Everything Changes (Torchwood)
Encyclopedia
"Everything Changes" is the first episode of the British
science fiction television
programme Torchwood
, which was first broadcast on 22 October 2006.
Gwen Cooper
comes across the mysterious organisation known as Torchwood
. While investigating their world, she finds technology and methods she never imagined.
, Gwen Cooper spies on a mysterious group of five people calling themselves "Torchwood" led by Captain Jack Harkness
. Another member, Suzie, uses a metal gauntlet to temporarily bring the victim to life in an attempt to identify his killer. Jack notes Gwen's presence, causing her to flee the scene. The next day, she runs into Jack again at a hospital and, following him, finds a sealed-off area where she runs into a Weevil
, which kills a porter. Jack arrives, giving Gwen the opportunity to escape. As she leaves the hospital, she spots the Torchwood vehicle and follows it. She learns from her office that the vehicle is unregistered, and that while there was a "Jack Harkness" who disappeared in 1941
, there is not one currently on record. She follows the vehicle to Roald Dahl Plass
, where she continues the pursuit on foot only to lose sight of them as they pass a large fountain. She then learns from her partner Andy that all personnel at the hospital have been accounted for.
Catching sight of a pizza delivery scooter, she inquires at the local pizza store and learns they make deliveries to Torchwood. Disguised as a pizza delivery girl, she enters a tourist centre where Ianto
presses a button to reveal a secret passageway and lets her through. Following it, Gwen eventually finds herself in the Torchwood Hub, where the rest of the Torchwood team members initially try to ignore her entrance but break into fits of laughter, well aware of who she is. Jack shows Gwen around the Hub, including the captured Weevil from the hospital; they then leave the Hub via a pavement slab lift, which takes them to Roald Dahl Plass in front of the fountain. Jack explains that a perception filter exists around the spot they are standing, making them invisible to passersby, explaining why Gwen lost track of the team earlier. Jack takes Gwen to a pub, and over a drink, explains that the purpose of Torchwood is to help monitor and control the flotsam and jetsam of the time-space vortex that falls to Earth through the rift that exists on the site where the Hub was built. As Gwen wonders why Jack is telling her all of this, he explains that he has placed an amnesia pill in her drink, and that she will have forgotten the information by morning. Gwen races home and tries to type out a message to herself before the pill's effects are complete, but falls asleep; Ianto
remotely turns off her computer, causing the message to be lost.
The next day at work, Gwen is shown a drawing of the knife believed to have been used on the victim two days prior, which triggers a series of memories. These solidify when she spots a Millennium Centre
programme with the word "Remember" in her own handwriting at home, and she returns to the Plass. Suzie is waiting for her there, and explains that the effects of the amnesia pill could be broken with a specific image, in this case the knife. Suzie goes onto explain that it was she who killed the man Gwen saw resurrected, as well as other victims, in order to test the metal gauntlet, with the hope of learning to make its resurrection effect permanent. Suzie pulls a gun on Gwen; as she does, Jack rises from the pavement lift, and Suzie turns and shoots him in the head, killing him. To Suzie's surprise, Jack then recovers and his gunshot wound disappears. Jack tries to coax Suzie to stop, but she puts the gun to her chin and kills herself. Gwen falls to her knees, remembering everything.
In the Hub, the metal gauntlet is sealed away in a box labelled "NOT FOR USE", while Suzie's body is placed into their morgue. Standing on the roof of the Millennium Centre, Jack tells Gwen that he died once, but was brought back to life
, and that he has been immortal
ever since. He adds that he needs to find the right sort of doctor
who can explain what happened. Jack goes on to explain that in the 21st century, "everything changes," and agrees with Gwen that perhaps Torchwood can do more to help people, and offers her a job, which she accepts.
premiere on 22 October 2006 aired Everything Changes back-to-back with the second episode, "Day One
", in a 100-minute premiere special; the closing credits of both episodes were combined to air at the end.
