Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #733 in DVD
• Released on: 2009-07-13
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Format: PAL
• Number of discs: 2
• Running time: 295 minutes

DVD Description
Torchwood’s third series takes a bold and ambitious step, as it moves away from its usual 13-episode formula, replacing it with a five-episode season, based around one core story. Broadcast over five consecutive nights on its original transmission to keep the momentum going, DVD arguably ups the ante still further, offering an opportunity to devour it all in one sitting.

And it’s an opportunity well worth taking up. Following the dark denouement to its last season, Torchwood: Children Of Earth sees Captain Jack Harkness and his team facing a massive threat to the planet. Put simply, every single child on the Planet Earth has suddenly stopped. Aided by Gwen and Ianto, the onus is firmly on Captain Jack to save the day.

But the threat is arguably as big as anything Torchwood has previously faced. When a warning that something is coming follows the sudden stopping of the children, the mystery deepens further, and further events soon make the Torchwood team the hunted. The end of the world could well be coming…

Torchwood: Children Of Earth is frantic, exciting science fiction television, that benefits enormously from its new format. The leads are on their usual good form, led by John Barrowman, and there’s also strong support from The Thick Of It’s Peter Capaldi and Charles Abomeli. And with the assured direction of Doctor Who regular Euros Lyn behind the camera, it’s a classy all-round production.

It also leaves some interesting questions about where Torchwood goes next exactly. But while you’re waiting for those to be answered, then Children Of Earth is an excellent way to pass the time. --Jon Foster

Synopsis
An ordinary day soon segues into terror when every one of Earth's children suddenly stops. This inexplicable phenomenon is soon followed by a message to each of the world's governments: 'We're Coming'. Captain Jack finds himself in a vulnerable position when it becomes apparent that the events of his past threaten to reveal an unspeakable truth. Torchwood is forced underground, as the powers that be take brutal action. With the members of the Torchwood team being hunted down, the country itself risks becoming a rogue state, with the shadowy 456 edging closer and Armageddon with it. Can Captain Jack, Ianto and Gwen overcome these insurmountable odds in order to save the day?

Customer Reviews

"Look at what you're doing!"
TORCHWOOD: C of E gets a lightning fast DVD release hot on the heels of its incredibly successful 5 night run on BBC1. A mini series stripped across one week can either build an audience or lose one along the way, and this one seems to have managed to maintain its audience throughout which I think is testament to the fact that the viewing public seem to have found it very compelling. Whether it's an enjoyable experience for them is another question as the subject matter was very hard to watch at times, but strong gripping storytelling it certainly turned out to be, and if anyone missed all or part of it and was wondering what all the fuss was about, well, now's your chance to catch up.

In many ways this serial was the TORCHWOOD we always hoped we'd get. A grown-up, hard hitting science fiction series that refuses to pull its punches as it tells a big story set on the world stage and cuts free of its Cardiff roots to give a sense of truly national and international crisis. Much of it is set in London (real London, not Cardiff London) and whilst no-one would ever want to diminish the efforts of other shows made by BBC Wales, this truly gave it a bigger budget feel. Yes, it had its faults, and yes there were moments when it seemed utterly preposterous, and what viewers new to the concept thought of the strangely indestructible Captain Jack Harkness is anyone's guess, but there was one heck of a story in there, which kept me glued right until the very last second of its five hour running time, and few TV dramas can do that to me these days.

Some of the issues tackled along the way will move you or just anger you in ways that TV drama seldom manages to do any more, and you are left with a belief that faced with such a threat, yes, that's exactly how certain people would behave. You just want to shout at the television set "Look at what you're doing!" as the slow, clinical execution of the functions of the state swing into action. And then there's the matter of the children. Strangely sinister at first as they are possessed by the as yet unseen threat known only as the 4-5-6, then heartbreakingly vulnerable when the full horror of the alien plan becomes clear. Whether using the threat against children as a dramatic tool is successful or not rather depends on your own response to what you see, but it certainly made me stop and think more than once. I thought it was powerful stuff.

