Torchwood ( TV series ) Torchwood was a " Doctor Who " television spin - off . As an in - house BBC Wales production for digital television station BBC Three , it was the first television spin - off of " Doctor Who " since the pilot of " K9 and Company " in 1981 and the first to be commissioned for a full 13 - part series . It originally featured the adventures of the Torchwood branch located in Cardiff and later the Torchwood team that succeeds it , and was set on Earth after the events of " Doomsday " ( and for lead character Jack Harkness the events of " The Parting of the Ways " ) . The spin - off series has not yet featured the Doctor himself , though the materialisation sound of the Doctor ' s TARDIS is heard in the final episode of season one , and other dialogue references have been made , most recently in the " " arc . Likewise , the appearance of Martha Jones in the second series provides vital continuity between third and fourth series of " Doctor Who " . Conversely , Jack , as well as his team of Gwen Cooper and Ianto Jones featured ( and former team members Owen Harper and Toshiko Sato are mentioned ) in the last two episodes of the fourth series of " Doctor Who " . Regular characters have included Gwen Cooper , Jack Harkness , Ianto Jones , Toshiko Sato , Owen Harper , Rex Matheson and Esther Drummond . Martha Jones , Suzie Costello and Vera Juarez have also been portrayed as part of the Torchwood team led by Harkness . Semi - regulars Rhys Williams and Sgt Andy Davidson are the only non - Torchwood members who have recurred across all series . The 12 October 2016 marks the 10th anniversary of " Torchwood " . In celebration of that , and due to its popularity , cast and crew were invited to the Chapter Arts Centre in Cardiff , and a special screening of the very first ever episode was shown for the fans . Big Finish also produced a special audio story to celebrate the show ' s anniversary . Origins . In 2002 , before the revival of " Doctor Who " , Russell T Davies began to develop an idea for a science - fiction / crime drama in the style of American fantasy drama series like " Buffy the Vampire Slayer " and its spin - off series , " Angel " . This idea , originally titled " Excalibur " , was abandoned until 2005 , when BBC Three Controller Stuart Murphy invited Davies to develop a post - science fiction series for the channel . The word " Torchwood " ( an anagram of " Doctor Who " ) originated during production of the new " Doctor Who " series , when television pirates were eager to get their hands on the tapes . Someone in the production office suggested that the tapes be labelled " Torchwood " instead of " Doctor Who " to disguise their contents as they were being sent to London . Davies thought that this was a clever idea and remembered the name . Davies connected the word Torchwood to his earlier " Excalibur " idea and decided to make the series a " Doctor Who " spin - off . Subsequently , the word Torchwood was seeded in several " Doctor Who " episodes and other media which aired in 2005 and 2006 . Premise . The series was set in contemporary Cardiff and followed the Welsh branch of a covert agency called the Torchwood Institute , which investigates extraterrestrial incidents on Earth and scavenges alien technology for its own use . As established in the " Doctor Who " episodes " Tooth and Claw " and " Army of Ghosts " , the Institute had been formed by Queen Victoria following an incident involving the Tenth Doctor and a werewolf , ostensibly to protect the British Empire from aliens and other creatures — as well as from the Doctor himself . To paraphrase Torchwood Three ' s commander - in - chief , Jack Harkness , the organisation was separate from the government , outside the police , and beyond the United Nations ( the last reference thereby placing Torchwood in a different realm than UNIT ) . Although a secret organisation , the existence of Torchwood was known by the public , and Torchwood operatives made no secret of their identity when on duty ( they even drove a vehicle emblazoned with the name ) . Their public perception was as merely a " special ops " group , with their true responsibilities kept secret to all but a select few . The events of the first series took place some time after the " Doctor Who " " Doomsday " series two finale , in which Torchwood ' s London headquarters was destroyed , and just before the series three finale ; the final episode of Series 1 led directly into the " Doctor Who " episode " Utopia " . The initial main writer alongside Davies was Chris Chibnall , creator of the BBC light drama show ( who later moved over to work on ) . Other writers include P . J . Hammond , Toby Whithouse , " Doctor Who " script editor Helen Raynor , Catherine Tregenna , and " Doctor Who " cast member Noel Clarke . In a 17 October 2005 announcement unveiling the series , BBC Three controller Stuart Murphy described Torchwood as " sinister and psychological . . . As well as being very British and modern and real . " Davies further described it as " a British sci - fi paranoid thriller , a cop show with a sense of humour . [ . . . ] Dark , wild and sexy , it ' s " The X - Files " meets . " Davies later denied ever making this comparison , instead describing the show as " alleyways , rain , the city " . As " Torchwood " was a post - show — that is , after 9 p . m . — it had more mature content than " Doctor Who " . Davies told " SFX " : " We can be a bit more visceral , more violent , and more sexual , if we want to . Though bear in mind that it ' s very teenage to indulge yourself in blood and gore , and " Torchwood " is going to be smarter than that . But it ' s the essential difference between BBC One at 7 pm , and BBC Three at , say , 9 pm . That says it all — instinctively , every viewer can see the huge difference there . " Davies also joked to a BBC Radio Wales interviewer that he was " not allowed " to refer to the programme as " " Doctor Who " for grown - ups " . The first and second series included content never before seen or heard in the televised side of the " Doctor Who " franchise , including intense lovemaking scenes ( in episodes such as " Day One " , " Out of Time " or " Dead of Night " ) , same - sex kissing in a romantic / sexual context ( in " Cyberwoman " or " Captain Jack Harkness " , for example ) , and use of extreme profanity in several episodes . Such content was controversial among aspects of " Who " fandom , and , as the series progressed , such scenes were minimised , to the point where , by series 3 , relatively little of this content remained . Other media . Prose . Novels . " See list of Torchwood novels " Short stories . " See list of Torchwood short stories " Comics . " See list of Torchwood comic strips " Web series . " Web of Lies " Magazines . " Torchwood The Official Magazine " was a title launched in 2008 and published by Titan Publishing Group , that ran for twenty - five issues . The licence expired as a consequence of a realignment of " Torchwood " merchandising in response to the BBC ' s co - production agreement with Starz . In 2010 , Titan began publishing a monthly comic book for the North American market , " Torchwood The Official Comic " , reprinting comic strips and short stories from the UK magazine . Material from the magazine was also used in the Torchwood The Official Magazine Yearbook ( 2008 ) and the Torchwood The Official Magazine Yearbook ( 2009 ) . Future . John Barrowman , in an 2010 interview with " The Scottish Sun " , said that he expected Torchwood to run until 2017 . However , Russell T Davies stated in October 2012 that for personal reasons the show was on an indefinite hiatus . Video game . In an interview with Robert Nashak of BBC Worldwide , it was revealed that the BBC were looking into creating a game for " Torchwood " . Whether these would be in the form of , or for retail on platforms , is unknown . Aborted ideas . Musical . According to Russell T Davies in " The Writer ' s Tale - The Final Chapter " , two former members of the pop group ABBA issued a proposal for a stage musical based upon " Torchwood " . The proposal was rejected , and in his book Davies strongly indicates that the idea was never taken seriously . American series . In January 2010 US media reported that Davies , Julie Gardner and Jane Tranter were planning a US version of " Torchwood " for the Fox network , which had previously aired the 1996 " Doctor Who " TV movie . According to the reports , Barrowman and other original cast members may have appeared . The media coverage did not indicate whether or not the series was expected to be a remake / standalone , or if it would tie in with existing Whoniverse continuity . On the 20th January 2010 it was announced that Fox had ordered a pilot script for a US version of " Torchwood " from BBC Worldwide . On 21st April 2010 , however , BBC Worldwide announced that Fox had chosen not to proceed with the series , which according to the BBC was to have been a 13 - episode , serialised programme , similar to the UK original . The show was later picked up by the American network Starz , which co - produced the fourth series . Merchandising . " Torchwood " - themed product ranges included :