As the weekend draws near, it’s not too late for Doctor Who fans to check out—or revisit—this perfect sci-fi alternative that first launched twenty years ago. Similar to Doctor Who, it focuses on fighting extraterrestrial threats and using alien technology. Butunlike the iconic BBC series, which appeals to both adults and children, it targets adults and older teenagers, given its much darker, more mature approach that lacks the family-friendly and adventure-driven tone of Doctor Who.
Created by Russell T. Davies, who revived Doctor Who in 2005, the sci-fi series is a direct spin-off and set in the same universe. Its central character is Captain Jack Harkness, portrayed by John Barrowman, an immortal con-man from the distant future who originally appeared in 2005’s Doctor Who. Titled Torchwood, it premiered on BBC Three and on BBC HD in 2006 and ended after four seasons and 41 episodes in 2011. Years later, the sci-fi adventure is back in the spotlight amid anticipation for Disney+’s international release of The War Between the Land and the Sea.
Thanks to streaming, Torchwood is making a comeback, reminding fans of why it remains one of Doctor Who’s most compelling spin-offs. According to FlixPatrol data, the British fantasy drama has been trending on the Apple TV Store in the US for the past 48 hours, surging on the charts alongside its mothership series. Alongside Barrowman, the initial central cast of Torchwoodincluded Gareth David-Lloyd, Burn Gorman, Naoko Mori, and Eve Myles, all portraying specialists for the titular team, who often tracked down aliens and defended the planet from alien and human threats.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Collider Exclusive · Sci-Fi Survival Quiz Which Sci-Fi World Would You Survive? The Matrix · Mad Max · Blade Runner · Dune · Star Wars
Five universes. Five completely different ways the future went wrong — or sideways, or up in flames. Only one of them is the world your instincts were built for. Eight questions will figure out which dystopia, galaxy, or desert wasteland you’d actually make it out of alive.
💊The Matrix
🔥Mad Max
🌧️Blade Runner
Advertisement
🏜️Dune
🚀Star Wars
Advertisement
01
You sense something is deeply wrong with the world around you. What do you do? The first instinct is often the truest one.
Advertisement
02
In a world of scarcity, what resource do you guard most fiercely? What we protect reveals what we believe survival actually requires.
Advertisement
03
What kind of threat keeps you up at night? Fear is useful data — if you’re honest about what you’re actually afraid of.
Advertisement
04
How do you deal with authority you don’t trust? Every dystopia has a power structure. Your approach to it determines everything.
Advertisement
05
Which environment could you actually endure long-term? Survival isn’t just tactical — it’s physical, psychological, and very much about where you are.
Advertisement
06
Who do you want in your corner when things fall apart? The company you keep is the clearest signal of who you actually are.
Advertisement
07
Where do you draw the line — if you draw one at all? Every survivor eventually faces a moment that tests what they’re actually made of.
Advertisement
08
What would actually make survival worth it? Staying alive is one thing. Having a reason to is another.
Advertisement
Your Fate Has Been Calculated You’d Survive In…
Your answers point to the world your instincts were built for. This is the universe your temperament, your survival instincts, and your particular brand of stubbornness were made for.
Advertisement
The Resistance, Zion
The Matrix
You took the red pill a long time ago — probably before anyone offered it to you. You’re a systems thinker who can’t help but notice the seams in things.
Advertisement
You’re drawn to understanding how the system works before figuring out how to break it.
You’d find the Resistance, or it would find you — your instinct for spotting constructed realities is the machines’ worst nightmare.
You function best when you have access to information and the freedom to act on it.
The Matrix built an airtight prison. You’d be the one probing the walls for the door.
The Wasteland
Mad Max
The wasteland doesn’t reward the clever or the well-connected — it rewards those who are hard to kill and harder to break. That’s you.
Advertisement
You don’t need comfort, community, or a cause larger than the next horizon.
You need a vehicle, a clear threat, and enough fuel to outrun it — and you’re good at all three.
You are unsentimental enough to survive that world, and decent enough — just barely — to be something more than another raider.
In the wasteland, that distinction is everything.
Los Angeles, 2049
Blade Runner
You’d survive here because you know how to exist in moral grey areas without losing yourself completely.
Advertisement
You read people accurately, keep your circle small, and ask the questions others prefer not to answer.
In a city where humanity is a legal designation rather than a feeling, you hold onto something that keeps you functional.
You’re not a hero. But you’re not lost, either.
In Blade Runner’s world, that distinction is everything.
Arrakis
Dune
Arrakis is the most hostile environment in the known universe — and you are precisely the kind of person it rewards.
Advertisement
Patience, discipline, and political awareness are your core strengths — and on Arrakis, they’re survival tools.
You understand that the long game matters more than any single victory.
Others come to Dune and are consumed by it. You’d learn its logic and earn its respect.
In time, you wouldn’t just survive Arrakis — you’d begin to reshape it.
A Galaxy Far, Far Away
Star Wars
The galaxy far, far away is vast, loud, and in a constant state of violent political upheaval — and you wouldn’t have it any other way.
Advertisement
You find meaning in being part of something larger than yourself — a cause, a crew, a rebellion.
You’d gravitate toward the Rebellion, or the fringes, or whatever pocket of the galaxy still believes the Empire’s grip can be broken.
You fight — not because you have to, but because standing aside isn’t something you’re capable of.
In Star Wars, that willingness is what makes all the difference.
Advertisement
Is ‘Torchwood’ Worth Watching?
When Torchwood debuted, it received largely negative reviews, but that soon changed when Season 2 came along in 2008, earning a more positive reception. Season 3, titled Children of Earth, was also a hit, receiving numerous positive reviews, while the final season, Miracle Day, which Starz aired in 2011, wasn’t as lucky. Nevertheless, with an average critics’ score of 98% on Rotten Tomatoes, the Doctor Who spin-off is certainly worth binging this weekend, especially if you’re looking to join in investigating some unexplained extraterrestrial incidents on Earth. Series showrunners were creator Davies and Chris Chibnall, who also had a similar role on Doctor Who.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login