Doctor Who - New series, new species, part 35

Ok so I'm massively behind on this as well but I'm going to write about the new alien species we encountered in the recent series of Torchwood: Miracle Day and hopefully soon I'll get round to Doctor Who and SJA too!!

But one thing at a time!

Brain Parasite









A fairly generic name for this beasty. They chucked this one in to keep us sci-fi fans happy with the generally spy-thriller and not so Sci-Fi running of the show. These are bog-standard alien wormy things, but they did the job of creepy monster in a box very well. It was interesting that they were a tool of the Trickster, in that he can use them and make deals with mob bosses to change the course of the 21st century but is himself limited in making deals with people and can be defeated by a noble sacrifice. I hope the end of SJA doesn't mean we see an end to what I still think is one of the best villains of the Whoniverse.

Brain parasites are a race of beings reviled for their effect on the nervous systems of beings they encounter. On several planets they are reviled, with one exception where they are considered a delicacy. Brain parasites are sometimes deployed as weapons by those seeking to cause chaos.

The Blessing









It's still unclear what the Blessing was/is and I'm not sure if I'm ok with that. I understand the point that the characters can't know everything but to be dragged through ten episodes waiting to solve the mysteryu only to be told 'we don't know what it is' was a little dissatisfying. That said the blessing was cool, the strange crack in the world that seems to run right through the Earth and is alive and influences the development of the human race.

The Blessing is a mysterious phenomenon located at the antipodes of Buenoas Aires and Shanghai, a break in the Earth believed to run through the centre of the planet and has an incredible influence on the human race. It causes immense distress to anyone who goes near it, often resulting in suicide and projects a patterned morphic field that affects the entire human race. When fed Jack Harkness's immortal blood it made the entire human race mortal, only returning the people to normal when fed Jack's now mortal blood. The Blessing was buried in the ensuing conflict and it's mysteries remain sealed for the time being.

And that's it - more on Doctor Who soon!!

Blogga's Wall - July '11

Well this is my Wall post again this month only this time - surprise surprise I'll be using Avatar Kinect. What do you think of this foray into video I know this blog is watched by some people so come on - what do you think?!



Oh if you're wondering what I was mumbling about I just noticed a Noble Team patch on the arm of my hoodie.

More in a month!

Torchwood: Miracle Day

Just a head's up that there's a new series of Torchwood on the air. 'Miracle Day' is the new American series (or 'season' I suppose) still featuring Captain Jack and Gwen, the only surviving members after 'Children of Earth' the last miniseries featuring a powerful alien race intent on capturing Earth's children.

Like the previous series 'Miracle Day' has a single plot to it rather than a series of seperate adventures. On one day no one dies, no one dies the next day or the day after, not even a man caught in an explosion, who has his head removed just to test the effects. CIA agent Rex Matheson knows that Torchwood is involved so he sets off to Wales to track down the remaining members - but he's not the only one hunting them!!

There's a lot more going on and the cause has yet to be revealed, but it's almost certainly some cool alien phenomenon and I can't wait to see what emerges. I'm going to stick to documenting any new aliens that show up - for discussion of the episodes head over to Impossible Podcasts in the sidebar.

If you aren't following this new series you should still be able to catch up on your on-demand service before the next broadcast on Thursday.

Doctor Who - New series, new species part 26

Doctor Who has burst back onto our screens with a new...well everything! It has been fascinating to see the new directions the show is starting to take and I'm optimistic about the future of the franchise in new hands.

For those of you maybe new to the blog, these post look at any brand new alien races introduced to the show, covering three episodes (roughly) per post - consider yourselves warned any of you behind the British timetable of the show. Thankfully along with 'new' everything else there are also some new creepy crawlies for us to examine!

Multiform / Face Tendril / Prisoner Zero













Yet another exercise in dull names by the show runners - I'm getting a bit tired of names ending in 'form' or 'kind' as it is quite a lazy way to name the monsters, essentially a posh way of saying 'wasp-type thing' or 'spider monster'. Worse still the creature has been referred to as 'Face Tendril' an even worse descriptive moniker. Anyway - what's in a name eh? It was quite a fun bit of CGI taken over by actors playing the 'disguised' form of the monster, a highlight was seeing Olivia Coleman in the role. I'd give it an 'OK' as it was fun and moved the plot along, but wasn't really the threat it should have been - rather, the Atraxi provided the real menace, whisking the beast away just after it provided some more exposition - about the 'Pandorica's Box' or something - another inventive name there!

