# List of Torchwood episodes
*Torchwood* is a British science fiction drama series created by [Russell T Davies](https://www.edgepedia.org/russell-t-davies) as a spin-off of *Doctor Who*, and its television run consists of 41 episodes broadcast in four seasons between 22 October 2006 and 9 September 2011[1](https://epguides.com/Torchwood/). The Cardiff-based team, led by [John Barrowman](https://www.edgepedia.org/john-barrowman) as the immortal Captain Jack Harkness and [Eve Myles](https://www.edgepedia.org/eve-myles) as Gwen Cooper, investigates extraterrestrial and supernatural threats[2](https://sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/torchwood). The first two seasons are 13-episode runs of largely standalone stories; the third season, *Children of Earth*, is a single five-part serial; and the fourth, *Miracle Day*, is a ten-part serial co-produced with the US network Starz[1](https://epguides.com/Torchwood/) • [3](https://www.johnbarrowman.com/television/torchwood.shtml).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Total episodes | 41 television episodes in four seasons, 2006–2011[1](https://epguides.com/Torchwood/) |
| Season lengths | 13, 13, 5, and 10 episodes[1](https://epguides.com/Torchwood/) |
| UK channels | BBC Three (series 1), BBC Two (series 2), BBC One (*Children of Earth* and *Miracle Day*)[3](https://www.johnbarrowman.com/television/torchwood.shtml) |
| US broadcast | *Miracle Day* aired on Starz from 8 July 2011, a BBC–Starz co-production[3](https://www.johnbarrowman.com/television/torchwood.shtml) |
| Episode length | About 50 minutes in seasons 1, 2, and 4; 60 minutes in season 3[1](https://epguides.com/Torchwood/) |
| Critical scores | Metacritic season averages of 73, 80, 81, and 70[4](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/torchwood-uk/) |
| Launch audience | The first two episodes drew 2.6 million viewers, then the highest audience for a BBC Three program[5](https://downloads.bbc.co.uk/annualreport/pdf/2006-07/bbcexec_eng_200607.pdf) |
| Radio episodes | Four BBC Radio 4 broadcasts, 2008–2009: *Lost Souls*, *Asylum*, *Golden Age*, and *The Dead Line*[6](https://epguides.com/Torchwood/radio.shtml) |
## Season 1 (2006–2007)
The first season aired on [BBC Three](https://www.edgepedia.org/bbc-three) in late 2006 and early 2007. It introduces police constable Gwen Cooper, who stumbles onto the [Torchwood](https://www.edgepedia.org/torchwood) team in the pilot, "Everything Changes", and joins the group alongside medical officer Owen Harper, computer specialist Toshiko Sato, and technician Ianto Jones[7](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/659/torchwood/episodeguide). The season closes with the rift under Cardiff splintering time in "End of Days"[1](https://epguides.com/Torchwood/).
| # | Title | Original air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Everything Changes | 22 October 2006 |
| 2 | Day One | 22 October 2006 |
| 3 | Ghost Machine | 29 October 2006 |
| 4 | Cyberwoman | 5 November 2006 |
| 5 | Small Worlds | 12 November 2006 |
| 6 | Countrycide | 19 November 2006 |
| 7 | Greeks Bearing Gifts | 26 November 2006 |
| 8 | They Keep Killing Suzie | 3 December 2006 |
| 9 | Random Shoes | 10 December 2006 |
| 10 | Out of Time | 17 December 2006 |
| 11 | Combat | 24 December 2006 |
| 12 | Captain Jack Harkness | 1 January 2007 |
| 13 | End of Days | 1 January 2007 |
Air dates and titles per the episode guide[1](https://epguides.com/Torchwood/).
