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Amazon.co.uk Review
While occasionally clumsy in the way it goes about things, the first season of Torchwood ultimately makes good on its promise to be a science fiction programme for an older market. So while it’s spun out from the more family-friendly Doctor Who, it does carve out an edgy, entertaining niche for itself.
The programme follows the adventures of the Torchwood agency (who we met in far more prestigious form at the end of Doctor Who’s second series), a small team led by John Barrowman’s Captain Jack Harkness who investigate the extra terrestrial and the paranormal. And across the thirteen episodes of this maiden season, they have a lot to look into, from the likes of a sex-craved alien and cyberwoman, through to cannibalistic foes and strange, spooky fairies.
Admittedly, particularly in the early stages when Torchwood is finding its feet, there are a few missteps, and a little too much side-indulgence in exploring material that the more mainstream Doctor Who wouldn’t allow. But it’d be to your folly to write Torchwood off: by the time it gallops into the second half of this first season, the quality is strong, the storylines are interesting, and the show proves to be a real winner.
Intertwining with the narrative of the main Doctor Who show, Torchwood nonetheless then works as an independent programme in its own right, replete with a strong cast of characters (led by the terrific Barrowman) and scripts that have more of an experimental edge to them. It’s certainly one of the most interesting science fiction shows Britain has produced in the last decade or two, and there’s much to enjoy again and again in this box set. --Jon Foster
Synopsis
This exciting and leftfield Doctor Who spin-off finds philanderer of the future, Jack Harness arriving in contemporary Cardiff and being inducted into Torchwood – a covert extra terrestrial and paranormal investigation agency. Included here are all the episodes from the show's debut series.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
24 of 27 people found the following review helpful
It's odd but I sometimes feel like I'm the only person who thought Season 2 of Torchwood was a big disappointment. It was an often shameful dilution of something really original and quite remarkable
I've just re-watched this Season 1 boxset (blu-ray version) and it really is truly astounding with only a couple of weak stories.
Episodes like "They keep killing Suzie", "Random Shoes" and "Out of Time" are still some of the best TV drama I've seen for years and perhaps will ever see again but I could wax-lyrical about aspects of most episodes to be honest.
This series is beautifully and intelligently scripted with uniformly excellent performances throughout.
Grim and unrelenting at times but remarkably honest and totally unafraid to explore real themes that lesser dramas don't seem to have the courage or emotional intelligence to tackle. Such candour is a breath of fresh air in an increasingly stale and cotton-wool-packaged TV world.
Sadly Season 2 lost most of the ground Torchwood gained with Season 1 which makes this all the more special.
The HD picture quality is obviously consistently high and utterly, absolutely, astonishing at times. The extras are comprehensive and include all the "Declassifieds" plus short features and deleted scenes for every episode. There is also a basic but effective use of the pop-up menu system which is always nice to see.
I once again found myself moved to tears by several episodes and awestruck at the sheer level of honest insight into the human condition.
Which leaves me wondering.......why does Season 1 get such bad press?
Even the dullard's, oft-trotted-out complaint about too much sex and swearing really doesn't hold water; it's nowhere near as overt or gratuitous as these people suggest or possibly remember. I suggest that it was in fact all mindless bandwagon jumping by those who didn't know what to make of the series. Torchwood impudently dared to be different and attempted to actually challenge them as more than just passive viewers. That never goes down well with some people especially a somewhat traditional, set-in-their-ways, TV Sci-Fi audience.
Give it another look.
This is cutting-edge, high-definition, pre-season2-dumbing-down, truly-adult entertainment, written for thinking grown-ups who can handle real themes but still like a bit of sci-fi on the side.
I've just re-watched this Season 1 boxset (blu-ray version) and it really is truly astounding with only a couple of weak stories.
Episodes like "They keep killing Suzie", "Random Shoes" and "Out of Time" are still some of the best TV drama I've seen for years and perhaps will ever see again but I could wax-lyrical about aspects of most episodes to be honest.
This series is beautifully and intelligently scripted with uniformly excellent performances throughout.
Grim and unrelenting at times but remarkably honest and totally unafraid to explore real themes that lesser dramas don't seem to have the courage or emotional intelligence to tackle. Such candour is a breath of fresh air in an increasingly stale and cotton-wool-packaged TV world.
Sadly Season 2 lost most of the ground Torchwood gained with Season 1 which makes this all the more special.
The HD picture quality is obviously consistently high and utterly, absolutely, astonishing at times. The extras are comprehensive and include all the "Declassifieds" plus short features and deleted scenes for every episode. There is also a basic but effective use of the pop-up menu system which is always nice to see.
I once again found myself moved to tears by several episodes and awestruck at the sheer level of honest insight into the human condition.
Which leaves me wondering.......why does Season 1 get such bad press?
Even the dullard's, oft-trotted-out complaint about too much sex and swearing really doesn't hold water; it's nowhere near as overt or gratuitous as these people suggest or possibly remember. I suggest that it was in fact all mindless bandwagon jumping by those who didn't know what to make of the series. Torchwood impudently dared to be different and attempted to actually challenge them as more than just passive viewers. That never goes down well with some people especially a somewhat traditional, set-in-their-ways, TV Sci-Fi audience.
Give it another look.
This is cutting-edge, high-definition, pre-season2-dumbing-down, truly-adult entertainment, written for thinking grown-ups who can handle real themes but still like a bit of sci-fi on the side.
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
I've enjoyed watching the first season of Torchwood - I seem to enjoy most of BBCs series and can hardly wait for the second season of Torchwood. This show has nice characters, though one of the female main characters in the show quickly got on my nerves. I like the mixture of sexual tension, gruesome enemys, death and love, and comedy elements. Some of the effects are a bit too trashy, but mostly they are okay.
3 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Quality as good as the DVD version. Very grainy, very "flickery".
Not worth the Blu Ray. Just get the DVD instead.
Not worth the Blu Ray. Just get the DVD instead.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
A Muddled Mix of Crass and Juvenile Writing
Fans of Doctor Who and Jack Harkness were probably as excited as I was when Torchwood was first announced, and I was among the many who tuned in to see it. Read more
Published on 28 Jun 2009 by S. Porter
Far too unsavoury and dysfunctional
So let's go adult with Sci-fi eh? The problem is, Torchwood went too far over the top. F letter words seem to jar and sit uncomfortable within the context of the show, and... Read more
Published on 21 April 2009 by W. Beckett
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