Torchwood

“Torchwood: outside the government, beyond the police. Tracking down alien life on Earth, arming the human race against the future.

The twenty-first century is when everything changes.

And you’ve got to be ready.”

You had me at “tracking down alien life”. Thanks Captain Jack!

And so “Torchwood“, the BBC’s Doctor Who spin off created by former executive producer of DW Russell T. Davies, begins. The show, which aired four seasons between 2006 and 2011, follows Captain Jack Harkness (of Doctor Who fame) as he leads a secret team that monitors alien activity on Earth. In the first episode (“Everything Changes“) we meet Gwen Cooper, a policewoman, who ends up joining the Torchwood team. The character of Gwen, played by Eve Myles, remains on Torchwood for all four seasons and the show is told mainly from her point. The rest of the team are: Captain Jack Harkness played by John Barrowman; Owen Harper played by Burn Gorman; Toshiko Sato played by Naoko Mori; Ianto Jones played by Gareth David-Lloyd. We also meet Gwen’s boyfriend, Rhys Williams played by Kai Owen.

Myles, Gorman, Barrowman, David-Lloyd, Mori

The following main characters are with us for a short while, either at the beginning or in later seasons: Suzie Costello, Andy Davidson, Rex Matheson, Esther Drummond, Oswald Danes and Doctor Who alum Martha Jones, played by Freema Agyeman. Matheson is played by Mekhi Phifer and Bill Pullman portrays Oswald Danes when season four travels to America.

Torchwood Cardiff at Roald Dahl Plass

According to Doctor Who lore, the Torchwood Institute was the brainchild of Queen Victoria after the events of “Tooth and Claw“, a 2006 episode of DW. This version, the Cardiff branch, is Torchwood Three (according to Captain Jack). And as we know from Doctor Who, there is a time rift in Cardiff. Torchwood’s London headquarters have been destroyed (as seen in DW’s “Doomsday“).

Torchwood has four seasons. Seasons 1 and 2 feature mostly stand alone episodes while Season 3 is called Torchwood: Children of Earth. Season 4 is Torchwood: Miracle Day. Torchwood IS NOT as family friendly as Doctor Who. Trust me. This is definitely adult entertainment. Well not XXX adult entertainment but there is enough “adult” subject matter that you don’t want your kids watching it.

Weevil

For the Doctor Who fans: Paul Kasey is heavily featured in Torchwood (although you don’t see his face much). He portrays Weevils (above), a Blowfish and the Hoix. In addition to Paul Kasey’s characters and Agyeman’s Martha Jones, you will see other DW actors and characters in Torchwood. New Doctor Peter Capaldi was featured in Children of Earth as Permanent Secretary John Frobisher. Eve Myles was previously on DW during the Ninth Doctor’s reign (“The Unquiet Dead” as Gwyneth) and as Gwen during the Tenth Doctor’s period (“The Stolen Earth” and “Journey’s End“). David-Lloyd’s Ianto Jones also appears in The Stolen Earth and Journey’s End. Toshiko Sato had previously been seen in DW’s episode “Aliens of London” with Ninth Doctor Christopher Eccleston.

Interior of Torchwood HQ in Cardiff

There is much to love for Doctor Who fans in Torchwood. I personally prefer the first two seasons as they seemed more “Doctor Who”-like. Children of Earth is quite dark. Although it was definitely entertaining, I wasn’t happy with where ‘they” took the character of Captain Jack. Season four was likewise entertaining and quite a mystery but I rewatch seasons one and two regularly. The Torchwood team drives these amazeballs SUVs by the way. I really, really want one (blue lights and computers included).

Yes please.

So if you give Torchwood a go, let me know what you think. Reminder: Torchwood is not for kids. I don’t care how much they love Doctor Who – just no.