Torchwood

Torchwood.

Outside the government, beyond the police.

Tracking down alien life on Earth and arming the human race against the future.

The 21st century is when everything changes.

And you've gotta be ready.

Hello, there.

Apologies for the unplanned touchdown, just hit some rotten turbulence.

- Captain Jack Harkness. - Diane Holmes, pilot.

Is this some sort of secret base? You must show me around one day, Captain.

- Everything all right? - How long before we head off again?

- My uncle's expecting me. - When did you leave?

- About half an hour ago. - Which date?

- Today, December the 18th. - Which year?

Which year? Which year, I need to know.

1953.

- There's no need to be frightened. - Who are you exactly?

The least you know about us, the better.

Meet the team.

- Toshiko. - Gwen.

Doctor Owen Harper.

- John Ellis. - Emma Louise Cowell.

- Diane Holmes. - Please, follow me.

- At least it wasn't a spaceship full of aliens. - That might have been easier.

But how can you travel 50 years in half an hour?

Your aircraft slipped through a transcendental portal.

- A what? - A door in time and space.

It's some kind of trick, it has to be.

Tosh?

Celebrations of the Millennium in your respective home cities.

Photographs documenting the development of Cardiff Bay from the '50s to the present day.

Blueprints of modern day aeroplanes.

But if all this is true, then how do we get back?

You don't.

According to history, your plane never returned. I'm sorry.

What's gonna happen to us?

Never mind about us.

What happened to everyone else?

Our families.

Your father died in 1959. He was 48.

Dad said he'd die young. All the men in the munitions factory did.

Your mother lived till she was 81, though.

I know this is hard to take in, but is there anyone else?

My son, Alan Ellis. He was born on the 6th of April, 1937.

14 Park Place, Grangetown. He might still be alive.

The archives in the '50s weren't that well-documented.

We'll try again tomorrow. Right now, you need to get some sleep.

Friends? Uh, boyfriend?

Not really. Never stayed in one place long enough.

It's a bit basic.

Not when you've slept in barracks.

I was going to close a deal on a shop in Dublin tomorrow.

- What do you trade in? - Uh, food, knick-knacks, essentials.

- What are you after? - A bit of music.

There's, uh, photographs of my family in here.

I'll see what I can do.

Don't worry, Captain Harkness, I'll look after the ladies.

Call me Jack.

- Who else is here? - Couple of young girls. Pretty dress.

Thank you. I made it myself.

- Where are you from? - Bristol.

What were you going to Dublin for?

Auntie Nora's ill and Uncle Finn can't manage the children.

It'll be good practice for when I have children of my own mum says.

She's gone next door so Uncle Finn can telephone.

She'll know I'm missing by now.

Emma, she found out in 1953.

Over 50 years have passed, remember?

What will she think happened?

It must have been like one of those murders where they never find the body.

They seemed to think the plane went down in the sea.

These will be your means of identification for the authorities.

We've set up bank accounts for you, but for now we'll be giving you a daily allowance,

so that you can practise with the currency and money management.

David Ward?

Sally-Anne Hope.

Deborah Morrison, and it's spell how Deborah Kerr spells it.

Your background stories should incorporate the skills you already have.

For instance, John, you could have run a corner shop.

No.

- We can fake references. - You can't take away our names.

For God's sake, man, it's all we've got left.

It's my son's name, it's the name above my shop.

You're right, I didn't think. You should keep your name.

I'd suggest you use £25 for your food, and £20 for luxuries like cigarette, magazines...

My dad only made £10 a week.

Things are a lot more expensive now.

- How did it do that? - It's automatic.

- It knows you're there. - But how?

There are wave bouncing detectors which emit high frequency radio waves,

- and then look for reflections... - Bananas!

Of course, bananas are far more interesting.

Look at all this. We'd just come off rationing in '53.

- Yeah, sorry, we are a consumer society. - It's bloody fantastic.

- How much food money have I got left? - £15.40.

- £12.10, you'll ruin your teeth. - You sound like my mum.

They sell films in boxes and you can watch them at home.

I love going to the pictures.

Good God.

Welcome to the wonderful world of scantily dressed celebrities.

