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| }}{{dab page|Torchwood (disambiguation)}} | | }}{{dab page|Torchwood (disambiguation)}} |
| '''''Torchwood''''' was a ''[[Doctor Who]]'' television spin-off. As an in-house [[BBC Wales]] production for digital television station [[BBC Three]], it was the first television spin-off of ''Doctor Who'' since the pilot of ''[[K9 and Company]]'' in 1981 and the first to be commissioned for a full 13-part series. It originally featured the adventures of the [[Torchwood Institute|Torchwood]] [[Torchwood Three|branch located in Cardiff]] and later the [[Torchwood (team)|Torchwood team]] that succeeds it, and was set on Earth after the events of ''[[Doomsday (TV story)|Doomsday]]'' (and for lead character [[Jack Harkness]] the events of ''[[The Parting of the Ways (TV story)|The Parting of the Ways]]''). | | '''''<sup>why</sup>'''''{{TWTV}} |
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| The spin-off series has not yet featured [[the Doctor]] himself, though the materialisation sound of [[the Doctor's TARDIS]] is heard in the final episode of season one, and other dialogue references have been made, most recently in the ''[[Torchwood: Miracle Day]]'' arc. Likewise, the appearance of [[Martha Jones]] in the second series provides vital continuity between [[Series 3 (Doctor Who)|third]] and [[Series 4 (Doctor Who)|fourth series]] of ''Doctor Who''. Conversely, Jack, as well as his team of [[Gwen Cooper]] and [[Ianto Jones]] featured (and former team members [[Owen Harper]] and [[Toshiko Sato]] are mentioned) in the last two episodes of [[Series 4 (Doctor Who)|the fourth series]] of ''Doctor Who''.
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| Regular characters have included [[Gwen Cooper]], [[Jack Harkness]], [[Ianto Jones]], [[Toshiko Sato]], [[Owen Harper]], [[Rex Matheson]] and [[Esther Drummond]]. [[Martha Jones]], [[Suzie Costello]] and [[Vera Juarez]] have also been portrayed as part of the Torchwood team led by Harkness. Semi-regulars [[Rhys Williams]] and [[Andy Davidson|Sgt Andy Davidson]] are the only non-Torchwood members who have recurred across all series.
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| The [[12 October (production)|12 October]] [[2016 (production)|2016]] marks the 10th anniversary of ''Torchwood''. In celebration of that, and due to its popularity, cast and crew were invited to the Chapter Arts Centre in Cardiff, and a special screening of [[Everything Changes (TV story)|the very first ever episode]] was shown for the fans.<ref>http://www.bafta.org/wales/whats-on/special-screening-10-years-of-torchwood</ref> [[Big Finish]] also produced a special audio story to celebrate the show's anniversary.
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| == Origins ==
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| In [[2002 (production)|2002]], before the revival of ''Doctor Who'', Russell T Davies began to develop an idea for a science-fiction/crime drama in the style of American fantasy drama series like ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]'' and its spin-off series, ''Angel''.
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| This idea, originally titled ''Excalibur'', was abandoned until [[2005 (production)|2005]], when BBC Three Controller [[Stuart Murphy]] invited Davies to develop a post-{{w|watershed (television)|watershed}} science fiction series for the channel. The word "Torchwood" (an [[anagram]] of "Doctor Who") originated during production of the new ''Doctor Who'' series, when television pirates were eager to get their hands on the tapes. Someone in the production office suggested that the tapes be labelled "Torchwood" instead of "Doctor Who" to disguise their contents as they were being sent to [[London]]. Davies thought that this was a clever idea and remembered the name.
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| Davies connected the word Torchwood to his earlier ''Excalibur'' idea and decided to make the series a ''Doctor Who'' spin-off. Subsequently, the word Torchwood was seeded in several ''Doctor Who'' episodes and other media which aired in 2005 and 2006.
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| == Premise ==
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| The series was set in contemporary [[Cardiff]] and followed the Welsh branch of a covert agency called the [[Torchwood Institute]], which investigates extraterrestrial incidents on Earth and scavenges alien technology for its own use. As established in the ''Doctor Who'' episodes ''[[Tooth and Claw (TV story)|Tooth and Claw]]'' and ''[[Army of Ghosts (TV story)|Army of Ghosts]]'', the Institute had been formed by [[Victoria|Queen Victoria]] following an incident involving the [[Tenth Doctor]] and a [[Lupine Wavelength Haemovariform|werewolf]], ostensibly to protect the [[British Empire]] from aliens and other creatures — as well as from [[the Doctor]] himself.
