Torchwood Audio Appreciation Thread

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Ayyye first real thread I’m gonna make. Idk if it already exists, my apologies if it does.

Anyways, TORCHWOOD!!! OUTSIDE THE GOVERNMENT, BEYOND THE POLICE!!! :speaking_head::speaking_head:

Just a thread to share and discuss the slept on Torchwood audios because my GOD, they’re good as hell. Everything from the Monthly Range, the Story Continues, the Special Releases, even the BBC released ones. Let’s go nuts

I’d like to share my favorite Torchwood release being, Believe. My god, what a story. The OG team back together bringing in their A-game. A dark, thought provoking plot. That ending.

There’s also Hostile Environment from God Among Us 2. A story about Tyler living being homeless and it is just depressing. Brilliant and raw but oh so depressing. The things Tyler goes through in this episode is harrowing. Brilliant, relevant, and a story that definitely needs to be told.

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I’ve listened to loads of Torchwood on audio, it was about the first thing I listened to from Big Finish, there’s some great stuff in there but I haven’t listened for so long - been sidetracked by all the other sets.

And I know what you’re talking about with Tyler, that thing that happens to him my goodness yes I was quite shocked to hear that. Spoilers.

I’d be interested to know your top pics from the Main Range. As they aren’t required to listen in order, this may be the way I get back into it for now.

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I’ve only listened to two Torchwood audios as Torchwood isn’t a favorite of mine (I originally went into it with no warning of the “adult” content around age 18, and am only just now getting back into it). The two I have listened to, which were good but nothing truly outstanding, were The Great Sontaran War, which was entertaining, and Tropical Beach Sounds and Other Relaxing Seascapes #4, which was really good.

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Who are you and what have you done with the real @shauny ?

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I love Torchwood, that show is the reason I got into Big Finish and am back deep in the Doctor Who hyperfixation. My favourite main range audio (and possibly my favourite audio of all time, fighting Scherzo for first place) is Coffee. It’s a fantastic exploration of Ianto’s character and a great bit of worldbuilding about the people who just live in Cardiff without being “in” on the alien stuff (I really must write a proper review of it.

I’ve yet to hear a single Torchwood audio I didn’t at least enjoy. Some of them are bad, for sure (Expectant comes to mind), but they all have something that makes them fun. Being standalones makes them very easy to get into.

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Ok, you’ve discovered my phrase I will post to tip you off that I’ve been kidnapped.

Nah. It’s the one exception to the rule!

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Torchwood is by far the corner of the whoniverse I’m the most hyperfixated on, I’ve very very nearly finished all of it

Coffee, Deadbeat Escape, The House of the Dead, Tropical Beach Sounds, and Cascade are probably my favourites, but so so many come so close to that top 5



The Main Range is all great
The Story Continues is spectacular
The Special Releases are all really fun (Peach Blossom Heights my beloved)
Soho is great (as is anything with Norton)
Torchwood One is solid (though I’m due a relisten)
The BBC 4 dramas
The Lost Files are good and have a spectacular last story

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Lol, don’t I know that feeling. The backlog never stops with Who.

From the ones I’ve listened to, which is admittedly not much since my focus is on The Story Continues, I’d definitely recommend the ones with Andy and Norton Folgate, Ghost Mission and Goodbye Piccadilly. They’re just good fun with a great duo. And Norton might be my favorite character in Torchwood, I’m gonna listen to the Torchwood Soho soon.

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I’ve listened to most of the Tosh TW audios though I am a little behind (yes she is my favourite). And I enjoyed them all, actually! I like the way it can be a little darker and twistier than mainstream DW, though I haven’t explored that much of the TW EU.

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I’d say a lot darker given things like Corpse Day or Night of the Fendahl

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Might as well throw in my suggestions for some of my favourite Torchwood audios:

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‘Cascade’ basically makes a mockery of LimeWire - which some people will remember from back in the day. Asking “what if torrent sites actually attacked you for illegal downloads?” Really good tech horror story, with an experiemental narrative that keeps glitching like a corrupted audio file.

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Set entirely in Rhys & Gwen’s car, ‘We Always Get Out Alive’ is easily the greatest atmospheric horror piece to come out of this range, and one that really gets the hairs standing on the back of your neck.

