Product Details

• Actors: John Barrowman, Eve Myles, Gareth David-Lloyd, Peter Capaldi, Paul Copley
• Directors: Euros Lynn
• Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 5.1)
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
• Number of discs: 2
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: BBC Warner
• DVD Release Date: July 28, 2009
• Run Time: 293 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (140 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B002BVYBJW
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,330 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #5 in	Movies & TV > Television > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Torchwood
  #36 in	Movies & TV > Television > BBC
  #40 in	Movies & TV > Television > British Television

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 double-disc DVD 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

120 of 155 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

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.

73 of 96 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Action yes, but too many plot holes, July 17, 2009

By	Solitary Moon - See all my reviews

If you are a fan of Torchwood, Children of Earth may come as a shock. It's strength is that it is an interesting, action packed political/science fiction thriller. The ending is visually powerful .... and extraordinarily depressing. Unfortunately, the contrivances and leaps in logic that move the plot to the finish just do not hold up in repeating viewing.

I've seen this plotline before in the last series of Quatermass, and while the premise was reworked, it also seemed throughout as though the characters and Torchwood itself had been hammered to fit the plotline, resulting in a miniseries that would have been better as a stand-alone, without Torchwood. Unfortunately, the quirkiness and fun that was Torchwood has been sacrificed to make it more of a generic 'Spooks' type thriller, leaving it far, far darker and grimmer than the first two series.

And, it's time Russell T. Davies moved beyond the same old one-trick pony shock where the team is concerned. There are things that series writers can pull off once. After that these plot devices become not only redundant, but downright tiresome. I was engrossed in the story right up to the surprising cliffhanger of Day Three. After that, the inconsistencies and plot devices that were needed for the big finish became too strained for credibility, particularly for a longtime viewer who was familiar with the characters pre-Children of Earth.

I gave it two stars, and I wish I could have given it more for the acting which was excellent, particularly John Barrowman, Gareth David-Lloyd, Nicholas Farrell and Peter Capaldi. In truth, it was Frobisher's (Capaldi) story and the story of the government's response to an alien threat, more than it was Torchwood's, except for the last hour which anguishing and bleak.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars I love Torchwood, August 26, 2009

By	Joan Ruland (Somerville, MA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

But this was more depressing than anything else. It lacked the fire of the Torchwood that I enjoy so much.
Oh, and there should be a warning - don't watch it if you have young children.