178-487: This is a list of characters from the British science fiction television programme Torchwood , created by Russell T Davies . This list includes main characters, recurring characters and important guest characters. The main characters typically function as a team, defending the planet from alien and nefarious human threats. The series operated with a " monster of the week " format for its first two series before adopting
356-539: A garrison cap , the Navy officer a white female variation combination cap . UNIT's first major appearance in the new series was in " The Christmas Invasion " in 2005. Here, a new insignia has been designed based on the Battlefield version. The troopers wear black uniforms consisting of police clothing/ SAS Counter Revolutionary Warfare (CRW) Wing overalls and a red Royal Military Police beret, and equipment. Insignia
534-533: A 35-minute adapted extract of the play R.U.R. , written by the Czech playwright Karel Čapek , was broadcast live from the BBC's Alexandra Palace studios. Concerning a future world in which robots rise up against their human masters, it was the only piece of science fiction to be produced before the television service was suspended for the duration of the war. Only a few on-set publicity photographs survive. R.U.R.
712-461: A South Wales attack team, led by sergeant Andy Davidson , Gwen's ex-colleague. Mary's life-threatening experience results in her telling Gwen not to give up, and to "go and get the bastards" responsible. In " The Gathering ", set two months later, Mary is seen hiding her category one husband from the authorities. When the house is initially searched, Mary breaks down in tears after having been forced to pin down and stifle her husband to silence him. When
890-579: A brief media career. Danes ultimately kills himself with a bomb at the climax of Miracle Day. Suzie Costello , portrayed by Indira Varma , is a principal character in the first episode " Everything Changes ". The second-in-command of Torchwood Three, the Cardiff -based wing of the Torchwood Institute , she has been researching a piece of alien technology, a glove which has the ability to resurrect creatures that have recently died, but only for
1068-454: A cap rather than beret. After the series was cancelled and recommissioned, UNIT first had a minor appearance in the episode " Aliens of London " (2005). In this episode, UNIT were represented by four high-ranking US military officers, wearing Army Service Uniform with real UN peacekeeper patches on the sleeves, and Navy Service Uniform . Only the female officers wore headwear, the Army officer
1246-716: A century before meeting The Doctor once again. According to the TARDIS Datacore, the Little Girl may actually be Faith, a girl who lived and died in the 14th century and referenced in " Dead Man Walking ." Henry Parker , played by Richard Briers , is an elderly collector of alien artifacts in the episode " A Day in the Death ". Following his wife's death he became intensely reclusive, guarding his house with hired security personnel. Torchwood describe him as "mostly harmless" and compare him to Howard Hughes. By 2008 Parker
1424-541: A child and by Lachlan Nieboer as an adult, is Captain Jack's younger brother and a main antagonist of the second series. Gray is first alluded to in the series two premiere " Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang ", when Jack's former partner John Hart states that he "found Gray". In " Adam ", Jack's memories of his brother are brought to the surface by an alien who meddles with his memories. Jack recalls letting go of his brother's hand and losing him during an alien invasion in their homeland of
1602-508: A decoder for the government to protect her from the current anti-Japanese prejudice and bonding with Jack over their mutual grief over the responsibility of having to witness those they care for die while they survive. He is distressed at the idea that the woman he is dating while stationed in Cardiff is in love with him, unhappy to lead her on. After some indecision, and after Torchwood's Jack hints that he would soon die, he eventually strikes up
1780-510: A field agent she romantically envies. After her investigation into Torchwood leads to her betrayal by the CIA, she joins Torchwood. Though a rookie in the field, she provides the team with a competent computer analyst and hacker as they investigate the so-called miracle which has prevented death from occurring to human beings on Earth. As the series progresses, Esther also takes part in the team's undercover operations and at one point spends two months on
1958-654: A large laboratory in the base beneath the Tower of London. During the story, the laboratory is dedicated to studying cubes that appeared out of nowhere. Kate Stewart, daughter of the Brigadier and head of the scientific research department, has a handheld device that can scan a body (picking up the Eleventh Doctor 's twin hearts), and also serves as a communication device. The computers at UNIT HQ can detect anomalies such as artron energy spikes, and can also access CCTV on
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#17327875158392136-536: A lengthy absence from the screen. They made a small cameo appearance in " The Five Doctors " (1983), which sees Colonel Crichton wearing service dress and a Sergeant in barrack dress, both with the oval patches on their uniform. Captain Yates returns in the serial also wearing service dress but with no markings. For their full return in Battlefield , their look was completely updated. Their appearance in this serial
2314-460: A little girl, she is seen in both the 19th and 21st centuries as appearing roughly the same age. In her first appearance, " Dead Man Walking ", she sends Jack to the disused St. Mary's parish church, the location of the second Resurrection Gauntlet, but promises it will bring further complications. Appearing for a second time in a 19th-century flashback, in the episode " Fragments ", she approaches Jack to read his cards and tells him he will have to wait
2492-604: A major role in the original Doctor Who series, and it was a regular feature from The Invasion (1968) until The Seeds of Doom (1976). Originally referred to as the United Nations Intelligence Taskforce , executive producer Russell T Davies said in 2005 that the UN was no longer happy to be associated with the fictional organisation and the UN's full name could now no longer be used. The "UNIT" and "UN" abbreviations could be used as long as it
2670-633: A metaphorical "stitch in time," pulling all of 1918 back to where it belongs. However, during his last day, Tommy falls for Toshiko , making his decision all the more difficult. He is eventually convinced to do so thanks to Toshiko, who encourages him to fix the Rift by referring to him as her 'brave, handsome hero' (quoting Thomas's own words to her). She cannot reveal to Tommy that he will be one of hundreds of Shell shock victims executed for cowardice. Gerald Carter (Roderic Culver) and Harriet Derbyshire ( Siobhan Hewlett ) appear in flashback sequences of " To
2848-412: A nuclear explosion which Gray had triggered. Jack, having been exhumed by Torchwood in the 19th century and subsequently placed into stasis, re-emerges and forgives Gray, and asks that his brother do the same. Gray refuses to absolve Jack, who sorrowfully chloroforms his younger brother. Jack places Gray inside a cryogenic chamber, knowing he may never awaken. Dr Martha Jones , played by Freema Agyeman ,
3026-502: A profile reminiscent of the earlier series at its peak. Perhaps the most high-profile of those behind the movement to return Doctor Who to the screens was writer Russell T Davies , who worked in the BBC children's department earlier in his career and contributed to British TV science fiction there. Davies' first sci-fi serial was the six-part Dark Season (1991), which co-starred a young Kate Winslet as well as former Blake's 7 star Jacqueline Pearce . Two years later, Davies wrote
3204-577: A promiscuous extrovert who shares a passionate relationship with Adam, and Owen, now a shy geek with unrequited feelings for Toshiko. Adam also provides Jack with a resurgence of the repressed memories of the last pleasant memories of his family before his father's death and his brother's disappearance. As a side-effect of such new memory creation, other memories must be forced from the mind, leading Gwen to totally forget Rhys. When Ianto looks over his diary and discovers no reference to Adam, Adam attempts to escape by torturing Ianto with false memories of being
3382-555: A relationship with Owen Harper . When asked what she experienced while dead, she initially claims that she remembers nothing but darkness, but later tells Jack that she sensed something in the darkness that is coming for him. Suzie manipulates Gwen into freeing her from the base and subsequently murders her own father. Expressing regret over Gwen's impending death but still willing to sacrifice her to remain alive, Suzie continues draining Gwen's life energy and remains alive even after Jack shoots her multiple times, until Toshiko Sato destroys
3560-536: A second, much more complex serial called Century Falls (1993). ITV contributed a new version of The Tomorrow People (1992–1994) made as an international co-production with US and Australian companies, and there were various other child-oriented sci-fi type series such as ITV's Mike & Angelo (1989–1999) and the BBC's Watt on Earth (1991), although these lacked the crossover adult appeal that Davies' shows had possessed. Interest in making British TV science fiction seemed to return to broadcasters towards
3738-424: A secondary element. The industry's shift to drama productions being entirely mounted on film rather than using the film/video "hybrid" form, with increased costs, edged out genre's thought marginal. Perhaps the last original series of its kind in the multi-camera era of BBC science fiction was Star Cops (1987), which ran for only nine episodes to poor viewing figures on the corporation's second channel, BBC2 . It
