Torchwood - The Complete First Season
starring: John Barrowman, Eve Myles, Burn Gorman, Naoko Mori, Gareth David-Lloyd
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Product Description:
Studio: Warner Home VideoRelease Date: 01/22/2008Run time: 650 minutes
Amazon.com:
More than a spin-off of the Russell T. Davies incarnation of Doctor Who, the BBC series Torchwood is a wholly enjoyable blend of drama, science-fiction thrills, and mature subject matter that never fails to deliver its main purpose: to entertain on a weekly basis. John Barrowman, who captured the imagination of Who fans during the Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant eras as 51st-century adventurer Capt. Jack Harkness, returns as the dashing, immortal time traveler; here, he's the head of Torchwood, a covert organization that investigates extraterrestrial and supernatural events on Earth without the help of the British government or United Nations. Eve Myles is a police constable who joins the team after discovering them in the middle of bringing a stabbing victim back to life (in the debut episode, "Everything Changes"), and she brings a decidedly human touch to the Torchwood team's tech-driven investigations. Among the mysteries encountered over the course of the 13-episode series: an alien gas that absorbs humans during sex ("Day One"); a half-human, half-Cyberman female with a connection to Torchwood support man Ianto Jones (Gareth David-Lloyd) in "Cyberwoman"; a rash of cannibalistic murders ("Countrycide"); a very different kind of fairies than the ones of legend ("Small Worlds"); and most impressively of all, a skyscraper-sized demon that threatens to plunge the Torchwood team--and the world itself--into chaos ("End of Days," which features an off-screen cameo by a certain Time Lord). What separates Torchwood from the most modern television science fiction (save, say,
Heroes and Battlestar Galactica) is the frankly adult tone of the series: The violence is plentiful and occasionally graphic, and there are frequent bedroom couplings between the team members and supporting players. There's also a maturity to the relationships that exceeds the usual scope of sci-fi, most notably in the affecting "Captain Jack Harkness," which sends him back to the London Blitz, where he meets and falls in love with a handsome American pilot who happens to share his name. Their love affair, like the majority of Torchwood's "grown-up" storylines, is handled with taste and real emotion. Extras on the First Series are remarkably plentiful; six of the seven discs include entirely new behind-the-scenes featurettes that explore the main characters and their major story arcs, location shooting, the impressive SUV that the team drives, and the show's extensive special effects and alien creations. Barrowman also contributes a very funny "Captain's Log," which invites viewers to join him on one of the final shooting days of the series. The entire seventh disc is given over to Torchwood Declassified, the 13-part program which explored each episode on BBC Three and the BBC's Torchwood website. Commentaries are offered for all 13 episodes, with Davies, Barrowman, Myles, Burn Gorman (who plays Torchwood's medical officer, Owen Harper), David-Lloyd, producers Richard Stokes and Julie Gardner, and various episode writers, directors, and producers all lending their voices. A small battery of deleted scenes and outtakes, as well as previews for DVD releases of other BBC programs, including Doctor Who and MI-5, round out this impressive set. --Paul Gaita
Stills from Torchwood (click for larger image)
Studio: Warner Home VideoRelease Date: 01/22/2008Run time: 650 minutes
Amazon.com:
More than a spin-off of the Russell T. Davies incarnation of Doctor Who, the BBC series Torchwood is a wholly enjoyable blend of drama, science-fiction thrills, and mature subject matter that never fails to deliver its main purpose: to entertain on a weekly basis. John Barrowman, who captured the imagination of Who fans during the Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant eras as 51st-century adventurer Capt. Jack Harkness, returns as the dashing, immortal time traveler; here, he's the head of Torchwood, a covert organization that investigates extraterrestrial and supernatural events on Earth without the help of the British government or United Nations. Eve Myles is a police constable who joins the team after discovering them in the middle of bringing a stabbing victim back to life (in the debut episode, "Everything Changes"), and she brings a decidedly human touch to the Torchwood team's tech-driven investigations. Among the mysteries encountered over the course of the 13-episode series: an alien gas that absorbs humans during sex ("Day One"); a half-human, half-Cyberman female with a connection to Torchwood support man Ianto Jones (Gareth David-Lloyd) in "Cyberwoman"; a rash of cannibalistic murders ("Countrycide"); a very different kind of fairies than the ones of legend ("Small Worlds"); and most impressively of all, a skyscraper-sized demon that threatens to plunge the Torchwood team--and the world itself--into chaos ("End of Days," which features an off-screen cameo by a certain Time Lord). What separates Torchwood from the most modern television science fiction (save, say,
Heroes and Battlestar Galactica) is the frankly adult tone of the series: The violence is plentiful and occasionally graphic, and there are frequent bedroom couplings between the team members and supporting players. There's also a maturity to the relationships that exceeds the usual scope of sci-fi, most notably in the affecting "Captain Jack Harkness," which sends him back to the London Blitz, where he meets and falls in love with a handsome American pilot who happens to share his name. Their love affair, like the majority of Torchwood's "grown-up" storylines, is handled with taste and real emotion. Extras on the First Series are remarkably plentiful; six of the seven discs include entirely new behind-the-scenes featurettes that explore the main characters and their major story arcs, location shooting, the impressive SUV that the team drives, and the show's extensive special effects and alien creations. Barrowman also contributes a very funny "Captain's Log," which invites viewers to join him on one of the final shooting days of the series. The entire seventh disc is given over to Torchwood Declassified, the 13-part program which explored each episode on BBC Three and the BBC's Torchwood website. Commentaries are offered for all 13 episodes, with Davies, Barrowman, Myles, Burn Gorman (who plays Torchwood's medical officer, Owen Harper), David-Lloyd, producers Richard Stokes and Julie Gardner, and various episode writers, directors, and producers all lending their voices. A small battery of deleted scenes and outtakes, as well as previews for DVD releases of other BBC programs, including Doctor Who and MI-5, round out this impressive set. --Paul Gaita
Stills from Torchwood (click for larger image)
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Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
Rating: 
- A Science Fiction Soap.
