The Torchwood Institute, (TV: Rise of the Cybermen [+]Tom MacRae, adapted from Spare Parts (Marc Platt), Doctor Who series 2 (BBC One, 2006).) or simply Torchwood, (TV: Doomsday [+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who series 2 (BBC One, 2006).) was an organisation that existed on Pete's World. Unlike its counterpart of the Doctor's universe, this organisation was public knowledge. (TV: Rise of the Cybermen [+]Tom MacRae, adapted from Spare Parts (Marc Platt), Doctor Who series 2 (BBC One, 2006).) However, the full details of their operations were secretive, which led to a takeover by the British government sometime prior to 2010. (TV: Doomsday [+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who series 2 (BBC One, 2006).)
History[]
"ChatGuest1", a mysterious individual who knew lots about Cybus Industries and those who opposed them, knew nothing of Torchwood. (GAME: Cybus Spy [+]Joseph Lidster, Defending the Earth! (BBC, 2006).)
In 2007, the Torchwood Institute published a study. The details of this study were reported by a newsreader on IE24 News. The study warned of a "Barren Earth Scenario", claiming that as male fertility rates were dropping, lifespans in the western world were decreasing. (PROSE: Doctor Who: The Encyclopedia [+]Gary Russell, BBC Books (2007)., The Time Traveller's Almanac [+]Steve Tribe, BBC Books (2008).) Later that day, Stevie, a representative of Torchwood, attended Jackie Tyler's birthday party. Pete Tyler greeted him and asked about his work. (TV: Rise of the Cybermen [+]Tom MacRae, adapted from Spare Parts (Marc Platt), Doctor Who series 2 (BBC One, 2006).)
As with the Torchwood Institute of the Doctor's universe, they were based at the Torchwood Tower in Canary Wharf, where they discovered the breach in the Void. In contrast to their counterparts, this Torchwood's research advanced to the point that they developed devices that allowed transport to the Doctor's universe. Ultimately, the People's Republic of Great Britain discovered their research and took control of their facility. However, the Cybermen infiltrated Torchwood, and used the facility to transport their five million strong army to invade the Earth of the Doctor's universe. The process of transporting so many Cybermen took them three years, at which point they arrived in the Doctor's universe in 2007, while the Preachers led by Pete Tyler followed them from Pete's World in 2010.
Through a dimensional transporter, the Tenth Doctor was introduced to the parallel Torchwood by Jake Simmonds, where he warned the Preachers of the damage the technology caused to the wall between worlds. As a result of the battle which saw the Cybermen defeated as the Doctor trapped their army in the Void, Rose and Jackie Tyler of the Doctor's universe were trapped in the Torchwood of Pete's World as the breach between worlds was closed. Months later, however, the Doctor was able to make temporary contact with Rose, who announced her intention to join Torchwood to defend the world that was now her home. (TV: Doomsday [+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who series 2 (BBC One, 2006).)
Torchwood developed the dimension cannon which was able to use weakening barriers between universes to punch holes in reality, enable travel to parallel universes again. Rose insisted on being the first volunteer to use it. (AUDIO: The Endless Night [+]Jonathan Morris, The Dimension Cannon (Rose Tyler, Big Finish Productions, 2019).)
President Harriet Jones combined Torchwood and the Preachers into UNIT. Brigadier Krista Lateef was originally a member of Torchwood prior to the merger, and was inspired to join following her daughter's Cyber-conversion and eventual death at the hands of Cybus Industries. (AUDIO: The Siege of Big Ben [+]Joseph Lidster, Short Trips (Big Finish Productions, 2018).)
Behind the scenes[]
According to reference books,[which?] this version of Torchwood was created by the president of Great Britain after Queen Victoria was visibly bitten by the werewolf as the Doctor was not present. (REF: Aliens and Enemies)
