Torchwood
Grew the BeardSeason 1 rated 7.4. From season 3 on it settled around 8.1.
Urban fantasyMagic hidden inside the modern world.This show: 7/10Queer storiesLGBTQ+ lives and relationships at the center.This show: 7/10British TVThe British television sensibility: tone, restraint and format traditions.This show: 7/10Dark toneShadowy mood and subject matter, a shade short of outright bleak.This show: 7/10
Rate this series
Starring
John BarrowmanEve MylesKai OwenGareth David-LloydBurn GormanNaoko Mori
Written by
Russell T. Davies
Starring
John BarrowmanEve MylesKai OwenGareth David-LloydBurn GormanNaoko Mori
Written by
Russell T. Davies
Ratings per Episode
Votes per Episode
Torchwood Episode Ratings Heatmap
| Avg | E1 | E2 | E3 | E4 | E5 | E6 | E7 | E8 | E9 | E10 | E11 | E12 | E13 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S1 | 7.4 | 7.5 | 6.6 | 7.4 | 6.1 | 7.0 | 7.6 | 7.2 | 7.7 | 7.7 | 8.2 | 6.9 | 8.3 | 7.7 | |
| S2 | 7.8 | 7.9 | 7.4 | 7.7 | 7.5 | 7.9 | 7.9 | 7.7 | 7.9 | 7.6 | 6.8 | 8.1 | 8.4 | 8.7 | |
| S3 | 8.9 | 8.9 | 8.7 | 8.8 | 9.2 | 9.1 | |||||||||
| S4 | 7.4 | 7.7 | 7.4 | 7.1 | 7.2 | 7.5 | 7.1 | 7.2 | 7.2 | 7.4 | 7.6 |
Download Infographic
About
"Pulpy alien horror that matures into real tragedy"
A Doctor Who spinoff following a secretive team in Cardiff who investigate alien technology and rifts in time and space, led by the immortal Captain Jack Harkness. It starts as pulpy monster-of-the-week sci-fi with heavy doses of sex, gore and dark humor, then steadily matures into something weightier and more emotionally brutal. The first season is rough and tonally uneven, but the show finds real confidence by its second run and delivers a genuinely gripping, high-stakes event series later on.
Watch it for
the dramatic leap in ambition and quality once the show finds its footing.
Maybe skip if
you need a strong, consistent first season before committing to a series.
Written by our AI editor to help you decide, spoiler-free by design.
All Seasons
▶
Series 12006
7.422K1310h 47m
Separate from the government, outside the police, beyond the United Nations, Torchwood sets its own rules. Led by the enigmatic, ever watchful Captain Jack Harkness, the Torchwood team delves into the unknown and fights the impossible. Everyone who works for Torchwood is young. Some say that’s because it’s a new science. Others say it’s because they die young.
▶
Series 22008
7.817K1310h 50m
The second season takes the Torchwood team through dare-devil action, temptation, heartache, and a life-changing event. They journey to the 51st Century and World War I, save a stranded creature from horrific abuse, battle a memory thief who uncovers long-forgotten secrets among the entire team, and come face-to-face with an entity that may well be Death itself. And slick Captain Jack returns to battle a rogue Time Agent, the charismatic-but-psychopathic Captain John Hart.
▶
Children of Earth2009
8.99K55h
In 1965 twelve children are gathered together on a deserted moor when they become surrounded by a harsh, bright light, and then suddenly they are gone. Back in the present day, all over planet Earth, children stop moving. Stop playing. Stop laughing. Stop everything. Then, as one, they begin to speak with the same voice, announcing to the governments of the world the imminent arrival of a new alien threat. It becomes clear to the Torchwood team that this isn't the aliens' first visit to Earth, and a terrible price is going to be paid for sins of the past.
▶
Miracle Day2011
7.410K108h 25m
One day, nobody dies. All across the world, nobody dies. And then the next day, and the next, and the next, people keep ageing - they get hurt and sick - but they never die. The result: a population boom, overnight. With all the extra people, resources are finite. It’s said that in four month's time, the human race will cease to be viable. But this can’t be a natural event – someone’s got to be behind it. It’s a race against time as CIA agent Rex Matheson investigates a global conspiracy. The answers lie within an old, secret British institute. As Rex keeps asking “What is Torchwood?” he’s drawn into a world of adventure, and a threat to change what it means to be human, forever.
Full Cast & Crew
Cast
John Barrowman Captain Jack Harkness, Captain Jack
Eve Myles Gwen Cooper
Kai Owen Rhys Williams
Gareth David-Lloyd Ianto Jones
Burn Gorman Owen Harper
Naoko Mori Toshiko Sato
Tom Price PC Andy, Sgt. Andy Davidson, P.C. Andy
Paul Kasey Weevil, Blowfish
Mekhi Phifer Agent Rex Matheson
Alexa Havins Bruening Esther Drummond
Crew
Russell T. Davies
Similar Series
Popular picks Shows that people who know this one usually know too. From our AI taste analysis.
Our recommendations Specific picks with the reason, including shows you may not have heard of. From our AI taste analysis.
Ultraviolet
2K 22 2017–present
British sci-fi horror with morally murky secret agency
Ultraviolet
3K 6 1998–1998
British sci-fi horror with morally murky secret agency
The Fades
7K 7 2011–2011
British ensemble horror-drama with queer themes and gore
The Glades
16K 49 2010–2013
British ensemble horror-drama with queer themes and gore
Utopia
56K 12 2013–2014
UK conspiracy thriller with shocking violence and dark humor
Hex
5K 18 2004–2005
British teen supernatural horror with dark edge
Alphas
30K 24 2011–2012
team of gifted operatives handling covert threats
Strange
480 7 2002–2003
UK supernatural investigator tone
Close in taste Nearest neighbors in our taste profile comparison: shared tone, themes and style.