What's Torchwood?
Torchwood is a British science fiction television programme created by Russell T Davies. The series is a spin-off from Davies' 2005 revival of the long-running science fiction programme Doctor Who. The show has shifted its broadcast channel each series to reflect its growing audience, moving from BBC Three to BBC Two to BBC One, and acquiring US financing in its fourth series. In contrast to Doctor Who, whose target audience includes both adults and children, Torchwood is aimed at an older audience.
Torchwood follows the exploits of a small team of alien-hunters, who make up the Cardiff, Wales branch of the fictional Torchwood Institute, which deals mainly with incidents involving extraterrestrials. Its central character is Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman), an immortal former con-man from the distant future who has lived on Earth since the 19th century; Jack originally appeared in the 2005 series of Doctor Who. Under Jack's leadership, the formerly morally ambivalent organisation operates under a more humanist ethos. Other than Barrowman, the series' initial main cast consisted of Eve Myles, Burn Gorman, Naoko Mori and Gareth David-Lloyd. Their characters are each specialists for the Torchwood team, often tracking down aliens and defending the planet from alien and nefarious human threats. In its first two series, the show uses a time rift in Cardiff as its primary plot generator, accounting for the unusual preponderance of alien beings in Cardiff. In the third and fourth series, Torchwood operate as fugitives. Gorman and Mori's characters were written out of the story at the end of the second series. Recurring actor Kai Owen was promoted to the main cast in series three, in which David-Lloyd too was written out. Subsequently, American actors Mehki Phifer, Alexa Havins and Bill Pullman joined the cast of the show for its fourth series.
The first series premiered on BBC Three and on BBC HD in 2006 to mixed reviews but viewing figures which broke records for the digital channel. Subsequently it returned in 2008 where it aired first on BBC Two, receiving a higher budget; its uneven tone, a criticism of the first series, was largely smoothed out, and the show attracted higher ratings and better reviews. The third series episodes worked on a bigger budget and transferred to the network's flagship channel, BBC One as a five episode serial, entitled Torchwood: Children of Earth. Despite airing in July evenings, typically a graveyard slot, spread across five nights in one week, the show received unexpectedly high ratings at home and abroad and for the most part, reviews hailed it as excellent. A fourth series, co-produced by BBC Wales, BBC Worldwide and US premium entertainment network Starz began airing on 8 July 2011 on Starz and 14 July 2011 on BBC One as Torchwood: Miracle Day, and is set in both Wales and in the United States.
Torchwood follows the exploits of a small team of alien-hunters, who make up the Cardiff, Wales branch of the fictional Torchwood Institute, which deals mainly with incidents involving extraterrestrials. Its central character is Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman), an immortal former con-man from the distant future who has lived on Earth since the 19th century; Jack originally appeared in the 2005 series of Doctor Who. Under Jack's leadership, the formerly morally ambivalent organisation operates under a more humanist ethos. Other than Barrowman, the series' initial main cast consisted of Eve Myles, Burn Gorman, Naoko Mori and Gareth David-Lloyd. Their characters are each specialists for the Torchwood team, often tracking down aliens and defending the planet from alien and nefarious human threats. In its first two series, the show uses a time rift in Cardiff as its primary plot generator, accounting for the unusual preponderance of alien beings in Cardiff. In the third and fourth series, Torchwood operate as fugitives. Gorman and Mori's characters were written out of the story at the end of the second series. Recurring actor Kai Owen was promoted to the main cast in series three, in which David-Lloyd too was written out. Subsequently, American actors Mehki Phifer, Alexa Havins and Bill Pullman joined the cast of the show for its fourth series.
