• Welcome! The TrekBBS is the number one place to chat about Star Trek with like-minded fans.
    If you are not already a member then please register an account and join in the discussion!

New Torchwood series confirmed - official

Didn't they just change UNIT's name to Unified Intelligence Taskforce after they whined about it?

Indeed, which seems completely stupid, IMO. The UN didn't care about being depicted as easily being duped by the Slitheen into authorizing a nuclear attack, but showing a top-secret alien-fighting military organization within the UN is taking things too far.

Of course, what I don't get is the UNIT officer in Children of Earth even says he answers to the United Nations, and no complaint was made there. So if the Unified Intelligence Task Force still answers to the UN, then why would they change their name from United Nations Intelligence Task Force. Within contunity, I mean.

My guess is someone at the UN just doesn't like Doctor Who. Why else worry about UNIT when they clearly don't mind chanting "so say we all" in their meeting hall.
You think the UN would have more important things to worry about than doctor who:wtf: I must had miss the news story about world peace breaking out.
 
I never bought the whole, "UNIT's name was changed because the UN complained" story.

It's not the like UN has the actual power to order the BBC to not use their name. It's not they're a corporate brand or anything.
 
I never bought the whole, "UNIT's name was changed because the UN complained" story.

It's not the like UN has the actual power to order the BBC to not use their name. It's not they're a corporate brand or anything.

My take was they wrote a strongly-worded letter to BBC or RTD asking them drop the connection, and BBC/RTD obliged.

Also of note, In Jack's opening narration of S1 Torchwood episodes, he mentions that Torchwood is "beyond United Nations." This bit was removed from the narration of S2 episodes. I always wondered if someone from the UN complained about that.
 
I just don't see how the UN has any teeth to push the issue.

If I had been RTD/Beeb, I'd have thrown the UN's letter in the trash, and then written an episode in which the main bad guy was a corrupt UN official.
 
I just don't see how the UN has any teeth to push the issue.

If I had been RTD/Beeb, I'd have thrown the UN's letter in the trash, and then written an episode in which the main bad guy was a corrupt UN official.
Why? What's the point in being antagonistic for no real reason?
 
I think and hope that CoE changed Torchwood as a show and that the writers will continue in that vein. I love the news. Starz has yet to prove itself as a good home for serious drama, but luckily the show will still be made by the BBC and the original writers. With an infusion of American dollars the show will probably look and sound even better. And going on location around the world sounds great.
 
This confuses me...why would an organization dedicated to promoting world unity have any concerns over their depiction in a television series? That's like saying that the UN Security council wrote the showrunners of TNG a letter praising them for using "The New United Nations" or whatever it was. If I was RTD I would frame whatever letter I got if I said letter existed on my office wall with a little note to myself saying well at least the show got their attention in the first place!
 
I'm not a UN basher - but if, with all the shit going on in the world right now (or indeed at any given time), someone in that organisation seriously took time out of his working day to write to the BBC about its possible link to a fictional organisation in a fictional - indeed fantastical series - then they have a seriously f*cking warped view of their priorities. There's seriously nothing else that they could be doing with their time?!
 
You know, you're all on the Internet. Why not take two seconds out of your lives to look up what actually happened?
 
Why? What's the point in being antagonistic for no real reason?

Why comment came immediately after this one:

My take was they wrote a strongly-worded letter to BBC or RTD asking them drop the connection, and BBC/RTD obliged.

So I ask you, "Whaddaya mean, 'no real reason'?"

If they were asked if the United Nations bit could be dropped and there's no need for it to actually stand for United Nations, why not just oblige and change the name amicably? No one said they tried to force the situation or were antagonistic about it, so why turn round and be confrontational about it?
 
And I've never seen a single episode...

CoE was actually very affecting SF. Tense, taut and, in some parts genuinely scary.

It works in the best tradition of BBC shortform series and is an argument for why the US networks need to start looking at shorter runs, rather than stretching something out to ridiculous lengths like "Lost".

The other normal episodes of TW, however, are pretty much disposable.
 
What does the phrase, "strongly worded letter" mean to you, then? :wtf:
I'd guess it means they sent a letter stating strongly they didn't want the association any more...but basically that's only The Wormhole's interpretation of events and not what actually happened. I see no reason to believe there was any animosity on either end of it, so why create it?
 
What does the phrase, "strongly worded letter" mean to you, then? :wtf:
I'd guess it means they sent a letter stating strongly they didn't want the association any more...but basically that's only The Wormhole's interpretation of events and not what actually happened.

Nevertheless, that's the scenario to which I was replying.

I see no reason to believe there was any animosity on either end of it, so why create it?

I don't consider it a reasonable request in any case.

The acronym "UNIT" had stood for "United Nations Intelligence Taskforce" for over 35 years by the time RTD-Who made it's appearance. To request the change after such a long time seems petty.
 
It's my understanding that the UN does not like to be associated with fictional organisations in general, hence the 'United Network Command for Law and Enforcement' in the 60's spy series 'The Man From UNCLE'.

I'd speculate that saying your organisation is answerable to the UN is one thing, claiming it to be actually part of the UN is quite another.

I'd also speculate that prior to 2005 the UN may simply have been unaware of UNIT in Doctor Who.
 
I think my joke at the time was something to the effect that the UN was upset at Who making them look like a relevant organization.

Check out the verbage about using the FBI name or seal: http://www.fbi.gov/ipr/. I guess even organizations like the UN feel the need to protect their image and brand, though it does seem really silly.
 
In the 60s, pretty much NOTHING on American TV came from any "real" place. That's why the bad guys on Mission Impossible were always from Slavokistan or whatever instead of Russia.
 
If you are not already a member then please register an account and join in the discussion!

Sign up / Register


Back
Top