''Torchwood'' is a sci-fi audio series produced by Big Finish Productions based on the British television programme of the same name. Like its TV counterpart, the dramas follow the exploits of the operatives who work for the

Torchwood Institute The Torchwood Institute, or simply Torchwood, is a fictional secret society, secret organisation from the British science fiction on television, science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'' and its Doctor Who spin-offs, spin-off series ''T ...

– a fictional secret organisation that defends Earth against extraterrestrial threats. The series premiered on 15 September 2015. James Goss acts as range producer, David Richardson as senior producer, with

Nicholas Briggs Nicholas Briggs (born 29 September 1961) is an English actor, writer, director, sound designer and composer. He is associated with the BBC science fiction television series '' Doctor Who'' and its spin-offs, particularly as the voice of the Dal ...

and

Jason Haigh-Ellery Big Finish Productions is a British company that produces books and audio plays (released straight to compact disc and for download in MP3 and m4b format) based, primarily, on cult science fiction properties. These include ''Doctor Who'', the ...

serving as executive producers.

Background

The original television programme ''

Torchwood ''Torchwood'' is a British science fiction television programme created by Russell T Davies. A spin-off of the 2005 revival of ''Doctor Who'', it aired from 2006 to 2011. The show shifted its broadcast channel each series to reflect its growin ...

'' (2006–11), an adult-oriented spin-off of the long-running British science fiction drama '' Doctor Who'', ran for four series before entering an indefinite hiatus due to the other commitments of creator and executive producer

Russell T Davies Stephen Russell Davies (born 27 April 1963), better known as Russell T Davies, is a Welsh screenwriter and television producer whose works include ''Queer as Folk'', '' The Second Coming'', ''Casanova'', the 2005 revival of the BBC One scien ...

. In January 2015,

John Barrowman John Scot Barrowman (born 11 March 1967) is a Scottish-American actor, author, presenter, singer and comic book writer. He is known for his role as Captain Jack Harkness in ''Doctor Who'' and '' Torchwood'', and as Malcolm Merlyn in the Arrowv ...

, who plays series lead Captain

Jack Harkness Captain Jack Harkness is a fictional character played by John Barrowman in ''Doctor Who'' and its spin-off series, '' Torchwood''. The character first appears in the 2005 ''Doctor Who'' episode "The Empty Child" and subsequently features in the ...

, stated that there were plans for ''Torchwood'' to return as several audio plays that could potentially lead into a fifth television series, with Davies and co-executive producer

Julie Gardner Julie Ann Gardner (born 4 June 1969) is a Welsh television producer. Her most prominent work has been serving as executive producer on the 2005 revival of ''Doctor Who'' and its spin-off shows ''Torchwood'' and ''The Sarah Jane Adventures''. ...

in discussion of the project. ''Torchwood'' previously featured in the form of

radio plays Radio drama (or audio drama, audio play, radio play, radio theatre, or audio theatre) is a dramatized, purely acoustic performance. With no visual component, radio drama depends on dialogue, music and sound effects to help the listener imagine ...

that aired on

BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...

between 2008 and 2011. In May 2015, Big Finish Productions announced plans to produce ''Torchwood'' audio plays after receiving the license to use characters and concepts from the revived era of ''Doctor Who'' and its associated spin-offs in future audio productions. The company was previously only permitted elements from the show's

original series Original programming (also called originals or original programs, and subcategorized as "original series", "original movies", "original documentaries" and "original specials") is a term used for in-house television, film or web series productions ...

and

TV film A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...

. The project received the blessing of Davies, who had been working with Gardner and former Big Finish producer

Gary Russell Gary Russell (born 18 September 1963) is a British freelance writer, producer and former child actor. As a writer, he is best known for his work in connection with the television series ''Doctor Who'' and its spin-offs in other media. As an a ...

to bring ''Torchwood'' to Big Finish since 2013. The series premiered on 15 September 2015. Plays making up the Monthly Range were initially grouped by series: Series 1 (1–6) and Series 2 (7–12) were released monthly up until August 2016, with a third set (13–18) released between March–August 2017, a fourth (19–24) in March–August 2018, a fifth (25–36) in March 2019–February 2020, a sixth (37–48) in April 2020–March 2021, and a seventh (49–60) in April 2021–April 2022. An eighth set of plays (61–73) began release in May 2022 and is due to conclude in April 2023, while a ninth set (74–84) is due to release between August 2023 and June 2024. Story-wise, each play centres on one or more members of Torchwood and their associates. Additionally, specials featuring ensemble casts are also released. The first, ''The Torchwood Archive'', was released in October 2016 to commemorate the tenth anniversary of ''Torchwoods TV debut, followed by the boxsets ''Outbreak'' (2016) and ''Believe'' (2018), while another, ''Torchwood One'' (2017–), eventually spun out into its own series. The sub-series ''The Story Continues'', marketed as a direct continuation of the TV programme, began with the three-part release ''Aliens Among Us'' (2017–18) and its follow-up ''God Among Us'' (2018–19); a third series titled ''Among Us'' is set to release in 2023. Moreover, the boxset ''The Sins of Captain John'' and the series ''Torchwood Soho'' both premiered in 2020.

