It might have escaped your notice (particularly if no TV company has snapped it up yet) but there's a series that Dr Who fans may find interesting...

In season two of the (new) Dr. Who there's a curious episode titled Tooth and Claw. In this, Queen Victoria is rescued by the Doctor. Somewhat ungratefully, she's a touch pissed at him and banishes him and identifies him as a threat to the Empire. In response, she sets up an government organisation called Torchwood whose brief is simple - to protect against extra-terrestial threats.

Step forward the first spin-off in the history of the Doctor. The series is set in the present day (in Cardiff ?) and it is really pretty good stuff.

Captain Jack is in it along with some quite good plots and some bad language

Well worth looking out for...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/torchwood/index_nonflash.shtml

http://torchwoodtv.blogspot.com/

http://www.tv.com/torchwood/show/50470/summary.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torchwood

I've seen a couple adds for it. I'm not sure if it is going to be on Sci Fi Channel or BBC America, but it looks decent.

It gets its airing on BBC America on september 8

Watched the first series a while back when it was on that fangled thing we call television.

There was a big advertising campaign over here that left most in confusion until about a week before the first episode was to be shown.

It's really good, check it out.

Torchwood came with great fanfare in Oz, and then took it's burnt embers and left primetime for a late night slot somewhere...
Only caught one episode though. Did look ok...

Cardiff looked a heck of a lot shinier in Torchwood than when I used to live in Newport (which features in Doctor Who a bit) just along the M4. In one of the last couple of episodes (can't remember which exactly) I even spotted the excavation at Cardiff Castle carried out by my ex-employers.

Mostly enjoyed it, but why oh why kill off Indira Varma in the first episode?? what were they thinking??

David

I should hopefully have a couple of episodes recorded. Been too busy to check.
Thanks for the reminder.


Shaun

There is also a second spin off, The Sarah Jane Smith Adventures. I believe it has just begun running on the "east side of the pond" and a special episode was run this past Spring. It features the original Sarah Jane Smith, Elizabeth Sladen reprising her role from the Seventies. Unfortunately, it is more child oriented than Torchwood.


Spoiler Alert: Mostly enjoyed it, but why oh why kill off Indira Varma in the first episode?? what were they thinking??

Don't worry, she'll be back in a couple episodes.

Dave

The title of the episode she came back in was a major spoiler in itself...

David

It's been on Sci fi Channel and BBC America here in ohio.

The second series (season) of Torchwood will begin airing in the US on BBC America starting January 26, 2008.




The BBC has begun running trailers confirming that Torchwood will return for its second series on BBC2 on Wednesday 16th January 2008.

The series will first be shown in a post watershed slot and then repeated later in the week in a specially edited version suitable for pre-watershed transmission.
In the United States, Torchwood Season Two will begin airing on BBC America on Saturday 26th January.

Meanwhile on CBC in Canada, Season One returns on Friday 4th January with episode 11. The double episode season finale will be shown in Canada on Sunday 6th January.

Thanks to Robin Shannon and GracieLizzy of the Doctor Who Forum
http://www.gallifreyone.com