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#17327875158393916-431: A serial form), was Sapphire & Steel (1979–1982). The tale of two "time detectives" played by David McCallum and Joanna Lumley , Sapphire & Steel was an atmospheric piece of television, although its production run was often hampered by the unavailability of its two leads. Longer-running science-fiction series became few and far between. Although Doctor Who was still running, in terms of audience, it
4094-423: A serial killer, only for Jack to see through the lie thanks to his knowledge of Ianto's personality. Although Adam tries to threaten Jack by altering his few happy memories of his childhood, Jack nevertheless deals with Adam's existence by giving everyone in the team 48-hour amnesia pills. Forgetting Adam causes his death and leaves the team puzzling the loss of the last 48 hours. Gray , portrayed by Ethan Brooke as
4272-472: A serial-based format for its third and fourth series, which feature an extended recurring cast of supporting characters. Jack Harkness , played by Scottish-American actor John Barrowman , is the leader of Torchwood Three. A former Time Agent born in the 51st century, Jack had two years of his memories wiped by the Time Agency and subsequently became a con man operating in the 20th century, where he stole
4450-495: A short period of time. It is revealed later in the episode that she has been murdering people in order to create test subjects for the Glove, having become obsessed with trying to make it work permanently. While confessing her crimes to Gwen Cooper, she prepares to shoot Gwen in order to cover up her crimes, when Jack arrives. Suzie shoots Jack in the head, but he rises again due to his inability to die, and she commits suicide by placing
4628-477: A short time, and admitting her own love for him, she says farewell to a distraught Owen. Diane flies off in her plane, feeling the Rift will open again for her and take her somewhere new. Diane is seen in flashback clips in " Combat ", " Captain Jack Harkness ", and " A Day in the Death ". She reappears briefly to Owen as a vision created by Bilis in " End of Days " insisting he do whatever he can to save her;
4806-537: A stage comedy titled Recall UNIT: The Great T-Bag Mystery was produced, written by Richard Franklin (Captain Yates) who reprised his character in the play. The cast also included John Levene as Benton, and the play was performed between 20 and 24 August as part of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Due to other commitments, Nicholas Courtney was unable to appear as the Brigadier, but pre-recorded
4984-647: A telephone message from Lethbridge-Stewart which was written into the plot. The novelisation of Remembrance of the Daleks (1990) by Ben Aaronovitch mentions that the troops that Gilmore commands were from the "Intrusion Counter-Measures Group". UNIT Exposed , the 1991 Doctor Who Magazine Winter Special , suggests that the ICMG is a forerunner of UNIT. Both Virgin Publishing 's Missing Adventures and BBC Books ' Past Doctor Adventures have set stories in
5162-432: A time travel drama Life on Mars (BBC 2006–2007), Eleventh Hour (ITV 2008–2009), Primeval (ITV 2007–2011), and in 2009 a new story for Red Dwarf , now shown exclusively on Dave rather than the BBC, followed by Red Dwarf X in 2012. A short-lived but lively show, Dirk Gently , was adapted from Douglas Adams' book in 2010. UNIT UNIT is a fictional military organisation from
5340-496: A village with a very strange tradition in the episode " Countrycide ". Once every ten years the villagers cannibalise any travelers passing by, through, or to their village. The Torchwood team travelled to the vicinity of the village in order to investigate disappearances in the area, thinking they could be connected to the Rift ; when they were drawn into a trap orchestrated by the villagers, they discovered their unsettling secret. When
5518-400: A wide range of weaponry to call on, some custom-made to combat specific threats. Among these are special ammunition described by the Brigadier in Battlefield as armour-piercing rounds with a solid core and Teflon coating which "could go through a Dalek". Other munitions include explosive rounds for Yetis, other armour-piercing rounds for robots, and gold-tipped rounds for use against
List of Torchwood characters - Misplaced Pages Continue
5696-520: A world security organisation set up by the League of Nations that encountered the occasional extraterrestrial incident but was disbanded after it and the League failed to prevent World War II . The standalone 1996 Virgin novel Who Killed Kennedy by David Bishop , which provides a fictional history of UNIT from an investigative journalist's perspective, reveals Lethbridge-Stewart's role in proposing
5874-526: Is a field agent for the CIA whose investigation into Torchwood leads him to join the organization after he is betrayed by the CIA. Rex is immediately connected to the supernatural event which is preventing humans from dying; he survives a fatal wound to the heart in the first episode of Miracle Day . Well-trained within the CIA, Rex finds himself frustrated by Jack and Gwen's ad hoc and sometimes unprofessional approach to field work, and also by Esther's lack of experience. He befriends and romances Vera Juarez, and
6052-652: Is a returning Doctor Who character who first appears on-screen in Torchwood in the episode " Reset ". A former time-travelling companion of the Tenth Doctor , Martha helped him and Jack avert an apocalyptic future in the Doctor Who episodes " Utopia ", " The Sound of Drums ", and " Last of the Time Lords ". In "Reset", it is revealed that Martha has become a Doctor of Medicine and a medical officer for
6230-540: Is a small silver-metal UNIT parawings on a red beret and a large UNIT Parawing patch worn over the left breast pocket on the utility vest or fatigues. Commanding officers wear No. 2 service dress with UNIT insignia. Variations include Captain Magambo from " Turn Left " (2008) wearing a black version of service dress with a red beret, and Colonel Karim in The Sarah Jane Adventures story Death of
6408-410: Is a vengeful sadist. Gray returns to Jack only to reveal that he blames him for the torture he has endured over the course of his life. Seeking to punish his brother, Gray buries Jack alive in Cardiff in the year AD 27, placing him in a permanent cycle of death and resurrection. In present day, Gray wreaks havoc across Cardiff, and murders Torchwood member Toshiko Sato , who had been attempting to prevent
6586-449: Is also the first piece of British television science fiction to partially survive, albeit only in the form of poor-quality telerecordings of its first two episodes. The second serial Quatermass II (1955) is the earliest BBC science fiction production to exist in its entirety. Kneale could not rely on sophisticated special effects to convey his narratives. Instead, he based his stories around characterization and characters' reactions to
6764-592: Is appalled at what happens to her. As the series progresses, Rex softens to his teammates, particularly Esther who he is unwilling to sacrifice at the expense of the world. After the Miracle ends, Rex is horrified to discover he seems to be Immortal in the same vein as Captain Jack. Esther Drummond , played by American actress Alexa Havins , is an analyst working for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) alongside Rex Matheson, whose lifestyle as
6942-481: Is close to the real-world United Nations Peacekeeping troop outfits. UNIT are represented by a nuclear missile convoy wearing UN issued blue berets and DPM camouflage. They have a new UNIT insignia patch of a winged globe, which is worn the upper sleeves and beret. There is also a Czech engineer team wearing Czech camouflage with the same UN issued blue beret as the convoy. The Brigadier returns, wearing at different times service dress, barrack dress, and DPM while wearing
7120-563: Is credited as a guest star in all four series. PC Andy first appears in Torchwood ' s première episode, " Everything Changes " and reappears on a semi-regular basis. Andy had a crush on Gwen when the two worked together and still has feelings for her. Whilst he never quite understands the function of the Torchwood Institute, he appreciates that Gwen's work for Torchwood involves "spooky", extraterrestrial situations, and therefore comes to trust them. When his loyalties are put to
7298-457: Is devastated that she cannot take her son home for a conventional relationship and blames Gwen, before giving up and throwing out Jonah's belongings. TV Squad 's Jason Hughes praised the emotional scenes of Nikki being brought to see Jonah by Gwen and the "tragic emotional impact" of her telling Gwen to not do the same to any other families. He felt her role in the narrative worked as "an ambiguous moral about knowing versus not knowing" and praised
List of Torchwood characters - Misplaced Pages Continue
7476-530: Is drawn to the Torchwood team due to their unique memories and escapes the Void through the Rift . In less than 48 hours he is able to plant false memories in the team, posing as a member of Torchwood. It is this belief in him that allows him to survive. Accompanying the survival instinct, Adam shows a tendency to use his powers recreationally and maliciously. He provides a drastic role-reversal for both Toshiko, now
7654-482: Is dying from a failing heart, having suffered from three heart attacks, and a failed bypass. Terrified of death, he activated the Pulse, an artefact, taking it into his bed believing it to be a healing device. Because this device was giving off strange energy readings, Torchwood send in the technically deceased Owen Harper to bypass Parker's security and intervene. During a discussion with Harper, Parker revealed knowledge of
7832-514: Is established that during the "Battle of Canary Wharf " the Cybermen needed more troops and began directly converting people rather than transplanting their brains into Cyberman shells. Lisa is in the midst of conversion when Ianto rescues her, taking her and a support system to Torchwood Three where he keeps her in a basement until he can restore her humanity. Once freed from the unit, her Cyberman persona asserts itself and she attempts to take over