Oh and apparently they're multi-dimensional!

The multiforms were a race capable of travelling between dimensions and taking different appearances by forming psychic connections with living, but dormant minds, such as coma patients. They possessed powerful technology such as perception-filters to further enable then to mingle with society. Even without technology they were naturally equipped with their changing ability, powerful fangs and they were able to reduce themselves to small particles to fit through tiny spaces and reach their victims. One example of this race was 'Prisoner Zero' a powerful individual imprisoned by the Atraxi until it escaped through one of the cracks in space/time and arrived on Earth.


Atraxi










Now that's more like it that's a proper Sci-Fi name!! They even chucked in an x for good measure! A pity then that the species was quite vague in it's design. Don't get me wrong - I loved the giant eyeball (Sauron rip-off?) but is that what the species look like? Is that (as I prefer to think) their security system - it remains unclear from the episode at least. They also seemed a bit Judoonish in function, mysterious police force arrives on Earth and causes havoc in the debut episode with a new companion - sound familiar? Nevertheless their spaceships were cool, the all seeing eye was off the wall in a traditional Who way and they gave a realistic setting for the Doctor to use his CV as a weapon.

The Atraxi were a powerful race who had a powerful security force tasked with keeping the most dangerous prisoners captive. They were able to hunt down any fugitives with giant eyes that tracked an enemy as long as they remained visible. They possessed enormous crystaline spaceships and weapons that could incinerate a planet within minutes. Despite their technology it still took them 12 years to track an escaped prisoner when it got through a crack in space-time. Though law keepers themselves they were not above breaking the law to get to their goal, breaking Shadow Proclamation conventions to get to their target.

Star Whale











I'm not even going to comment on the name! I think the creators had been reading Discworld and watching Star Wars before starting to have this idea of a city in space upon a creature's back and have the characters inside a giant mouth of a space creature. It was quite a fun concept and the back story behind it was intriguing, the last of it's race coming to save humans, only to be enslaved by them. I can't help querying some of the details though, like how the Doctor can be in the mouth of the whale, next to open space and yet still be able to breath and why they aren't expelled into space when the beast threw up. I suppose there's some sort of reasonable explanation. The creature also represents a similar 'whale' captured by humans in a Torchwood episode.

The Star Whales were a large, benevolent species that dwelt naturally in open space, capable of traveling at considerable speeds. They were bio-luminescent, perhaps to catch prey in the darkness of space by mimicking stars and planets, also they were covered in neural tendrils that helped them sense what went on around them and attack anything that landed on their skin. For reasons unknown the species began to die out. One remaining whale, perhaps the last of it's kind, rescued the remnants of humanity and carried them to a new world.

And that's it for now. New Daleks don't count, not even shiny ones and their overly emotional androids. We've got a few more recurring races to come so it might be slim-pickings next post, but I'll be here don't worry.

Doctor Who - New series, new species part 20

Wow! I've done twenty of these things now, whod've thought it eh? I'll also give a word out to Kelly, who'se now a follower on Blogger - thanks for reading Kelly!

With the next special still a bit of a way off we return again to the land of spin-offs, and the return of Torchwood to the small screen for a special mini-series detailing one event and shown (in the UK at least) every night for five succesive days. The nature of the show means I've only one beastie to talk about...but crikey, it's a good one!

From the snippets I saw from Comic-Con I'm assuming that this has already aired and that this post does not constitute spoilers for US fans, correct me if I'm wrong.

The 456













Wow! I'm not the biggest fan of Torchwood but they certainly delivered on this one - even the podcast boys agree! The show was excellent, delving into the depths the human race would go to if faced with ultimate crisis. Not only that but they introduced one of the best Doctor Who villains in the new generation, something original and truly terrifying and something the Who world has needed for a while. As referred to in an earlier post the main show in particular relies on recurring classic monsters for it's big moments and have failed to create original monster that have the same level of menace, or if they do they kill them off within an episode or two. This was something different, this was intriguing, terrifying, and it lasted more than two episodes. The ides of shrouding it in smoke most of the time and not even revealing it's true name was sheer genius, making it scary when the beast seemed to randomly puke up for no reason and made it's eerie demands - good on you Who team, now let's have one for the main show eh?

