TV episode review
UK airdate 6 July 2009 (BBC One)

All across the world, children are chanting an alien message. Torchwood is on the case, but other Earthly forces are out to stop them…

Funnily enough, after more than a year away, it's Rhys who gets the first words among the main cast in Torchwood: Children Of Earth. Stuck in the school run (or the school stand-very-still) in his lorry, Rhys' new prominence is part of the show's determination to establish its domestic credentials before subverting them.

That's partly so as not to scare off the straights – who never deviate from BBC1, and who would balk at the thought of watching science fiction – but it's also a tried and tested way to make the weirdness seem even weirder, and bring the scares much closer to home. It worked in the past for HG Wells, John Wyndham and Nigel Kneale, and it works here, too.

Whereas Torchwood series two threatened to get carried away with its evil Weevils and slick, swashbuckling Time Agents, this feels like the haphazard, mundane world as we know it, where passwords are written on Post-It notes, cars get stolen (no matter how sci-fi they are), and NHS red tape can be the deciding factor in an alien investigation.

In fact, red tape looks set to be a main theme in Children Of Earth, as – parallel to Torchwood's investigations in Cardiff – Whitehall mandarins and ministers pass the buck over privileged knowledge that could prove vital, and actively seek to hinder Torchwood's investigations without dirtying their own hands.

It's tribute to the cast and to Russell T Davies' writing that such political manoeuvrings can seem so gripping in lieu of the big monster/spaceship /apocalypse we might have expected with a big budget move to BBC1. As fans of The Thick Of It will already know, Peter Capaldi is especially effective as an embattled civil servant amid the chaos of government, and his supporting cast of advisors and assistants is diverse and engaging.

If anything, these Whitehall scenes hint at a more interesting drama that has nothing to do with Torchwood, and – despite a wonderfully naturalistic performance from Eve Myles – one can't help but wonder how the story of aliens controlling our kids might have panned out without the regular characters appearing at all. As Jack and Ianto, John Barrowman and Gareth David-Lloyd certainly seem a little out of their depth in a primetime thriller.

However, the overall effect of Children Of Earth Day One is one of anticipation and excitement. There's plenty going on to bring you back for part two, but enough action and meaty character moments for the episode to stand alone as a strong piece of drama. The jokes work, the shocks hit home, the direction is classy and even the child actors are impressive so far.

Whether audiences stick with the story for five consecutive nights remains to be seen, but on the strength of this opening salvo (and its irresistible cliffhanger), Torchwood has more than five days' life left in it yet. Paul Collins

VERDICT: 8/10

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