8010-444: Is executed by lethal injection in a Kentucky penitentiary; though the execution is carried out, Danes does not die thanks to Miracle Day. As a convicted murderer and child rapist, Danes is vilified by the public, but opinions begin to change when he tearfully expresses remorse for his crimes in a television interview. After she offers him protection and exposure Danes accepts an offer of representation from Jilly Kitzinger and enjoys
8188-643: Is inside the Archive, the Archive is also ' TARDIS -proof', and has been used by UNIT as a means of assessing the Doctor 's companions to confirm whether they can be trusted. UNIT is also shown to at least have access to the Under-Gallery, a secret gallery containing works of art dating back to the Elizabethan era that Elizabeth I ordered locked away as they were too dangerous for the public. Across
8366-409: Is instrumental in stopping. At an unspecified year in his future, fragments of 1918 and the present will bleed together, potentially destroying the world. Hence, once every year, Torchwood awakens Tommy to check whether his presence is required and to give him a "day out." It is 2008 when these events eventually begin to unfold. As this begins to happen, Tommy must be sent back to his own time acting as
8544-408: Is known to the public, but mainly as a security organisation with scientific expertise; its actual agenda is classified. Although the Brigadier originally states that UNIT do not arrest people, as of the 21st century, UNIT has the authority to detain persons indefinitely without trial, appeal, outside contact or legal representation, as experienced by Toshiko Sato before she was recruited to work for
8722-464: Is married and gets disappointed. Gwen is one of two surviving agents following the destruction of the Cardiff branch of the Torchwood Institute, and goes into hiding following the birth of daughter Anwen. During Miracle Day she is conflicted between her Torchwood duties and her responsibility to her baby daughter and severely ill father. Her family has lived in Wales for generations, and it is suggested by
8900-521: Is married to Gwen's mother Mary and lives in Swansea . Present at Gwen's wedding to Rhys he is alarmed to see her pregnant and more so when she tells him the true nature of her job. He attempts to phone the police when the shape shifting alien Nostrovite first attacks; but is prevented from doing so as Torchwood have jammed the phone lines. Despite Gwen and Rhys proclaiming that they will not keep secrets from each other in their marriage, Geraint's memories of
9078-411: Is recaptured in " The Gathering ", and taken back to the overflow camp to be incinerated. In " The Blood Line ", Gwen recounts a childhood memory of her father where he had received blame for money going missing from his work. Eager to help, Gwen had got together her pocket money but her father confided in her that what had bothered him was the fact that people thought him dishonest. Gwen remembered this as
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#17327875158399256-400: Is recruited into the institute. Owen has many short-lived sexual relationships with women such as Suzie Costello and Gwen Cooper but remains largely indifferent to the affections of colleague Toshiko Sato . In Torchwood series 2, Owen is killed by Aaron Copley , and having been resurrected with alien technology is left in a state of living death; cheating death proves short-lived, as Owen
9434-427: Is seemingly vaporised in a surge of radiation in the series 2 finale, " Exit Wounds ". Toshiko Sato , played by Japanese-born British actress Naoko Mori , is Torchwood Three's technical expert and computer specialist. The character first appeared in the Doctor Who episode " Aliens of London ", although this experience was not mentioned in Torchwood until her final appearance in the episode " Exit Wounds ", where it
9612-416: Is shown to have translation software which can decipher alien languages with great accuracy. The software, or at least the results from the translation, can be loaded on a hand-held device. In "The Poison Sky", UNIT is shown to be able to command and co-ordinate the world's combined nuclear arsenal for strategic strikes on orbiting alien craft. In " The Sound of Drums " (2007), the flying aircraft carrier
9790-402: Is the victim of several heart attacks, yet does not die because of the "miracle" affecting the human population. Gwen returns from hiding to visit him in hospital and experiences conflicting emotions about his predicament. In " Escape to L.A. " Rhys unwittingly sends Geraint to a government run overflow camp that is under the control of PhiCorp. In " The Categories of Life ", he and Gwen break into
9968-452: The 2005 series episodes " Aliens of London " and " World War Three ", where it sent a delegation to a gathering of experts at 10 Downing Street . UNIT appeared again the same year in " The Christmas Invasion ". In addition to Doctor Who , UNIT has also featured in the spin-off series Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures . From " The Power of Three " (2012), the first on screen appearance of UNIT in any Whoniverse media since
10146-486: The British Union of Fascists : Sergeant Benton is Platoon Under Leader Benton, Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart is Brigade Leader Lethbridge-Stewart, and Elizabeth Shaw, a soldier rather than a scientist in their dimension, has the rank of Section Leader (which appears to be an officer rank). Their uniforms consist of contemporary US Army olive green military fatigues for Other Ranks, tan uniforms with black rank slides on
10324-519: The Cybermen (as well as silver bullets as suggested by the Doctor), and rad-steel coated bullets to neutralise Sontaran anti-bullet fields that target copper. In The Invasion (1968), UNIT has a command centre established in the cargo hold of a Lockheed Hercules military transport aircraft. The Dæmons (1971) features the UNIT Mobile HQ, a large bus-like vehicle that could be driven to
10502-559: The Dalek race for Doctor Who in 1963, assuring much of its early popularity. For the rest of the 1960s, Nation concentrated on writing for ITV film series, but in the early 1970s he returned to science fiction, contributing Dalek stories to Doctor Who again from 1973 to 1975 and in 1975 creating his own science-fiction series, Survivors (1975–1977). It ran for three seasons and was generally well received. Nation followed Survivors with Blake's 7 (1978–1981). Pitched by him as "
10680-553: The Dave Hollins: Space Cadet sketches introduced on Grant and Naylor's 1984 BBC Radio 4 show Son of Cliché . The original version of Doctor Who lasted until 1989. Apart from a television movie in 1996, Doctor Who did not re-emerge in a bigger-budget version until 2005. Affected by rights issues for some years, many of those behind the new series were fans of the show when they were younger. Doctor Who returned to television screens on 26 March 2005, gaining
10858-547: The Doctor Who serial The Web of Fear (1968), which involved British Army characters, he told scriptwriters Mervyn Haisman and Henry Lincoln to include all of the characters that he had originally invented for The Invasion . Sherwin was uncertain if the army forces featured in The Web of Fear appeared as UNIT, but was "convinced" that, as a teaser for UNIT's more substantial role in The Invasion , The Web of Fear
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#173278751583911036-683: The Doctor Who universe lie in the Second Doctor serial The Web of Fear (1968), following which the organisation is named and established in The Invasion (1968). According to " Survivors of the Flux " (2021), UNIT was founded in 1958 and built over the subsequent decade, with Lethbridge-Stewart joining the taskforce after it failed to act on the events of the First Doctor story The War Machines (1966). Following The Invasion ,
11214-671: The Eleventh Doctor tells Clara Oswald that he works for UNIT and that UNIT is his "job". In " Death in Heaven " (2014), Kate Stewart describes the Twelfth Doctor as "technically" still "on the payroll", as he never resigned. Prominent members of the British contingent of UNIT include Dr. Elizabeth Shaw , Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart , Sergeant Benton , Captain Yates , UNIT operative Jo Grant and later, Surgeon-Lieutenant Harry Sullivan, RN . After leaving
11392-639: The L1A1 Self-Loading Rifle , Sterling submachine gun , and Browning Hi-Power pistol, and they have worn 58 pattern webbing . They are also shown using heavy weaponry such as bazookas, machine guns, mortars and, in Terror of the Zygons (1975), a depth charge launcher. For Battlefield (1989), they have the Steyr AUG assault rifle while the Brigadier still uses a Webley Revolver . In
11570-508: The Quatermass tradition of allegorical storytelling ( Nigel Kneale was invited, but declined to contribute scripts to the programme), it used its science-fiction basis to try to convey real warnings about the state of the world, as well as telling tense, dramatic stories and not being afraid of shocking its audience, such as in the killing off of popular lead character Toby Wren (played by Robert Powell ). Writer Terry Nation had created
11748-808: The Royal Navy , British Army and Royal Air Force , and are still bound by the UK chain of command . Major Blake reports to the Prime Minister in "The Christmas Invasion". UNIT is able to call on the conventional military branches for support, and in The Seeds of Doom gets the RAF to provide precision air-strikes. Due to the international nature of the organisation, it is sometimes viewed with suspicion by local military and national security agencies, who feel that it might impinge on their sovereignty. UNIT's existence
