Articles Why is Torchwood So Popular? by DJ Forrest

It’s been a while since the last series, and yet fans still post up their favourite clips, or photographs of their favourite scene or character. Ianto and Jack top many of those, with Gwen, Owen and Toshiko coming a close second and third.

     We all have our favourite moments from the four seasons. We can all remember pretty much what we were doing when the series’ first aired, what we thought of the first episode, because up until it first aired 10 years ago, on October 22^nd, we’d only had The X Files to keep us fed on alien and paranormal phenomenon. So, what could the BBC have to offer us, that would turn us away from Mulder and Scully, and have us tune in every week on BBC2, to a series that would have us coming back for more time and time again.

     Say hello, to Wales’ own X Files, with a bigger cast, living under the city, and doing a job so secret, that nobody had ever heard of them until the second series, and when Children of Earth hit, even the ‘real’ world got to know about the Hub’s own Coffee Boy, Ianto Jones.

     In a story that would have many fans reaching for the hankies, and some taking to their computers writing nine letters to Russell T Davies, the creator of the show, with their utter disgust for killing off one of the most charismatic characters in the series, one that had such a HUGE fan following. Why, oh why???

     I was never a fan of Ianto Jones personally. He was the butler to the Fab Four, it was Thunderbirds Go, and he was only responsible for the cleaning up and the general running of the organisation from the ground up. Except Ianto Jones was so much more than that, and the novels really helped to give the man more credit, more worth, and so, my appreciation of the Welshman in the smart suit, became more apparent.

     Of course, my heart lay with Captain Jack Harkness, the dashing, debonair, ‘World War Two’ officer with the matinee idol smile, and immortal. So, whatever was thrown at him, from a great height, he’d always come back. Except, with so many deaths on his hands, could he really keep bouncing back? Could he really still wear that dashing smile and carry on as normal? Could you?

     Immortal or not, it’s a heavy burden to bear, and there’s not many mortals who could ‘keep buggering on’ as Winston Churchill always said.

  

   The fourth season of Torchwood took us Stateside. It soon became apparent, when Torchwood fans discovered that their beloved double act, Gwen and Jack, were being controlled by the CIA. Torchwood were very much, not in control. It grew even more apparent that there was something more afoot when Rex Matheson became another immortal after syphoning his own blood in favour of Jack’s during the series, to keep it safe. What a clever trick that was.

     Rex Matheson was not a popular character and many despised him. He wasn’t even properly evidenced in the novel ‘The Exodus Code.’ Why? Perhaps because there’s little interest in a CIA story. The fans want Torchwood. They want the alien surprise. They want Gwen Cooper and Captain Jack. They want the sex and the action and the nudity and the hot pursuits, and…. well ultimately, they want Torchwood.

     The fans have always wanted to know when Torchwood is coming back. During every panel that every cast member appears on, the first question from any fan is – ‘When is Torchwood coming back?’ So, I suppose it’s of no surprise that Barrowman wants another series of Torchwood too. The question I have, is will one series be enough? And will this be the swansong of Captain Jack and Gwen Cooper. After all, Eve Myles has already hung up her boots on Gwen, hasn’t she?

     Personally, I wish there were more novels, and novels of the Big Finish audios, which would mean that the fans with audio difficulties, could enjoy the series more if the books were readily available.

     Doctor Who novels are turned out so often, new stories with the 11^th and now the 12^th. What would be so wrong about having novels now with Torchwood?

     The things I miss about the show were the individual stories. Each one blended so well into the next, and the novels helped jolly them along, weaving in and out of the series, which worked so well. Novels are now in limbo. How can we continue after the Three Families, and the near end of days scenario with Exodus Code? There’s the comics, which are great. (I’ve only read one so far), but I prefer hardback novels, with shiny coloured images of the team on the front cover, designed by Lee Binding, written by the all too familiar writing team that brought us ‘Bay of the Dead’, ‘The House that Jack built’, ‘Skypoint’ and so on. These people knew Torchwood. They were there from the start. They’re back and with Big Finish, with audio stories that keep you glued till the end of the disk. But I want more. I want to physically see the cast. Want to see the action on the screen. Hear the roar of the SUV as it thunders along the quiet streets of Cardiff, as it always seemed to be relatively quiet when they were heading off in hot pursuit of a blowfish. OK, so the SUV is out of the running, but you get what I mean.

