# List of Torchwood episodes

Torchwood is a British science fiction television programme created by Russell T Davies for the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). Initially developed as a stand-alone show, it was reworked into a spin-off of the long-running television production Doctor Who. Originally targeted towards adult audiences, compared to the family-centric nature of its parent series, the first series of Torchwood was broadcast after-watershed. It premiered on BBC Three on 22 October 2006 and aired 13 episodes before concluding on 1 January 2007. A second series was commissioned thereafter with the programme moving to BBC Two. When Captain Jack Harkness, a central character in the show, became popular with younger audiences, alternative cuts of the second series were made which removed adult content allowing a broader audience to view the episodes. BBC Two broadcast the second series, also consisting of 13 episodes, between 16 January and 4 April 2008, although BBC Three aired seven first-run episodes from 13 February to 21 March.
In its final two series, Torchwood utilised serial storytelling rather than the monster of the week format that was present in the first two. The programme moved channels once more when a five-episode mini-series subtitled Children of Earth was broadcast on BBC One from 6 to 10 July in 2009. The fourth and final series became an American co-production with the U.S. premium cable network Starz. Subtitled Miracle Day, the 10-episode fourth series aired on Starz from 8 July until 9 September 2011, with each episode being broadcast on BBC One six days later.
Torchwood is an anagram of Doctor Who which was used as a title ruse during early production of the latter's 2005 revival process. The term was later seeded in that programme's second series. The show centres around the titular organisation called Torchwood. The institute employs several elite teams of black operatives that investigate extraterrestrial incidents on Earth. Torchwood specifically centres around one of these groups, Cardiff's Torchwood Three, which is led by Captain Jack Harkness, who was first introduced in Doctor Who's first series as a companion of the Ninth Doctor. He is assisted by support officer Ianto Jones, Dr. Owen Harper, technical expert Toshiko Sato, and Gwen Cooper, a police constable recruited to assist the team. They are further aided by former Tenth Doctor companion Martha Jones in the second series and Gwen's husband Rhys Williams, who becomes a main character beginning with series three. Miracle Day sees a partial overhaul in the cast with only Harkness, Cooper, and Williams remaining. The three are joined by special agent Rex Matheson and analyst Esther Drummond from the Central Intelligence Agency, as well as death row inmate Oswald Danes. Across all four series, Torchwood had a small number of crossovers with Doctor Who, making up two of the television series in the Whoniverse.
In 2012 the show was placed on an indefinite hiatus although Harkness continued to appear in Doctor Who with appearances in both 2020 and 2021. The first two series of Torchwood were led by Chris Chibnall as head writer while Davies returned as showrunner for the final two. Over its run, the show explored a number of themes; prominent among these were existentialism, homosexual and bisexual relationships, and explorations of human corruptibility. The programme also has a large amount of tie-in media leading to an expanded universe. It was also broadcast in several other countries gaining a cult following as well as strong viewing figures and international critical acclaim. During the course of the programme, 41 episodes of Torchwood aired over four series, between 22 October 2006 and 9 September 2011.

## Series overview

Series overview of Torchwood. :
| Series | Episodes | Episodes | Originally released (UK) | Originally released (UK) | Originally released (UK) | Average viewers (millions) |
| Series | Episodes | Episodes | First released | Last released | Network | Average viewers (millions) |
| 1 | 13 | 13 | 22 October 2006 (2006-10-22) | 1 January 2007 (2007-01-01) | BBC Three | 1.42 |
| 2 | 13 | 13 | 16 January 2008 (2008-01-16) | 4 April 2008 (2008-04-04) | BBC Two | 3.27 |
| 3: Children of Earth | 5 | 5 | 6 July 2009 (2009-07-06) | 10 July 2009 (2009-07-10) | BBC One | 6.47 |
| 4: Miracle Day | 10 | 10 | 14 July 2011 (2011-07-14) | 15 September 2011 (2011-09-15) | Starz / BBC One | 5.17 |