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I mentioned the best atmospheric horror, so how about the best body horror piece? Nothing could truly prepare me for how horrifying ‘Lease of Life’ was… and it’ll make you look at black mould in a very different way!

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One of the greatest BigFinish releases of all time, ‘Sonny’ will have you wetting yourself with laughter one minute… and bawling your eyes out the next. Truly one of the most polished pieces of writing they’ve ever put out. A must listen!

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‘Suckers’ is something of a difficult listen because it deals with some VERY heavy mental health subjects, so discretion advised with this one. That being said, it’s phenomenally dark and well-written.

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Some stuff from the exquisite ‘Torchwood One’ range now. Joe Lidster kicks things off with a sublime whistle-stop tour, introducing us to the titular new girl: Rachel Allen, as seen on the cover.

Odd fact for you - she’s played by Claudia Winkleman’s sister (yes, as in her off The Traitors!)

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Gareth David-Lloyd hops into the writer’s seat to deliver what can only be described as Ianto’s origin story. Must listen for fans of the office boy!

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“WHAT A WAY TO MAKE A LIVING!”

Sorry… dunno what came over me there. ‘9 to 5’ starts out very similarly to ‘Human Resources’ with the Eighth Doctor and Lucie… before hitting you with in the feels with an emotional sledgehammer!

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Ignore ‘Locker 15’: it’s garbage.

The other two episodes of the ‘Latter Days’ set though are phenomenal.

‘Retirement Plan’ is another one penned by Gareth David-Lloyd, and it’s an out-and-out comedy romp through a simulated retirement haven. Ianto gets to live out his 007 fantasy and drive a Nightrider rip-off (no, seriously)!

‘The Rockery’ focuses on Yvonne and her mother, Anne. It delves deep into the topic of depression and - speaking as someone who was diagnosed with clinical depression in 2021 - it hits me really hard.

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Quite easily one of the funniest plays in the Torchwood catalogue. Framed as a murder mystery that takes place entirely in one hotel room, it’s genuinely stupid funny.

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Wow thank you! Bookmarked all of these for later, definitely need to give them a listen!

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For anyone wanting to know more about this episode, I’ve just this minute uploaded my review of it.

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Peach Blossom Heights!!! Oh how happy I am we got more Captain John in the EU, though I’m constantly wishing for more. James Marsters has said before that he’d be happy to do it again, so I live in hope. Crossing my fingers for an eventual John and Ianto audio, though I know that’s unlikely.

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Despite Torchwood being what got me into audios, I haven’t actually listened to that many: only 16. I told myself I wouldn’t get too sucked in because it could get very expensive very quickly, and so I only got the ones I was more interested in. Last time I had a large sum of money to spend on audios (thanks Shauny) I was too deep in my love of Eight to even consider Torchwood (and I still am, to be perfectly honest). Maybe one day I’ll have them all.

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I definitely am gonna get into and listen to literally all the Torchwood audios and spinoffs! Just so so much to get through until then…

I’m hoping I can listen in the right order is the main thing. Anything that happened before or during the show is no issue, I don’t mind it being out of order since I’m already ahead and they skip around all the time anyway. (Unless there’s continuity from Torchwood One or something else that’s relevant later), and also the fact that Soho I know sort of has a backdoor pilot in the Monthly Range.

I actually was NOT a big fan of the first two seasons of Torchwood. There was plenty I enjoyed in them, but, also a LOT that I didn’t. There were a bunch of episodes I enjoyed, some I even loved, but interspersed with some of the most painful content I’ve had to get through in Doctor Who.
However, the latter two were genuinely phenomenal and reeled me back in full force. Some of the best Doctor Who content there is and fully worthy of standing in its own right.

From the praise I’ve heard for Torchwood’s audio ranges, when I do get to it, I doubt I’ll be disappointed c:

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I mean, Ianto is in Death of Captian Jack… sort of… briefly

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I’ve spent most of today hyperfixating and making a torchwood timeline, I’m sure a listening/reading order wouldn’t be too hard if there’s interest

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I love me some Torchwood.

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Well, yes, but you know what I mean. That audio was kinda…not great. I loved it but it was not good.

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