11926-527: The Special Air Service with the black UNIT logo on a round white background as a cap badge were worn by all ranks. For UNIT's next appearance, Spearhead from Space (1970), the No.4s became uniform for all ranks, except for two radar operators seen in the opening who wear No.7s; the female officer wearing a tie with a UNIT logo printed on. The No.4 style of uniform stayed throughout Doctor Who and
12104-533: The Third Doctor visit a parallel universe. In this reality, Great Britain is a fascist republic, where the Royal Family was executed for treason in 1943, as depicted in the novel I, Alastair ; the novel also shows that this universe's leader of Britain was an associate of Oswald Mosley , and eventually became leader of the country following the downfall of the old order, with his picture being visible in
12282-446: The Torchwood radio play " Lost Souls ". The creative team had originally intended for Martha to appear in series three, Torchwood: Children of Earth but Agyeman was unavailable. Aaron Copley , portrayed by Alan Dale , is the leader of experimental medical facility "The Pharm" and features in " Reset ". When his facility claims to have developed a miracle substance able to cure medically incurable diseases such as diabetes and cancer,
12460-468: The Torchwood website, her body is stored in the cryogenics area. Tommy Brockless , portrayed by Anthony Lewis , appears in " To the Last Man ". A combat stress reaction / shell-shocked World War I soldier, born in 1894, Tommy is brought into Torchwood Three 's custody and cryopreserved in 1918 after his future self instructs them to do as such through a time slip. It is these time slips that Tommy
12638-533: The Valiant is introduced. The Valiant is also shown (in "The Poison Sky") to be equipped with a scaled down version of the Torchwood Institute weapon that destroyed the Sycorax ship in "The Christmas Invasion". It is mentioned in The Sarah Jane Adventures story Death of the Doctor (2010) that UNIT has a Moonbase. In " The Power of Three ", UNIT is shown to have a scientific research department with
12816-463: The 2000s, they use Heckler & Koch G36C carbine, the M4 carbine (with different scopes used such as ACOG and holographic weapon sights , as well as equipping CQB receivers for indoor use ), SIG P226 pistols, and for heavy duty, use Stinger missile launchers. In " The Power of Three ", they are further equipped with PASGT helmets, goggles, and riot armour for their shins. UNIT's personnel have
12994-401: The 2006 DVD of the Doctor Who serial Inferno (1970), actor Nicholas Courtney , who played Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart in The Invasion , similarly described The Invasion as a "dummy run" for the idea of the Doctor , the main protagonist of Doctor Who , being exiled to Earth. Dicks also said that the idea of exiling the Doctor was done because making every serial take place on Earth
13172-540: The 2020 New Year's Day episode, " Spyfall, Part 1 ", it is stated that UNIT and Torchwood no longer exist. The 2021 episode " Survivors of the Flux " reveals it to be caused by Grand Serpent, a political figure who assumed the identity of Prentis and was instrumental in UNIT's formation, to facilitate the Sontarans’ invasion of Earth during the Flux crisis. UNIT is resurrected in the 2022 BBC Centenary special " The Power of
13350-768: The Autons , producer Barry Letts decided to have UNIT wearing 1960 pattern fatigues, as well as appropriate contemporary British Army or RAF uniform, such as service dress and barrack dress . The UNIT patches and tan berets remain standard, although personnel are also seen in British Army peaked caps with regulation cap badges. In Terror of the Zygons , they wear DPM camouflage jackets and tactical black cap badges. The Android Invasion (1975) sees them wearing barrack dress, which they also wear for their brief appearance in The Seeds of Doom (1976). UNIT then had
13528-570: The Boeshane Peninsula, an action he regards as the worst thing he ever did. Young Jack ( Jack Montgomery ) searches for Gray but is unable to find him. When the alien is defeated, he taunts Jack that he will lose these memories of his brother. In " Fragments ", Captain John shows Jack a hologram of Gray. Appearing in " Exit Wounds ", Gray is a damaged character who has endured a lifetime of torture; having learnt cruelty from his captors, Gray
13706-745: The Brigade Leader's office in Inferno . The parallel version of the British contingent of UNIT is an SS -like state paramilitary organisation known as the Republican Security Forces (RSF), manning their version of the drilling project as a "scientific labour camp". They are armed with a mixture of Soviet and German weapons, such as the SKS rifle and the Walther P38 pistol. Their rank system uses titles based loosely on that of
13884-488: The British science fiction television series Doctor Who and its spin-off series Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures . Operating under the auspices of the United Nations and initially led by Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart , its purpose is to investigate and combat paranormal and extraterrestrial threats to Earth. Several UNIT personnel (such as the Brigadier, Sergeant Benton and Mike Yates ) played
14062-491: The British government by the Torchwood Institute in a flashback in the Torchwood episode " Fragments " (2008). The organisation was rearranged by Kate Stewart, the daughter of Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart. In " The Power of Three " (2012), Kate heads UNIT's scientific research department, which now has authority over the military branch. The British troops of UNIT have been armed with standard British Army weapons such as
14240-515: The Dirty Dozen in space," Blake's 7 originally revolved around righteous freedom fighter Roj Blake, his battle with a corrupt Galactic Federation, and the ragtag group of pirates, criminals, and smugglers who are reluctantly forced to work with him after an escape from a prison ship. Running for four seasons, the early evening series had a hard edge. The moral ambiguity of the leading characters made them interesting, and as with Doomwatch , it
14418-495: The Doctor wearing black civilian clothes with UNIT insignia and rank epaulettes. UNIT returns in the series 7 episode " The Power of Three ". Their uniforms in this series are an alteration of the uniforms seen since 2005. They no longer wear ID cards on the right breast pocket, and appear to lack the logos on the arms. They wear PASGT helmets with black covering and black goggles in place of berets. They also wear riot armour for their forearms and shins, and plain black brassards on
14596-513: The Doctor ( David Tennant ) and Rose Tyler ( Billie Piper ) that Gwen is related to the Gwyneth (also portrayed by Eve Myles) whom they met in Cardiff in 1869 in " The Unquiet Dead ", due to spatial genetic multiplicity. Doctor Owen Harper , played by American-born English actor Burn Gorman , is Torchwood Three's medical officer. After he loses his fiancée to an alien parasite, Owen's genius and determination are recognized by Captain Jack and he
14774-597: The Doctor ", once again under the leadership of Kate Stewart with a new building in London which is demolished by the end of the episode to defeat the Cybermen . By the time of the 2023 60th anniversary specials UNIT has relocated to a new headquarters in a skyscraper in the City of London , while remaining under the leadership of Kate Stewart. UNIT's status is supported by enabling legislation that allows it to assume emergency powers when necessary. Although it operates under
14952-541: The Doctor, Martha Jones joins UNIT. In The Claws of Axos (1971), an American agent named Bill Filer was sent from Washington to assist in the hunt for the Master . Kate Stewart, the Brigadier's daughter, becomes Head of Scientific Research and Chief Scientific Officer, and then Commander in Chief of UNIT, and appears in multiple episodes beginning with " The Power of Three " in 2012. The 1970 serial Inferno sees
15130-590: The Hub in order to use it as a base for a new Cyber army. Seeing how far Ianto has gone to protect her, she transplants her brain into the body of a pizza delivery girl so they can be together. Still claiming they could both be upgraded, her new body is shot and killed by the rest of the Torchwood team. What appeared to be Lisa's spirit reappears in " End of Days ", urging Ianto to open the Rift . Evan , Helen and nephew Huw Sherman , portrayed by Owen Teale , Maxine Evans , and Rhys ap Trefor respectively, are residents from
15308-558: The Last Man " investigating the case of Brockless in 1918. Trained in military intelligence, Carter would later become leader of Torchwood Three in Cardiff. Derbyshire was recruited directly from the University of Oxford (where she observed physics lectures) into Torchwood Three . It is noted in the episode that Harriet died at the age of 26. According to the Torchwood website, Carter had been an avid supporter of early "Rift theory" , and after controversially being placed in charge of
15486-485: The Mysterons (1967–1968), and Joe 90 (1968–1969). Their success led his backers ITC to finance the live-action shows Anderson most wanted to develop. The first of these was UFO (1970–1971), which featured American actor Ed Bishop as the head of an undercover military organization with responsibility for combating aliens who came to Earth in the eponymous spacecraft. A planned second season
15664-745: The Seventh Doctor and Sarah Jane Smith against a branch of UNIT known as the 'Cortez Project', who consider any alien activity on Earth to be dangerous even if said aliens have no hostile intent, forcing the Doctor to discreetly work with a Chinese triad to help a crashed alien ship repair itself and depart. No Future (1994) by Paul Cornell featured an intelligence section of UNIT in an alternate 1970s called Broadsword. Broadsword agents wore plain clothes and were "hand-picked to offer us lateral and non-military solutions, backed up by SAS training and sheer common sense". The 1996 New Adventures novel Just War by Lance Parkin mentions "LONGBOW",
