Originally broadcast on 6 July 2009, Children of Earth – Day One marks the beginning of what many still regard as Torchwood's finest hour. A five-night television event written by Russell T Davies, John Fay and James Moran, this story arc would redefine what Torchwood could be: bolder, darker, and far more politically charged. Rewatching in 2025 as part of a five-day detour within this 365 Days of Doctor Who marathon, it feels as essential as ever—not only because of the characters and continuity it shares with the wider Whoniverse, but because Children of Earth remains some of the best British television of its decade.
From its opening moments, Day One is filled with dread and unease. Children across the world suddenly stop, as if time has frozen, and in perfect unison they begin to speak: "We are coming."
This isn't just a haunting image—it's a promise. What follows is a masterclass in tension and slow-burn storytelling, setting up all the pieces that will begin to fall catastrophically over the next four nights. There is a deliberate pacing to this first episode. Russell T Davies and director Euros Lyn know they have time to let the horror seep in. Rather than rush to big set-pieces or monsters, they let the idea grow in the background, while focusing our attention on the human cost, the political reaction, and the emotional fabric of the Torchwood team.
John Barrowman’s Captain Jack Harkness returns, still charismatic and charming, but more grounded than ever before. His immortality, once played with flamboyance and near-comedy, is now handled with sombre gravitas. Gwen Cooper, played by Eve Myles, has grown even further into her role, balancing compassion and determination with a maternal awareness—especially as she realises the stakes are broader than anything Torchwood has faced. And Ianto Jones (Gareth David-Lloyd) remains the understated soul of the team, his dry wit and earnest affection for Jack never more welcome.
But this isn’t just a Torchwood story. Children of Earth widens its scope considerably. We are introduced to John Frobisher, played with stunning subtlety by Peter Capaldi in the kind of role that could so easily have been a dry bureaucratic functionary. Instead, he becomes a tragic figure—a man attempting to hold onto some semblance of morality while drowning in the machinery of government. We also meet Lois Habiba, a new civil servant whose eyes will soon be opened to the moral rot at the heart of power, and Clem McDonald, a homeless man with a psychic connection to the children and the alien threat. Paul Copley’s performance as Clem is raw and sympathetic, grounding the story in trauma.
What’s most terrifying in Day One is not the aliens—who haven’t even appeared yet—but the reaction of the British government to the unexplained phenomenon. The Home Office, the intelligence services, and Whitehall are portrayed with chilling realism. The threat is not yet physical, but already the bureaucracy is turning inward, preparing for deniability, deception, and sacrifice. The moment when a secret order is issued to eliminate Torchwood "with extreme prejudice" confirms this is not the show we began with. Torchwood is no longer a wildcard working on the fringes of the fantastical; they are now targets.
The final act of Day One accelerates the danger. Jack is blown up, quite literally. The Hub is destroyed. Torchwood, as an organisation, is shattered. It's a brutal act of narrative sabotage: the writers strip the team of everything familiar. This isn't a reset; it's a recalibration. Going forward, the team must operate without resources, support, or safety nets.
Rewatching this in 2025, Day One remains just as gripping and relevant. The story doesn't rely on nostalgia or monsters to do the heavy lifting. It finds horror in silence, in meetings behind closed doors, and in the sense that those with power are never quite on our side. The children speaking in unison still chills. The sense of something vast and unknowable watching from the stars still unsettles. The political machinations, the way blame is deflected and lines of morality blurred—it all feels depressingly plausible.
This is Doctor Who's darker cousin stripped of artifice, taking its themes to their logical conclusion. It's not about defeating the monster of the week. It’s about what people will do when there are no good choices.
And this is just the beginning.
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