" by The Pipettes
is featured in this episode (as Gwen & Andy arrive to break up a bar fight), "She Moves In Her Own Way
" by The Kooks
(heard in the background at Jubilee Pizza) and "Spitting Games
" by Snow Patrol
(as Owen hits on Linda at the bar).
platform that was not either a United States
import or a live football
match. The figure also placed "Everything Changes" third in its timeslot across all channels, beaten only by the analogue
channels ITV1
and Channel 4
with Prime Suspect and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
respectively.
When "Everything Changes" was repeated on analogue channel BBC Two
three days after its BBC Three airing, it won an audience of 2.8 million, a 13% share. This again placed the episode third in its timeslot, behind Who Do You Think You Are? on BBC One
and the thriller Bon Voyage on ITV1
.
entertainment industry newspaper gave "Everything Changes" a positive preview in its coverage following the October 18th press screening of the episode. "The first episode is an economical, by the numbers introduction to the team", wrote reviewer Mark Wright. "It's certainly bold, the cast are very pretty and the dialogue has a zippy archness to it. Whether that will become grating after a few episodes remains to be seen, but if you like your sci-fi drama a bit punchier than the whimsical Doctor Who, touch wood, you should find a lot to enjoy in the adventures of Torchwood."
Previewing the episode for the Radio Times
listing magazine, Mark Braxton was impressed, but felt that the series would offer better episodes later in the run. "It's slick, scary, funny and expensive looking, but it's also very much an establishing episode", Braxton commented. "With the guided tour dispensed with, however, the fun can really begin."
The Guardian
newspaper's television reviewer Sam Wollaston also gave the episode a guarded welcome, although he felt that the attempts to make Cardiff appear glamorous were a failure. "They've done their best to sex the place up—lots of helicopter shots of that posh bit where Charlotte Church
lives, but it still looks like Cardiff, to be honest. No matter—most of the interesting things are going on below the ground... It's not yet clear whether Eve Myles as new Torchwood recruit PC Gwen Cooper can fill Billie Piper
's boots. Surely not—those boots are two gaping weekend voids that no one can fill. But this looks promising: it's slick, quick and a tiny bit scary. Not much humour yet, which was the lovely thing about Doctor Who. But it's early days; don't jump quite yet."
The Sunday Times
Culture magazine mentioned Torchwood as one of the week's highlights and added that it was "arguably better than Who". Less positively, the Scotsman
when reviewing the episode said "Torchwood seems to me to be as nonsensical and full of holes and unexciting as the genre always is." The use of the alien perfume on the young woman and her boyfriend by Owen has drawn criticism of the character online, with some viewers pointing out this is similar to date rape
.
on 26 July 2007, and on BBC America
on 8 September 2007.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
science fiction television
Science fiction on television
Science fiction first appeared on a television program during the Golden Age of Science Fiction. Special effects and other production techniques allow creators to present a living visual image of an imaginary world not limited by the constraints of reality; this makes television an excellent medium...
programme Torchwood
Torchwood
Torchwood is a British science fiction television programme created by Russell T Davies. The series is a spin-off from Davies's 2005 revival of the long-running science fiction programme Doctor Who. The show has shifted its broadcast channel each series to reflect its growing audience, moving from...
, which was first broadcast on 22 October 2006.
Synopsis
Police constablePolice officer
A police officer is a warranted employee of a police force...
Gwen Cooper
Gwen Cooper
Gwen Cooper is a fictional character in the BBC television programme Torchwood, a spin-off to the long-running show Doctor Who, portrayed by Welsh actress Eve Myles. The series' lead female character, Gwen has featured in every episode of the sci-fi programme to date as well as two crossover...
comes across the mysterious organisation known as Torchwood
Torchwood Institute
The Torchwood Institute is a fictional secret organization from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who and its spin-off series Torchwood. It was established in 1879 by Queen Victoria after the events of "Tooth and Claw". Its prime directive, is to defend the earth against...
. While investigating their world, she finds technology and methods she never imagined.