     I’d have loved to have seen ‘The Undertakers Gift’ as an episode. I could visualise it so perfectly in my head. I’m sure, like JK Rowling’s portrayal of the Dementors, I had the creatures pegged in the story just as good.

     What makes Torchwood so popular though? It has to be the cast, the locations, the witty dialogue. Then there’s the aliens, and the personal dilemmas. I just wish it hadn’t been decided that as each series ended, we’d see a demise in the team. OK, Jack returned from the dead, but series 2 saw the loss of Toshiko and Owen, series 3 saw a sad farewell to Ianto Jones. By Series 4 it looked as if we’d come full circle and we would lose Jack again. Why is there a need to kill off the team?

     Torchwood in Cardiff put Wales on the map – even though to be fair, Doctor Who’s return to our screens in 2005 had pretty much achieved that, but Torchwood kept it there. Aliens living and breathing on the streets of Cardiff. Weevils in the sewers. Blowfish driving Sports cars. It was all there.

We as a nation fell in love with the five team members living beneath the city, eating take out, and talking about Jack as if after all the years of working with him, none of them had ever had the courage to physically ask him about his life. As he seemed to know so much about theirs.

     So why is Torchwood so popular, that after celebrating its 10^th birthday almost a week ago, the fans want more?

     I put the question out to Twitter tonight, and to Facebook fans. These are the answers that came back.

   ‘I think that it’s the issues it covers: sexuality, sacrifices, characters and their backgrounds. And the fact that it's a bit more realistic and normal than Doctor Who, cause it's focused on earth.’ Louise Westie

   ‘Well, the characters are real people with a real life, trauma, sad events, love. They are not perfect or superheroes. Plus, it is the idea of what Torchwood is, what it does, how they work. And the person of Captain Jack. :) Also, this show has an omnisexual main character, all its characters are queer at times. (Even Owen, after he sprayed himself with the sex perfume). And the ideas of the writing for the stories, the episodes are so extraordinary and sometimes creepy, it is just awesome.’ Claudia Lindner

   ‘I liked the quirky humour, the fact that our heroes are flawed human beings with some pretty awful habits... Gwen lies to Rhys in their first scene together. Owen uses date rape spray. Tosh is lonely and Ianto is pretty screwed too. Jack too has his moments of utter stupidity.

I loved the uniqueness of using Cardiff and the Welsh extras like Rhys and Andy. It's not glamorous and people make mistakes. The stories were odd and fun and sad and scary too sometimes all in one episode. I refer to seasons one and two. Whilst I enjoyed COE as a drama, it didn't retain the elements I loved most and MD was just utter rubbish.’ Ianto Tarrant

   ‘Always Toshi.’ Simon Mallinson

   ‘The characters just clicked with me: their struggles, the poignancy of their very flawed heroics - & humour.’ Alice Mary

   ‘It came across as a bunch of 'nice, normal' people just having a go at being brave.’ Cathy Harris Norman.

   ‘It’s because of the characters (and great actors) and how the whole story is built around them.’ Tiziana DF

   ‘It’s the Welshness, the quirky humour and Ianto, Tosh & Owen.’ Jann

   ‘Interesting characters and on the whole, great stories.’ Henry Charles Egglet.

   ‘That it set up an impossible premise, that made you go ‘no way, can they do that’ and then they did. Also, Captain Jack and Ianto Jones.’ Torchwood Pride.

     So, there you have it. Torchwood encompasses so many things and it’s not just the fans who want it back. John Barrowman, a huge fan of the show himself, who has more Torchwood and Captain Jack memorabilia than the average fan, who loves his Captain as much as I’m sure the Captain loves John Barrowman; has set himself a quest; to bring Torchwood back to the television where it so rightly belongs. Whether it be for only specials, or a series, or a series of series’, it’ll be interesting to see if his goal is accomplished.

     Torchwood lives on in all of us, even Daniele Favilli, who played Angelo Colasanto, in Miracle Day, has dreams of bringing another story of Angelo and Jack to the screens. We wish him every success with this, as much as we hope to see Torchwood itself, come to the big screen, with Captain Jack, bigger than ever, taking up the full screen…we can but dream.

    Special thanks go to all who contributed to this article!

The Coffee Shop Meat Caption Comp

What is Ianto thinking about as he stares at the Starwhale?

Project: Torchwood Ianto: Nope, definitely don't see that face you see in the wrinkled skin of this space cow, and you definitely won't convince me by pointing that water pistol at my right ear!

