A promising start. An establishing episode without a doubt. Definitely a mix of X-Files, Millennium, CSI and lord knows what else. Captain Jack Harkness makes his return, missing since 1941 apparently, along with a team of scientists, hackers and misfits to fight hidden alien menace in the heart of Cardiff.

I liked it. I thought the premise had promise. Some nice nods to Doctor Who, without being too obvious. The Doctor’s hand makes an appearance, from The Christmas Invasion (where the leader of the Sycorax sliced it clean off), and the TARDIS leaves it’s mark – due to a combination of the Gelf rift in the middle of Cardiff imprinting an element of the Chameleon circuit on a paving stone!

The story establishes a place for Gwen, the ordinary police constable, within Torchwood and shows us that Jack has not gone uneffected by his death in the 51st Century.

Promising…

If you load the Workstation Panoramic of Jack’s desk and circle through 180 degrees to what looks like a small desk by the door – is that a picture of Russell T half obscured on the table?

Torchwood starts this weekend!

BBC – Doctor Who – News:

New CBBC spin-off announced. Russell T Davies has created The Sarah Jane Adventures, a brand new series for CBBC. Set in present-day West London, the programme stars Elisabeth Sladen, continuing her much-loved role as Sarah Jane Smith. Yasmin Paige will join her as Sarah’s 13-year-old neighbour Maria.

The BBC has released superb news about another welcome spin-off from Doctor Who. I think Russell T has made some fine decisions in selecting possible spin-offs, as they all target a slightly different audience. While Doctor Who remains family orientated, Torchwood will target a more mature audience, while this – going out on CBBC – will capture the attentions of the younger audience. I’d say that was a win-win-win situation for everyone, young and old.