Actually, this monster wouldn't work on the main show because the doctor would just find his sonic screwdriver and find a non-lethal way to dispatch it, being just human the Torchwood team had to go through real sacrifice to take down this monster, which made thrilling viewing.

The 456 is a code name given to a species that had contatc with Earth on at least two occasions. The name was given based on a carrier frequency they used to communicate and the species adopted this as their name when they visited, choosing to keep their real identity secret. They were large and green in colour with three 'heads' that looked like scorpion tails and they lived in an atmosphere of deadly gases. In 1965 they communicated with the British government to offer the cure to a potential pandemic at the price of 12 children, Torchwood were ordered to comply and Jack Harkness made the trade. Decades later they returned, demanding 10% of all Earth's children and threatening to destroy the planet if the Government didn't comply, their technology allowed them to speak by controlling children, which frightened the governments of the world into submission. Despite being sealed in a tank containing their atmosphere they were able to counterattack and defend themselves against Torchwood and those who tried to stop them. It was revealed that they wanted the children because of certain chemicals they gave off and were essentially addicted to them. They nearly completed their scheme until Torchwood found how to reverse a deadly frequency through children to hurt the species - they quickly retreated and haven't been seen since.

Well with the events that went on who knows if we'll be seeing any more of the Torchwood team and the monsters they battle with, but with another special and more Sarah Jane Adventures upcoming it won't be long before I'm bringing you some fresh new aliens right here on Blogga

Doctor Who - New Series, new species part 11

OK well Doctor Who has returned to our screens, but just before it came the finale of Torchwood, which was a dramatic and powerful ending to a much improved series. Should the whim take me I may discuss the series as a whole, but for now I'll just get on and discuss the various creatures Jack and his team encountered in the final episodes.

The Night Travellers








The Night Travellers were interesting, and a reflection of how Torchwood seeks to express the unexplained as much as the tangible. These weren't the first species capable of existence outside the corporeal world nor will they be the last I'd imagine. Much remains unexplained, such as how they were able to come into being in the first place if they were so dependant on human knowledge for existance and why they have such a desire for water - but nonetheless they were fascinating villains and it was cool to see them taken down in true Doctor Who fashion when Jack taped over them!!

The Night Travellers were an intriguing race, appearing human they banded together to form a travelling show that enticed humans so they could suck away the moisture and contain it for their own purposes. Where they came from is uncertain, as is how or why they came to Earth, but the fact that they were dangerous is certain. They existed in rumour, but few visited the show and ever returned, but the prospect of a travelling show was always enough to draw crowds and victims. During the heyday of the travelling shows Jack Harkness joined another show to investigate the travellers, but was unable to track them down, though he learned a lot about them. The group were fixated with water, esoecially one names=d Pearl who immersed herself in water and always thirsted. They took moisture from victims and also held their "last breath," keeping the victims in a semi-dead state so they always had an audience. Eventually the travelling shows lost their popularity and so the Night Travellers faded from existance as no one came to see the shows - all that remained of them were images captured on film, but that was enough. Many years later a film clip was shown containing images of the Travellers, having an audience once again the ringleader, known as Ghostmaker, was able to reenter the world along with Pearl, collecting more "breaths" and eventually freeing the rest of his band. The Torchwood team fought back and though most of the human lives collected by the Travellers were lost they saved one, and were able to defeat the creatures by sealing their images on film once more and then destroying the film. The team had won, but Jack warned there might be more footage out there somewhere.

Alien Parasite

This was a brief encounter showing more of Owen's past and how he obtained his cynical and selfish atitude towards relationships and encountered alien life, bringing him to Torchwood. The idea was good and well executed, though it woul have been nice to know more.