## Season 2 (2008)
The second season moved to [BBC Two](https://www.edgepedia.org/bbc-two), airing weekly from 16 January to 4 April 2008. It introduces Captain John Hart, a foil for Jack, and brings [Martha Jones](https://www.edgepedia.org/martha-jones) ([Freema Agyeman](https://www.edgepedia.org/freema-agyeman)) into the team from episode 19 of the overall run, "Reset"[1](https://epguides.com/Torchwood/). The finale, "Exit Wounds", ends with the deaths of two regular cast members[1](https://epguides.com/Torchwood/).
| # | Title | Original air date |
|---|---|---|
| 14 | Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang | 16 January 2008 |
| 15 | Sleeper | 23 January 2008 |
| 16 | To the Last Man | 30 January 2008 |
| 17 | Meat | 6 February 2008 |
| 18 | Adam | 13 February 2008 |
| 19 | Reset | 13 February 2008 |
| 20 | Dead Man Walking | 20 February 2008 |
| 21 | A Day in the Death | 27 February 2008 |
| 22 | Something Borrowed | 5 March 2008 |
| 23 | From Out of the Rain | 12 March 2008 |
| 24 | Adrift | 19 March 2008 |
| 25 | Fragments | 21 March 2008 |
| 26 | Exit Wounds | 4 April 2008 |
[1](https://epguides.com/Torchwood/)
## Season 3: Children of Earth (2009)
The third season abandoned the standalone format for a single five-part serial, *Children of Earth*, with each episode covering one day of a five-day story in late 2009[1](https://epguides.com/Torchwood/). The episodes aired on consecutive nights on [BBC One](https://www.edgepedia.org/bbc-one) and drew high ratings[2](https://sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/torchwood). In the story, an alien race called the 456 demands the children of Earth, and the drama centers on how governments and ordinary people respond[2](https://sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/torchwood). The season is widely regarded as the series' peak: Metacritic gives it an 81, the highest of the four seasons[4](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/torchwood-uk/), and a retrospective ranking of *Doctor Who* spin-offs credits the "format-smashing" season with earning the show its standing, calling it arguably the best thing to come out of the Whoniverse[8](https://www.space.com/entertainment/space-movies-shows/doctor-who-spin-offs-ranked). On TVmaze's user ratings, the five episodes score between 8.3 and 8.6, the highest scores of any season[9](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/659/torchwood/episodes).
| # | Title | Original air date |
|---|---|---|
| 27 | Day One | 6 July 2009 |
| 28 | Day Two | 7 July 2009 |
| 29 | Day Three | 8 July 2009 |
| 30 | Day Four | 9 July 2009 |
| 31 | Day Five | 10 July 2009 |
[1](https://epguides.com/Torchwood/)
## Season 4: Miracle Day (2011)
The fourth season, *Miracle Day*, was a co-production between the BBC and the US Starz Network, broadcast on Starz in the US and on BBC One in the UK from July 2011[3](https://www.johnbarrowman.com/television/torchwood.shtml). Its premise is that one day no one on Earth dies, and the next, and the next; the ten episodes follow the investigation into the Miracle and the conspiracy behind it[1](https://epguides.com/Torchwood/). The season adds American cast members [Mekhi Phifer](https://www.edgepedia.org/mekhi-phifer) as Rex Matheson, Alexa Havins as Esther Drummond, Bill Pullman as Oswald Danes, Arlene Tur as Dr. Vera Juarez, and [Lauren Ambrose](https://www.edgepedia.org/lauren-ambrose) as Jilly Kitzinger[1](https://epguides.com/Torchwood/). Episodes 3 through 10 run 60 minutes[7](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/659/torchwood/episodeguide).
