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Torchwood is a spin off of Doctor Who. I read somewhere there is some relation between some episode of both series.

How should I coordinate the viewing of both series?

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  • 9
    skip Torchwood. It sucks.
    – lamwaiman1988
    Apr 19, 2012 at 1:25
  • 17
    Torchwood doesn't suck. It's just very different than Dr Who.
    – Mark Beadles
    Apr 19, 2012 at 15:34
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    as a true fanboy you also should include "The Sarah Jane Adventures". The Doctor has some guest appearances (10th and 11th)
    – stefan
    Apr 23, 2012 at 21:50
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    DO NOT WATCH CHILDREN OF EARTH BEFORE THE END OF TIME. THE END OF TIME PARTS 1 AND 2 TAKE PLACE BEFORE CHILDREN OF EARTH. (spoilers)
    – user14627
    May 16, 2013 at 20:28

3 Answers 3

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I'm going to assume we're talking post-2005 Doctor Who, as that is the one in conjunction with Torchwood. The order I'd recommend would be:

  • Season 1 of Doctor Who
  • Season 2 of Doctor Who
  • Season 3 of Doctor Who, stopping after Blink
  • Season 1 of Torchwood
  • Season 3 of Doctor Who, restarting at Utopia
  • Season 2 of Torchwood
  • Season 4 of Doctor Who
  • Season 3 of Torchwood (Children of Earth)
  • Doctor Who Specials (four hour long episodes in 2009)
  • Seasons 5 and 6 of Doctor Who
  • Season 4 of Torchwood

I've included Christmas specials, etc, as part and parcel of the corresponding season.

I've erred on the side of keeping seasons together as it tends to make more sense than trying to recall what happened earlier in the season if you had to put one show down and pick it back up. The exception is Season 1 of Torchwood, because it leads directly on to the following Doctor Who episodes whereas Blink is more of a standalone.

A lot of the seasons can really be watched in parallel despite the list above. Jack initially appears in the last five episodes of Doctor Who Season 1. Torchwood Season 1 can then be watched in parallel with Doctor Who Seasons 2 and most of 3. The last episode of Torchwood Season 1 aligns directly with the start of Utopia (3rd last episode) in Doctor Who Season 3. Season 2 of Torchwood then comes before the last two episodes in Doctor Who Season 4 (The Stolen Earth & Journey's End).

After that they are almost completely independent, barring a short cross-over post-Torchwood Season 3 in the last episode of the 2009 specials, The End of Time Pt 2. Torchwood Season 4 (Miracle Day) and Doctor Who Seasons 5 and 6 have no cross-overs.

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17

This is what I've found to be very helpful, for myself is adding The Sarah Jane Adventures into the chronological order, this is it.

  • Season 1 of Doctor Who
  • Season 2 of Doctor Who
  • Season 3 of Doctor Who, stopping after Blink
  • Season 1 of Torchwood
  • Season 1 of Sarah Jane Adventures
  • Season 3 of Doctor Who, restarting at Utopia
  • Season 2 of Torchwood
  • Season 4 of Doctor Who, stopping after The Poison Sky
  • Season 2 of Sarah Jane Adventures
  • Season 4 of Doctor Who, restarting at The Doctor's Daughter
  • Season 3 of Torchwood (Children of Earth)
  • Season 3 of Sarah Jane Adventures
  • Doctor Who Specials (Four 60 minute episodes in 2009)
  • Season 5 of Doctor Who
  • Season 4 of Sarah Jane Adventures
  • Season 6 of Doctor Who
  • Season 4 of Torchwood
  • Season 5 of Sarah Jane Adventures

I hope you find this very helpful.

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    If this is based on dlanod's answer that is fine, but you should indicate it accordingly, then.
    – bitmask
    Mar 17, 2013 at 11:38
  • Where do Sarah Jane Adventures: Alien Files fit in?
    – Cubbi
    Jul 28, 2013 at 13:49
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I've been watching Torchwood season 1 as I watch Doctor Who season 3 on Netflix. One epsd of Torch, 1 epsd of The Doctor. Since these series were broadcast on BBC in 2006 and 2007 respectively, I think that may be the best way to avoid spoilers while experiencing the crossover episodes as they were chronologically meant to happen. I am skipping the Sara Jane Chronicles as they are a children's series and probably won't add that much to my experience in the "Whoniverse".

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    Might I suggest you watch the Sarah Jane adventures, as Elizabeth Sladen (RIP) was a brilliant actress, and the series was remarkably well-written. In terms of continuity it's better than Doctor Who itself, and I certainly enjoyed watching it even though it's marketed as a kids show.
    – Mikasa
    Jun 3, 2015 at 17:57
  • Doctor Who itself is also a children's show.
    – Mr Lister
    Oct 24, 2018 at 12:14

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