Top Comment

Betty Dee Ianto: "I doubt that rock climbing on this will work..." Man with the gun: "I don't care, get up there!"

Claudia Lindner Ianto: "Impressive...but I think I'll stay with the original Ianto shrine."

What had Jack and Gwen seen in the Hub that was just a little too much for Jack's strong stomach? Or was it something Ianto said?

Top Comment

Claudia Lindner Ianto:"There's a package delivery, for Torchwood. It's from an online shoe store. And it's huge!" Jack:"Who buys shoes under the name Torchwood????" Gwen: "Oops!"

Betty Dee Ianto says: "I burned the scrambled eggs - again..." And Gwen thinks: "Again? When will he ever learn?" While Jack and Tosh are both like "WHAT?!?!?"

The Coffee Shop Continuity Errors Ask the Fans

Over the years there have been any number of continuity errors on Torchwood, I can name on one hand the ones I remember the best of, but I'm wondering how many you guys can recall. Some are blindingly obvious while others take a bit of reviewing and hitting the playback button on the remote.

In Meat, when Rhys has his hands tied but when he's shot and falls back, suddenly his tied hands are free!

Which can you remember, and can you settle something for me about Captain Jack Harkness. When Barrowman covered a vlog about shaving on his way to the set, he complained about the fact he has to shave when he clearly doesn't like it, but Captain Jack has to have baby soft skin as he's a 51st century guy.

Now this made me wonder if being of the 51st century, guys don't need to shave, or Jack doesn't, there's barely a blemish on that skin. But if that's the case, why was he sporting side burns in Fragments and sporting a moustache in Miracle Day photos as seen on Angelo Colasanto's mantelpiece?

Kirsty Price Because he has to so there aren’t too many questions about the man who always looks the same he can pretend it's a brother or uncle then. Like with Esther. There was a pic of him but he said it was his dad when Gwen knew full well it wasn’t.

Antje Strauch Heh, interesting question! Maybe he used fake sideburns and moustache to "blend in"? It could totally be possible, if we think that we stem from apes and used to have much more fur, that in a few centuries, people will have even less hair.

As for plot holes, the most notable one that always throws me is how in the pilot Jack comes back to life quietly and surprises Suzie (also in the Doctor Who episode where he lets himself get shot by a Dalek to be able to sneak off undetected) - yet later he has this really loud involuntary gasp.

And of course the "I'm not sleeping" vs. we see him sleeping in the episode with the fairies. Although some fanfiction writers have made that into "needs not really to sleep but rest in a while".

Kirsty Price Maybe the coming back gasp is due to how/why he died. Like with Suzie he knows he needs to stop her hence the quietness, and with Ianto his love has just died so it's tiny. In the building where Rhys and Gwen helped them be ok from John and Gray, it was loud cos he was like what the duck?

Antje Strauch Another continuity glitch would actually be why he was the only one alive in the train when all the soldiers died. Clearly he should have died with them and then awake again, but he is just looking around confused (same goes for when he was with the Doctor in the radiation room). I always wanted to write a story about how he died constantly every few minutes and revived.

Claudia Lindner I was also thinking the way he comes back to life might depend on the circumstances of the death and whether the situation is a danger. He's a 51st century guy after all, so he might be psychic in a way he can take that feeling of a situation into death and coming back to life. Or it's just a continuity glitch.

Carol-Anne Hillman he isn't supposed to change because he is a fixed point in time. He eats so he won't waste way...he drinks to stay hydrated.

Jan Swanton Re sideburns /breathing etc. There is an essay written in the 1930s called 'Where was Hamlet at the time of his death?’ It earnestly discusses whether he was at Wittenberg or Elsinore. It was a pivotal point in the way we look at literature, because after someone had pointed out the Emperor has no clothes on, they also pointed out that Hamlet is a character in a play and doesn't exist outside the scenes he is in.

There is also a play called 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolfe?’ in which a married couple have an imaginary son. They make up, often contradictory things about them. But the 'rule' is, once one of them makes up something about their son, the other must accept it as true.

My point is, Jack has facial hair because he does and sometimes sighs when he resurrects because he does. WE know the facial hair is a dramatic device so audiences can readily 'get' that the scene is taking place outside of the current timeline and the dramatic sigh is just that, dramatic!