Premise

''Torchwood'' follows the exploits of the agents who work for the fictional eponymous institute – a covert British organisation that defends Earth against supernatural and extraterrestrial threats and salvages alien technology for their own use. Like the television series, the audio dramas primarily focus on a team of operatives based at the organisation's

Cardiff Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...

division, Torchwood Three, while occasionally fixating on their associates and agents from other branches of the institute. Time period-wise, each play is set at a different point in Torchwood's history, ranging from its founding in the

Victorian Era In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the period of Queen Victoria's reign, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. The era followed the Georgian period and preceded the Edwardia ...

to the early 21st century and beyond. Certain plays also take place during events from the TV series. A story arc central to the series revolves around a group of aliens called the Committee, who appear to have been secretly manipulating humanity since the turn of the 20th century. Despite their existence being perceived as a conspiracy, Torchwood have made efforts to foil their schemes, only to discover that the Committee have larger plans in force.

Cast and characters

Regular cast

Notable guests

''Torchwood'' and ''Doctor Who'' characters

Julian Lewis Jones Julian Lewis Jones (born 21 August 1968) is a Welsh actor. He trained at the Welsh College of Music & Drama. He has appeared largely in British television in shows such as '' Where the Heart Is'' and '' Caerdydd''. In 2009, he starred in Clint ...

as Alex Hopkins * Nerys Hughes as Brenda Williams *

Sharon Morgan Sharon Morgan (born 29 August 1949) is a Welsh actress of stage and screen, currently based in Cardiff. She was brought up in the village of Llandyfaelog. She is best known for her work within the Welsh film and television industries and has b ...

as Mary Cooper *

Katy Manning Catherine Ann "Katy" Manning (born 14 October 1946) is an English- Australian actress, television presenter, voice artist and former model. Although she has made many appearances on both screen and stage, Manning is best known for her part as t ...

as Jo Jones *

Annette Badland Annette Badland (born 26 August 1950) is an English actress known for a wide range of roles on television, radio, stage, and film. She is best known for her roles as Margaret Blaine in the BBC science fiction series ''Doctor Who'', Mrs. Glen ...

as Margaret Blaine *

Freema Agyeman Freema Agyeman (; born Frema Agyeman; 20 March 1979) is a British actress. She rose to fame with her role as the Doctor's companion Martha Jones in the BBC science fiction series ''Doctor Who'' (2007–2010), and received further recognition f ...

Martha Jones Martha Jones is a fictional character played by Freema Agyeman in the long-running British science fiction television series '' Doctor Who'' and its spin-off series, ''Torchwood''. She is a companion of the Tenth Doctor in ''Doctor Who'', afte ...

* Bryan Dick as Adam Smith *

Shaun Parkes Shaun Parkes (born 9 February 1973) is an English actor. Biography At 16, Parkes enrolled at Seltec College to study drama. Two years later, he was accepted into RADA. Having acted in both theatre and television support roles, Parkes made his ...

as Zachary Cross Flane

Other

John Sessions John Marshall (11 January 1953 – 2 November 2020), better known by the stage name John Sessions, was a British actor and comedian. He was known for comedy improvisation in television shows such as ''Whose Line Is It Anyway?'', as a panellist o ...

as George Wilson * Russell T. Davies as Secretary *

David Warner David or Dave Warner may refer to: Sports * Dave Warner (strongman) (born 1969), Northern Ireland strongman competitor * David Bruce Warner (born 1970), South African alpine skier * David Warner (cricketer) (born 1986), Australian cricketer Oth ...

as The Committee *

Simon Russell Beale Sir Simon Russell Beale (born 12 January 1961) is an English actor. He is known for his appearances in film, television and theatre, and work on radio, on audiobooks and as a narrator. For his services to drama, he was knighted by Queen Eliza ...

as M LeDuc *

Arthur Darvill Thomas Arthur Darvill (born 17 June 1982) is an English actor. He is known for portraying Rory Williams, a companion of the Eleventh Doctor in the television series ''Doctor Who'' (2010–2012), as well as Rip Hunter in ''Legends of Tomorrow'' ...

as Frank Layton *

Jacqueline King Jacqueline King is a British stage and television actress known for her role in Alan Ayckbourn's theatre production of '' GamePlan'' and as recurring character Sylvia Noble in ''Doctor Who'' from 2006 to 2023. Career King trained at the Brist ...

