mildly dizzy), but that one I just couldn't resist. If you want it, you can find it and a whole bunch of other nifty Torchwood icons from Captain Jack Harkness & End of Days here (http://community.livejournal.com/inconceivable_m/11471.html).

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I understand about the control thing, though I don't approve. I don't understand why they restrict regions and then don't distribute material in all regions. There are lots of British DVDs that have never been released as region 1 DVDs - and why not? No reason I can see. I suppose it would cost extra to make them physically - which makes the whole thing all the more annoying.

And I have two DVD players which will (theoretically) play all regions; but it's still annoying to have to pay twice as much for a DVD (including postage and waiting for it to be shipped from the UK or Europe) which in a better world would be marketed and sold in my own country.

I say 'theoretically' because it is not as reliable as one would wish it to be.

Thanks for the link! I will enjoy looking.

[silverwhistle.livejournal.com]

There are lots of British DVDs that have never been released as region 1 DVDs - and why not?

And vice versa.
I think it's to do with where they think the likely audience is. Obscurities tend to get released on R1 because a minority audience in the Americas will be larger in number than same minority audience here. Most of my silents are R1.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

The reasoning makes sense, I suppose - at least to them - but compatible regionalization would give them access to two minority audiences not just one. Sounds to me like an improvement.

But they didn't ask me, did they?

[walkingowl.livejournal.com]

The series is already available on DVD, three sets, on the BBC website. I'd just been trying to figure out how to get a player that would play them, before trying to buy them....

Torchwood will be on CBC this year? Damn!!! So lucky you are.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

If you're able to wait, I do think that sooner or later there will be a Torchwood box set of the whole series (and extras) available for Region 1. Even if just for the Canadian market, but it will be turning up on American TV too. Sometime.

I think it's already scheduled for... BBC America, maybe? Something like that. Sorry, I was paying insufficient attention. I'll try to make a note of it for you and let you know.

[walkingowl.livejournal.com]

thanks. As October will be the earliest that I could get to Ottawa to acquire a DVD player for these DVDs, "wait" is what I will do. AGain, thanks.