"Torchwood" (2006) TV series 2006-????

Creator:

Russell T. Davies

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3

Genre:

Drama | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

The 21st century is when it all changes

Plot:

Captain Jack Harkness, the former Time Agent and con man from the 51st century last seen traveling with the Doctor...

Plot Keywords:

Renegade | Cardiff | Investigation | Bisexual Male | Coworker Relationship

Awards:

2 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

John Barrowman	...	Captain Jack Harkness / ... (31 episodes, 2006-2009)
Eve Myles	...	Gwen Cooper (31 episodes, 2006-2009)
Gareth David-Lloyd	...	Ianto Jones (30 episodes, 2006-2009)
Burn Gorman	...	Owen Harper (26 episodes, 2006-2008)
Naoko Mori	...	Toshiko Sato (26 episodes, 2006-2008)
Kai Owen	...	Rhys Williams (22 episodes, 2006-2009)
Paul Kasey	...	Weevil / ... (13 episodes, 2006-2008)

Also Known As:

Excalibur (UK) (working title)

Runtime:

50 min (26 episodes)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Australia:M (some episodes) | Australia:MA (some episodes) | Singapore:M18 (season 1) | South Korea:18 | Canada:14+ | New Zealand:R16

Filming Locations:

BBC Wales, Cardiff, South Glamorgan, Wales, UK

Company:

BBC Wales

Trivia:

Owen is the only member of the Torchwood team never to have had direct contact with the Doctor. Jack has been companion to both incarnations, Toshiko met the ninth Doctor while examining the space pig in "Doctor Who: Aliens of London (#1.4)" (2005), while Gwen and Ianto met the tenth Doctor through the sub-wave network in "Doctor Who: The Stolen Earth (#4.12)" (2008).

Quotes:

Captain Jack Harkness: [voiceover during first season opening] 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 gotta be ready.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Knight Rider: Knight of the Living Dead (#1.6)" (2008)

A very decent spin off

Now - I have to draw the line at "camp" - look, this is a spin off from Doctor Who, and believe me, you can not get anything as camp as the Sylvester McCoy years....

Anyway, Torchwood is extremely good fun. We are bound to get people complaining that they let their seven year old to stay up late to watch it, and... shock horror... it has SEX and VIOLENCE! Erm yes - thats why its on after the watershed! Geez! Well, okay its no perfect, by far, and comparisons to X-Files, Men in Black etc are missing the point - as is the reviewer who commented that it was unbelievable that Cardiff would be on the edge of a rift in time and space. Okay, so its more believable for London or New York to be? Thats right, folks, Rifts check out the local house prices and amenities before popping up! Oh hang on - placing it all in Cardiff is... wow... unusual and unexpected... ohhhh does that make it original? Well, yes it does. Thats one thing people need to understand - there are accents other than "corr blimey mary poppins" and Daphne from Frasier, and there are towns and citied outside of London. Oh how I long for the episode of Dr Who based in plymouth, and wish David Prowse had voiced Darth Vader (Look, I am your favver, me lover).

Oh wow - what a tangent! Okay, the first episode was spasmodic and rather predictable (well except the serial killer being a member of staff), but the episodes have gotten steadily better and better. The latest, the Cyberwoman, with the run on from a Dr Who episode, was excellent, but with a couple of "yes, hang on a second....." points to discuss.

Anyway - Captain Jack - indestructible a la Captain Scarlet.... has the charisma to pull it off, and his squad are all well acted... yes the direction does (now and again) look like an MTV video, with all the fast moving in your face shots, but it is meant to be an in your face series.

So 9 / 10 - not a patch on the David Tennant Dr Who episodes (well except that awful Christmas special and the weird girl-drawing-people episode) but good fun!