God In monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. Swinburne, R.G. "God" in Honderich, Ted. (ed)''The Oxford Companion to Philosophy'', Oxford University Press, 1995. God is typically ...

Sir Michael Palin Sir Michael Edward Palin (; born 5 May 1943) is an English actor, comedian, writer, television presenter, and public speaker. He was a member of the Monty Python comedy group. Since 1980, he has made a number of travel documentaries. Palin ...

as The Voice *

David Troughton David Troughton (born 9 June 1950) is an English actor. He is known for his Shakespearean roles on the British stage and for his many roles on British television, including Dr Bob Buzzard in ''A Very Peculiar Practice'' and Ricky Hanson in ''Ne ...

as Rigsby *

Kacey Ainsworth Kacey Ainsworth (born 19 October 1968) is an English actress, best known for portraying the role of Little Mo in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' and Cathy Keating in ITV drama ''Grantchester''. Early life Ainsworth trained at the Royal Ce ...

as Jill Kerr * Denis Lawson as Casper Beacham *Nathaniel Curtis as Lancelyn Green * Dan Starkey as Major Kreg *

Nigel Havers Nigel Allan Havers (born 6 November 1951) is an English actor. His film roles include Lord Andrew Lindsay in the 1981 British film ''Chariots of Fire'', which earned him a BAFTA nomination; as Dr. Rawlins in the 1987 Steven Spielberg war dram ...

as The SUV *

Louise Jameson Louise Jameson (born 20 April 1951) is an English actress with a wide variety of television and theatre credits. Her roles on television have included playing Leela in ''Doctor Who'' (1977–1978), Anne Reynolds in ''The Omega Factor'' (1979), ...

as Roberta Craven

Production

The series is produced by James Goss, with

and

serving as executive producers.

Scott Handcock Scott Handcock (born 8 November 1984) is an English writer, director and producer who has been involved in a number of audio plays for Big Finish Productions, the audio production company perhaps best associated with the Doctor Who franchise. ...

and Blair Mowat respectively direct and compose the score on a regular basis, while others contribute infrequently, most notably Barnaby Edwards and Lisa Bowerman. Scripts were initially edited by Steve Tribe before the duty was passed to David Llewellyn and Handcock, and later David Winfield, Lauren Mooney and Goss by 2022. Likewise, all cover art was originally designed by Lee Binding before Sean Longmore took over in 2021. Plays have been recorded in studios across the UK and the U.S., including Rancho Mirage Music, Bang Post Production, The Moat Studios, The Roundhouse Studios and Ladbroke Audio. During the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

, production was carried out remotely from cast and crew's homes. Later, when studio recording was re-permitted, cast and crew had to observe

social distancing In public health, social distancing, also called physical distancing, (NB. Regula Venske is president of the PEN Centre Germany.) is a set of non-pharmaceutical interventions or measures intended to prevent the spread of a contagious dis ...

rules. One play is typically recorded in 1–2 days and released within six months, with

post production Post-production is part of the process of filmmaking, video production, audio production, and photography. Post-production includes all stages of production occurring after principal photography or recording individual program segments. Th ...

taking place in the time between. They debut through Big Finish's website for digital download and physical purchase before becoming commercially available three months later, as with all Big Finish releases. With the exception of the story ''A Postcard from Mr. Colchester'' with a duration of 18 minutes and the ''Torchwood Soho'' series which contains 30 minute episodes, each audio drama features an approximate 60 minute runtime, including a 5–10 minute behind-the-scenes segment.

Releases

Monthly Range

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

Specials (2016–18)

''Torchwood One''

Series 1: ''Before the Fall'' (2017)

Series 2: ''Machines'' (2018)

Series 3: ''Latter Days'' (2019)

Series 4: ''Nightmares'' (2022)

''The Story Continues''

This series is marketed as a direct continuation of the TV programme, with ''Aliens Among Us'', ''God Among Us'' and ''Among Us'' serving as the fifth, sixth and seventh series, respectively.

Series 1: ''Aliens Among Us'' (2017–18)

Series 2: ''God Among Us'' (2018–19)

Series 3: ''Among Us'' (2023)

''The Sins of Captain John'' (2020)

''Torchwood Soho''

Series 1: ''Parasite'' (2020)

Series 2: ''Ashenden'' (2021)

Series 3: ''The Unbegotten'' (2022)

Awards and nominations

Notes

References

{{Doctor Who Big Finish Torchwood 2015 audio plays 2016 audio plays 2017 audio plays 2018 audio plays 2020 audio plays Doctor Who spin-offs Big Finish Productions