For me, the biggest leap of faith that I have immense difficulty with is why Ianto starts an affair with the man who killed his girlfriend. But, prosaically, the reason is 'because he does'.

Finally, thank you thank you Mr Moffatt, when asked about the Dr saying he was half human in the American film, explaining 'He was lying!'

Thank you Antje Strauch – a true star :D who found the actual Vlog video on Youtube. 

Torchwood: The Captain's Vlog | To The Last Man YOUTUBE.COM

Rhiannon Cork There was one I think it was S1 no one was actually wearing comms yet they were still talking to each other.

Claudia Lindner Hmm, one of my favourite continuity glitch spreads about several episodes. Remember when in S1/13 Jack mentions he had to answer call to the government, UNIT etc. all night because of the rift opening Owen did? So it's pretty clear the TW leader has to deal with UNIT quite frequently. And then in S2/1 Gwen brags around to have "led the team" while Jack was away which can't be true, as in S2/6 when Martha visits from UNIT, she asks what UNIT is.  So, no you didn't, Gwen!

Maryanne McGurk Murray I guess a total aside, but I would LOVE to hear theories from Torchwood fans....Countrycide....If Jack is driving to the location...and the keys are left in the SUV, why is Owen blamed for the theft. Jack was driving, he left the keys, no?

Tamie Wiggins Because it's more fun to blame Owen?

Kirsty Price When in doubt blame Owen

Betty Dee Plotholes? Miracle Day probably had the largest of them all.

I'm still wondering about this blood story. So no one before checked if Jack's immortality was in his blood? Seriously? I bet Owen got curious about that one. Also: Getting a blood transfusion with the wrong blood type can do a lot of damage. Why was something like that never addressed in this a story that got dragged out for ages? If Jack's blood type wouldn't match - Rex should have died pretty soon after everything went back to normal. And he was in pain before so I assume that he didn't have a blood type matching Jack's. Still, never got addressed in any way.

I never could make heads or tails out of that "family" story or "the blessing" - how did they know what would happen when they inserted Jack's blood there? HOW???

I can't remember the character's name, the one Bill Pullman played - okay, he got blown up anyway but: Couldn't he have died of the fatal dose they gave him for his execution? Sure, it was month later but some things can't get filtered out of the body. "The Miracle" was more like pressing pause on a recording than stopping it.

Shall I go on?

"Children of Earth" - I think Ianto's sister never got mentioned before. Correct me if I'm wrong but it felt as if they just needed someone with children, so he got a sister. I think Gwen got established as an only child - otherwise siblings would at least have gotten mentioned at her wedding. Even if they got estranged her parents would have never let it just go and not mentioned it. Same with Rhys - only child.

If you think about it Gwen (and Rhys) were the only ones with established family. Tosh's mother got mentioned and appeared on screen but even though later a background story was established (Tosh breaking the law for her mother) they never really explained why they had no contact or very little contact. Yes, there was the grandfather's birthday in "Captain Jack Harkness" - but that was all.

With Owen just Katie got mentioned, never any other family. Ianto just glimpses, like his mother having stayed at that hospital.

Jack is a completely other story - but even there it is still surprising that they came up with Alice in "Children of Earth". A lot of the character's histories didn't get put in the open until one needed them for the storyline. I know that's often something that writers do but still - it's terrible for an actor to play a character for, let's say two years, and all of a sudden find out something so fundamental.

They did tell Gareth David-Lloyd before they started shooting that his character was hiding Lisa in the basement - so he was able to act with that knowledge. Stuff like that give a performance depth - even if I as a viewer don't really see it or realise what it is about - you notice that there is something more.

Janice Adams Those were fakes. Jack likes to look like a normal 21st century human sometimes.

Ginger Crawford For all we know in the 51st century a chemical or device could be used to slow hair growth or to accelerate it. Torchwood has alien technology. He could have used this. You don't need to explain away every little detail. That would make it boring. It's not really a plot hole. A plot hole is when the writer writes something that contradicts his own story or when such a huge chunk of info is missing that it causes the story to make no sense.

Kirsty Price I think they were faked so that people don't get all arsey with Angelo for loving a man who never ages. So it's always different. Maybe?

If you can think of any continuity errors please add them below and let’s keep the thread going.

The Coffee Shop Ask The Fans! Vote For Saxon!

If you didn’t know Harold Saxon was the Master, would you still vote for him?

