Torchwood: 4 Things Miracle Day Got Wrong (And 4 Things It Got Right)

2. One Story

The fact that Miracle Day was built on the foundations of one overriding story was a hugely ambitious and interesting premise which should have highlighted where Torchwood is at its strongest within the competitive televisual market. Although the monster of the week format worked for its first two series, it really hit the nail on the head with its unique third outing, Children of Earth, which told one continuous story over five hour long episodes and received international critic acclaim as a result. So when it was revealed that Series 4 would follow a similar - albeit extended - format, the only way was up for Jack and Gwen's adventures. Ultimately this proved to be somewhat of a forlorn fantasy, of course, as there were far too many episodes to maintain the story's momentum in the long run, but hopefully writers will learn from this and stick to the 'one story' rule for any of the show's future outings. Perhaps even a movie is the next logical step. The format and scale of the show definitely lends itself to the big screen and this would enable it to take on a weighty story which wouldn't be in danger of outstaying its welcome within the confines of a feature length presentation. That was ultimately Series 4's downfall - there was just too much of it. A strange comment for a devoted fan of any series to make, but less really would have been more in the ill fated case of Miracle Day and hopefully Series 5, in whatever guise it is - or isn't - destined t take, will strip things back and writers will give Jack and Gwen a story that concentrates on quality over quantity. After all, there are only a select few episodes of Miracle Day that are even worth rewatching, so most people consider it as a 5-part deal anyway. What's more, the story develops at such a slow pace that you can watch the first few episodes, miss out the middle and still rejoin the proceedings in time for the finale with a firm understanding of what's going on. A complete contrast to Children of Earth which kept viewers utterly compelled from start to finish.