Theory:Timeline - Torchwood
If this thread's title doesn't specify it's spoilery, don't bring any up.
This page lists appearances of the Torchwood Institute and Torchwood Three in chronological order. This timeline is based upon observations of the Doctor Who universe and the events that occur during each of these stories. From these observations we have attempted to build a concise timeline. It is assumed that for each novel, comic, audio or television series, their published, broadcast or numbered order is the order they occur in.
Limiting factors
Any story with Gwen, Ianto, Owen and Tosh must be after TV: Everything Changes and before TV: End of Days or after TV: Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang and before TV: Exit Wounds. Any story where Owen is dead, but still mobile must be set after TV: Dead Man Walking and before TV: Exit Wounds. Any story where Gwen is married to Rhys must be after TV: Something Borrowed. Any story with Gwen and Ianto must be after TV: Exit Wounds and before TV: Children of Earth: Day One.
Overview
The adventures of Torchwood Three and the related Torchwood team in America that was formed after the destruction of the Hub can be categorised as these original to Torchwood television lineups:
- Jack Harkness, Gwen, Owen, Ianto and Tosh in Torchwood Three
- Jack Harkness, Gwen and Ianto in Torchwood Three
- Jack Harkness, Gwen, Ianto and associate Rhys Williams following the Torchwood Hub's destruction
- Jack Harkness, Gwen, Rex Matheson and Esther Drummond as part of a new team codenamed Torchwood
Timeline
- Set in the late 19th century.
1909
- TV: Small Worlds (flashback)
1927
- TV: Immortal Sins (flashback)
1965
- TV: Children of Earth: Day Four (flashback)
1987
1999
- TV: Fragments (Alex Hopkins flashback)
2004
- TV: Fragments (Toshiko Sato flashback)
2005
- AUDIO: One Rule
- TV: Fragments (Owen Harper flashback)
2006
- TV: The Christmas Invasion
- TV: Army of Ghosts/Doomsday
- TV: Fragments (Ianto Jones flashback)
2007
- Gwen is recruited.
- Gwen's first day on the job.
- Gwen is still inexperienced with weapons.
- Ianto keeps something secret in the hub.
- Several references are made to the events of Cyberwoman.
- Set three months after Everything Changes.
- Owen is visibly upset by the events of Out of Time in this story. He calls off his affair with Gwen.
- Continues where Captain Jack Harkness left off. Jack disappears from Torchwood.
- Gwen has started taking charge more in Jack's absence, in comparison to Captain Jack Harkness, where Owen was said to be second-in-command. Gwen is now engaged to Rhys.
- Jack has left Torchwood before.
2008
- Set between Meat and Adam.
- Continues where Reset left off. Owen is resurrected, but with no lifesigns.
2009
- Set three days after Reset.
- Set after Owen's undeath and before Gwen's wedding.
- Both stories set during the first day after Gwen’s return from honeymoon.
- Continues where Fragments left off. Owen and Tosh die.
- Martha meets Jack for the first time since Owen and Tosh's funeral.
- AUDIO: Asylum
- AUDIO: Golden Age
- AUDIO: The Dead Line
- AUDIO: The Devil and Miss Carew
- AUDIO: Submission
- TV: Children of Earth: Day One
- TV: Children of Earth: Day Two
- TV: Children of Earth: Day Three
- TV: Children of Earth: Day Four
- TV: Children of Earth: Day Five
- Shrouded and The House of the Dead are set in the six-month gap at the end of Children of Earth: Day Five. Shrouded takes place at Ianto's funeral after Ianto dies in Day Four. Jack leaves Earth at the end of Children of Earth: Day Five. Days One through Five flow into one another.
- PROSE: Long Time Dead (flashback)
- Sequel to Children Of Earth and prequel to The Miracle Day.
2011
- Prequel to The New World.
- Jack returns to Earth.
- Jack and Gwen are taken to America.
- TV: Dead of Night
- TV: Escape to LA
- TV: The Categories of Life
- TV: The Middle Men
- TV: Immortal Sins
- TV: End of the Road
- Jack and Gwen return to the UK, along with Esther after End of the Road. The New World through End of the Road flow into one another.
- Takes place a few months after End of the Road.
- Continues where The Gathering left off.
2015
2017
Unplaced
- Set in October 2007.
- PROSE: Something in the Water
- PROSE: Trace Memory
- PROSE: Almost Perfect
- PROSE: Into the Silence
- PROSE: Bay of the Dead
- PROSE: The House That Jack Built
- PROSE: Risk Assessment
- PROSE: The Undertaker's Gift
- PROSE: Consequences: The Wrong Hands
- PROSE: Consequences: Virus
- PROSE: Consequences: Consequences
- PROSE: First Born (flashback)
- COMIC: The Legacy of Torchwood One!
- COMIC: Jetsam
- COMIC: Rift War!
- PROSE: Harm's Way
- PROSE: Black Water
- PROSE: Mrs Acres
- PROSE: The Beauty of Our Weapons
- PROSE: Monster
- PROSE: The Book of Jahi
- COMIC: Captain Jack and the Selkie
- PROSE: Who by Fire
- PROSE: Gordian
- COMIC: Broken
- COMIC: Fated to Pretend
- PROSE: Best Friends
- AUDIO: Everyone Says Hello
- AUDIO: In the Shadows
- AUDIO: The Sin Eaters
- AUDIO: Department X
- AUDIO: Ghost Train
- TV: Web of Lies