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| To paraphrase [[Torchwood]] Three's commander-in-chief, [[Jack Harkness]], the organisation was separate from the government, outside the police, and beyond the [[United Nations]] (the last reference thereby placing Torchwood in a different realm than [[Unified Intelligence Taskforce|UNIT]]).
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| Although a secret organisation, the existence of Torchwood was known by the public, and Torchwood operatives made no secret of their identity when on duty (they even drove a vehicle emblazoned with the name). Their public perception was as merely a "special ops" group, with their true responsibilities kept secret to all but a select few.
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| The events of the first series took place some time after the ''Doctor Who'' ''[[Doomsday (TV story)|Doomsday]]'' series two finale, in which Torchwood's London headquarters was destroyed, and just before the series three finale; the final episode of Series 1 led directly into the ''Doctor Who'' episode ''[[Utopia (TV story)|Utopia]]''.
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| The initial main writer alongside Davies was [[Chris Chibnall]], creator of the BBC light drama show {{wi|Born and Bred}} (who later moved over to work on {{wi|Law & Order: UK}}). Other writers include [[P.J. Hammond]], [[Toby Whithouse]], ''Doctor Who'' [[script editor]] [[Helen Raynor]], [[Catherine Tregenna]], and ''Doctor Who'' cast member [[Noel Clarke]].
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| In a [[17 October (production)|17 October]] [[2005 (production)|2005]] announcement unveiling the series, BBC Three controller [[Stuart Murphy]] described Torchwood as "sinister and psychological...As well as being very British and modern and real." Davies further described it as "a British sci-fi paranoid thriller, a cop show with a sense of humour. [...] Dark, wild and sexy, it's ''[[The X-Files]]'' meets {{wi|This Life}}."{{fact}} Davies later denied ever making this comparison, instead describing the show as "alleyways, rain, the city".
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| As ''Torchwood'' was a post-{{w|watershed (television)|watershed}} show — that is, after 9 p.m. — it had more mature content than ''Doctor Who''. Davies told ''[[SFX (magazine)|SFX]]'': "We can be a bit more visceral, more violent, and more [[sexuality|sexual]], if we want to. Though bear in mind that it's very teenage to indulge yourself in blood and gore, and ''Torchwood'' is going to be smarter than that. But it's the essential difference between [[BBC One]] at 7 pm, and [[BBC Three]] at, say, 9 pm. That says it all — instinctively, every viewer can see the huge difference there."
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| Davies also joked to a [[BBC Radio|BBC Radio Wales]] interviewer that he was "not allowed" to refer to the programme as "''Doctor Who'' for grown-ups". The first and second series included content never before seen or heard in the televised side of the ''Doctor Who'' franchise, including intense [[sex|lovemaking]] scenes (in episodes such as ''[[Day One (TV story)|Day One]]'', ''[[Out of Time (TV story)|Out of Time]]'' or ''[[Dead of Night]]''), [[homosexuality|same-sex]] kissing in a romantic/sexual context (in ''[[Cyberwoman (TV story)|Cyberwoman]]'' or ''[[Captain Jack Harkness (TV story)|Captain Jack Harkness]]'', for example), and use of extreme profanity in several episodes. Such content was controversial among aspects of ''Who'' fandom, and, as the series progressed, such scenes were minimised, to the point where, by [[series 3 (Torchwood)|series 3]], relatively little of this content remained.
