Davies, Barrowman and Myles Talk Torchwood

When asked about the concept of Torchwood: Children of Earth, creator, lead writer and executive producer Russell T. Davies states, “I wanted to tell a story in which civilization snaps, in which we turn on ourselves, in which nothing is safe. Plenty of people live like that, on this planet. In this story, it’s Britain’s turn.”

The basic premise of this special five night airing (July 20 through 24 at 9 p.m. to 10:15 p.m. ET/PT) is set on an ordinary day that becomes a world of terror, as every child in the world simply stops. Stops playing, stops laughing, stops everything. Then, as one, they begin to speak with the same voice, announcing to the government of Earth: “We are coming.”

The following are brief interviews with the cast and creative mind behind this innovative series from BBC America:

Russell T. Davis / copyright BBC America

Do people need to know the back story of Torchwood to be able to enjoy this new series:

Russell T. Davies: “No, not at all – there are fleeting references to the past, but from the moment it starts, we’re telling a brand new story. It’s been deliberately written so that no one will be lost – and at the same time, the faithful viewer will discover so much more about the members of the Torchwood team. There are plenty of rewards for the long-term fan.”

This new series feel very epic. Did you enjoy writing the one storyline over five episodes:

Davies: “I loved it, because it was a huge challenge. Lots of thrillers are written by just one writer, but we had three, across five episodes, which meant a lot of emailing and late-night phone calls. But we really worked as a team, all locked in one room to thrash out the storyline and create the characters, and that’s my favorite way of working.”

The series will reveal that one of the Torchwood team is hiding a dark secret – a potential catalyst for even more action-packed drama.

John Barrowman: “One of the team is hiding a secret that will be a revelation to a lot of people – not only to the viewers but to the team itself. It will be very uncomfortable for the characters. And, people watching it will question why they did it. Will they be able to understand why they did it. But as in all things with science fiction , as a series, we can touch on subjects that are not touched upon in a number of other dramas.

The new threat by the team takes on a sinister theme, using the children of Earth as a conduit.

Torchwood: Children of the Earth / copyright BBC America

Barrowman: “Anything that involves children doing stuff they are not supposed to be doing is creepy. I let my parents watch episode one and two with me. I watched their reaction. Normally they would get up during a show and have a drink or go the bathroom. But they didn’t move. My mom and dad – who are my biggest critics – were glue to the screen.”

For Eve, the new series and the single storyline across all five episodes felt like the right evolution for Torchwood.

Eve Myles: “We’ve tipped the series on its head and given people a whole new format. It’s a completely different style of Torchwood, and is exactly what we should have done. It feels brand new all over again. It’s exciting and it’s positive.”

Although the format of the series has changed, the impact and effect of Torchwood remains the same.

Gareth David-Lloyd: “There’s just as much human drama as there is sci-fi in this series. I can’t wait to see the entire series. It has this race against time element to it. As each episode goes by the pace increases and it gets faster and faster – like a roller coaster – and it’s a real adrenaline ride.”

To learn more about the series and the team, tune into Torchwood: Inside the Hub on July 20 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on BBC America. This program features everything there is to know about Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman), Gwen Cooper (Eve Myles) and the rest of the Torchwood team and gives you a sneak peek at what Torchwood: Children of Earth has in store.