Plot
During a murder investigation in CardiffCardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
, Gwen Cooper spies on a mysterious group of five people calling themselves "Torchwood" led by Captain Jack Harkness
Jack Harkness
Captain Jack Harkness is a fictional character played by John Barrowman in Doctor Who and its spin-off series, Torchwood. He first appeared in the 2005 Doctor Who episode "The Empty Child" and reappeared in the remaining episodes of the 2005 series as a companion of the ninth incarnation of the...
. Another member, Suzie, uses a metal gauntlet to temporarily bring the victim to life in an attempt to identify his killer. Jack notes Gwen's presence, causing her to flee the scene. The next day, she runs into Jack again at a hospital and, following him, finds a sealed-off area where she runs into a Weevil
Weevil (Torchwood)
Weevils are a fictional extraterrestrial species from the British science fiction television series Torchwood, first appearing in the episode "Everything Changes". As Jack Harkness explains in that episode, the name "Weevil" is applied to them by Torchwood, but as communication with them is...
, which kills a porter. Jack arrives, giving Gwen the opportunity to escape. As she leaves the hospital, she spots the Torchwood vehicle and follows it. She learns from her office that the vehicle is unregistered, and that while there was a "Jack Harkness" who disappeared in 1941
The Doctor Dances
"The Doctor Dances" is an episode in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast on 28 May 2005. It is the second of a two-part story and saw Jack Harkness, played by John Barrowman, join the Doctor as a companion. The first part, "The Empty Child", was...
, there is not one currently on record. She follows the vehicle to Roald Dahl Plass
Roald Dahl Plass
Roald Dahl Plass is a public plaza in Cardiff Bay, part of Cardiff, Wales. It is named after Cardiff-born author Roald Dahl, and is located on the coast along the south of the city centre. The square is home to the Senedd and the Wales Millennium Centre, a performing arts centre...
, where she continues the pursuit on foot only to lose sight of them as they pass a large fountain. She then learns from her partner Andy that all personnel at the hospital have been accounted for.
Catching sight of a pizza delivery scooter, she inquires at the local pizza store and learns they make deliveries to Torchwood. Disguised as a pizza delivery girl, she enters a tourist centre where Ianto
Ianto Jones
Ianto Jones is a fictional character in the BBC television series Torchwood, played by Welsh actor Gareth David-Lloyd. A series regular, Ianto appears in every episode of the programme's first three series, as well as two crossover episodes of Torchwoods parent show, Doctor Who...
presses a button to reveal a secret passageway and lets her through. Following it, Gwen eventually finds herself in the Torchwood Hub, where the rest of the Torchwood team members initially try to ignore her entrance but break into fits of laughter, well aware of who she is. Jack shows Gwen around the Hub, including the captured Weevil from the hospital; they then leave the Hub via a pavement slab lift, which takes them to Roald Dahl Plass in front of the fountain. Jack explains that a perception filter exists around the spot they are standing, making them invisible to passersby, explaining why Gwen lost track of the team earlier. Jack takes Gwen to a pub, and over a drink, explains that the purpose of Torchwood is to help monitor and control the flotsam and jetsam of the time-space vortex that falls to Earth through the rift that exists on the site where the Hub was built. As Gwen wonders why Jack is telling her all of this, he explains that he has placed an amnesia pill in her drink, and that she will have forgotten the information by morning. Gwen races home and tries to type out a message to herself before the pill's effects are complete, but falls asleep; Ianto
Ianto Jones
Ianto Jones is a fictional character in the BBC television series Torchwood, played by Welsh actor Gareth David-Lloyd. A series regular, Ianto appears in every episode of the programme's first three series, as well as two crossover episodes of Torchwoods parent show, Doctor Who...
remotely turns off her computer, causing the message to be lost.
