Plus, I tend to subscribe to a literary theory that suggests that, if a character is around at the beginning of the story and is introduced to a scenario or situation in the middle of its own story, then *technically*, that series or story can be considered to be about that character.

Therefore, while Torchwood can focus on individual characters or a team effort all they want, in a sense, the series is about Gwen Cooper.  We met her first, so the audience gets to ‘imprint’ on her, as we all discover Torchwood together.  As series one progresses, we learn about the people and organization along with her.

I suppose you could argue that the series isn’t about her, but as the audience’s link to it, I really doubt they’d eliminate her.  Personally, I hope if anyone has to bite the bullet, it’s the new characters.  J

Now, the same theory would apply to the X-Files.  We meet Scully first, and we meet Mulder through her.  He’s already been into the weirdness for a bit, so we’re introduced to everything in Fox’s world through Scully.  While they spent a lot of time on all of their cast members, this theory gets unintentional reinforcement in the later seasons when Duchovney left and the torch-bearing to Scully, who became the new Mulder, as it were.  In this instance, there’s an almost satisfying full-circle feeling.  Of course, in order to effectively end the series, they *had* to bring Mulder back (and for any problems I may have had with the series finale, I’ve grown to like it a bit more as time goes on).

In fact, they do the same thing with the newer movie.  Start with Scully, who has to go and bring Mulder out of “retirement”.

The Sentinel?  Brings in Blair Sandberg first, has him introduced to the world of Law Enforcement, and ends with his thesis.  Sure, he and Ellison both have to discover the Sentinel thing together; that’s what makes it gay.  But order of introduction is what makes it (to a degree) Blair’s story.

Unfortunately, it’s this exact sort of thing that resulted in Jack Shepherd being considered the “main lead” in LOST.  No matter what they’ve done, by making him the first character we meet, and the eyes through which we first see the wreckage of the plane, and the first flashback, etc, they wound up with a character who becomes the leader of the survivors, and the one that will almost certainly be left standing until at least the climax.  Sure, they’ve done their damndest to try and equal out importance, and I can’t say that I haven’t enjoyed how little we’ve had to deal with him so far this season, but he is, and always will be, a ‘leader of equals’.  His decisions, some good, most of them bad, have been what’s moved the story along.

Fun fact: in the original script, they were going to make Jack look like the main character and then kill him off swiftly by the end of the episode, leaving a stunned audience to realize that no-one is safe.  However, executives (so, effectively, the form of the American TV serial) convinced the creative team that this wouldn’t be a good thing, and the creators, in the interests of actually being able to do their show, acquiesced.  It was probably for the best, and they’ve certainly offed some characters since then, but…well, you get the gist.

There are a lot of these “first day at work” scenarios that bring the audience in.  Others will join the whole group at the same time.  These can also be effective scenarios (see: the Lone Gunmen, the Shield, et al).

I suppose, in another sense, that the recent run of Dr. Who could be considered, overall, a love story between the Doctor and Rose Tyler.  Not having seen it from front to back with all episodes, I’m only guessing, but the pilot almost certainly will introduce Rose first, and they’ll go off on grand adventures.  Everything else that happens could be argued to be an obstacle to their relationship, even past the point where she stops being a Companion.  Realistically, being trapped in an alternate reality would seem the ultimate obstacle, truth be told.  Everything after that point could still be read in a “post-Rose” context, as the Doctor has other Companions and more adventures, but none of them are “Rose”.  Eventually, the denouement of Russel Davies’ epic has all the pieces fall in place for a reunion, and as happy an ending as they could give for a character that can’t really be with the woman he loves.

Hell, everything from the removal of the arm, through Jack’s immortality, his finding the arm, keeping the arm, and rejoining the Doctor for that end-of-time adventure all play towards the eventual, brilliant Rose/ HumanDoctor ending.

I guess that makes me a romantic.  *L*