15842-474: The Silurians (1970). Christine Rawlins had a new futuristic-looking design produced for The Ambassadors of Death (1970), which features only in this story. All ranks are given khaki-coloured zip-up jackets without lapels, which are worn over tan rolled-neck sweaters. The Brigadier retained his No.4 uniform. For Inferno (1970), these changed to Denison smock camouflage uniforms. From Terror of
16020-529: The Torchwood Three team, and mentioned his own fear of death. Soon after Owen deactivated the pulse, Parker died of natural causes; Harper attempted artificial respiration to keep the man alive, but was unable to produce breath to do so. Digital Spy ' s Ben Rawson-Jones praised Brier's "emotive portrayal" of Parker and found his death scene particularly moving. He also comments that his performance in this episode compensated for his "bizarrely over
16198-472: The Torchwood base, stabbing Rhys Williams , spurring Gwen to once more open the rift to save everyone's lives, however, this full opening unwittingly releases Abaddon . Moments later, Manger is found outside by the members of the team, telling them that his plan all along was to release Abaddon, who had been "chained under the rift", before vanishing again. The character returns in the spin-off novel The Twilight Streets by Gary Russell , apparently sponsoring
16376-514: The Torchwood team investigate. Martha Jones is sent in by Captain Jack, allowing Torchwood to gain access to Copley's files. It is discovered that he has captured alien specimens (including a giant mayfly and a weevil ) and used their bodily fluids to develop the "Reset" cure. When Copley discovers that Martha knows this, and has herself actually travelled in time and space, he begins to carry out intrusive tests on her, believing that time travel may have altered her cells making her more likely to survive
16554-672: The UNIT era and have revealed new information about UNIT's past, present and future. The novel Business Unusual sees the Sixth Doctor assist UNIT in an investigation involving the now-retired Brigadier being held prisoner by the agents of the Nestene Consciousness, while Deep Blue sees the Fifth Doctor interact with the Third Doctor's UNIT colleagues at a time when his past self was away. Bullet Times pits
16732-854: The Unknown (1965–1971), which ran for four seasons. Some of the ITV companies were imitating American styles of production, shooting some of their series on film rather than in the multi-camera electronic studio, for lucrative sales in the "international" market. One producer who was keen to make science fiction for the commercial network was Gerry Anderson , who initially used puppets for his shows. His science fiction shows in Supermarionation include Supercar (1961–1962), Fireball XL5 (1962–1963), Stingray (1964–1965), Thunderbirds (1965–1966), Captain Scarlet and
16910-467: The advertisement of a newly developed area of Cardiff. During this encounter, it is revealed that not only is he on the staff of Torchwood despite lacking any employee information – his hand print is granted full access in all Torchwood bases, but there is no record of his employment or specific role in the Institute – but also that his actions in releasing Abaddon were fundamentally benevolent, as Abaddon
17088-460: The aggressive attitudes of Torchwood at the time, killing a Blowfish in cold blood in “ Fragments ”, her moral justification being that it was "a threat to the Empire ”. In " Exit Wounds " she and fellow Torchwood employee Charles Gaskell ( Cornelius Macarthy ) discover Jack Harkness buried in Cardiff, and freeze him in the cryogenic area of the Hub. According to the Torchwood website, she is one of
17266-408: The apparent ringleader of the group, Evan, was eventually captured and questioned, the only reason he gave for following this tradition was that "it made me happy." Mary portrayed by Daniela Denby-Ashe is featured in " Greeks Bearing Gifts " as a 19th-century prostitute. After fleeing from one of her potential johns, a soldier, Mary encountered an alien (later to be discovered as an Arcateenian) in
17444-550: The authority of the United Nations, its members are seconded from the host country's military and are still bound to obey that chain of command . Within the UK section of UNIT, ranks are those of the British Army : Lethbridge-Stewart is a Brigadier , Yates is a Captain, a Major appears in The Seeds of Doom (1976) and " The Christmas Invasion " (2005), and a Colonel and Captain appear in " The Sontaran Stratagem "/" The Poison Sky " (2008). UNIT personnel are seconded from
17622-421: The basement to the living situation described by Anne Frank in " The Diary of Anne Frank ". Although the eventual goodbye scene between Mary and Geraint did not feature heard dialogue, the content of her conversation was part of the initial script for the episode. Writing for the entertainment section of AOL's website Brad Trechak notes that he was highly amused by "the extremely British snark" exhibited by Mary in
17800-481: The best". Mary was referenced in the Doctor Who story " The Stolen Earth "—in which Gwen instructs Rhys to tell her mother to "take her pills and go to sleep" during the Dalek invasion. In " The New World ", the first episode of Torchwood: Miracle Day Mary accompanies her husband to hospital after he has a heart attack, and meets her granddaughter Anwen for the first time. With Gwen in hiding, Mary now knows
17978-399: The camp to rescue Geraint, but their first attempt triggers another cardiac arrest, upgrading his government-appointed status from Category Two (conscious and living) to Category One (unconscious and due to be incinerated). Gwen and Rhys successfully rescue Geraint in " The Middle Men ". Two months later, Gwen and Mary attempt to conceal Geraint from government officers in their basement, but he
18156-671: The contribution of scientific advice in battling extraterrestrial threats is recognised and both Dr Elizabeth Shaw and the exiled Third Doctor joins UNIT just in time to help defeat the Autons in Spearhead from Space (1970). UNIT continued to feature in Doctor Who after Spearhead , but when the Third Doctor's exile is lifted in The Three Doctors (1972–73), his association with UNIT becomes more sporadic, especially after his regeneration into his fourth incarnation at
18334-416: The courage to dance with Torchwood's Jack in front of a party of servicemen and their guests. Before Torchwood's Jack leaves to return to the present, the two kiss passionately. The next day, Captain Jack Harkness dies fighting German fighters. In the present day, Toshiko Sato comforts Torchwood's Jack by telling him that 1941's Captain Jack would be proud that he had taken his name, carrying it on as he saves
18512-400: The day are erased by Jack Harkness. Geraint subsequently forgets about the alien pregnancy, the wedding fiasco and the nature of Gwen's job; which his daughter feels to be "for the best". Between Children of Earth and Miracle Day Geraint becomes a grandfather to baby Anwen , and is properly told about Gwen's work for Torchwood . In " The New World ", the first episode of Miracle Day , he
18690-589: The early 1960s. A proponent for such experimentation was Canadian-born producer Sydney Newman , who had become Head of Drama at ABC . He produced the science-fiction serial Pathfinders in Space (1960) and its sequels Pathfinders to Mars (1960) and Pathfinders to Venus (1961) and oversaw the science-fiction anthology series Out of This World (1962), the first of its kind in the UK. ITV also made an attempt at children's science fiction, with its short-lived programme Emerald Soup (1963), which coincidentally aired
18868-605: The early part of the decade there were several serials produced, albeit mainly by the BBC; the bought-in series mainly aired on ITV. Adaptations of novels such as The Day of the Triffids (1981), The Invisible Man (1984), and The Nightmare Man (1981, from the novel Child of the Vodyanoi ) were produced, and the BBC began an adaptation of The White Mountains novels under the name The Tripods (1984–1985). The Tripods had run for two of its planned three series when it
19046-404: The encounter leaves him in tears. Eugene Jones , played by Paul Chequer , appears in the Torchwood episode " Random Shoes ". When he was younger, his science teacher gave him an alien eye. As he got older, he started to get interested in aliens, approaching Torchwood a number of times. They paid no attention at all to him. He was described as a loser, a failure, a geek and an ordinary guy. In
19224-477: The end of Planet of the Spiders (1974). Although the last appearance of UNIT in the series for many years was in The Seeds of Doom (1976), the organisation continued to execute its mandate to investigate and combat alien activity. The final appearance of UNIT during the original run of Doctor Who was the Seventh Doctor serial Battlefield (1989). UNIT is mentioned by both its acronym and full name in
19402-514: The episode " Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang " as a rogue Time Agent and former partner of Jack Harkness , both professionally and sexually. He has been in rehab for drink, drugs, sex and murder. Captain John Hart appears through the Rift using a Vortex Manipulator in order to seek help from Jack. In " Exit Wounds ", Captain John is revealed to have rescued Jack's brother Gray from his old captors, only to learn too late that Gray had been driven insane over
19580-569: The episode "Something Borrowed". AfterElton 's Steven Frank compares the character to "a tightly wound Helen Mirren " and also praises the "cattish behavior" displayed in her interactions with Brenda. The Radio Times ' Patrick Mulkern praised the storyline of the Cooper family in " The Gathering " describing the scenes with Mary and Gwen hiding Geraint in the cellar as "tense" and "touching". Nikki Bevan , played by Ruth Jones , appears in Adrift as
19758-522: The eras, UNIT have been identified with different styles of uniform. For The Invasion , Privates and Corporals wore No.7 dress , while ranks of Sergeant and above wore uniforms based on No.4 dress , but lacking buttons and with the jacket – which appears to be fastened by velcro – tucked into the trousers. All UNIT members wore oval patches with 'U.N.I.T' embroidered on them on their left sleeves and NCOs wore their badges of rank on their right sleeves. Sand/Beige coloured berets, similar to those worn by
