Barnes & Noble

"This series of Torchwood is bigger, and darker, and bolder." That Russell T. Davies quote, taken from the making-of featurette included in this set, isn't hyperbole. Seasons 1 and 2 of Torchwood, about a covert team preventing aliens and their technology from straying too close to humans, was sometimes campy, definitely clever, and always lots of fun. The five-episode miniseries Children of Earth, however, presents us with a very grown-up Torchwood. In 1965 an alien threat known as the 456 lands on Earth, and demands 12 children in return for a cure for a rare strain of flu. The British government agrees, and they decide to keep the handover secret. In 2009, a mysterious force has taken control of the Earth's children, putting them into a trance-like state and causing them to speak in unison. The 456 have returned -- only this time they want 10 percent of the planet's children. Surprisingly, the British and American governments agree to the terms, and this is where Children of Earth takes a sinister turn. Of course, the Torchwood team of Capt. Jack Harkness (John Barrowman), Gwen Cooper (Eve Myles), and Ianto Jones (Gareth David-Lloyd) are determined to fight the 456 at any cost. As plots and storytelling go, Children of Earth is magnificent. It's really the pinnacle of what the Torchwood writers could accomplish, highlighted by fantastic acting. That being said, it is also frightening, disturbing, and absolutely not for children under the age of 15. Children of Earth aired on BBC1 in the U.K. from July 6-10, 2009 and on BBC America from July 20-24. Christina Urban

All Movie Guide

This atmospheric Doctor Who spin-off follows a clandestine group of investigators who delve into extraterrestrial phenomena. From the Torchwood Institute's underground headquarters in Cardiff, the team's edgy ensemble harnesses otherworldly technologies to battle both earthbound and alien threats. In this five-part miniseries, Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman), Gwen Cooper (Eve Myles), and Ianto Jones (Gareth David-Lloyd) face a deadly new menace that might mean the end of humankind. When every child in the world stops moving, Torchwood leaps into action to discover the terrible meaning behind their frozen states. ~ All Movie Guide

From the Studio

1965: Twelve children are gathered together on a deserted hilltop, before being surrounded by a harsh, bright light... and then they are gone! Today: All over Earth, children stop moving. Stop playing. Stop laughing. Stop everything. Then, as one, they begin to speak with the same voice, announcing to the governments of the world the imminent arrival of a new alien threat. "We Are Coming, We Are Coming..." As the British Government closes ranks, it issues a death warrant against Captain Jack (John Barrowman) and the Torchwood team of Ianto (Gareth David-Lloyd) and Gwen (Eve Myles). Now forced to flee for their lives, it becomes clear to the Torchwood team that this isn't the aliens' first visit to Earth, and a terrible price is going to be paid for sins of the past. The five-part miniseries Children of Earth aired on BBC1 in the UK from July 6-10 and on BBC America in the US from July 20-24, in 2009.

Product Details

• UPC: 883929079797
• Source: BBC WARNER
• Presentation: Wide Screen
• Sound: Dolby AC-3 Surround Sound
• Editions: Digi-Pak
• Time: 4:53:00
• Sales Rank: 9,264

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