On DVD & BLU-RAY
Death is not an option.
Torchwood returns for a fourth series in which the team face their greatest test yet to find out how and why has the whole world mysteriously become immortal. Torchwood is back and more explosive, sexy and thrilling than ever, Miracle Day bursts onto DVD and Bluray priced at £30.63 and £35.73. Torchwood Miracle Day is also available to download.
One day, nobody dies. All across the world, nobody dies. And then the next day, and the next, and the next, people keep aging - they get hurt and sick - but they never die. The result: a population boom, overnight. With all the extra people, resources are finite. It’s said that in four month's time, the human race will cease to be viable. But this can’t be a natural event – someone’s got to be behind it. It’s a race against time as C.I.A. agent Rex Matheson investigates a global conspiracy. The answers lie within an old, secret British institute. As Rex keeps asking “What is Torchwood?", he’s drawn into a world of adventure, and a threat to change what it means to be human, forever.
Torchwood: Miracle Day features regulars John Barrowman (Doctor Who) and Eve Myles (Little Dorrit), who are joined by an all-star American cast including Bill Pullman (Independence Day), Lauren Ambrose (Six Feet Under), Mekhi Phifer (ER) and Alexa Havins, (Grey’s Anatomy).
This fantastic release is packed with extras including ‘Magical FX on Miracle Day’ a Behind the Scenes featurette, a motion comic, a character profile as well as intros to the episodes and audio commentary on the finale from show creator Russell T Davis. The full series of Torchwood to date is also available in a Series 1-4 boxset in perfect time for Christmas.
Production InformationRelease Date: 14th November Cat. Number: BBCDVD2981/BBCBD0041
RRP: £24.46/£29.35 Duration: 200 Mins Approx
Bill Pullman for Torchwood Miracle Day
Q: What drew you to Torchwood?
A: I had just told my agents that I didn't want to do any TV. So what did they do? They sent me the scripts for Torchwood! After reading just three episodes, I told them, "I'm in!" I could sense on the page that this was can be a terrific piece of work. As soon as I read it, I could smell it was something special. I said to my wife, "they're offering me the best part – a paedophile murderer!" The script is so full of pep and pizzazz and scares and tension. It is one heck of a thriller!
Q: What else makes these scripts so special?
A: Two years before I made this drama, a friend told me that Torchwood was the best thing on TV – and he was right! The creator Russell T Davies puts a unique spin on his characters. He can't help himself – he just has to stretch the boundaries of the genre. He is able to accommodate loads of different things within the genre. None of his characters are stock sci-fi figures.
Q: So Torchwood overturns the stereotypes of sci-fi?
A: Yes. Sci-fi used to be the best place to go for cardboard cut-out characters, but this is the exact opposite. You may think you know these characters, but they keep morphing until you really don't know who they are. Captain Jack says at one point that, "Oswald is selfish and I'm saving the world", but I'm not sure that's always the case.
Oswald is not always Oswald.
Q: Are there other factors that make Russell's writing stand out from the crowd?
A: Yes. His scripts are very subtle. I always like it when things are implied rather than said – and that's a rarity on TV now. These days, you don't usually get a chance to figure things out yourself because characters are explaining things all the time and underlining things that are ready obvious. Torchwood is different – it treats its viewers with great intelligence.
Q: Do you feel that that Torchwood is much more than "mere sci-fi", then?
A: Absolutely. I don't think of myself as a sci-fi fan, but I've always liked authors such as Philip K Dick and Ray Bradbury. I love that vein which uses sci-fi to address society's problems. It is the same when you have useful nightmares - things morph and you get to confront issues in your dreams. Shows like Torchwood mean something to the world. They say something more than just entertainment.
Q: Please tell us about your character.
A: Oswald Danes is an extraordinary character. He is a convicted child killer. He has been sentenced to death for the worst thing imaginable, the one thing that would make everyone in the world reject you. But he survives when everyone wants him dead, and he is transformed. All of a sudden, he sees the world with a crystal clarity and becomes a prophet. He is very clever and, as the world begins to fall apart, he knows exactly what people want to hear. Suddenly, the world has cast him as a saviour, and he is keen to see if he can live in that skin.
It's a fascinating part to play.
Q: How does Oswald cope with that transformation?
A: It's a very difficult process for him. How much baggage do we carry? In this topsy-turvy world where everyone is suddenly immortal, Oswald goes through a lot of trial and error. As he attempts to go from monster to human being, he is like Frankenstein trying to build himself. He has this incredible sense of having been given a licence to live again, so he exhibits a carefree, "go for broke" quality.
Q: Why do people latch onto Oswald as a prophet?
A: He's a sociopath, and he's disconnected from fear. Sociopaths don't care – and that allows them a perspective free of conscience. He tells people that the "Miracle Day" is a gift and not part of some weird experience. He finds a way to give it a positive spin. His newfound power endows him with a great position of strength.
Q: Is the character of Oswald in some ways a comment on our celebrity-obsessed culture?
A: Yes. Russell really has his ear to the rail. These days more celebrities than ever are plucked from nowhere. Never in the history of mankind do we have more celebrities created overnight than we do now. It's all thanks to Reality TV. Suddenly, these nobodies are being debated everywhere.
Q: Can you please expand on this explosion of stars who have been created by Reality TV?
A: Many of these Reality TV stars are mega-wealthy, and a lot of legitimate actors are wishing they could tap into some of that cash!
Reality TV stars have become franchises and are a magnet for PR handlers and people who want to co-opt their message. To stay in the headlines, they need to command people's attention and remain large.
One important aspect of this series is to look at what fame is. What is Oswald going to do next? Is he going to launch a perfume?
Q: How does the world react when the catastrophe strikes on "Miracle Day" and everyone proves immortal?
A: In that intense pressure-cooker environment, human nature is revealed in a very stark way. People can behave in a very, very unfortunate manner in dangerous situations. In this version of immortality, people are in limbo and require medication. Healthy people start looking at this incredible suck on their resources and trying to determine a new set of ethics. What should they do to ensure their survival? Resources are not limitless. It's a real nightmare.
Q: Why do we find characters such as Oswald or Hannibal Lecter so magnetic?
A: It's hard to admit, but we are all on a spectrum with them. They've simply given themselves permission to do things that are beyond the pale for the rest of us. There's this uneasy sense that we are related to them, although we hope we are not very closely related. Still, we can't say with complete certainty that we are totally different from them. In the current political world, people see it as a weakness to have empathy with other people, but I think trying to understand others gives you strength. We're all part of the same human race, as ugly as that can be.
Q: Finally, why do you think the producers cast you as Oswald?
A: That's a good question. Halfway through the shoot, I asked the producer, "wait a minute, why did you want me for this role?" With a smile, she replied that, "we thought it would be fun. You have played the President, you’re America's sweetheart!" So clearly something very naughty made them do it!
Torchwood Miracle Day is out on DVD and Blu ray