Super Excel Waterproof Luscious Lashes Mascara. I've got to have that.

- There's children around. - She's a children's TV presenter.

So you like the musicals?

My best friend Kate and I went to see Calamity Jane five times. I've got the LP.

You all right?

What does that mean?

I'm just gonna take a look at the stadium.

You girls stick together now. I'll be back for supper.

Excuse me. Do you know a man called Alan Ellis? He used to live here.

No, sorry, mate.

I'm going to check on the plane this afternoon. Want to come?

I'm going to watch this.

And maybe make some paper chains.

I wonder what work I can get in aviation.

I'm going to have to find a husband.

- All right? I'm Alesha, this is Jade. - Hi.

- I'm Emma. - Diane.

Excuse me, I have to get ready.

- Where did you get those shoes? They're lush. - Thanks.

Hello, old girl. Did you miss me?

I've, uh, I've been reading up on you.

England to Australia in four days, 1952, that is impressive.

- Yeah, terrible wind across the Bengal Bay. - Something you ate?

Uh... So, how did you get into this?

Ferried planes during the war.

Of course, when it was over, we were supposed to revert to being dutiful wives and daughters.

But I'd got a taste for it. No pig-headed man was going to tell me what to do.

Ah.

Sky Gipsy?

After the engine.

The De Havilland Gipsy Six, a work of genius.

Tuned with a higher compression ratio so it can squeeze far more energy from its air-fuel mixture.

- Can I take her up? - No.

- You could get arrested. You haven't got a licence. - But I...

Bugger. It's no longer valid.

I guess I'm just another pig-headed man telling you what to do.

Well, you'd better make it up to me.

I want to learn all about this new world.

Blackpool were 3-1 down, then Stanley Matthews worked his magic.

He scored two goals in the last 20 minutes. Bolton lost 4-3.

My boy was on his knees, punching the air.

The FA Cup Final live in my own living room.

I charged the lads a shilling each to come and watch.

Ever the business man, eh, John?

- That's an American accent, isn't it? - That's right.

So how did you end up here, doing whatever it is that you do?

It's a long story.

I'm a slow drinker.

You know everything about me. What's the problem?

It gets kinda complicated.

What, did you fall through time, too?

Yeah, you could say that.

Sorry, mate, you can't smoke in here.

What are you doing Christmas Eve? We could go carol singing.

I'm sorry, love, but I'll be getting hammered.

- Where are your families? - No idea.

We grew up in care.

Like a children's home?

- I haven't got anyone else, either. - What happened to you?

My parents are dead, so I came down here to start afresh.

So they didn't leave you a house or anything?

No.

I've got nothing.

Were you close to them?

Yes.

I loved them very much.

Must have been an awful Christmas for them, thinking I'd drowned.

I just want to know what kind of life he had, my son. He might have kids.

I could be passing my own flesh and blood in the street. Find him, Jack.

He's all I've got left.

Cheers.

- What? - I'm waiting for you to pull out my chair.

Let me get this straight. You expect equality and chivalry?

I don't see why they should be mutually exclusive.

Well, if it makes you happy.

Your chair, ma'am.

Thank you.

So, what other strides have women made?

Well, on the strange but true, how about this?

You don't have to have sex to have kids any more.

What?

How come?

Get yourself inseminated with a sort of syringe, cheery little process.

Seriously, men donate sperm anonymously.

A little shuffle into a pot at a sperm bank. And they say romance is dead.

Oh, come on, I wasn't born yesterday.

No, but for a bird who's going on 90, you look pretty hot.

- What was your favourite song? - Well, it's hard to say.

I know what mine was.

What do you think you're playing at?

I thought I could trust you to behave.

- Where do you want to go now? - Well, I'm in your hands.

Well, we could go back to mine.

You could read up about yourself on the net. That sounds like a line. Um, it's not a line.

I'm not chatting you up, not because I don't think you're attractive, because you are,

but because I wouldn't want you to think I was taking advantage of you.

Got any Scotch?

- I don't see why she had to get you involved. - She called me. She was upset.

- She was drinking. - I only had half a glass.

Enough to make a show of yourself. We're not meant to draw attention to ourselves.

We're not the same as them. We can't trust anyone.