The next day at work, Gwen is shown a drawing of the knife believed to have been used on the victim two days prior, which triggers a series of memories. These solidify when she spots a Millennium Centre
Wales Millennium Centre
Wales Millennium Centre is an arts centre located in the Cardiff Bay area of Cardiff, Wales. The site covers a total area of . Phase 1 of the building was opened during the weekend of the 26–28 November 2004 and phase 2 opened on 22 January 2009 with an inaugural concert...
programme with the word "Remember" in her own handwriting at home, and she returns to the Plass. Suzie is waiting for her there, and explains that the effects of the amnesia pill could be broken with a specific image, in this case the knife. Suzie goes onto explain that it was she who killed the man Gwen saw resurrected, as well as other victims, in order to test the metal gauntlet, with the hope of learning to make its resurrection effect permanent. Suzie pulls a gun on Gwen; as she does, Jack rises from the pavement lift, and Suzie turns and shoots him in the head, killing him. To Suzie's surprise, Jack then recovers and his gunshot wound disappears. Jack tries to coax Suzie to stop, but she puts the gun to her chin and kills herself. Gwen falls to her knees, remembering everything.
In the Hub, the metal gauntlet is sealed away in a box labelled "NOT FOR USE", while Suzie's body is placed into their morgue. Standing on the roof of the Millennium Centre, Jack tells Gwen that he died once, but was brought back to life
The Parting of the Ways
"The Parting of the Ways" is an episode in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast on 18 June 2005. It was the second episode of the two-part story that featured Christopher Eccleston making his last appearance as the Ninth Doctor...
, and that he has been immortal
Immortality
Immortality is the ability to live forever. It is unknown whether human physical immortality is an achievable condition. Biological forms have inherent limitations which may or may not be able to be overcome through medical interventions or engineering...
ever since. He adds that he needs to find the right sort of doctor
Doctor (Doctor Who)
The Doctor is the central character in the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who, and has also featured in two cinema feature films, a vast range of spin-off novels, audio dramas and comic strips connected to the series....
who can explain what happened. Jack goes on to explain that in the 21st century, "everything changes," and agrees with Gwen that perhaps Torchwood can do more to help people, and offers her a job, which she accepts.
Continuity
- As Gwen first enters the Hub, she passes a transparent container holding the Tenth DoctorTenth DoctorThe Tenth Doctor is the tenth incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He is played by David Tennant, who appears in three series, as well as eight specials...
's severed hand last seen in the Doctor WhoDoctor WhoDoctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
episode "The Christmas InvasionThe Christmas Invasion"The Christmas Invasion" is a 60-minute special episode of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It is Christmas, but there is little cause for celebration as planet Earth is invaded by aliens known as the Sycorax...
" It is next seen in "Day OneDay One (Torchwood)"Day One" is the second episode of the first series of the British science fiction television series Torchwood. Written by Chris Chibnall and directed by Brian Kelly, the episode was first broadcast on the digital channel BBC Three on 22 October 2006 with the series pilot, "Everything Changes", and...
". The origin of the hand is later confirmed in the Doctor Who episode "UtopiaUtopia (Doctor Who)"Utopia" is an episode of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was broadcast on BBC One on 16 June 2007 and is the eleventh episode of series three of the revived Doctor Who series...
". - Talking to Gwen, Jack refers to the events of "The Christmas Invasion" (the spaceship over London), and "DoomsdayDoomsday (Doctor Who)"Doomsday" is the thirteenth and final episode in the second series of the revival of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was first broadcast on 8 July 2006 and is the conclusion of a two-part story; the first part, "Army of Ghosts", was broadcast on 1 July 2006...
" (the Battle of Canary WharfCanary WharfCanary Wharf is a major business district located in London, United Kingdom. It is one of London's two main financial centres, alongside the traditional City of London, and contains many of the UK's tallest buildings, including the second-tallest , One Canada Square...
, CybermenCybermanThe Cybermen are a fictional race of cyborgs who are amongst the most persistent enemies of the Doctor in the British science fiction television series, Doctor Who. Cybermen were originally a wholly organic species of humanoids originating on Earth's twin planet Mondas that began to implant more...
in every home). - Jack also refers to other Torchwood facilities: Torchwood One in London was destroyed in the Battle of Canary Wharf; Torchwood Two is an office in GlasgowGlasgowGlasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
(the site of Torchwood's founding as shown in "Tooth and ClawTooth and Claw (Doctor Who)"Tooth and Claw" is the second episode in the second series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who and was first broadcast on 22 April 2006. In 1879 Scotland, the Doctor and Rose meet Queen Victoria...