19936-417: The extraterrestrial response agency UNIT . After helping Torchwood solve a series of mysterious deaths around Cardiff, she becomes involved in assisting the team following the death and resurrection of Torchwood's medic Owen Harper in the episodes " Dead Man Walking " and " A Day in the Death ". She collaborates with Jack, Gwen and Ianto again in the Doctor Who serial " The Stolen Earth "/" Journey's End " and
20114-418: The fact that the disappearances are widespread. Gwen eventually locates Jonah, aged and deformed in a secret hospital for those who had been taken by the rift and then returned. Nikki at first denies the fact that this man is Jonah but after he mentions childhood experiences the two have a heart-felt reunion. However, due to off-world torture Jonah is insane and spends twenty hours a day howling incessantly. Nikki
20292-469: The final agent, she pretends to intend on killing Gwen to provoke Torchwood into suicide by cop so that she does not one day experience the dehumanization of having her alien consciousness awoken. Like all sleepers of her species, Beth's arm can transform into a blade-like weapon and can deploy explosive devices, in addition to this she possesses a tight-knit protective force field (which also projects false humanoid vitals) and superhuman strength. According to
20470-402: The first time anybody had spoken to her as an adult. Later, with aid from Andy, Rhys gains access to the overflow camp and sits at Geraint's side as the Miracle is finally negated, allowing Mary to say goodbye to her husband by telephone. Mary Cooper , played by Sharon Morgan , is the mother of Gwen Cooper and is introduced in " Something Borrowed ". Prior to her first appearance, Gwen's mother
20648-509: The first two series and a main cast member from the third series onwards. Rhys is initially introduced as Gwen's oblivious live-in boyfriend, but as the series progresses he becomes aware of the existence of extraterrestrial life, and the true nature of Gwen's job. The two marry in the episode " Something Borrowed " and proclaim a relationship based on truth. When the government attempt to assassinate Gwen Cooper in Children of Earth , Rhys goes on
20826-496: The full second half of the equations needed to bring back her and Jack more safely, by scratching away the last part of the equation. He took photographs, though, to ensure that the team would locate them in the past and have to open the rift to rescue them. In "End of Days", he reappears, first as an apparition to Gwen, then, in his shop, A Stitch in Time, where he reveals that he is able to travel between eras at will. He then infiltrates
21004-530: The full workings of her daughter's former occupation and asks her for information about the miracle. When Gwen is rendition to the United States, Rhys and Anwen move in with Mary and Geraint. After Geraint is taken to an overflow camp, Mary encourages Gwen's rescue mission. She is later kidnapped and held hostage in an attempt to force Gwen to hand in Jack Harkness . However, the family is rescued by
21182-479: The gauntlet, breaking the energy transfer and finally killing Suzie once more. Jack tells Ianto Jones to record the multiple causes of death as "Death by Torchwood". Suzie has a leading role in the novel Long Time Dead , a prequel to Torchwood: Miracle Day . Andy Davidson , played by Tom Price , is Gwen Cooper 's former police partner, an officer for the South Wales Police in Cardiff . Price
21360-567: The genre that have been produced by both the BBC and Britain's largest commercial channel, ITV . BBC's Doctor Who is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest-running science fiction television show in the world, and has been called the "most successful" science fiction series of all time. The first known science fiction television programme was produced by the BBC 's pre-war television service. On 11 February 1938,
21538-658: The highest television ratings since the coronation of Elizabeth II on 2 June 1953. It was so controversial that it was debated in Parliament, and campaigners tried to have the second performance the following Thursday banned. The BBC's Head of Drama, Michael Barry , refused to concede. Science fiction productions were rare and almost always one-offs. A for Andromeda (1961, starring a young Julie Christie ) and its sequel The Andromeda Breakthrough (1962) were exceptions. ITV , Britain's first commercial television network, explored science fiction for programming purposes in
21716-448: The house is searched a second time, Mary is refused entry and reluctantly signs forms releasing her dead husband, who is taken back to the overflow camp in preparation for incineration . After Rhys gains an emergency police visa to visit the camp, and Gwen helps end the "Miracle", Mary gets a final chance to say goodbye to Geraint. Series writer Jane Espenson draws an analogy between the series four plot of Gwen and Mary hiding Geraint in
21894-465: The late 1990s to mid-2000s. For example, Aquila (1997–1998 ), based on the novel by Andrew Norriss , and Jeopardy (2002–2004), which won the 2002 BAFTA for Best Children's Drama. A "live" remake of The Quatermass Experiment was broadcast on BBC Four on 2 April 2005. Various series have followed the new success of Doctor Who , including two spin-offs entitled Torchwood (2006–2011) and The Sarah Jane Adventures (2007–2011),
22072-456: The left arm. The scientific research department that now serves as the head of UNIT consists of plainclothes civilians. The series 8 episode " Death in Heaven " introduces an officer uniform, consisting of black or navy-blue jacket and trousers, white shirt and black tie, with medal ribbons and rank epaulettes, inspired by (but not identical to) officers' No. 2 service dress, sans the gloves, peaked cap and Sam Browne shoulder belt. The Doctor ,
22250-464: The main protagonist of Doctor Who , is a member of UNIT. In " Aliens of London ", after reading up about the Doctor during his twelve-month absence, Mickey Smith tells Rose Tyler that the Ninth Doctor knows UNIT because "he's worked for them". In " The Sontaran Stratagem ", Colonel Mace tells the Tenth Doctor , "Technically speaking, you're still on staff." In " The Day of the Doctor ",
22428-658: The middle of the 1990s, as companies began to see the possibility of lucrative overseas sales and tie-in products that other genres could not match. In the mid-1990s, the BBC screened four seasons of the glossy sci-fi action-adventure series Bugs (1995–1998), made by independent company Carnival. They co-produced the six-part serial Invasion: Earth (1998) with the US Sci-Fi Channel , and ITV began to market British sci-fi again with serials such as The Uninvited (1997) and The Last Train (1999). The BBC also produced several children's science fiction shows in
22606-622: The muzzle beneath her chin and shooting herself instead. In " They Keep Killing Suzie ", the Torchwood team brings her back to life using the Resurrection Gauntlet (wielded by Gwen) and the "Life Knife". Unknown to the team, this was part of a plan that Suzie set up months before her death. She appears to be resurrected permanently and unable to be killed. However, this is because the gauntlet is continuing to transfer life energy between her and Gwen. Suzie feels inferior to and resents Gwen for "replacing" her in all areas, including having
22784-412: The name of "Captain Jack Harkness"; his real name is unknown. After meeting the Ninth Doctor in Doctor Who , Jack reformed and changed his ways, and after a stint as the Doctor's time travelling companion found his way to Torchwood in the 19th century. Cursed with immortality following his previous adventure with the Doctor, Jack served Torchwood on-and-off for centuries, eventually becoming its leader at
22962-479: The nature of Gwen's job she is caught up in the adventure when she is threatened by the Nostrovite ; who has assumed Brenda's appearance. Despite Gwen and Rhys proclaiming they will not keep secrets from each other; Mary's memories—like those of the other wedding guests—are erased by Jack Harkness. Mary forgets about the events of the wedding day, including her daughter's alien pregnancy, which Gwen feels to be "for
23140-561: The notable employees whose bodies are stored in the cryogenics area. A diary extract on the website also expands on Guppy's backstory: recruited by later partner Emily Holroyd, she had been put in jail for attacking another woman in a laundry room. Holroyd explained that Guppy had been selected because "the skills [she] had demonstrated as a thief would be put to better use in espionage; not only [her] stealth, but [her] attitude towards violence." British television science fiction British television science fiction refers to programmes in
23318-437: The original The Tomorrow People (1973–1979). Although it presented some intriguing (if bizarre) storylines, it never rivaled Doctor Who , possibly because, unlike the BBC programme, it attempted to identify with children by featuring children, thus making the crossover appeal to an adult audience much more difficult. A more respected show, produced by ATV in a similar manner to Doctor Who (i.e., on videotape using
23496-415: The other characters; Owen, for example, characterizes him as Jack's "part time shag". Ianto never received full security in his relationship with Jack or with his sexuality; shortly after he became secure with their being labelled a "couple", he was killed by a virus in episode four of the 2009 serial Children of Earth . Rhys Alun Williams , portrayed by Welsh actor Kai Owen , is a recurring character in
23674-537: The owners of Lethbridge-Stewart, who was the army commander from The Web of Fear , and mention how Bryant and director Douglas Camfield were negotiating the use of the character for The Invasion from Haisman and Lincoln in May 1968, subsequent to The Web of Fear being broadcast in February and March. The Web of Fear is also described in the notes as being a "major influence on The Invasion ". The roots of UNIT in
