Torchwood: Why Cardiff is so important to the series
By James Aggas
Out of all the many characters that we’ve seen in Torchwood over the years, there are perhaps none quite as important as the city of Cardiff.
Torchwood was extremely memorable as a TV series for several reasons. Being a Doctor Who spin-off was only one reason, and a very small reason, at that. The fact that it balanced some of the most bizarre science-fiction ideas with more grounded drama elements made it stand out compared to other series of both genres. And of course, the character of Captain Jack Harkness gave the series a protagonist unlike any other.
But perhaps the biggest reason why the spin-off stood out – at least for the first two series – was Cardiff. One thing that was clear for a long time was how much the production team truly loved that city. It’s easy to see why. Cardiff isn’t Los Angeles or New York or even London. The city – as it’s presented in Torchwood, at least – comes across as far less glamorous than that. In some ways, it feels more grounded.
Gwen Cooper herself is a perfect reflection of the city. She’s lived in Cardiff her whole life, (well, before the events of Children of Earth, at least,) and so, understands it perhaps better than most of her team. On top of that, she also reflects the attitudes of the average person living in Cardiff. The best example of this is Jack’s response to her pointing out a key flaw of the hub’s “invisible lift”:
"That is so Welsh…I show you something fantastic. You find fault!"
The city of Cardiff is represented by several major characters in the series, such as Ianto and Rhys.
Image courtesy Big Finish Productions
Moving away
One thing that Torchwood was particularly great at was giving us grounded, believable characters that felt ordinary. Episodes like Ghost Machine, Small Worlds and Random Shoes are just a few examples, and that’s just from the first series. Across all of these episodes, both the city and the people of Cardiff are central to the story.
For the spin-off’s third series, a lot of the action was moved from Cardiff to London for Children of Earth. But thankfully, not all of it. Ianto’s homelife got to be explored in a fresh way with his sister and her family, ensuring that the show remained true to its roots.
However, the same could not be said for Miracle Day. Perhaps the weakest series of the show, Miracle Day had some good ideas, but perhaps strayed too far from what made Torchwood stand out so brilliantly in the first place. Thankfully, Big Finish decided to fix that in their official continuation of the show…
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Return to Cardiff
What’s particularly enjoyable about Series 5 and 6 – especially for fans of the first two series – is that there’s a strong feeling of the spinoff returning to its roots. After spending over an entire series away from the city, Aliens Among Us finally brings the organization back to Cardiff. It’s not what it once was, and in some ways, it’s struggling to get back on its feet. But it still feels great to have Torchwood back at home.
On top of that, both Aliens Among Us and God Among Us explore Cardiff in a big way. There’s a lot of focus on it as a city, and we get to see Cardiff from many different levels – housing, immigration, jobs, disaster, etc. It’s ironic that in some ways, Cardiff has been given a great deal more depth and focus on audio than when it was actually depicted on screen.
While Torchwood can certainly explore other parts of the UK, or even the world, one thing’s for sure – it should never stray too far from Cardiff for too long.
Next. Doctor Who and the Genesis of the Daleks. dark
What do you think? Do you think Cardiff is as important to Torchwood as any of the regular characters? Perhaps even more so? Let us know in the comments below.