| # | Title | US air date | UK air date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 32 | The New World | 8 July 2011 | 14 July 2011 |
| 33 | Rendition | 15 July 2011 | 21 July 2011 |
| 34 | Dead of Night | 22 July 2011 | 22 July 2011 |
| 35 | Escape to L.A. | 29 July 2011 | 29 July 2011 |
| 36 | The Categories of Life | 5 August 2011 | 5 August 2011 |
| 37 | The Middle Men | 12 August 2011 | 12 August 2011 |
| 38 | Immortal Sins | 19 August 2011 | 19 August 2011 |
| 39 | End of the Road | 26 August 2011 | 26 August 2011 |
| 40 | The Gathering | 2 September 2011 | 2 September 2011 |
| 41 | The Blood Line | 9 September 2011 | 9 September 2011 |
[1](https://epguides.com/Torchwood/) • [10](https://www.chakoteya.net/Torchwood/episodes.htm)
## Reception across the seasons
The four seasons trace a clear arc in critical scores. Metacritic's season averages rise from 73 for season 1 to 80 for season 2 and 81 for *Children of Earth*, then fall to 70 for *Miracle Day*[4](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/torchwood-uk/). The science fiction encyclopedia SFE describes the first two seasons as marketed as *Doctor Who* for grown-ups but often prurient and juvenile in their handling of sex, while judging that the show "finally seemed to find its stride" with the five-part *Children of Earth*[2](https://sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/torchwood).
Within seasons, episode-level ratings vary widely. On TVmaze's user scores, season 1's highest-rated episodes include "Captain Jack Harkness" and the two-part finale, while season 2 peaks with "Exit Wounds" and "Fragments" at 8.2[9](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/659/torchwood/episodes). In *Miracle Day*, "The Categories of Life" scores 8.1, the season's highest, while several episodes sit at 7.3[9](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/659/torchwood/episodes). A 2025 retrospective ranking placed *Torchwood* second among *Doctor Who* spin-offs, behind only *The Sarah Jane Adventures*, on the strength of the first two seasons' ambition and the third season's achievement[8](https://www.space.com/entertainment/space-movies-shows/doctor-who-spin-offs-ranked).
## Related media
Four radio episodes were broadcast on [BBC Radio 4](https://www.edgepedia.org/bbc-radio-4) between September 2008 and July 2009: *Lost Souls*, *Asylum*, *Golden Age*, and *The Dead Line*, each 45 minutes and featuring Barrowman, Myles, and Gareth David-Lloyd as Ianto[6](https://epguides.com/Torchwood/radio.shtml). Further stories have continued in audio dramas and other media, but no fifth television season has been produced[11](https://scifitvguide.com/torchwood-episode-guide/). The series is available to stream on [BBC iPlayer](https://www.edgepedia.org/bbc-iplayer) in the UK and to buy on Amazon Video, Apple TV, and Sky Store[12](https://www.justwatch.com/uk/tv-series/torchwood).
## References
1. [Torchwood (a Titles & Air Dates Guide), epguides.com](https://epguides.com/Torchwood/)
2. [Torchwood, The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction](https://sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/torchwood)
3. [Torchwood, John Barrowman Official Site](https://www.johnbarrowman.com/television/torchwood.shtml)
4. [Torchwood (UK) Reviews, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/torchwood-uk/)
5. [BBC Annual Report and Accounts 2006/2007](https://downloads.bbc.co.uk/annualreport/pdf/2006-07/bbcexec_eng_200607.pdf)
6. [Torchwood on radio (a Titles & Air Dates Guide), epguides.com](https://epguides.com/Torchwood/radio.shtml)
7. [Torchwood - Episode Guide, TVmaze](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/659/torchwood/episodeguide)
8. ['Doctor Who' spin-offs ranked, Space.com](https://www.space.com/entertainment/space-movies-shows/doctor-who-spin-offs-ranked)
9. [Torchwood - Episode List, TVmaze](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/659/torchwood/episodes)
10. [The Torchwood Transcripts - Episode listing, chakoteya.net](https://www.chakoteya.net/Torchwood/episodes.htm)
11. [Torchwood Episode Guide, Scifi TV Guide](https://scifitvguide.com/torchwood-episode-guide/)
12. [Torchwood - watch tv series streaming online, JustWatch](https://www.justwatch.com/uk/tv-series/torchwood)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Seasons, episodes, and installments › Installment collections and reference › Scripted live-action episode lists › Live-action episode lists*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license