The first series premiered on BBC Three and on BBC HD in 2006 to mixed reviews but viewing figures which broke records for the digital channel. Subsequently it returned in 2008 where it aired first on BBC Two, receiving a higher budget; its uneven tone, a criticism of the first series, was largely smoothed out, and the show attracted higher ratings and better reviews. The third series episodes worked on a bigger budget and transferred to the network's flagship channel, BBC One as a five episode serial, entitled Torchwood: Children of Earth. Despite airing in July evenings, typically a graveyard slot, spread across five nights in one week, the show received unexpectedly high ratings at home and abroad and for the most part, reviews hailed it as excellent. A fourth series, co-produced by BBC Wales, BBC Worldwide and US premium entertainment network Starz began airing on 8 July 2011 on Starz and 14 July 2011 on BBC One as Torchwood: Miracle Day, and is set in both Wales and in the United States.
The Torchwood InstitutE:
Queen Victoria was grateful for the Tenth Doctor and Rose's assistance in defeating the werewolf. The incident made her aware of otherworldly threats to the British Empire, and she chartered Torchwood to defend against them -- specifically the Doctor. Seeing his power and knowledge, the Queen was wary of his potential threat to the Empire. The name of the Institute was drawn from the Torchwood Estate, where most of the adventure took place. (DW: Tooth and Claw)
Over time, the Institute accumulated much alien technology, reverse-engineering it and applying it to secret military projects within Britiain. Within Torchwood an unofficial slogan evolved: "If it's alien, it's ours." Under Yvonne Hartman, one of the objectives of Torchwood was to at some point re-establish the British Empire.
Hiding out in the open in Canary Wharf was Torchwood Tower, built to better access a weak point in spacetime. The Torchwood Tower was only part of a much larger plan involving free energy (DW: Army of Ghosts) that backfired horribly and resulted in the deaths of many. (DW: Doomsday) This cell of the Institute was abandoned afterwards. (WEB: Torchwood website)
Torchwood operated in cells. London was Torchwood One, and Cardiff was home to Torchwood Three, the maverick group led by Capt. Jack Harkness. At least two other Torchwood cells were known: Torchwood Two, based in Glasgow, Scotland, and a Torchwood Four, the nature of which was unknown except that it had some how gotten "lost" (TW: Everything Changes). Torchwood India was based in India and led by the Duchess of Melrose. It was disbanded in 1924, but later continued until 2009. (BBCR: Golden Age)
Captain Jack declared the organisation "outside the government and beyond the police". (TW: Everything Changes) It was different to most British institutions. It was created by royal decree and funded directly by the Crown. (TW: Children of Earth: Day One) The royal hold over Torchwood was later demonstrated when HM Queen Elizabeth II closed down Torchwood One after the Battle of Canary Wharf
Over time, the Institute accumulated much alien technology, reverse-engineering it and applying it to secret military projects within Britiain. Within Torchwood an unofficial slogan evolved: "If it's alien, it's ours." Under Yvonne Hartman, one of the objectives of Torchwood was to at some point re-establish the British Empire.
Hiding out in the open in Canary Wharf was Torchwood Tower, built to better access a weak point in spacetime. The Torchwood Tower was only part of a much larger plan involving free energy (DW: Army of Ghosts) that backfired horribly and resulted in the deaths of many. (DW: Doomsday) This cell of the Institute was abandoned afterwards. (WEB: Torchwood website)
Torchwood operated in cells. London was Torchwood One, and Cardiff was home to Torchwood Three, the maverick group led by Capt. Jack Harkness. At least two other Torchwood cells were known: Torchwood Two, based in Glasgow, Scotland, and a Torchwood Four, the nature of which was unknown except that it had some how gotten "lost" (TW: Everything Changes). Torchwood India was based in India and led by the Duchess of Melrose. It was disbanded in 1924, but later continued until 2009. (BBCR: Golden Age)
Captain Jack declared the organisation "outside the government and beyond the police". (TW: Everything Changes) It was different to most British institutions. It was created by royal decree and funded directly by the Crown. (TW: Children of Earth: Day One) The royal hold over Torchwood was later demonstrated when HM Queen Elizabeth II closed down Torchwood One after the Battle of Canary Wharf