## Episodes
### Series 1 (2006–07)

Series 1 focuses on Gwen Cooper, her first meeting with Jack Harkness, and her introduction to Torchwood; as well as introducing the characters of Owen Harper, Ianto Jones, Susie Costello, and Toshiko Sato. There is also a loose plot arc centring around the rift; Owen's love of Diane, a woman lost in time; and Owen and Gwen's affair, as well as her relationship to her boyfriend Rhys.
List of Torchwood series 1 episodes :
| No. overall | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | Prod. code | UK viewers (millions) |
| 1 | 1 | "Everything Changes" | Brian Kelly | Russell T Davies | 22 October 2006 (2006-10-22) | 1.1 | 2.52 |
| 2 | 2 | "Day One" | Brian Kelly | Chris Chibnall | 22 October 2006 (2006-10-22) | 1.2 | 2.50 |
| 3 | 3 | "Ghost Machine" | Colin Teague | Helen Raynor | 29 October 2006 (2006-10-29) | 1.3 | 1.77 |
| 4 | 4 | "Cyberwoman" | James Strong | Chris Chibnall | 5 November 2006 (2006-11-05) | 1.4 | 1.39 |
| 5 | 5 | "Small Worlds" | Alice Troughton | Peter J. Hammond | 12 November 2006 (2006-11-12) | 1.5 | 1.26 |
| 6 | 6 | "Countrycide" | Andy Goddard | Chris Chibnall | 19 November 2006 (2006-11-19) | 1.6 | 1.22 |
| 7 | 7 | "Greeks Bearing Gifts" | Colin Teague | Toby Whithouse | 26 November 2006 (2006-11-26) | 1.7 | 1.31 |
| 8 | 8 | "They Keep Killing Suzie" | James Strong | Paul Tomalin & Dan McCulloch | 3 December 2006 (2006-12-03) | 1.8 | 1.12 |
| 9 | 9 | "Random Shoes" | James Erskine | Jacquetta May | 10 December 2006 (2006-12-10) | 1.9 | 1.08 |
| 10 | 10 | "Out of Time" | Alice Troughton | Catherine Tregenna | 17 December 2006 (2006-12-17) | 1.10 | 1.03 |
| 11 | 11 | "Combat" | Andy Goddard | Noel Clarke | 24 December 2006 (2006-12-24) | 1.11 | 0.83 |
| 12 | 12 | "Captain Jack Harkness" | Ashley Way | Catherine Tregenna | 1 January 2007 (2007-01-01) | 1.12 | 1.23 |
| 13 | 13 | "End of Days" | Ashley Way | Chris Chibnall | 1 January 2007 (2007-01-01) | 1.13 | 1.23 |

### Series 2 (2008)

Series 2 focuses on the disappearance of Jack and his subsequent return, as well as his past; and also introduces the mysterious yet dangerous character named John Hart.
List of Torchwood series 2 episodes :
| No. overall | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | Prod. code | UK viewers (millions) |
| 14 | 1 | "Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang" | Ashley Way | Chris Chibnall | 16 January 2008 (2008-01-16) | 2.1 | 4.22 |
| 15 | 2 | "Sleeper" | Colin Teague | James Moran | 23 January 2008 (2008-01-23) | 2.2 | 3.78 |
| 16 | 3 | "To the Last Man" | Andy Goddard | Helen Raynor | 30 January 2008 (2008-01-30) | 2.3 | 3.51 |
| 17 | 4 | "Meat" | Colin Teague | Catherine Tregenna | 6 February 2008 (2008-02-06) | 2.4 | 3.28 |
| 18 | 5 | "Adam" | Andy Goddard | Catherine Tregenna | 13 February 2008 (2008-02-13) | 2.5 | 3.79 |
| 19 | 6 | "Reset" | Ashley Way | J. C. Wilsher | 20 February 2008 (2008-02-20) | 2.6 | 3.22 |
| 20 | 7 | "Dead Man Walking" | Andy Goddard | Matt Jones | 27 February 2008 (2008-02-27) | 2.7 | 3.31 |
| 21 | 8 | "A Day in the Death" | Andy Goddard | Joseph Lidster | 5 March 2008 (2008-03-05) | 2.8 | 3.08 |
| 22 | 9 | "Something Borrowed" | Ashley Way | Phil Ford | 12 March 2008 (2008-03-12) | 2.9 | 2.76 |
| 23 | 10 | "From Out of the Rain" | Jonathan Fox Bassett | Peter J. Hammond | 19 March 2008 (2008-03-19) | 2.10 | 2.90 |
| 24 | 11 | "Adrift" | Mark Everest | Chris Chibnall | 21 March 2008 (2008-03-21) | 2.11 | 2.52 |
| 25 | 12 | "Fragments" | Jonathan Fox Bassett | Chris Chibnall | 28 March 2008 (2008-03-28) | 2.12 | 2.98 |
| 26 | 13 | "Exit Wounds" | Ashley Way | Chris Chibnall | 4 April 2008 (2008-04-04) | 2.13 | 3.13 |