  

Harold Saxon won a landslide victory at the General Election and was sworn in as the Prime Minister of Great Britain.  But what were his policies? Celebrities and politicians couldn’t say enough about him, what he meant to them, yet still there were no clear reasons other than he was cute, and he had their vote.  But what did he stand for? What were his policies?

Given that only a select few knew who this debonair man was, flashing the huge smile, and saying just the right words, the rest of the UK were none the wiser.  He was another politician fighting for a seat at Number 10. 

The Master of course was certain he’d win the election.  After all, he created the Arkangel Telecommunications Network.  It was on every phone, and so there really was no chance he would lose. What with that repetitive 4 beat rat a tat tat tat.....

So if you didn’t know of Harold Saxon’s past, that he was really the Master, an evil Time Lord hell bent on destruction, would you still have voted for him?  We posted this question on our Facebook and Twitter Page and below are some of the responses.  If you want to add yours, please post in the comment box below!

Chris Dodd                Totally ‘Yes!’

Claudia                       Don’t know – anything about his political agenda – apart from destroying the world!

Christine Liddle        Yes *starts randomly tapping 4 beats*

Pauline Howard         Nope

Tal Leavitt Mycroft    At least he gets things done

Caroline Stolze         Tatatatam! Tatatatam!  What?  What was the question?

@Brogalaan              If you had a phone with the Arkangel Network, you would have subconsciously had to.  If you didn’t, no!

@bbwolfgirl11            Why would I vote for him?

Seren Rock                 Nope.  I didn’t like his methods anyway.

@MIP_Charged         Can’t #AmericaFTW!  But if I could...Probably. Mostly because he’s cute!

©BBC Doctor Who 1963

The Coffee Shop Best Andy Moments!

From Constable to Sergeant, Andy Davidson is our favourite copper on Torchwood.  He cares!  He throws himself into the action!  He’d like to be a member of Torchwood!  And he holds a torch for Gwen Cooper and really doesn’t like Rhys Williams. 

He is a part of Torchwood - he just doesn't know it yet!

From quotes, to audios dramas, stories and books to the episodes over 4 seasons, what have been your Best Andy Moments?

Annika Gabriella Brink The episode Adrift where a teen-age boy disappeared had several of my favourite Andy-moments.

Jennifer Ings Fave Tom Price moment: Getting fangirled by him and dragged in front of his panel at Gallifrey One this year because of our Costumes.  They’re actually REAL Welsh Heddlu uniforms.

 “CSI Cardiff, I’d like to see that, they’d be measuring the velocity of a kebab”

Jess Emma Towey:  Two quotes of Sgt Andy’s stick in my mind, both in the first episode ‘Everything Changes’. The first is “CSI Cardiff, I’d like to see that, they’d be measuring the velocity of a kebab’ when he and Gwen go into break up the fight at the pub and the second is ‘I have walked, I have bloody walked’ when he catches up with Gwen on the Bay after she takes off from the hospital in pursuit of the SUV.

If you have any favourite moments please post them below, we’d love to read them. 

©BBC Torchwood 2006

The Coffee Shop Combat Caption Comps

Jack and Gwen in the multi storey car park

Claudia Lindner:  Jack: “Boy, that’s what happens if you feed a weevil after midnight?”

Rhiannon Cork New: We really should have kept John away from those poodles.

Betty Dee: Yes, of course we wanted Tosh and Owen to get it on – but did it have to be in a multi storey car park?  And why, oh why did they call us to witness it?  And where the hell is Ianto?

Rhiannon Cork New: And that’s why weevils wear boiler suits.

Jack with the weevil spray and the clamps

Betty Dee:  Hey, I didn’t mean it that way!  Of course we can have a romantic dinner and just cuddle on the sofa! Ianto?  Please, don’t walk away from me! IANTO!

Claudia Lindner:  “Told you, Ianto, these toys from that ‘Pimp your sex life’ online shop are SO old school!  Done that centuries ago!”

Betty Dee:  “Sorry, I must have taken the weevil spray instead of the lube.  Ah, come on Ianto, it was an honest mistake!  Can’t we still have fun?  You know...”

Rhiannon Cork New:  Ianto...2 words...lube and handcuffs, you up for it?

Carol-Anne Hillman:  Ianto?  Handcuffs and spray cream?  Ky and spray cream or all three? Yeah, in this alley!  You wanna roleplay?