23852-406: The present, he is killed in a hit-and-run accident. When he discovers that he is still "hanging around" he stays with the team, particularly Gwen, as they investigate his life. Reminiscing on his past, Eugene recalls how, one day, he tried to sell the eye on eBay . The bidding flew up to £15,005.50, but two of his mates had actually set it up, making it go higher just to cheer him up; the previous bid
24030-403: The production of the 1968 Doctor Who serial The Invasion . He credited writer and script editor Derrick Sherwin and producer Peter Bryant as having come up with the idea beforehand, saying that they were testing the concept in The Invasion before it had become central to the show in the Doctor Who serial Spearhead from Space (1970). In a series of interviews originally recorded for
24208-416: The public consciousness. Various Doctor Who alumni had moved on to produce their own acclaimed genre programmes. The series' former scientific adviser Kit Pedler and former script editor Gerry Davis collaborated to create Doomwatch (1970–1972), a series that recounted the story of a governmental scientific group formed to investigate and combat ecological and scientific threats to humankind. In
24386-470: The real Captain Jack Harkness, whose name the con-man known as Jack appropriated. Captain Harkness is a young American serving as a Group Captain in a RAF Eagle Squadron , stationed in Cardiff . He is in a heterosexual relationship, but is revealed to be attracted to Torchwood's Jack. During his time with Jack and Tosh, he is shown to be a compassionate man, backing up Jack's story of Tosh working as
24564-600: The run with Jack Harkness in Scotland. She is eventually fatally shot in Buenos Aires as a measure to persuade Rex not to reverse the Miracle. Oswald Danes , played by American actor Bill Pullman , is a former schoolteacher; in 2006, he was convicted and sentenced to death in Kentucky for raping and murdering a 12-year-old girl named Susie Cabina. His only defense for the crime was that "she should've run faster". He
24742-443: The run with the team, assisting his wife in lieu of a fourth team member following the deaths of Tosh and Owen. Though he would rather live a domestic life with Gwen and their daughter Anwen in the fourth series, Rhys again finds himself having to assist Torchwood—which is no longer an official government agency, but rather a band of fugitives—over the course of the fourth series. Rex Matheson , played by American actor Mekhi Phifer ,
24920-473: The same night that Doctor Who premiered. Two important events for the future of British television science fiction occurred in 1962. The first was that the BBC's Head of Light Entertainment, Eric Maschwitz , commissioned Head of the Script Department, Donald Wilson , to prepare a report on the viability of producing a new science-fiction series for television. The second was that Sydney Newman
25098-411: The second series becomes elevated to the team's second-in-command in her own mind, after taking control as leader during Jack's absence. Despite their relationship being tested by Gwen's dishonesty, feelings for Jack Harkness and a tempestuous affair with Owen Harper, Gwen and her live-in boyfriend Rhys eventually get married. Jack still has feelings towards Gwen, when he comes back he finds out that Gwen
25276-416: The series was launched on 23 November 1963. It ran for 26 seasons in its original form, through which first emerged many of the writers who, until the 1980s, would create most of the genre's successful British shows. One of the few science fiction series to have become part of the popular consciousness, its success led the BBC to produce others in the genre, notably the science fiction anthology series Out of
25454-464: The series, Toshiko is seen to harbor feelings for Owen Harper; she confesses the extent of her feelings on her death-bed as Owen laments never managing to take her on the date he promised her. Ianto Jones , played by Welsh actor Gareth David-Lloyd , is Torchwood Three's support man. His job initially involves managing clean-up operations concerning Torchwood's various activities and providing tea and coffee, although his role later expands to accompanying
25632-734: The shoulders (based on the brown shirts ) for officers, and black garrison caps with white piping and an RSF cap-badge as head-dress for both. The organisation has full authority to interrogate, court-martial, and formally execute prisoners as they see fit under the "Defence of the Republic Act, 1943". By the end of the story, most of the members of the RSF are killed when a volcanic cataclysm engulfed Great Britain and left much of their world devastated. UNIT has also been featured in many Doctor Who spin-offs . Different spin-offs have made varying attempts to be consistent with other stories. In 1984,
25810-400: The side of it, despite concerns it would "compromise [Torchwood's] status as a clandestine quasi-governmental organization." Alice Guppy , played by Amy Manson , was an employee of Torchwood Three during the end of the 19th and early 20th centuries. She appears in flashback sequences in “ Fragments ” and “ Exit Wounds ”, in 1899 and 1901 respectively, both from Jack's point of view. She holds
25988-459: The single mother of a missing teenager, Jonah Bevan. During the police investigation she is befriended by Andy , who takes a personal interest in the case and refers Jonah's disappearance to Gwen Cooper . Unable to let her son go, Nikki spends her time obsessively looking through VHS tapes of crowd footage at major events trying to see her son. She sets up a self-help group called Searchlight for families of lost people in Cardiff, which alerts Gwen to
26166-502: The site of an incident. A mobile command centre is also shown in "The Sontaran Stratagem" and "The Poison Sky", where it is depicted as a black articulated lorry with UNIT insignia. UNIT employs unarmed helicopters for transport. It is also shown using a tank in Robot (1974–75). In " Planet of the Dead " (2009), it uses trucks with SAM launchers. In "The Christmas Invasion", UNIT
26344-420: The six-part serial The Quatermass Experiment was broadcast live. An adult-themed science-fiction drama specially written for television by BBC staff writer Nigel Kneale , its budget consumed the majority of the finances reserved for drama that year. This successful serial led to three additional Quatermass serials and three feature film adaptations from Hammer Film Productions . The Quatermass Experiment
26522-492: The start of the 21st century, and handpicking a new team for himself thereafter. As a result of his immortality, Jack has lived a long life, in which he has seen the loss of his brother Gray , his grandson Stephen, and numerous lovers, both male and female. Including Gwen Cooper and Ianto Jones. Gwen Cooper , played by Welsh actress Eve Myles , was recruited into Torchwood Three in the series premiere " Everything Changes ". A policewoman, partnered with PC Andy Davidson , Gwen by
26700-513: The strange events unfolding around them, using science fiction themes to tell allegorical stories such as paralleling real-life racial tensions with the Martian "infection" of Quatermass and the Pit (1958–1959). On 12 December 1954, a live adaptation of George Orwell 's Nineteen Eighty-Four , produced by the Quatermass team of writer Nigel Kneale and director Rudolph Cartier , achieved
26878-495: The streets. There is also mention of them using helicopters and tanks while testing the destructibility of the cubes. " The Day of the Doctor " (2013) shows that the Tower of London base contains the Black Archive housing various alien technological devices that UNIT has salvaged over the years and kept hidden away. Protected by various alien defences that erase the memories of visitors to ensure that they cannot reveal what
27056-404: The subsequent novel. The second was Red Dwarf (1988-1999, 2009-2020), created and originally written by Rob Grant and Doug Naylor . It parodies most (if not all) of the subgenres of science fiction but is first and foremost an " odd couple " type comedy (the couple in question being the characters of Rimmer and Lister). Running for more than eight series, the idea was originally developed from
27234-465: The team in 1907 managed to bring great strides. However, following the death of Harriet Derbyshire, Carter felt responsible and retired to a consultancy position, until his death in 1942. According to the website Harriet is one of the notable employees whose bodies are stored in the cryogenics area. "Adam Smith" , an alien who feeds and survives off memories , appears in " Adam ", played by Bryan Dick . Previously trapped in an extradimensional Void, Adam
27412-409: The team on field missions. Having transferred to Torchwood Three from the head branch in London (Torchwood One), Ianto at first has the main motivation of simply housing his partially cyber-converted girlfriend Lisa Hallett , who later breaks loose and is exterminated by the team in " Cyberwoman ". He enters into a sexual relationship with Jack in the first series, which meets with mixed reactions from
27590-639: The test in Children of Earth he sides with Gwen rather than follow government procedure. In Miracle Day , Andy is now a sergeant and one of few people to have Gwen's contact details while she is in hiding. He is later forced to assist the CIA with her rendition to the United States by Rex Matheson . Lisa Hallett , played by Caroline Chikezie , is introduced in " Cyberwoman " as a former employee of Torchwood One in London and ex-girlfriend of Ianto Jones . It
27768-425: The top" performance in the Doctor Who serial Paradise Towers . Airlock Alpha 's Alan Stanley Blair remarked that Parker's death "wonderfully pulled all the threads for the arc into one conclusive ending" whilst SFX ' s Richard Edwards felt that the character was "worthy of more screen time". Geraint Wyn Cooper , played by William Thomas , is Gwen's father, who first appears in " Something Borrowed ". He