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| == Cast ==
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| === Main cast ===
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| * [[Jack Harkness]] - [[John Barrowman]]
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| * [[Gwen Cooper]] - [[Eve Myles]]
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| * [[Rhys Williams]] - [[Kai Owen]]
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| * [[Owen Harper]] - [[Burn Gorman]] (series 1-2)
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| * [[Toshiko Sato]] - [[Naoko Mori]] (series 1-2)
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| * [[Ianto Jones]] - [[Gareth David-Lloyd]] (series 1-3)
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| * [[Rex Matheson]] - [[Mekhi Phifer]] (series 4)
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| * [[Esther Drummond]] - [[Alexa Havins]] (series 4)
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| * [[Oswald Danes]] - [[Bill Pullman]] (series 4)
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| === Secondary cast ===
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| * [[Andy Davidson]] - [[Tom Price]]
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| * [[Martha Jones]] - [[Freema Agyeman]] (series 2)
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| * [[Lois Habiba]] - [[Cush Jumbo]] (series 3)
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| * [[John Frobisher]] - [[Peter Capaldi]] (series 3)
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| * [[Vera Juarez]] - [[Arlene Tur]] (series 4)
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| * [[Jillian Kitzinger]] - [[Lauren Ambrose]] (series 4)
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| == Television stories ==
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| === Series 1 - 2006-2007 ===
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| {{main|Series 1 (Torchwood)}}
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| === Series 2 - 2008 ===
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| {{main|Series 2 (Torchwood)}}
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| === Series 3 - 2009 ===
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| {{main|Series 3 (Torchwood)}}
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| === Series 4 - 2011 ===
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| {{main|Series 4 (Torchwood)}}
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| == Other media ==
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| === Prose ===
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| ==== Novels ====
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| ''[[BBC Torchwood novels|See list of Torchwood novels]]''
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| ==== Short stories ====
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| ''[[Torchwood short stories|See list of Torchwood short stories]]''
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| === Video games ===
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| * ''[[Torchwood Mission Game (video game)|Torchwood Mission Game]]''
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| === Comics ===
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| ''[[Torchwood comic stories|See list of Torchwood comic strips]]''
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| === Reference books ===
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| * ''[[Torchwood: The Encyclopedia]]''
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| * ''[[The Torchwood Archives]]''
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| === Audio ===
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| ==== Audiobooks ====
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| * ''[[Another Life (novel)|Another Life]]'' Read by [[John Barrowman]] (abridged)
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| * ''[[Border Princes (novel)|Border Princes]]'' Read by [[Eve Myles]] (abridged)
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| * ''[[Slow Decay (novel)|Slow Decay]]'' Read by [[Burn Gorman]] (abridged)
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| ==== Audio stories ====
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| * ''[[Hidden (audio story)|Hidden]]'' Read by [[Naoko Mori]]
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| * ''[[Everyone Says Hello (audio story)|Everyone Says Hello]]'' Read by [[Burn Gorman]]
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| * ''[[In the Shadows (audio story)|In the Shadows]]'' Read by [[Eve Myles]]
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| * ''[[The Sin Eaters (audio story)|The Sin Eaters]]'' Read by [[Gareth David-Lloyd]]
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| * ''[[Department X (audio story)|Department X]]'' by [[James Goss]]
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| * ''[[Ghost Train (audio story)|Ghost Train]]'' by [[James Goss]]
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| * ''[[Army of One (audio story)|Army of One]]'' by [[Ian Edginton]]
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| * ''[[Fallout (audio story)|Fallout]]'' by [[David Llewellyn]]
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| * ''[[Red Skies (audio story)|Red Skies]]'' by [[Joseph Lidster]]
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| * ''[[Mr Invincible (audio story)|Mr Invincible]]'' by [[Mark Morris]]
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| ==== Torchwood ====
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| {{Main|Big Finish Torchwood series }}
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| ==== Radio ====
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| * ''[[Lost Souls (audio story)|Lost Souls]]''
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| * ''[[Asylum (audio story)|Asylum]]''
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| * ''[[Golden Age (audio story)|Golden Age]]''
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| * ''[[The Dead Line (audio story)|The Dead Line]]''
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| * ''[[The Devil and Miss Carew (audio story)|The Devil and Miss Carew]]''
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| * ''[[Submission (audio story)|Submission]]''
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| * ''[[The House of the Dead (audio story)|The House of the Dead]]''
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| === Web series ===
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| ''[[Web of Lies]]''
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| === Magazines ===
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| ''[[Torchwood The Official Magazine]]'' was a title launched in 2008 and published by [[Titan Publishing Group]], that ran for twenty-five issues. The licence expired as a consequence of a realignment of ''Torchwood'' merchandising in response to the [[BBC]]'s co-production agreement with [[Starz]].
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| In 2010, Titan began publishing a monthly comic book for the North American market, ''[[Torchwood The Official Comic]]'', reprinting comic strips and short stories from the UK magazine. Material from the magazine was also used in the [[Torchwood The Official Magazine Yearbook (2008)]] and the [[Torchwood The Official Magazine Yearbook (2009)]].
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| == Continuity ==
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| * In ''Torchwood'' [[Series 1 (Torchwood)|Series 1]], the episodes [[TV]]: ''[[Everything Changes (TV story)|Everything Changes]]'' and [[TV]]: ''[[Cyberwoman (TV story)|Cyberwoman]]'' make direct reference to the [[Cyberman (Pete's World)|Cybermen]] in [[TV]]: ''[[Army of Ghosts (TV story)|Army of Ghosts]]'' and [[TV]]: ''[[Doomsday (TV story)|Doomsday]]'' as well as the [[Battle of Canary Wharf]].