"), run by someone described as a "very strange man"; and Torchwood Four is missing, but "we'll find it one day." - The spot in Roald Dahl Plass where the TARDISTARDISThe TARDISGenerally, TARDIS is written in all upper case letters—this convention was popularised by the Target novelisations of the 1970s...
landed in "Boom TownBoom Town (Doctor Who)"Boom Town" is an episode in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast on 4 June 2005. The Doctor, Rose and Jack travel to modern-day Cardiff and meet up with Rose's boyfriend, Mickey...
" possesses a "perception filter" that prevents anyone outside from noticing anything inside. Jack's explanation is that "a dimensionally transcendental chameleon circuit placed right on this spot… welded its perception properties to a spatio-temporal rift", but concedes that "invisible lift" has got "more of a ring to it." The terms "dimensionally transcendental" and "chameleon circuit" are also pieces of jargon associated with the TARDIS. - This episode introduces the WeevilWeevil (Torchwood)Weevils are a fictional extraterrestrial species from the British science fiction television series Torchwood, first appearing in the episode "Everything Changes". As Jack Harkness explains in that episode, the name "Weevil" is applied to them by Torchwood, but as communication with them is...
, which is described in the first Torchwood DeclassifiedTorchwood DeclassifiedTorchwood Declassified is a documentary series created by the British Broadcasting Corporation to complement the British science fiction television series Torchwood. Each episode is broadcast on the same evening as the broadcast of the weekly television episode...
as being the "resident alien" of the show. - Torchwood's pet pterodactyl came through the Rift, according to a file on the Torchwood Institute website. It is revealed in a later episode (Fragments) that Ianto joined Torchwood Three after leading Jack to the warehouse in which the pterodactyl was trapped.
- Jubilee Pizza featured in a cut scene from the Doctor Who episode "DalekDalek (Doctor Who episode)"Dalek" is an episode in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who that was first broadcast on 30 April 2005. It should not be confused with the first Dalek serial, The Daleks...
" and is a reference to the audio play JubileeJubilee (Doctor Who audio)Jubilee is a Big Finish Productions audio drama based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Elements of the story were reworked by Rob Shearman to create the television episode "Dalek" in the 2005 series.-Plot:...
, on which "Dalek" is loosely based. - The explanation of psychotropic drugs causing mass hallucinations is similar to the explanation given for (though not within) the Doctor Who serial The InvasionThe Invasion (Doctor Who)The Invasion is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in eight weekly parts from 2 November to 21 December 1968...
, also about the mass invasion of Cybermen. - Jack refers obliquely to the events of "The Parting of the WaysThe Parting of the Ways"The Parting of the Ways" is an episode in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast on 18 June 2005. It was the second episode of the two-part story that featured Christopher Eccleston making his last appearance as the Ninth Doctor...
" and expresses hope that "the right sort of doctorDoctor (Doctor Who)The Doctor is the central character in the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who, and has also featured in two cinema feature films, a vast range of spin-off novels, audio dramas and comic strips connected to the series....
" will someday explain his immortality. Jack eventually gets his wish in the Doctor Who episode "Utopia". - Rhys' friend Banana Boat is first mentioned. He later appears in the TV episode "Something BorrowedSomething Borrowed (Torchwood)"Something Borrowed" is the ninth episode of the second series of British science fiction television series Torchwood. It was broadcast by BBC Three on 5 March 2008 and repeated on BBC Two one week later.-Synopsis:...
"
Production
This episode had the working title of Flotsam And Jetsam. This title was worked into the script when Jack describes the idea of "flotsam and jetsam" falling through the Rift into Cardiff. The opening scene, involving the reanimation of a corpse in an alley at night, was adapted from a pitch written by Russell T Davies and Julie Gardner for a possible science fiction series called Excalibur, devised before Davies became responsible for the 2005 revival of Doctor Who. The BBC ThreeBBC Three
BBC Three is a television network from the BBC broadcasting via digital cable, terrestrial, IPTV and satellite platforms. The channel's target audience includes those in the 16-34 year old age group, and has the purpose of providing "innovative" content to younger audiences, focusing on new talent...
premiere on 22 October 2006 aired Everything Changes back-to-back with the second episode, "Day One
Day One (Torchwood)
"Day One" is the second episode of the first series of the British science fiction television series Torchwood. Written by Chris Chibnall and directed by Brian Kelly, the episode was first broadcast on the digital channel BBC Three on 22 October 2006 with the series pilot, "Everything Changes", and...