27946-514: The treatment. After Martha is eventually saved by the team, and the Pharm's computer records are wiped and the aliens euthanized, Copley follows them outside and pulls a gun on her. Whilst trying to calm Copley down, Owen Harper is shot dead. In an act of revenge, Jack shoots Copley in the head, instantly killing him. Skye Bennett plays a mysterious fortune teller who is a psychic, ageless tarot card reader, credited only as Little Girl . Outwardly
28124-487: The two-part Doctor Who special " The End of Time " in 2009–2010, UNIT has been shown to have been reorganised by Kate Stewart, the Brigadier's daughter. In the 2019 New Year special " Resolution ", the Thirteenth Doctor attempts to call on Kate Stewart for assistance, but discovers UNIT operations have been suspended and replaced with an outsourced call centre, due to a diplomatic argument over funding. In
28302-530: The woods. The alien took over Mary's body and used it to live through the remainder of the 19th and 20th centuries. The Arcateenian later used Mary's preserved body to seduce Toshiko Sato . Diane Holmes , played by Louise Delamere , first appears in " Out of Time ". She is a pilot and early feminist from 1953 who becomes stranded in 2007 due to the Cardiff Rift . She enters a relationship with Owen , and he falls in love with her. After staying with Owen for
28480-447: The world. Bilis Manger , played by Murray Melvin , is a main antagonist of the first series. He has the ability to walk through time and teleport at will, In "Captain Jack Harkness", he appears as the manager of a 1941 dance hall, and in the present day remains its caretaker, ostensibly co-operating with Gwen when she visits the now derelict venue searching for Jack and Toshiko. However, he sabotages Toshiko's plans back in 1941 to send
28658-428: The writer for not providing an easy answer. Alex Hopkins , portrayed by Julian Lewis Jones , is a former Torchwood Three leader, whose term ended on New Year's Eve, 1999 when he murdered his entire team and committed suicide. Before killing himself, he made freelance agent Jack Harkness the head of Torchwood Three, rewarding him for a century of loyal service. Having been shown an image of the future, Alex felt his team
28836-413: The years. Beth Halloran , played by Nikki Amuka-Bird , appears in " Sleeper ". She is one of four alien sleeper agents in Cardiff belonging to Cell 114 , but is totally unaware of this. She and three others were created and given human lives and memories to learn all they could about humans before her alien programming was activated, to commence their attack of Earth. After helping the team to track down
29014-540: Was also working freelance as a script editor, was told by Bryant to introduce his UNIT idea earlier, as it could "take some of the weight off [the] shoulders" of actor Patrick Troughton , who played the Doctor. Speaking in an interview on the 2011 special-edition DVD of Spearhead from Space , Sherwin said that he had created UNIT because he wanted to give some "considerable support" to the Doctor, "so that [Troughton] didn't have so many damn lines to learn each week". Sherwin said in 2014 that while working as script editor on
29192-545: Was cancelled by the Controller of BBC1 , Michael Grade . At the same time, Grade abandoned a whole season of Doctor Who ; the series was on hiatus for eighteen months. It appeared to be generally felt at the BBC that science fiction was more expensive to produce than other types of programmes, but did not return a higher audience for the outlay, or particular critical acclaim. Some BBC popular and critical successes, such as Edge of Darkness (1985), had science fiction as
29370-691: Was cheaper to produce than if every serial had to have a new alien planet built, and that UNIT was an idea Sherwin had come up with to answer the question of what to do with the Doctor after he was exiled to Earth. Speaking in an interview on the 2012 DVD of the Doctor Who serial The Krotons (1968–69), Sherwin said that he wanted Doctor Who to be "down on Earth anyway, for credibility", and described UNIT as "the ideal vehicle" for this. In another 2014 interview in Doctor Who Magazine , Sherwin recalled that after submitting his scripts for The Invasion to Bryant, which included UNIT, Sherwin, who
29548-402: Was delayed and eventually reformatted as a new show, entitled " Space: 1999 " (1975–1977), which ran for two seasons and was a moderate success. The 1970s is viewed by fans of the genre as a "golden age." Doctor Who was going through its strongest period with first Jon Pertwee (1970–1974) and later Tom Baker (1974–1981) in the leading role, already firmly entrenched in
29726-454: Was first referenced in " Ghost Machine " when Gwen relives a memory of Rhys and herself preparing to leave for Mary's sixtieth birthday party. In "Something Borrowed" Mary acts fastidious and difficult; she is persistent in nagging her husband Geraint and in scoring points against Rhys' Mum, Brenda. Like Geraint she is happy at the prospect of a grandchild from Gwen, because she believes the pregnancy will shock Brenda. Although Mary does not know
29904-502: Was grossly unprepared to deal with what was to come. His last words prophesied that the world was not ready for the changes the 21st century was to undergo. According to the Torchwood website, he is one of the notable employees whose bodies are stored in the cryogenics area, along with his entire team. The website also credits him in a letter with designing the Torchwood SUV; it had been his idea to have " TORCHWOOD " written across
30082-430: Was not afraid of shocking the audience by killing off leading characters, climaxing by wiping out the entire crew in its final episode. ITV was continuing to produce science fiction in this era. Keen to catch some of the young audience who followed Doctor Who , some of the ITV companies sought to create their own youth-oriented genre programmes, such as the 1970's cult classic sci-fi drama series Timeslip (1970), and
30260-505: Was not explained what the letters stood for. In 2008, the organisation's name was changed to the Unified Intelligence Taskforce . and this name was first mentioned on-screen in " The Sontaran Stratagem " (2008) in which dialogue indicated that the United Nations still supports UNIT with funding. In a 2014 interview, former script editor Terrance Dicks recalled that he was present at the "birth" of UNIT during
30438-470: Was only £5.50 lower, and Eugene was convinced that the alien had been trying to get his eye back. When the eye is removed from his body, he briefly becomes solid and saves Gwen from an oncoming car, before disappearing in a bright light. Group Captain Jack Harkness, RAF , played by Matt Rippy , appears in the episode " Captain Jack Harkness ". When Torchwood's Jack Harkness and Toshiko Sato fall back in time to 1941, they meet him and discover him to be
30616-409: Was produced a second time on 4 March 1948, this time in a full 90-minute live production, adapted for television by the producer Jan Bussell, who had also been responsible for the screening in 1938. The BBC began producing more science fiction, with further literary adaptations such as The Time Machine (1949) and children's serials like Stranger from Space (1951–1952). In the summer of 1953,
30794-562: Was required to stop sentient particles known as 'the Dark' that would corrupt the Torchwood team and drive them to turn against Jack to find a way of using the Rift to gain access to advanced technology. With the aid of the Torchwood team, Manger manages to defeat the Dark, and is last seen leaving on a train with a box that apparently contains Abaddon's ashes. Melvin reprised the role of Billis in several audio dramas for Big Finish . Captain John Hart , played by James Marsters , first appears in
30972-426: Was revealed that she was covering for team medic Owen. Toshiko is quiet, fiercely private and professional. A fantastic genius, she was recruited into Torchwood after being imprisoned by a similar organization, UNIT , from whom she stole design plans for a " sonic modulator " in a bid to free her captured mother. Working for Torchwood Three, Toshiko perfected the "Rift Manipulator" device for the organization. Throughout
31150-526: Was struggling to compete with US imports in the genre, which began to re-emerge following the box-office success of contemporary films like the Star Wars franchise. For the television channel controllers, these had the benefit of transmission rights having a lower cost than domestic productions. Dr. Who 's place in the Saturday schedule was briefly lost when it was moved to a weekday slot. Nonetheless, in
31328-535: Was supposed to have replaced the basic army forces that were seen in the story. Sherwin asserted that he held the copyright on Lethbridge-Stewart, as he "created him in The Invasion ". In an interview recorded for the 2006 DVD release of Inferno , Sherwin described The Invasion as the start of UNIT and the beginning of the Doctor "coming down to Earth". Production notes in Doctor Who: The Complete History credit Haisman and Lincoln as
31506-501: Was tempted away from ABC to accept the position of Head of Drama at the BBC, officially joining the corporation at the beginning of 1963. The BBC developed an idea of Newman's into Britain's first durable science-fiction television series. Taking advantage of the research Wilson's department had completed, Newman initiated the creation of a new series, and along with Wilson and BBC staff writer C. E. Webber oversaw its development; Newman named it " Doctor Who. " After much development work,
31684-471: Was written by Chris Boucher , who had contributed scripts to Doctor Who and Blake's 7 , and was script editor for the later series' entire run. The 1980s also saw the arrival on the BBC of two science fiction comedy series, both having origins on radio. The first was The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (1981) by Douglas Adams , which amalgamated aspects of the original radio series with material from
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