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| * The presence of [[the Doctor's hand]] in [[the Hub]] alludes to his losing it in [[TV]]: ''[[The Christmas Invasion (TV story)|The Christmas Invasion]]''.
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| * Graffiti seen in [[the Ritz]] in [[TV]]: ''[[Captain Jack Harkness (TV story)|Captain Jack Harkness]]'' continues the presence of the [[Bad Wolf meme]] and [[Harold Saxon]] posters are seen on the walls.
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| * ''[[Utopia (TV story)|Utopia]]'' continues directly from the closing moments of the "Torchwood" [[Series 1 (Torchwood)|Series 1]] finale [[TV]]: ''[[End of Days (TV story)|End of Days]]'', in which both Jack Harkness and the audience hear the sound of [[the Doctor's TARDIS|the TARDIS]].
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| * [[Abaddon]] from [[TV]]: ''[[End of Days (TV story)|End of Days]]'' is referred to as the son of [[The Beast (The Impossible Planet)|the great Beast]] from [[TV]]: ''[[The Impossible Planet (TV story)|The Impossible Planet]]'' and [[TV]]: ''[[The Satan Pit (TV story)|The Satan Pit]]''.
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| * In "Torchwood" [[Series 2 (Torchwood)|Series 2]], [[Freema Agyeman]] reprised her role of [[Martha Jones]] in the episode [[TV]]: ''[[Reset (TV story)|Reset]]''. Her alias [[Samantha Jones]] references a companion of the [[Eighth Doctor]].
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| * [[UNIT]], an organisation closely associated with the [[Third Doctor]] in particular, appears in a flashback in [[TV]]: ''[[Fragments (TV story)|Fragments]]'' as well as throughout ''[[Series 3 (Torchwood)|Torchwood: Children of Earth]]''.
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| * [[Toshiko Sato]] explains her appearance as the doctor in [[TV]]: ''[[Aliens of London (TV story)|Aliens of London]]'' as her filling in for Owen, who had a hangover.
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| * A [[Hoix]] makes a small appearance in [[TV]]: ''[[Exit Wounds (TV story)|Exit Wounds]]''. The Hoix first appeared in [[TV]]: ''[[Love & Monsters (TV story)|Love & Monsters]]''.
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| * The episode [[TV]]: ''[[Turn Left (TV story)|Turn Left]]'' presents an alternate timeline, nicknamed [[Donna's World]], where, by saving the Earth from [[Sontaran invasion of Earth|a Sontaran invasion]] (an event shown in the usual timeline in [[TV]]: ''[[The Sontaran Stratagem (TV story)|The Sontaran Stratagem]]'' and [[TV]]: ''[[The Poison Sky (TV story)|The Poison Sky]]''), [[Gwen Cooper]] and [[Ianto Jones]] die, while [[Jack Harkness]] is captured and taken to [[Sontar]]. (In this alternate timeline, as in the normal one, [[Toshiko Sato]] and [[Owen Harper]] have already died.)
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| * In [[TV]]: ''[[The Stolen Earth (TV story)|The Stolen Earth]]'' and [[TV]]: ''[[Journey's End (TV story)|Journey's End]]'', the surviving Torchwood team and [[the Hub]] appear. While Jack goes off to save the [[Tenth Doctor]], Gwen and Ianto remain in the Hub to fight off a [[Dalek]]. [[TV]]: ''[[Journey's End (TV story)|Journey's End]]'' concludes with Jack offering Martha a job with Torchwood.
