Product Details

• Actors: John Barrowman, Eve Myles, Gareth David-Lloyd, Peter Capaldi, Paul Copley
• Directors: Euros Lynn
• Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, Widescreen
• Language: English (DTS-HD High Res Audio)
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
• Number of discs: 2
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: BBC Worldwide
• DVD Release Date: July 28, 2009
• Run Time: 293 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (203 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B002BVYBK6
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #31,101 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Torchwood: Children of Earth [Blu-ray]" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

After two engagingly frothy seasons of action-packed science fiction TV, the Russell T. (Doctor Who) Davies-produced Torchwood takes a decidedly dark and thoughtful turn in its abbreviated third season miniseries, Children of Earth. Here, Captain Jack Harkness and the Torchwood Three team, still reeling from the deaths of two of its key members in the previous season, investigate a outbreak of hypnotic chanting by children across the globe. The phenomenon heralds the arrival of an invading alien force, the 456, who plan to destroy the human race if 10% of the Earth’s children are not given to them. Captain Jack and his cohorts must find a way to stop the 456’s plan, but encounter formidable obstacles along the way, including enemies in the British Home Office and Jack’s own past, which is intertwined with the 456. Penned in part by Davies, Children of Earth does an impressive job of bringing the Torchwood characters and mythology into a more complex and mature storyline (which borrows and elaborates pleasantly on John Wyndham’s novel The Midwich Cuckoos and its film adaptation, Village of the Damned). Dedicated fans of the series may decry some of Davies’ decisions regarding some of the show’s characters (and new ones are introduced here), but most should enjoy this attempt to bring weight and suspense to the Torchwood universe. The Blu-ray release contains all five episodes of Children of Earth (which were broadcast on consecutive nights on the BBC and its affiliated stations), as well as a 31-minute episode of its companion series, Torchwood Declassified, which addresses the season’s production (and under no circumstances should be viewed prior to watching the episodes). --Paul Gaita

Product Description

Studio: Warner Home Video Release Date: 07/28/2009 Run time: 300 minutes Rating: Nr

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

161 of 201 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Torchwood series yet! Spoiler free!, July 12, 2009

By 

brentbent "I love Frylock" (the rolling hills of the Palouse) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Torchwood: Children of Earth (DVD)

For the first two series Torchwood was your standard solve the horrible situation of the week series but that all changed with series three. First and foremost, the bigggest difference is that there are only five episodes instead of the usual 12 but that is because all five episodes comprise one mini-series mega event where the BBC showed one episode each weeknight during a single week as opposed to one show a week. Those are the minor technical differences and here are the stylistic differences.

Previous incarnations of Torchwood were a mix of frivolity, political thriller, and science fiction while series three puts the political thriller aspect front and center with the jokes and scifi taking supporting roles. The tone is emotionally taut, psychologically upsetting, and decidedly dark--all perfect motifs for a show designed only for adults. If you are wanting a Dr. Who style trip into the imagination where you get a bit scared but return with a smile on your face this is not going to be to your liking at all because this time Torchwood takes us into a nightmare realm where many of the humans in charge seem more alien and threatening than the actual aliens, who are definitely scary themselves, and that insures you won't return from this journey with a smile unless you're a sadistic freak. Does the darkness overwhelm the show? Not at all! As I said the political thriller aspect is front and center and its pacing almost feels like this is Torchwood 24, especially seeing how each episode represents one day of time so that by the end of this series only five days have passed for the Torchwood crew.

Should you buy Torchwood series 3? Well if you are more of a fan of Dr. Who and only watch Torchwood because it is a Who spin-off I'd wait and watch it as it airs to make sure it isn't too realistic to be enjoyable for you. If you prefer Torchwood over Dr. Who then definitely put your order in as you're not likely to be disappointed with the direction RTD has taken the show this time. Personally, this has been the best science fiction on the small or large screen this year (I haven't seen Moon yet so that could change) and keep in mind I am a huge Trekkie and adored the new Star Trek movie! That's right, a die hard Trekkie said Torchwood series 3 was better than Star Trek the Reboot. Granted, Trek had better blockbuster visuals and space battles but Torchwood, by far, told the better story. I also think the acting was better in Torchwood than Trek although there isn't as big as a distance between the two as there was in plot quality.

69 of 86 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The darkest, sharpest series of 2009, July 10, 2009

By 

Asian movie connoiseur (NY, USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Torchwood: Children of Earth [Blu-ray] (Blu-ray)

Russell T. Davies, freed from the restraints of the family-friendly brief of DOCTOR WHO, takes full control of TORCHWOOD and fulfills the spin-off series' more adult, tragic and even political agenda.

This is Davies creating a show with the safety wheels off. Where the previous two seasons often promised the characters would be pushed to their limits, this season really means it this time. A mysterious, seemingly unbeatable alien race makes contact with Earth by controlling and manipulating every child in the world, their demands as unfathomable as their threat to the human race, and the politicians are driven to both cover their own skins while committing a monstrous act in the name of the greater good. The question is whether Captain Jack Harkness and Torchwood are up to the challenge of averting a worldwide tragedy without losing their lives and their souls, and how much they're willing to sacrifice. Davies uses the medium of Science Fiction to explore issues of government corruption and cravenness, complicity and moral failure. This is adult Science Fiction drama, not the silly, adolescent teases of previous series of TORCHWOOD.


As some reviews have already noted, this 5-part miniseries changes all the rules of the show, raises the stakes and suspense to an almost unbearable degree, and by the end, nothing will ever be the same again. The changes to the show are tragic, permanent, and leaves the continuation of the series in doubt. However, it is also the angriest political drama the BBC has produced in years, the story openly states that governments are corrupt and untrustworthy, and practically encourages class warfare. This is on par with classic Old School British Leftist series such as EDGE OF DARKNESS, BOYS FROM THE BLACKSTUFF and STATE OF PLAY. It's attitude towards the government is consistent with what the British public currently feels about their government, and proves that Russell T. Davies has his finger firmly on the pulse of the nation.

This is the best political Science Fiction miniseries of recent years. No US drama would dare push things this far. It takes its influences from QUATERMASS, CHILDREN OF THE DAMNED, Lovecraft, and creates an angry indictment of government that took me by surprise.

29 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars I used to be a Torchwood fan..., August 30, 2009

By 

Jax25 (Virginia Beach, VA, USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Torchwood: Children of Earth (DVD)

I couldn't wait to get my copy of Children of Earth because I no longer get BBC-America. I was so disappointed when I didn't receive it on the day of its release (amazon sent it to me 2 days later) that I almost called to complain. When I got it, it was joyously my day off. I hurriedly unwrapped it and popped it in the player. 4 and a half hours later (give or take a few minutes) I was saying WTF?? Yup kids, to say I was disappointed is a MAJOR understatement.

The powers that be took my beloved Torchwood and turned it into BBC News story of the minute, with a horribly stupid alien, plot holes that you could fly a Boeing 747 through, an invincible and immune-to-harm Gwen and a bunch of government bully-boys (and girls) each trying to be more horrible than the last. Then to add insult to injury, they topped that all off with the character assassination of Captain Jack Harkness...the reason I came to the show in the first place.

To be honest, I wanted to wrap the whole thing back up and send it back to amazon.com. But I didn't. It will now sit on my shelf collecting dust for all time. So yeah...If you know nothing about Torchwood and you like political dramas with an alien kind of meshed in with baling wire and duct tape, go ahead and watch CoE. If you're a Torchwood fan and you haven't yet seen it, please, take a pass and live in the land of season 1 and 2. Trust me, you'll be much happier.