", in a 100-minute premiere special; the closing credits of both episodes were combined to air at the end.
Music
The song "We Are the PipettesWe Are the Pipettes
We Are The Pipettes is the debut album from The Pipettes and is named after the group's theme song of the same title. It was released on 17 July 2006 on Memphis Industries and is available on CD, vinyl and digital download...
" by The Pipettes
The Pipettes
The Pipettes are a British indie pop girl group formed in 2003 in Brighton by "svengali" Robert "Monster Bobby" Barry. The group has released two albums, We Are the Pipettes, and Earth vs...
is featured in this episode (as Gwen & Andy arrive to break up a bar fight), "She Moves In Her Own Way
She Moves in Her Own Way
"She Moves in Her Own Way" is a song by English band The Kooks and is featured on their debut album, Inside In/Inside Out. It was released 26 June 2006 as the fifth single from that album, charting at number seven in the UK Singles Chart...
" by The Kooks
The Kooks
The Kooks are an English indie rock band formed in Brighton, East Sussex, in 2001. Formed by Luke Pritchard , Hugh Harris , Paul Garred , and Max Rafferty , the lineup of the band remained constant until 2008 and the departure of Rafferty...
(heard in the background at Jubilee Pizza) and "Spitting Games
Spitting Games
"Spitting Games" is the lead single from Snow Patrol's third album, Final Straw, released on 15 September 2003.It was featured on the video game MVP Baseball 2004 and numerous Club Football 2005 titles. The track was also featured in "Everything Changes", the first episode of the Doctor Who...
" by Snow Patrol
Snow Patrol
Snow Patrol are an alternative rock band from Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland. Formed at the University of Dundee in 1994 as an indie rock band, the band is now based in Glasgow...
(as Owen hits on Linda at the bar).
Broadcast
In the unofficial overnight viewing figures, "Everything Changes" gained an average audience of 2.4 million for its debut showing on BBC Three, a 12.7% share of the total television audience for its slot. This was the largest audience ever recorded by a BBC Three programme, as well as the highest ever audience for a programme broadcast solely on a digital televisionDigital television
Digital television is the transmission of audio and video by digital signals, in contrast to the analog signals used by analog TV...
platform that was not either a United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
import or a live football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
match. The figure also placed "Everything Changes" third in its timeslot across all channels, beaten only by the analogue
Analog television
Analog television is the analog transmission that involves the broadcasting of encoded analog audio and analog video signal: one in which the message conveyed by the broadcast signal is a function of deliberate variations in the amplitude and/or frequency of the signal...
channels ITV1
ITV1
ITV1 is a generic brand that is used by twelve franchises of the British ITV Network in the English regions, Wales, southern Scotland , the Isle of Man and the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey. The ITV1 brand was introduced by Carlton and Granada in 2001, alongside the regional identities of their...
and Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
with Prime Suspect and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (film)
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen is a 2003 superhero film adaptation loosely based on characters from the comic book limited series The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen by Alan Moore, who is also famous for Watchmen, V for Vendetta, and From Hell. It was released on July 11, 2003, in the...
respectively.
When "Everything Changes" was repeated on analogue channel BBC Two
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
three days after its BBC Three airing, it won an audience of 2.8 million, a 13% share. This again placed the episode third in its timeslot, behind Who Do You Think You Are? on BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
and the thriller Bon Voyage on ITV1
ITV1
ITV1 is a generic brand that is used by twelve franchises of the British ITV Network in the English regions, Wales, southern Scotland , the Isle of Man and the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey. The ITV1 brand was introduced by Carlton and Granada in 2001, alongside the regional identities of their...
.