This species latched onto a host body and grew inside it. One has been encountered in a human brain, though it may not necessarily need brain tissue to survive. The effect on the mind it inhabits is similar to Alzheimer's 'causing memory loss and disorientation. If threatened or exposed, for example by a group of surgeons trying to extract what they thought was a tumor, it released a cloud of toxic gas, deadly to all in close range. One of these creatures inhabited the brain of the fiancee of Owen Harper, prior to his membership of Torchwood - it is unknown what happened to the creature after, presumable it was extraced and destroyed.

Virulent

This species appeared as part of the Torchwood Alternate Reality Game "Torchwood Needs You" in which viewers could log on to become a freelance member of Torchwood and help take down an alien threat, running parallel with the show's storyline. The game was well executed and while it has yet to be able to compete with the staggeringly good ARGs of Lost and otherbig hit American shows it is a good effort and it is great to see Torchwood pushing the medium into British TV. The aliens were great too, not truly revealing themselves until the very end.

Virulents are a species of DNA based aliens able to infect and control other forms of life. Several members of the species came to Cardiff, possibly through the rift, and set about starting an invasion at the molecular level. Controlling key members of New Eden research foundation, Venus cosmetic clinic and Dark Talk pirate radio show they set out a plan to bring their species to Cardiff. First more of their alien DNA was created at New Eden, then it was implanted into cosmetic surgery patients at Venus, lying in wait until the right moment. But some of the Venus patients activated too early and died, causing an investigation that caught Torchwood's attention. Through freelance agents they tracked down the DNA and discovered that it would be activated by an ultrasonic signal sent through Dark Talk's transmitter. They went to investigate Dark Talk, which frequently mentioned them and speculated on their activities, and discovered that Abigail Crowe, the host was the leader and planned to start the invasion immediately. Thanks to a signal jammer activated by the Freelancers the invasion was stopped and the active virulents captured or killed and Cardiff was saved once again.

The following species are ones mentioned in Owen Harper's list of Torchwood vault occupants, they haven't appeared in series, but i will briefly mention them here.

Silicate Beast

Along with another creature named Lyle this beast was retained from the old cryogenics system. Owen expressed concerns that it might be regenerating.

Invincible Vampire

Presumably blood sucking creature that could reconstitute itself no matter how many times it was destroyed. It was frozen in the vaults as a means of stopping it, and no one has since explored further means of termination.

Intelligent Bear

Found in Snowdon, no explanation for it's intelligence or location has been found.

Blobby Thing

Dumped in the vaults by Torchwood One in the 80s, Owen was keen to be rif of it.


And that, my friends, is it for Torchwood. But a new set of Doctor Who reviews will be on their way before too long so hang tight for now. Apologies for lack of images by the way, left it a bit too late for the ARG pictures.

Doctor Who - New Series, new species part 10

Well a few more Torchwood episodes have passed and the finale'll be rolling along before we know it so let's get on and catalogue a species or two shall we?

Durac










Continuing a long list of "it's an alien" explanations for all things unusual in the Doctor Who storyline, the Durac nonetheless made for an interesting character and was well used in the episode. And unlike many other episodes the transition from superstition or religion into extra-terrestrial life actually fitted and made sense. It's image was quite good too, not just a grim reaper copy and not wildly dissimilar either. The connection to the Weevils was good, especially with Owen's previous connection to them, it would have been nice to see more of that explained, but I guess there's only so much you can know while fighting death!

Durac is a powerful being that transcends the physical realm we occupy and is kept from entering it unless someone willingly or unwittingly lets it enter. It seems to be connected to a "resurrection glove" one of two found by Torchwood which had the capability to raise people from the dead for varying lengths of time and with varying effects. The first glove raised people from the dead for a brief moment by taking away life energy from the wearer - but when dead Torchwood member Suzi Costello used it to bring herself back from the dead, but killing Gwen in the process the glove was destroyed. When Owen Harper was killed, Jack hunted down another glove which had vastly different effects. Firstly, while Owen's mind and body functions became active, his body remained dead with no pulse or respiration. The glove also awakened Durac, who first posessed Owen's mind then entered the world as a semi-corporeal cloud, featuring a skeletal body. It needed thirteen souls to fully enter the physical world, but was stopped by Torchwood. They read ancient documents concerning what is now known as the Grim Reaper who entered Cardiff after a girl was untimely resurrected, but was defeated by that very same girl because the Durac could not take her life. Owen used this principle and his similar state of body to combat the durac and repulse it from our world. The Durac seems to have some connection to the Weevils who emerged in large numbers when it entered and who worshiped it as a deity even while it still posessed Owen, this connection remains unclear but as Weevils have been on Earth for a long time they may know more of his original entry, or he may even have influence on their homeworld.


