So how did Torchwood come about?



Russell T. Davies, producer/creator of both the new serial publication of Dr. Who and Torchwood, in 2005 was asked to do a new Sci-Fi serial publication for BBC 3, Davies chose to apply an idea he had had back in 2002 for a Sci-Fi/crime drama in an akin manner to the American English dramas like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel. The idea had been titled Excalibur, but had been abandoned. During the production of the 2005 Dr. Who serial publication the anagram (a word conceived from the letters of others) of Dr. Who "Torchwood" had been applied as a code name for the 1st couple of installments, Davies connected the name with his new Sci-Fi serial and chose to make it a Dr. Who Spin-off. The 1st two installments of Torchwood were broadcast on the 22nd of October 2006.

The serial has been set in Cardiff in 2007, a bit after the close of Dr. Who season two, later installments were set in early 2008 putting them a bit ahead of their real air date. The installments follow the events that come about at Torchwood three, the Wales leg of the secret organization called the Torchwood institute. The Torchwood institute was set up by Queen Victoria to protect the nation from extraterrestrial and supernatural frets; she came to the decision to create the organization after meting with the Dr. and coming face to face with a werewolf in a mansion house known as Torchwood in the Highlands of Scotland. The Torchwood institutes primary goals are to look into alien incidents on Earth and to obtain extraterrestrial technology for its own employment. The organization isn't part of the government nor the law force and is beyond the UN! To the world they're nothing more than a bare ops group.

The main job of Torchwood 3, amongst over affairs, is to keep an eye on the space-time continuum rift that crosses though the city and to protect the city from anything that arrives though it. Contrary to Dr. Who where the entire show depends on the Dr. and 1 or 2 associates, the Torchwood 3 squad comprises of 5 operatives, directed by their Capt. Jack Harkness (John Barrowman). Gwen, Suzie, Ianto, Owen and Toshiko comprise the rest of the squad.

Thanks to the reality that Torchwood is a post-watershed show (it does not begin till nine pm) the content, in contrast to Dr. Who, is reasonably more adult oriented. The show apart from being fiercer is in addition more sexual exploring intimate relationships of the same sex and more.

Torchwood has already proven it self to be a popular show both in Great Brittan and internationally, but the question is whether it has staying power. Doctor Who has managed to keep going for some many years, because it has always changed with the times, it remains to be seen whether Torchwood can follow in it's footsteps.