Reviews and Reception
The website of The StageThe Stage
The Stage is a weekly British newspaper founded in 1880, available nationally and published on Thursdays. Covering all areas of the entertainment industry but focused primarily on theatre, it contains news, reviews, opinion, features and other items of interest, mainly to those who work within the...
entertainment industry newspaper gave "Everything Changes" a positive preview in its coverage following the October 18th press screening of the episode. "The first episode is an economical, by the numbers introduction to the team", wrote reviewer Mark Wright. "It's certainly bold, the cast are very pretty and the dialogue has a zippy archness to it. Whether that will become grating after a few episodes remains to be seen, but if you like your sci-fi drama a bit punchier than the whimsical Doctor Who, touch wood, you should find a lot to enjoy in the adventures of Torchwood."
Previewing the episode for the Radio Times
Radio Times
Radio Times is a UK weekly television and radio programme listings magazine, owned by the BBC. It has been published since 1923 by BBC Magazines, which also provides an on-line listings service under the same title...
listing magazine, Mark Braxton was impressed, but felt that the series would offer better episodes later in the run. "It's slick, scary, funny and expensive looking, but it's also very much an establishing episode", Braxton commented. "With the guided tour dispensed with, however, the fun can really begin."
The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
newspaper's television reviewer Sam Wollaston also gave the episode a guarded welcome, although he felt that the attempts to make Cardiff appear glamorous were a failure. "They've done their best to sex the place up—lots of helicopter shots of that posh bit where Charlotte Church
Charlotte Church
Charlotte Maria Church is a Welsh singer-songwriter, actress and television presenter. She rose to fame in childhood as a classical singer before branching into pop music in 2005. By 2007, she had sold more than 10 million records worldwide including over 5 million in the United States...
lives, but it still looks like Cardiff, to be honest. No matter—most of the interesting things are going on below the ground... It's not yet clear whether Eve Myles as new Torchwood recruit PC Gwen Cooper can fill Billie Piper
Billie Piper
Billie Paul Piper is an English singer and actress.She began her career in the late 1990s as a pop singer and then switched to acting. She started in acting and dancing and was talent spotted at the Sylvia Young stage school by Smash Hits magazine who wanted a "face" for their magazine...
's boots. Surely not—those boots are two gaping weekend voids that no one can fill. But this looks promising: it's slick, quick and a tiny bit scary. Not much humour yet, which was the lovely thing about Doctor Who. But it's early days; don't jump quite yet."
The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times (UK)
The Sunday Times is a Sunday broadsheet newspaper, distributed in the United Kingdom. The Sunday Times is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News International, which is in turn owned by News Corporation. Times Newspapers also owns The Times, but the two papers were founded...
Culture magazine mentioned Torchwood as one of the week's highlights and added that it was "arguably better than Who". Less positively, the Scotsman
The Scotsman
The Scotsman is a British newspaper, published in Edinburgh.As of August 2011 it had an audited circulation of 38,423, down from about 100,000 in the 1980s....
when reviewing the episode said "Torchwood seems to me to be as nonsensical and full of holes and unexciting as the genre always is." The use of the alien perfume on the young woman and her boyfriend by Owen has drawn criticism of the character online, with some viewers pointing out this is similar to date rape
Date rape
"Date rape", often referred to as acquaintance rape, is an assault or attempted assault usually committed by a new acquaintance involving sexual intercourse without mutual consent....
.
U.S. Premiere
The episode, starting off series 1, premiered at Comic-Con InternationalComic-Con International
San Diego Comic-Con International, also known as Comic-Con International: San Diego , and commonly known as Comic-Con or the San Diego Comic-Con, was founded as the Golden State Comic Book Convention and later the San Diego Comic Book Convention in 1970 by Shel Dorf and a group of San Diegans...
on 26 July 2007, and on BBC America
BBC America
BBC America is an American television network, owned and operated by BBC Worldwide, and available on both cable and satellite.-History:The channel launched on March 29, 1998, broadcasting comedy, drama and lifestyle programs from BBC Television and other British television broadcasters like ITV and...
on 8 September 2007.