The Girl

It is unknown whether this Tarot reading child is an extra terrestrial, but she is worth mentioning as Jack noted that she should not be taken as she appears and that she has been doing her work for a long time.

Nostrovite











Shapeshifters are as old as Sci-Fi TV itself, but again this principle was used well and to good effect by the Torchwood production team. I think an intelligent step was not to show the transformation process which added to the suspense and avoided potentially cheesy CG morphing. The species were scary, but subtly so and struck a balance between wanting to survive, but also pleasure from killing and destruction. The concept of impregnating Gwen was very funny, but I think killing an alien's child, no matter how violent the parents shouldn't be something taken lightly, but unfortunately that scene lacked that depth and didn't quite make up for it in energy either - barring that it was a good episode and a good species.

Nostrovites are a race of carnivorous humanoids with a most unusual breeding habit and a host of other talents. They posess a proteus gland, which enables them to change form to something of similar shape and mass, such as a human. Naturally they appear to be reptilian, though evidence suggests they may be warm blooded. Upon examination of a dead subject Dr Owen Harper suggested their shapeshifting may have come about because of how ugly they are! Their shapeshifting is suprisingly accurate, until they are enraged or out to hunt, when their natural red eyes and pointed teeth show through. They seem to need DNA samples to complete their transformation, which actually makes for a more stable process, their preferred method of obtaining these samples is by biting a chunk out of a victim, though it seems more subtle methods are just as accurate. They also seem to posess the ability to create an adhesive webbing to pin a victim to keep for later. It is, however, another of their properties that brought them to the attention of Torchwood. While hunting a male Nostrovite in Cardiff Gwen Cooper was bitten before the target was shot down by Jack Harkness. In the morning she found herself impregnated to the effect of looking several months pregnant in human terms. Torchwood discovered that Nostrovites hunt in pairs, male and female, and the the female would come to rip her newborn from the human host. Naturally Torchwood intervened, and the Nostrovites were taken down despite a suprising resilience to small arms fire.

And that's it, one more to go for this series and then Doctor Who looks set to reappear before too long.

Doctor Who - New Series, new species part 9

Ok so a bundle of new Torchwood episodes have slipped by before I even realised and it's now time for another article I'd say. In general I think the standards of the episodes have improved and while I think the relationships between the cast still change like an Eastenders episode on steroids there has been something of a depth to the series of late, with Rhys being brought in on things, Martha Jones' arrival and the recent death of Owen Harper have given the show more realism and bit which I commend.

OK, onto those pesky aliens, ok no official names again, but since the team haven't travelled time and space for centuries I think it does make things a bit more believable if they don't know every alien on sight.

Cash Cow









I thought this creature was clever and well used, and the ides of regenerative powers being used to gain a never ending meat supply was original and bold I thought. The CG work was well done and the creature's eyes were particularly well detailed. My only misgiving is that the final reveal of it's full shape made it seem a bit too whale like, but that can be argued away by the fact that if it were too alien the meat packers would have been more curious so overall I'd say a pretty convincing alien.

Cash Cow is a crude term to describe an alien that was beached near Cardiff then exploited by local meat merchants. The being was similar in size and vaguely in shape to a whale, but it posessed qualities defining it as extra terrestrial. The first was extraordinary regenerative abilities, when injured the creature repidly grew back missing or damaged flesh. This was used by those who found it to create a never ending supply of meat, no matter how much they cut, it kept growing back. The other quality was discovered by the Torchwood team when they investigated, thei experienced minds looked into it's eyes and saw a sentient creature, intelligent and siffering under man's cruelty. Attempts to save it failed and in the end it was destroyed out of mercy. It can only be hoped that this has not damaged any future relations between the species and Earth.

