Torchwood is a British science fiction television programme created by Russell T Davies. A spin-off from the 2005 revival of long-running science fiction programme Doctor Who, Torchwood aired four series between 2006 and 2011. The show 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 when it became a co-production of BBC One and Starz. In contrast to Doctor Who, whose target audience includes both adults and children, Torchwood is aimed at an older audience. Over its run, the show explored a number of themes; prominent among these were existentialism, homosexual and bisexual relationships, and explorations of human corruptibility. During the course of the programme, 41 episodes of Torchwood aired over four series.
Series | Episodes | Originally aired | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
First aired | Last aired | Network | |||
1 | 13 | 22 October 2006 | 1 January 2007 | BBC Three | |
2 | 13 | 16 January 2008 | 4 April 2008 | BBC Two | |
3: Children of Earth | 5 | 6 July 2009 | 10 July 2009 | BBC One | |
4: Miracle Day | 10 | 8 July 2011[a] | 9 September 2011[a] | Starz / BBC One |
Series 1 focuses on Gwen Cooper, her introduction to Torchwood, and meeting Jack Harkness; as well as introducing the characters of Owen Harper, Ianto Jones, Susie Costello, and Toshiko Sato (who was previously introduced in the first series of the newly revived Doctor Who). There is also a loose plot arc centring around the rift; Owen's love of Diane, a woman lost in time; and Owen and Gwen's affair, as well as her relationship to her boyfriend Rhys.
No. overall | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code | UK viewers (millions) [1] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1 | "Everything Changes" | Brian Kelly | Russell T Davies | 22 October 2006 | 1.1 | 2.52 |
2 | 2 | "Day One" | Brian Kelly | Chris Chibnall | 22 October 2006 | 1.2 | 2.50 |
3 | 3 | "Ghost Machine" | Colin Teague | Helen Raynor | 29 October 2006 | 1.3 | 1.77 |
4 | 4 | "Cyberwoman" | James Strong | Chris Chibnall | 5 November 2006 | 1.4 | 1.39 |
5 | 5 | "Small Worlds" | Alice Troughton | Peter J. Hammond | 12 November 2006 | 1.5 | 1.26 |
6 | 6 | "Countrycide" | Andy Goddard | Chris Chibnall | 19 November 2006 | 1.6 | 1.22 |
7 | 7 | "Greeks Bearing Gifts" | Colin Teague | Toby Whithouse | 26 November 2006 | 1.7 | 1.31 |
8 | 8 | "They Keep Killing Suzie" | James Strong | Paul Tomalin & Dan McCulloch | 3 December 2006 | 1.8 | 1.12 |
9 | 9 | "Random Shoes" | James Erskine | Jacquetta May | 10 December 2006 | 1.9 | 1.08 |
10 | 10 | "Out of Time" | Alice Troughton | Catherine Tregenna | 17 December 2006 | 1.10 | 1.03 |
11 | 11 | "Combat" | Andy Goddard | Noel Clarke | 24 December 2006 | 1.11 | 0.83 |
12 | 12 | "Captain Jack Harkness" | Ashley Way | Catherine Tregenna | 1 January 2007 | 1.12 | 1.23 |
13 | 13 | "End of Days" | Ashley Way | Chris Chibnall | 1 January 2007 | 1.13 | 1.23 |
Series 2 focuses on the disappearance of Jack and his subsequent return, as well as his past; and also introduces the mysterious yet dangerous character named John Hart. Episodes 6-12 were all shown on BBC Three a week before their BBC Two broadcast.