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| * After leaving Earth in [[TV]]: '' [[Children of Earth: Day Five (TV story)|Day Five]]'', following all the deaths he's claimed responsibility for up to and including [[Ianto Jones|Ianto]] and [[Steven Carter|Steven]], Jack Harkness is seen at a [[Zaggit Zagoo bar|bar]] drinking his sorrows. ([[TV]]: ''[[The End of Time (TV story)|The End of Time]]'')
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| === Crossover characters/aliens ===
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| ==== ''Doctor Who'' ====
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| ===== From ''Doctor Who'' =====
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| * [[Toshiko Sato]] ''(Series 1 and 2)''
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| * Captain [[Jack Harkness]] ''(Series 1 through 4)''
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| * [[Cyberman (Pete's World)|Cyberman]] (partially converted) ''([[Cyberwoman]])''
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| * [[Hoix]] ''([[Exit Wounds (TV story)|Exit Wounds]])''
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| * [[Martha Jones]] ''([[Reset (TV story)|Reset]], [[Dead Man Walking (TV story)|Dead Man Walking]], [[A Day in the Death (TV story)|A Day in the Death]])''
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| ===== To ''Doctor Who'' =====
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| * [[Gwen Cooper]] ''([[The Stolen Earth (TV story)|The Stolen Earth]], [[Journey's End (TV story)|Journey's End]])''
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| * [[Ianto Jones]] ''([[The Stolen Earth (TV story)|The Stolen Earth]], [[Journey's End (TV story)|Journey's End]])''
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| * [[Weevil]]s ''([[The Pandorica Opens (TV story)|The Pandorica Opens]])''
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| * [[Blowfish]] (''[[The Pandorica Opens (TV story)|The Pandorica Opens]]'', ''[[Nightmare in Silver (TV story)|Nightmare in Silver]]'', ''[[The Magician's Apprentice (TV story)|The Magician's Apprentice]]'')'
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| ==== ''The Sarah Jane Adventures'' ====
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| ===== To ''The Sarah Jane Adventures'' =====
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| * [[Arcateenian]] ''([[Invasion of the Bane (TV story)|Invasion of the Bane]])''
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| ===== From ''The Sarah Jane Adventures'' =====
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| * [[Trickster's Brigade]] ''([[Immortal Sins (TV story)|Immortal Sins]])''
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| == Future ==
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| John Barrowman, in an 2010 interview with ''The Scottish Sun'', said that he expected Torchwood to run until 2017.<ref>http://doctorwhotv.co.uk/torchwood-2017-13416.htm</ref>
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| However, Russell T Davies stated in October 2012 that for personal reasons the show was on an indefinite hiatus.<ref>http://www.denofgeek.us/tv/russell-t-davies-on-the-future-of-torchwood/22566/russell-t-davies-on-the-future-of-torchwood</ref><ref>http://screenrant.com/torchwood-season-5-delay-scott-163133/</ref>
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| === Video game ===
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| In an interview with Robert Nashak of BBC Worldwide, it was revealed that the BBC were looking into creating a game for ''Torchwood''. Whether these would be in the form of [[Doctor Who: The Adventure Games|the Adventure Games]], or for retail on platforms, is unknown. <ref>http://doctorwhotv.co.uk/torchwood-the-game-8995.htm</ref>
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| == Aborted ideas ==
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| === Musical ===
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| According to Russell T Davies in ''[[The Writer's Tale - The Final Chapter]]'', two former members of the pop group [[ABBA]] issued a proposal for a stage musical based upon ''Torchwood''. The proposal was rejected, and in his book Davies strongly indicates that the idea was never taken seriously.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8441444.stm BBC News - Abba duo linked to Torchwood musical] <small>accessed 22nd March 2010</small></ref>
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| === American series ===
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| In January 2010 US media reported that Davies, [[Julie Gardner]] and [[Jane Tranter]] were planning a US version of ''Torchwood'' for the Fox network, which had previously aired the [[Doctor Who (1996)|1996 ''Doctor Who'' TV movie]]. According to the reports, Barrowman and other original cast members may have appeared. The media coverage did not indicate whether or not the series was expected to be a remake/standalone, or if it would tie in with existing Whoniverse continuity. On the 20th January 2010 it was announced that Fox had ordered a pilot script for a US version of ''Torchwood'' from BBC Worldwide.<ref>http://www.c21media.net/news/detail.asp?area=1&article=53791 C21Media - Fox ignites Torchwood pilot script <small>accessed 22nd March 2010</small></ref>
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| On 21st April 2010, however, BBC Worldwide announced that Fox had chosen not to proceed with the series, which according to the BBC was to have been a 13-episode, serialised programme, similar to the UK original.<ref>[http://gallifreynewsbase.blogspot.com/2010/04/american-torchwood-on-hold.html Doctor Who News Page - Fox Withdraw from American Torchwood] <small>accessed 22nd April 2010</small></ref>
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| The show was later picked up by the American network Starz, which co-produced the [[Series 4 (Torchwood)|fourth series]].
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| == Merchandising ==
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| ''Torchwood''-themed product ranges included:
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| * [[Torchwood merchandise|calendars]]
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| * [[Torchwood - Series 1 and 2 (soundtrack)|a soundtrack release]] for series 1 and 2
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| * [[SciFi Collector Torchwood action figures|an action figure line]]
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| == External links ==
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| {{official website|www.bbc.co.uk/torchwood/}}
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| {{youtube|torchwoodofficial}}
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| == Footnotes ==
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| {{reflist|2}}
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| {{TWTV}} | |
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| [[Category:Torchwood (TV series)| ]] | | [[Category:Torchwood (TV series)| ]] |