Adam



















Adam was a great character and the episode was used well to bring out more from the crew, especially Jack who delved into memories of his past in the Boeshane Peninsula. The writer's effectively showed both a side of sympathy for him as he struggles to survive, but also his villainy as he corrupts and warps the team members to his will and by the end you feel sorrow for him, but also knowledge that the right thing has been done as he died.

Adam was a unique creature that thrived on memories by intergrating himself into the minds of others and feeding off their unique memories. Adam may or may not have been a unique creature, but since the only defence against him was to erase him from memory it may be difficult to tell if any other have appeared. Adam spoke of the void, this may have been the void between universes or he may have been referring to non-corporeal existance in either case he does not exist in our world, but by latching onto powerful memories such as Jack's he was able to bring himself into existence even to the extent of having a physical body. He was extremely manipulative, making one character fall in love with him and another believe he was a serial killer to suit his interests. He spoke as if he'd done it before so he'd clearly entered physical existance previously but how and when were unrevealed. When Torchwood discovered the plot they erased him from all their memories returning him to nothingness once more.

Mayfly













The Mayflies were cool and much more than the standard alien bug villain they appeared to be in the series trailer. The idea of them curing human deseases, but carrying the risk of death was again unique and original. The episode was a highlight for me because not only di Martha Jones make an appearance, but also Alan Dale of many american big hit dramas also appeared as the villain.

The Mayflies were so named because of their resemblance to the earth species of insect. These creatures were vastly different to their namesakes however, firstly by being able to grow big enough to tower over a human. Their second property, however, was much more interesting. When in their larval, miscroscopic phase they could inhabit a human body and while doing so cure any diseases or imperfections in it,. This attracted the attention of the Pharm, an experimental agency that used aliens, including a Weevil, to try and create products for their own benefit. The Mayfly's ability to cure the unbcurable attracted many volunteer patients, but the mayflies wanted to continue inhabiting their human hosts, causing death when they choose to devour their host. To cover this imperfection the Pharm sent a hitman to kill the patient by injecting poison that would kill them and wipe out the mayflies. The Pharm was eventually shut down by Torchwood, and the mayflies and other aliens killed to end their suffering under the pharm's experiments.

And that's it till a few week's time

SF on TV - Feb 08

With the writer's strike in full swing there has been something of a decline in good Science Fiction TV of late, even with the issue coming close to resolution it will probably still be some time before top shows return to UK television screens. However some shows have managed to break through and there are a few home grown titles on the air too. I'll try not to be too lengthy but here's a breakdown of what's available at the moment.

Torchwood - Series 2

What is it: A Doctor Who spin off featuring Jack Harkness and a team of operatives in Cardiff solving alien-based mysteries.
What makes it SF: When there aren't aliens to deal with a rift in time and space can churn out things from past or future keeping most episodes clearly within Sci-Fi realms.
Why should I watch it: It's improved on the good, but lackluster, series one with a good selection of guest stars and more of a big picture for the series, with Jack's past in play to.
When's it on: Wednesdays BBC2 - 9pm, additional showings at other dates and on BBC3. The fifth episode has aired at the time of posting.

Lost - Series 4

What is it: A drama surrounding the survivors of a plane crash who live on an island full of mysteries and dangers.
What makes it SF: While not strictly a SF program, there are enough smoke monsters, sonic defense towers, mysterious bunkers and "Others" to earn it a place here.
Why should I watch it: If you haven't seen previous series' you probably shouldn't!
When's it on: Sundays Scum...sory Sky One - 9pm. The second episode has aired at the time of posting.

Blade: The Series

What is it: A TV series featuring comic book character Blade, a super-enhanced vampire hunting human.
What makes it SF: The Blade series treats vampires, not as demonic creatures but as "different" humans, which essentially makes it a SF production.
Why should I watch it: Dunno really, if you like vampires it's ok I guess, but I wasn't overly impressed
When's it on: Mondays Virgin 1 - 10pm. About four episodes have aired at the time of posting.