### Series 3: Children of Earth (2009)

Series 3 centres around the 456, a mysterious alien race who make contact to Earth via the world's children, and presents how the world's governments react to solve the problem. It also focuses on Jack and Ianto's relationship, as well as that of Gwen and Rhys.
List of Torchwood: Children of Earth episodes :
| No. overall | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | Prod. code | UK viewers (millions) |
| 27 | 1 | "Day One" | Euros Lyn | Russell T Davies | 6 July 2009 (2009-07-06) | 3.1 | 6.47 |
| 28 | 2 | "Day Two" | Euros Lyn | John Fay | 7 July 2009 (2009-07-07) | 3.2 | 6.14 |
| 29 | 3 | "Day Three" | Euros Lyn | Russell T Davies & James Moran | 8 July 2009 (2009-07-08) | 3.3 | 6.40 |
| 30 | 4 | "Day Four" | Euros Lyn | John Fay | 9 July 2009 (2009-07-09) | 3.4 | 6.76 |
| 31 | 5 | "Day Five" | Euros Lyn | Russell T Davies | 10 July 2009 (2009-07-10) | 3.5 | 6.58 |

### Series 4: Miracle Day (2011)

Series 4 centres on an event called Miracle Day, when everyone in the world stops dying and subsequently becomes immortal. It also focuses on Jack's past and his immortality, as well as Gwen and Rhys's relationship. It also introduces new characters such as Rex Matheson, Esther Drummond, and Oswald Danes.
List of Torchwood: Miracle Day episodes :
| No. overall | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original U.S. release date | Original UK release date | Prod. code | UK viewers (millions) |
| 32 | 1 | "The New World" | Bharat Nalluri | Russell T Davies | 8 July 2011 (2011-07-08) | 14 July 2011 | 401 | 6.59 |
| 33 | 2 | "Rendition" | Billy Gierhart | Doris Egan | 15 July 2011 (2011-07-15) | 21 July 2011 | 402 | 5.75 |
| 34 | 3 | "Dead of Night" | Billy Gierhart | Jane Espenson | 22 July 2011 (2011-07-22) | 28 July 2011 | 403 | 5.49 |
| 35 | 4 | "Escape to L.A." | Billy Gierhart | Jim Gray & John Shiban | 29 July 2011 (2011-07-29) | 4 August 2011 | 404 | 5.19 |
| 36 | 5 | "The Categories of Life" | Guy Ferland | Jane Espenson | 5 August 2011 (2011-08-05) | 11 August 2011 | 405 | 5.17 |
| 37 | 6 | "The Middle Men" | Guy Ferland | John Shiban | 12 August 2011 (2011-08-12) | 18 August 2011 | 406 | 4.60 |
| 38 | 7 | "Immortal Sins" | Gwyneth Horder-Payton | Jane Espenson | 19 August 2011 (2011-08-19) | 25 August 2011 | 407 | 4.48 |
| 39 | 8 | "End of the Road" | Gwyneth Horder-Payton | Jane Espenson & Ryan Scott | 26 August 2011 (2011-08-26) | 1 September 2011 | 408 | 4.64 |
| 40 | 9 | "The Gathering" | Guy Ferland | John Fay | 2 September 2011 (2011-09-02) | 8 September 2011 | 409 | 4.63 |
| 41 | 10 | "The Blood Line" | Billy Gierhart | Russell T Davies & Jane Espenson | 9 September 2011 (2011-09-09) | 15 September 2011 | 410 | 5.13 |

## Ratings

| Series | Series | Episode number | Episode number | Episode number | Episode number | Episode number | Episode number | Episode number | Episode number | Episode number | Episode number | Episode number | Episode number | Episode number | Average |
| Series | Series | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | Average |
| | 1 | 2.52 | 2.50 | 1.77 | 1.39 | 1.26 | 1.22 | 1.31 | 1.12 | 1.08 | 1.03 | 0.83 | 1.23 | 1.23 | 1.42 |
| | 2 | 4.22 | 3.78 | 3.51 | 3.28 | 3.79 | 3.22 | 3.31 | 3.08 | 2.76 | 2.90 | 2.52 | 2.98 | 3.13 | 3.27 |
| | 3 | 6.47 | 6.14 | 6.40 | 6.76 | 6.58 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 6.47 |
| | 4 | 6.59 | 5.75 | 5.49 | 5.19 | 5.17 | 4.60 | 4.48 | 4.64 | 4.63 | 5.13 | – | – | – | 5.17 |