As to whether TORCHWOOD itself can survive the cataclysmic events of these 5 days remains to be seen. Certainly the success of the series probably ensures another run, but the show itself is changed forever by what happens during the course of this story and can never be the same again. The main cast, John Barrowman, Eve Myles, Gareth David-Lloyd and Kai Owen give exemplary and emotional performances throughout and they are joined by an amazing guest cast including a stunning and ultimately shocking turn by Peter Capaldi as John Frobisher (an actor I'd pencilled in as a potential Doctor Who once upon a long ago), Paul Copley, Cush Jumbo, Susan Brown and Nicholas Farrell as the cheekily named but ultimately weak minded PM Mr Brian Green (note those initials and that colour reference).

This release also includes TORCHWOOD: DECLASSIFIED, a behind the scenes piece and a short audio clip "In the Shadows" read by Eve Myles.

Best drama this year
Torchwood. The show that started off as a spin-off to the juggernaut that is Doctor Who. That is no longer the case, as Torchwood manages to find it's own feet in this series, which can only be described as a masterpiece of television.

Firstly, I have watched all of season one and two of Torchwood. Although I enjoyed them all, there is definitely a feel that the show was inconsistent with it's writing and acting. You'd often have a great episode, and then you'd be left with something rather like a damp squid. To someone who is not a long term fan, this would have left a sour taste in their mouths. However, all of that is shoved aside with 'Children of Earth', the 5 part television event that was originally broadcast over 5 consecutive days. There is not one episode in this series that you could describe as weak - each part added to the story and kept the flow running nicely along.

Secondly, the acting. Oh the praise I have regarding this subject. Not only do the original cast members manage to 'up their game', but the guest stars in this series are where the show shined. One man in particular, Peter Capaldi (who plays John Frobisher) totally out-acted the rest of the cast. Wonderful on all accounts. You want to hate him, but find it impossible to do so as Capaldi manages to pull in viewer sympathy in light of the outrageously wrong things he is plotting to do. A guy who perfectly portrays the family man who will do anything, no matter how awful, to protect his family. Never before have I seen such beautiful acting in a British sci-fi drama.

Another thing to mention is that this series of Torchwood, which happens to be the third, is not just accessible for people who have watched the previous series. Any new viewer can easily begin watching this series, having not watched any of the previous, and enjoy what is on offer. Yes, perhaps long term fans can garner more from this series, but new viewers can just as easily love it.

For a show that is in it's third series, it is very surprising that it continues to impress and shock the viewers. As a matter of fact, 'Children of Earth' is much better than over 90% of new doctor who stories. This is from a show that spawned as a 'spin off', and has now managed to be better than most of it's older brother.

Finally, if you are looking at this product and wondering whether it would be worth watching if you've never watched Torchwood before, then my advice is to just do it. You will not regret it. As far as British sci-fi goes, this package is up there with the best of the bunch. I promise you, you will feel horrified, shocked, amazed, surprised, excited, upset, devastated and angry all at once when you watch this.

5/5 on all fronts.

Never a dull moment on any level
Torchwood returns for a five-hour single-story drama which is more watchable than ever. Lots of highly improbable action and suspense combine with a very topical critique of our self-interested political establishment, as aliens come to earth with large-scale child abduction plans. In an interesting deviation from the archetypal alien invasion movie in which the government automatically fights, the (British) government opts for collaboration with the aliens. The vacuousness of (electoral) democracy is revealed as politicians seek to do deals with the aliens, shamefully looking after their own interests while selling out the people, and the people's children, starting with the most vulnerable and defenceless. The nepotism and classism in British politics is portrayed with consummate irony and the darkly comic depiction of politicians' spin/lies is most appropriate at this point in time. The politicians' focus on preserving image and power at all costs is mockingly portrayed, as the unelected and unaccountable Torchwood team fight for an ethical approach to the issue of alien terrorism. And all this with an all-action plot which keeps you guessing, and lots of last-minute escapes which make the Bond movies seem banal and unimaginative in comparison. Wonderful stuff. Don't miss it.