Ashes to Ashes

What is it: A follow on from hit series Life on Mars set in the early eighties, but featuring many characters from the original series.
What makes it SF: Though the nature of it is left unclear the series seems to imply time travel (SF territory) caused by injury or death is a possibility for the events seen in the show
Why should I watch it: Great performances by the returning cast and an interesting dynamic with the new character, who has studied Sam Tyler's "delusions" and now finds herself in them
When's it on: Thursdays BBC1 - 9pm. The first episode has aired at the time of posting

Phoo Action

What is it: A wacky comedy from the mind of Tank Girl/Gorillaz creator showing the tale of a future London ravaged by mutant criminals
What makes it SF: There are mutants, and possibly aliens enough to qualify it as SF as well as comedy.
Why should I watch it: The outrageous characters, including one with a basketball for a head should never work on screen, but they do and make for hilarious viewing
When's it on: Tuesdays BBC3 - 9pm. The first episode has aired at the time of posting.

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles

What is it: A TV spin off of the famous terminator films, this series details the years after T2 when Sarah fights to keep her son safe from future menaces.
What makes it SF: The story heralds a war between man and machines that is doomed to happen in the future and about those who travel back in time to try and alter it's course
Why should I watch it: It's a continuation of the epic Terminator franchise, and fills in part of the story previously unseen.
When's it on: It starts on February the 21st.

The BBC shows will be available for a limited time after airing on iPlayer, other shows may be available online too, but check your sources.

Doctor Who - New Series, new species part 8

Ok, so this time it's Torchwood with a new series exploding onto our screens. The series has shown signs of improvement from the first, slightly dissapointing while engaging series. With Alan Dale and other acting talent set to guest star the series looks like it is stepping up, but so far I still feel it needs to prove itself. None of the species featured in the shows have official names, which is a little irritating to me but I guess you can't please everyone can you.

Blowfish










The blowfish was a fun start to the series, appearing out of nowhere and ending just as quickly. The character was good, taunting the team and showing their need for Jack's return. I wish they'd been able to reveal more about it but I can see why they didn't.

"Blowfish" is the designation given to an unidentified fish-like species encountered by Torchwood. The species was humanoid, but with a fish shaped head complete with fins and markings. It seemed quite happy on land and had at least some idea of Earth culture, having stolen a smart sports car as it's chosen method of transport. The Blowfish was working for rogue Time Agent John Hart and carried a device for him. Any further information was lost when Jack Harkness took decisive action and shot the creature.

Cell 114











This species, with no name and no idea of who they are was a great idea and the use of "sleeper cells" with aliens undercover as humans with no idea of their true identity. This great concept was ruined for me by the episode ripping off Terminator in several ways (see the blade coming out of the arm in above picture for one!) so was only bearable in the end.

An unknown species sent members of it's race, disguised as the natives of the planet, equipped with false memories so they believed themselves to be so, and therefore would not reveal themselves under interrogation. Their purpose was to gather all necessary information about the planet and then subjugate it. Their bodies were equipped with inbuilt weapons such as bombs, force fields and electronic countermeasures. Cell 114 were defeated, with the help of one of their members who preferred her illusory human life and rejected her purpose, but even she was killed as her true nature began to take over. It is unknown if any other cells exist on Earth or across the stars.

Midomar

This species is featured as a sidenote in the Torchwood alternate reality game available on their website. You play as a freelance operative hired to investigate mysterious goings on at a science lab calle "New Eden."

Midomar are a small species, about five centimetres tall, who can travel across radio waves using the energy to deconstruct and reconstruct themselves. One travelled into the radio of a man named Grayson and gave him messages, but the man sounded too mad for him to be any use to the Midomar. The radio he lived in eventually wound up in Torchwood where swarms of the creatures came through, much to the alarm of the staff. The Midomar were eventually frozen and stored in the vault and a blocking signal sent to stop them trying again.

That's it till a few weeks time

Captain Jack is back...again...no not the pirate!!

This is just a quick notice informing you that TORCHWOOD is returning to our screens, it will broadcast 9PM TONIGHT on BBC2.

Accordingly a new set of "New series, new species" articles will begin, probably every third episode so you might get fresh content which has been a bit lacking due to a rise in work requirements. Once I get the latest Legacy back of my mate's brother I'll do an update on that.

OK, consider yourselves notified!