No. overall | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code | UK viewers (millions) [2] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
14 | 1 | "Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang" | Ashley Way | Chris Chibnall | 16 January 2008 | 2.1 | 4.22 |
15 | 2 | "Sleeper" | Colin Teague | James Moran | 23 January 2008 | 2.2 | 3.78 |
16 | 3 | "To the Last Man" | Andy Goddard | Helen Raynor | 30 January 2008 | 2.3 | 3.51 |
17 | 4 | "Meat" | Colin Teague | Catherine Tregenna | 6 February 2008 | 2.4 | 3.28 |
18 | 5 | "Adam" | Andy Goddard | Catherine Tregenna | 13 February 2008 | 2.5 | 3.79 |
19 | 6 | "Reset" | Ashley Way | J. C. Wilsher | 13 February 2008 | 2.6 | 4.07 |
20 | 7 | "Dead Man Walking" | Andy Goddard | Matt Jones | 20 February 2008 | 2.7 | 4.32 |
21 | 8 | "A Day in the Death" | Andy Goddard | Joseph Lidster | 27 February 2008 | 2.8 | 4.26 |
22 | 9 | "Something Borrowed" | Ashley Way | Phil Ford | 5 March 2008 | 2.9 | 3.75 |
23 | 10 | "From Out of the Rain" | Jonathan Fox Bassett | Peter J. Hammond | 12 March 2008 | 2.10 | 3.85 |
24 | 11 | "Adrift" | Mark Everest | Chris Chibnall | 19 March 2008 | 2.11 | 3.49 |
25 | 12 | "Fragments" | Jonathan Fox Bassett | Chris Chibnall | 21 March 2008 | 2.12 | 3.60 |
26 | 13 | "Exit Wounds" | Ashley Way | Chris Chibnall | 4 April 2008 | 2.13 | 3.13 |
Series 3 centres around the 456, a mysterious alien race who make contact to Earth via the world’s children, and presents how the world’s governments react to solve the problem. It also focuses on Jack and Ianto’s relationship, as well as Gwen and Rhys.
No. overall | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code | UK viewers (millions) [3] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
27 | 1 | "Day One" | Euros Lyn | Russell T Davies | 6 July 2009 | 3.1 | 6.47 |
28 | 2 | "Day Two" | Euros Lyn | John Fay | 7 July 2009 | 3.2 | 6.14 |
29 | 3 | "Day Three" | Euros Lyn | Russell T Davies & James Moran | 8 July 2009 | 3.3 | 6.40 |
30 | 4 | "Day Four" | Euros Lyn | John Fay | 9 July 2009 | 3.4 | 6.76 |
31 | 5 | "Day Five" | Euros Lyn | Russell T Davies | 10 July 2009 | 3.5 | 6.58 |
Series 4 centres on an event called Miracle Day, where everyone in the world stops dying and subsequently becomes immortal. It also focuses on Jack’s past, his immortality, as well as Gwen and Rhys’s relationship. It also introduces new characters such as Rex Matheson, Esther Drummond, and Oswald Danes.
No. overall | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original U.S. air date | Prod. code | Viewers (millions) [a][b] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
32 | 1 | "The New World" | Bharat Nalluri | Russell T Davies | 8 July 2011 | 401 | 1.51 / 6.59 |
33 | 2 | "Rendition" | Billy Gierhart | Doris Egan | 15 July 2011 | 402 | 0.98 / 5.75 |
34 | 3 | "Dead of Night" | Billy Gierhart | Jane Espenson | 22 July 2011 | 403 | 1.02 / 5.49 |
35 | 4 | "Escape to L.A." | Billy Gierhart | Jim Gray & John Shiban | 29 July 2011 | 404 | 0.94 / 5.19 |
36 | 5 | "The Categories of Life" | Guy Ferland | Jane Espenson | 5 August 2011 | 405 | 1.02 / 5.17 |
37 | 6 | "The Middle Men" | Guy Ferland | John Shiban | 12 August 2011 | 406 | 0.88 / 4.60 |
38 | 7 | "Immortal Sins" | Gwyneth Horder-Payton | Jane Espenson | 19 August 2011 | 407 | 0.92 / 4.48 |
39 | 8 | "End of the Road" | Gwyneth Horder-Payton | Jane Espenson & Ryan Scott | 26 August 2011 | 408 | 1.17 / 4.64 |
40 | 9 | "The Gathering" | Guy Ferland | John Fay | 2 September 2011 | 409 | 1.05 / 4.63 |
41 | 10 | "The Blood Line" | Billy Gierhart | Russell T Davies & Jane Espenson | 9 September 2011 | 410 | 0.95 / 5.13 |
Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. There is more info on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org. |
Series | Episode number | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | ||
1 | 2.52 | 2.50 | 1.77 | 1.39 | 1.26 | 1.22 | 1.31 | 1.12 | 1.08 | 1.03 | 0.83 | 1.23 | 1.23 | |
2 | 4.22 | 3.78 | 3.51 | 3.28 | 3.79 | 4.07 | 4.32 | 4.26 | 3.75 | 3.85 | 3.49 | 3.69 | 3.13 | |
3 | 6.47 | 6.14 | 6.40 | 6.76 | 6.58 | – | ||||||||
4 | 6.59 | 5.75 | 5.49 | 5.19 | 5.17 | 4.60 | 4.48 | 4.64 | 4.63 | 5.13 | – |