Background
The original television programme Torchwood (2006–2011), 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.
In January 2015, John Barrowman, who plays series lead Captain Jack Harkness, 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 in discussion of the project. [1] Torchwood previously featured in the form of radio plays that aired on BBC Radio 4 between 2008 and 2011.
In May 2015, Big Finish Productions announced plans to produce Torchwood audio plays [2] [3] after receiving the license to use characters and concepts from the revived era of Doctor Who and its associated spin-offs in their productions; [4] the company was previously only permitted elements from the show's original series and TV film. The project received the blessing of Davies, [4] who had been working with Gardner and former Big Finish producer Gary Russell to bring Torchwood to Big Finish since 2013. [5]
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, a seventh (49–60) in April 2021–April 2022, an eighth (61–73) in May 2022–April 2023 [6] and a ninth (74–84) in August 2023–June 2024. [7] A tenth set (85–96) commenced release in July 2024 and is due to conclude in June 2025. Story-wise, each play centres on one or more members of Torchwood and their associates.
Additionally, specials featuring ensemble casts have also been released. The first, The Torchwood Archive, was released in October 2016 to commemorate the tenth anniversary of Torchwood's TV debut. [8] This was followed by the boxsets Outbreak (2016) and Believe (2018), while another, Torchwood One (2017–), eventually spun out into its own sub-series. The series The Story Continues, marketed as a direct continuation of the TV programme, began with the three-part release Aliens Among Us in 2017, while the boxset The Sins of Captain John and another series, Torchwood Soho, both premiered in 2020.
Premise
The series follows the exploits of the agents who work for the fictional Torchwood 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 division, Torchwood Three, while occasionally fixating on their associates as well as 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 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.
Production
The series is produced by James Goss, with Jason Haigh-Ellery and Nicholas Briggs serving as executive producers. Most of the series was originally directed by Scott Handcock before he left Big Finish in 2022, [9] since then, most plays have been directed by either David O'Mahony or Lisa Bowerman, while others contribute infrequently. Original music is composed by Blair Mowat. 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, 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 rules.
One play is typically recorded in 1–2 days and released within 6–18 months, with post production 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. Each audio drama features an approximate 60 minute runtime, including a 5–10 minute behind-the-scenes segment. Exceptions, however, include the Torchwood Soho series with 30 minute episodes and the supplementary Postcard from Mr. Colchester stories which each have a 20 minute runtime.
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