I loved "Who" and have watched both spin-offs; this and Sarah Jane Adventures.
At first Torchwood was original, intriguing with a good group of actors.That would be this Season.But don't let yourself get hooked!Season two takes a horrible turn for the worse.
In season 2 it seams the writers are trying to make sure every character "bats for both teams" and everyone sleeps with just about everyone.
I'm not a homo-phobe: there are questions about my ... Read More
Rating: 
- One of the Best Series in a Long TIme
You have to see this if you are a new Dr. who fan or not. Its just plain great stuff for everyone to watch.
Rating: - Torchwood DVD Season One
Yes, this is worth the money. Yes, I was pleased with the dealer -- speedy shipment, packaged well, dvds in excellent condition. Yes, I would purchase again from this dealer.
While the main character appears from time to time in Dr. Who episodes , you don't have to know anything about Dr. Who to enjoy Torchwood. It's so good, and I heartily recommend this dvd collection. For fans of mystery, sci fi, detective movies, Torchwood is that and more.
Rating: 
- Leeks and Daffodils
Too often an episode of Torchwood reaches its climax with Captain Jack standing in a column of irradiated light, his handsome features contorted in pain, screaming either, "Öpen the Rift!" or "Close the Rift!"Since we never did figure out what the Rift was nor why it should be either opened or closed, we haven't yet come close to the ideal experience of Torchwood which, on the face of it, should be one of our very favorite shows.
It has, seemingly, everything, an unusual location, ... Read More
Rating: - An utterly miserable and joyless experience
When Doctor Who - The Complete First Series introduced Jack, he was charming and fun. He flirted with everyone and had a great time doing it. Of course, they were going to make a spinoff.
And then the spinoff came and it turned Jack into a dull school marm in a classroom full of bland creeps. The first four episodes are pretty good but eventually it becames too apparent that Gwen, a miserable Mary Sue character, is going to be the center of the show. And she's awful. She has to always ... Read More
- A Science Fiction Soap.I loved "Who" and have watched both spin-offs; this and Sarah Jane Adventures.
At first Torchwood was original, intriguing with a good group of actors.That would be this Season.But don't let yourself get hooked!Season two takes a horrible turn for the worse.
In season 2 it seams the writers are trying to make sure every character "bats for both teams" and everyone sleeps with just about everyone.
I'm not a homo-phobe: there are questions about my ... Read More
- One of the Best Series in a Long TImeYou have to see this if you are a new Dr. who fan or not. Its just plain great stuff for everyone to watch.
- Torchwood DVD Season OneYes, this is worth the money. Yes, I was pleased with the dealer -- speedy shipment, packaged well, dvds in excellent condition. Yes, I would purchase again from this dealer.
While the main character appears from time to time in Dr. Who episodes , you don't have to know anything about Dr. Who to enjoy Torchwood. It's so good, and I heartily recommend this dvd collection. For fans of mystery, sci fi, detective movies, Torchwood is that and more.
- Leeks and DaffodilsToo often an episode of Torchwood reaches its climax with Captain Jack standing in a column of irradiated light, his handsome features contorted in pain, screaming either, "Öpen the Rift!" or "Close the Rift!"Since we never did figure out what the Rift was nor why it should be either opened or closed, we haven't yet come close to the ideal experience of Torchwood which, on the face of it, should be one of our very favorite shows.
It has, seemingly, everything, an unusual location, ... Read More
- An utterly miserable and joyless experienceWhen Doctor Who - The Complete First Series introduced Jack, he was charming and fun. He flirted with everyone and had a great time doing it. Of course, they were going to make a spinoff.
And then the spinoff came and it turned Jack into a dull school marm in a classroom full of bland creeps. The first four episodes are pretty good but eventually it becames too apparent that Gwen, a miserable Mary Sue character, is going to be the center of the show. And she's awful. She has to always ... Read More
