BBC2

Tonight I got inadvertently sucked into watching a 30 minute tribute on BBC2 to Raymond Baxter, who passed away recently. It proved to be unexpectedly interesting. I wasn’t really watching Tomorrow’s World when he was presenting, but I have an indelible image of what he was like from various clips, and the show was clearly in its heydey under his leadership. Moreover he really does appear to have been a charming, debonair but also extremely daring presenter. I hadn’t realised that he was a Spitfire pilot in World War 2, that he championed live outside broadcasts, supported Concorde from its earliest days to its final flight, and even co-created Tomorrow’s World itself. Fascinating stuff.

Afterwards was a new, much longer trailer for Torchwood. It’s a show I’m feeling quite meh about, but with every successive trailer I get slightly more interested. I still remain to be convinced that what the world needs is a dark, sexy post-watershed Doctor Who spinoff (or that this is all of those things), but the production values look good and the format appears to be a blend of every likeable cliche you’d expect. Apparently it’ll premiere on October 22nd on BBC3 with repeats the following Wednesday on BBC2, both 9 p.m. slots. (Don’t tell the BBC but knowing me I’ll be watching the whole season regardless of how good or otherwise it turns out to be).