Ianto

The Doctor: Ohhh Arrr Captain...Show me what you got there.

Jack:  On many occasions when Jack and he played the ‘Kiss the person opposite’ game it was Jack he connected with, but on this occasion and high on some alien wacky baccy that Gwen had mistakenly believed was incense, the ‘kissing the person opposite’ became something a little more interesting.  Although it had to be said that puckering up to Janet was not high on his register of things to kiss.  But with lips pursed, a steely gaze, and slightly fuggy brain, Ianto inched closer and closer....

Betty Dee:  YOU!!! How dare you touch my coffee machine!!!

Annika Gabriella Brink:  Bitten by a common dog were you?  Oooh I’m sooo impressed!

Rhiannon Cork New:  “Oooo I’m pretty sure that hockey stick isn’t mean for that Jack.”

Carol-Anne Hillman:  Oh you are so gonna get it when we get back to the Hub!  Play acting indeed!

©BBC Torchwood 2006

The Coffee Shop Out of Time Caption Comp

Caption One

After having been nominated for the Neknominations by Gwen Cooper, Captain Jack Harkness decides who he’s going to nominate as he downs the last of his pint of vodka.

Claudia Lindner Though he never drinks, as he might need to travel any minute, while having a pint of gin, Captain Jack decided that time travelling was much overrated.

Ianto Tarrant Jack nominates Owen......To drink water.

Carol-Anne Hillman Jack nominates Martha Jones, wearing her red unit hat backwards

Christine Oswin Liddle Jack nominates Tosh...that would be funny

Caption Two

Just what made Emma scream?

Betty Dee She just caught Ianto and Jack making out!

DJ ~Jack~: Gwen’s new investment of a life size alarm clock that screamed like a banshee when it was time to get up was not going down well with Rhys! 

Photo Source

©Torchwood 2006

The Coffee Shop Random Shoes Caption Comp

#1

Eugene and Gwen stand across the road from Eugene’s house, Gwen has a paper bag containing the Eye, caption comps as they are require a slightly more humorous take on the situation, so what is Eugene really thinking?

Claudia Lindner: Eugene: Hm...is this a wig?

Carol-Anne Hillman: Does this Ianto have gobstoppers then?

#2

Gwen opens the bag containing the artefact; Jack lifts it out and admires it.  But what do you think was said?

Kirsty Price: Shut up Jack it does not go there!

DJ ~Jack~: Jack marvels at the size of gobstoppers these days.

Claudia Lindner Jack: You know, I once had a boyfriend who...

Owen: Ewww...

Michelle Grimes: My god, Gwen. What did you do to it? It was ten times that size last night!!

Justin Walters: Jack to Gwen "This is Hitler's one and only, I stole it off him when I shot him. Had to have some sort of memento"

Kim Hall: Gwen: "No idea what this is Jack but Ianto asked me to give it to you."

Jack: "Oh," *smirk* "It's a little camera, no doubt he's ..."

Owen: "Jack, if you want to shag the tea boy then do it in private. We don't want to know."

The Coffee Shop Christmas Gifts for the Team

If you could buy the Torchwood team individual gifts for Christmas what would they be?

We asked the fans on our page on Facebook and Twitter what they would buy the team, and these are their responses.  

Betty Dee Preserved memories for Jack (pictures) Had a thought about digitalising his photos from the past. One of his brother and his parents would probably be even better - but how do you get a pic from the future?  Maybe he has one on his vortex manipulator.

I guess I would try to set up Owen and Tosh for a date as a present, maybe give them cards for a play, a concert or a visit to the cinema where they are set next to each other - completed with a dinner at a nice restaurant. No idea if that would work out in the end.

Gwen and Rhys: should either get something domestic for their home or some uninterrupted time.

Ianto: Family time. He should have reconnected with his sister way sooner - and I think we never really saw him on a date with Jack, did we? I love to give things that money can't buy, if possible.

Henry Charles Eggleton: Jack, a photo of his family. 

Lyn Carol: Maybe you could slip a CD of Paul Wellers 'You Do Something To Me' into Ianto’s pocket for later. Memories!

Chloe Robertson:  Suzie:  A night with the team to show she is appreciated and loved.  Gwen: A break.  Ianto: Expensive Coffee.  Owen: Hope.  Jack: Condoms

If you can think of any you’d like to add, please leave a comment below, we’d love to hear your ideas.

©BBC Torchwood 2006