catherineketq: Making Money Secrets

Russell T. Davies is one of Britain's most influential television writers. He reinvented "Doctor Who," created "Queer as Folk" and "Torchwood," and now brings us "Torchwood: Miracle Day." The fourth installment of the "Doctor Who" spinoff, which premieres on Starz tonight, once again features immortal, time-traveling Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman) and company, this time trying to save the world by figuring out why no one on Earth is dying.

Davies talked to the L.A. Times about the sci-fi series and his career in television.

What was the inspiration behind "Torchwood: Miracle Day"?

It's kind of a classic story, which is: death takes a holiday. That's an idea we've seen in millions of different "Twilight Zones" and things. I thought we'd build off that classic idea. What if we really took over the whole world for a long length of time? What if it changed society, changed who we are?

I think of "Torchwood" now as a show that, we sort of take situations like this and imagine how the human race would react. We did it with the previous miniseries, "Torchwood: Children of Earth." How far you would go to sacrifice people in order to save yourself? The moral pressure that puts on people. "Miracle Day" attacks the infrastructure of society. Within days, the health service comes under pressure. It's all a domino effect. And it allows for this intriguing thriller to unfold. I'm enormously excited by it.

It must be fun to sort of let your imagination run wild with that idea.

Oh, yes. And it really causes you to think. But the story is set on Earth, so it has certain responsibilities so it has to stay credible. It exists by being a reflection of our society and a comment on our society while still being fun.

You’re known for liking stories done on a big scale. Does it get harder to find ways to top yourself?

It doesn't really. I like the fact that I can afford a helicopter chase now and again. But the real drama is the character moments. That's what I really write well. It's the same for "Torchwood." When you reach Episode 9, there's such punch coming where we reveal the secrets of the show in a very clever way. But it doesn’t always have to be drama on a scale. Intimate moments are just as effective. It's just such a great cast. If you want to give me a scene with Bill Pullman (Oswald Danes) locked in a room with Eve Myles (Gwen Cooper), then I would happily write you the best drama in the world. It all comes down to good actors in the end.

Can you talk about how you became a show runner?

I started out working behind the scenes in children's television but always wanted to write. In Britain, we don't have show runners and such, or we didn’t used to. I became a writer in the early '90s, and then by 1999 I wrote "Queer as Folk," which took off around the world and became a Showtime series. That’s when I started to become a writer-producer. And when the BBC people brought back "Doctor Who" in 2005, they asked me to relaunch that show. That's when I became the proper show runner -- one of the first show runners in Britain; we sort of invented the title and its responsibilities from the American model.

The girls put the ‘fun’ in ‘funeral’ on the July 12 episode!

Spencer’s (Troian Bellisario) family threw a funeral for Ian (Ryan Merriman) on this week’s Pretty Little Liars, but in typical Rosewood fashion, burying a body merely led to more secrets being unearthed. For starters, Ian didn’t even write the suicide note they found on him. Emily (Shay Mitchell) figured out it was actually written by A, using pieces of text messages that had been sent to the girls throughout the series! If this plot was any thicker, it’d be soup.

Aria (Lucy Hale) and Ezra (Ian Harding) continued their journey to Splits-ville this week with a tense little graveside chat. When Ian’s funeral became too much for her to handle, Aria really needed a hug from the man she loves — but Ezra still wasn’t ready to man up and show a little PDA. Instead, he actually used the “I’ll call you later” line and whimpered off to his car, tail between his legs. Coward!

Cue the intense pan over to Jason (Drew Van Acker), who apparently came to the cemetery just because it was the most dramatic place to brood publicly in Rosewood. In between lovingly awkward glances at Aria, Jason relayed exactly what happened the night Alison (Sasha Pieterse) went missing: He got drunk, blacked out, and woke up with a note that said “I know what you did.” In fact, up until Ian’s “confession,” Jason had convinced himself that he was the one who killed his sister! And since Ian’s confession was fake, that’s still totally a possibility.

But while this may not have been the best week for “Ezria” fans, it was a great one for “Haleb” hold-outs. Not only did Hanna (Ashley Benson) convince Caleb’s wicked foster mother to give him all the money she’s been making off of him — with a little help from the totally legitimate law firm of Dolce, Gabbana and Lebowitz — but she and Caleb (Tyler Blackburn) also shared an intense kiss in her kitchen after the funeral. These two need to get another tent already!

Perhaps they could borrow a tent from Emily — if Mike (Cody Christian) hadn’t stolen it! That’s right, we also learned this week that Aria’s little brother is the one who’s been breaking into everyone’s houses. He was also the mysterious hooded gentleman who body-checked Aria into the wall! Of course, it’s still anyone’s guess as to why the mini-est Montgomery has suddenly morphed into a cat burglar…

A’s final message to Emily led the girls back to the cemetery — specifically Alison’s grave — where A had a surprise screening waiting for them. The infamous video of Ian and Alison was projected on a nearby mausoleum, but this time it played all the way through, and the girls learned that Ian didn’t kill her after all!

OK, your turn to talk:

Do you think Jason really did have something to do with Alison’s death? Do you think Mike is secretly working for A? And where the heck was Toby this week? Drop us a comment with your thoughts on this week’s episode!

— Andy Swift

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Friday, July 29, 2011

Making Money Secrets

The girls put the ‘fun’ in ‘funeral’ on the July 12 episode!

OK, your turn to talk:

— Andy Swift

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