As the Doctor Who multiverse expands, it's time to bring back Torchwood

The Whoniverse is here, and as the Fifteenth Doctor, Ncuti Gatwa, takes control of the TARDIS, fans are excited to see Doctor Who expand again. Russell T Davies is back at the helm, and after previously gifting us The Sarah Jane Adventures and Torchwood spin-offs, he’s already got grand plans for a universe bigger than the inside of the TARDIS itself.

Davies has teased more spin-offs, with one of the early rumored contenders being a UNIT-centric series starring Jemma Redgrave’s Kate Lethbridge-Stewart. In an interview with GQ, Davies has pitched the "next stage" of the Time Lord’s tales, but in typically Doctor Who fashion, why only look forward when we have the ability to go backwards? Although Torchwood seems like a distant memory, it’s about time Gwen Cooper (Eve Myles) put on her leather jacket again. 

Torchwood’s tenure

'The Giggle' put a lot of emphasis on UNIT (perhaps setting the stage for a spin-off about the secretive organization), and while companions like Rose Tyler and Amy Pond were mentioned, there were some notable omissions. Alongside #JusticeforMarthaJones, it’s odd that there hasn’t even been a Torchwood Easter egg. Sowing seeds is synonymous with Davies’ tenure, and just like the 60th-anniversary specials cued the return of The Master, a simple nod to Torchwood could have set the stage for its own resurrection.

Speaking to GQ about his return, Davies said, "I always believed in spin-offs when I was there," and said he saw them decline after his departure. Davies attributes its demise to a lack of money, but now Who has got that Disney dollar, the timing couldn’t be better to revisit Gwen and her Cardiff crew. Torchwood writer Phil Ford has also thrown himself behind a potential revival, telling Radio Times how there’s "every case for bringing back a version of Torchwood". Ford floated the idea of an earlier iteration of Torchwood, we’d love to see these alien-busting adventurers through the ages.

The 10-episode Miracle Day was co-produced by Starz and saw Torchwood go out with something of a whimper in 2011. Despite Miracle Day being the last we saw of Torchwood on the screen, it’s continued as an audio drama. Even diehard Whovians have struggled to keep up with the sprawling saga, so if we’re going with a live-action revival, it might be best to do a Will & Grace, retcon the finale, and start from scratch.

Torchwood was lauded for its LGBTQ+ representation, with main players including Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman), Tosh Sato (Naoko Mori), and Ianto Jones (Gareth David-Lloyd) all flying their Pride flags. In fact, the relationship between Jack and Ianto became one of Torchwood's most tragic arcs. Doctor Who's latest run is proudly showcasing its own LGBTQ+ characters with Donna Noble’s daughter Rose's (Yasmin Finney) non-binary identity forming a big part of her arc. Davies has championed this queer storytelling, which we can imagine looping nicely back into a Torchwood revival.

While some might argue we've seen it all before with a Torchwood return, think of the former as a brutal bigger brother that can once again offer something different to the main Doctor Who series. Remember, Torchwood was never afraid to deliver Game of Thrones-esque shock character deaths or drop the odd F-bomb. Doctor Who has also offed plenty of characters, but not with the same brutality as Torchwood. Bringing back this darker spin-off can also ease those complaints that Doctor Who has already been Disneyfied by its deal with the House of Mouse.

The 'new' Torchwood

The Doctor Who: Redacted season 2 podcast reiterated that Gwen and Jack are all that remains of a defunct Torchwood post-Miracle Day. The Torchwood Two site in Glasgow is also shuttered, but with the Torchwood: Asylum audio drama confirming Cardiff’s Torchwood Three is running in 2069, and the Torchwood Archive existing into the 42nd Century, this isn’t the end of the story.

Imagining dream scenarios of a Torchwood revival is all well and good, but there's a potential stumbling block in the form of John Barrowman, who has been the subject of sexual misconduct allegations related to his time on Doctor Who and Torchwood. He has denied these. Still, Torchwood was never just the Jack Harkness show. Even though Eve Myles said she’d run at the chance to play Gwen again, she claimed she hasn’t been approached to return.

The door was left open for Gwen’s return when Jack told the Doctor she "sends her love" in 'Revolution of the Daleks'. While plans for Harkness have likely changed, a revitalized Torchwood team doesn’t need him. As Freema Agyeman has remained open to returning to the Whoniverse and Martha Jones also appeared in Torchwood, you can kill two birds with one stone by reviving the companion as well as Torchwood.

As for the big man himself, Davies expressed his love for Torchwood (via Digital Spy) and gave a glimmer of hope when he concluded, "It's not a promise, but let's have a think". The return of some familiar faces would help bridge the gap between old and new, and while Davies has already debunked the Cybermen, Daleks, and The Master for Gatwa’s freshman series, Torchwood isn’t officially off the table. 145 years after the (fictional) Queen Victoria founded the Torchwood Institute, we’re sure she’d be happy to see it make a long-awaited return in 2024

For more, check out all of the new TV shows on the way in 2023 and beyond.