Reviews Torchwood: The Conspiracy by Jeffrey Zyra

By David Llewellyn

Broadcast September 2015

Big Finish Audios

Starring John

Barrowman

Captain Jack is suspicious of a group called The Committee.  The Committee is a group that is run by aliens and they seem to have a hand in the events of the world throughout history.  When renowned conspiracy theorist arrives in Cardiff and is talking about The Committee Captain Jack couldn’t waste a moment to talk to George Wilson to find out what he knows about The Committee. What Jack finds out is that most of what George Wilson has been talking about is made up but how was he right about half of the stuff he was talking about in his lectures.  Only when a blogger who got to close ends up dead does Jack fear the worst and that The Committee is now after him.

When I heard back in early 2015 that Big Finish was going to be doing Torchwood audio adventures I was a bit excited and couldn’t wait for them to come out.  I was also pretty happy that they got most of the cast to do the audios also with a few surprises thrown in.  It made perfect sense for Big Finish to star with Captain Jack as he was the central figure of the television show.  But then I found out it would only be a one disc 60 minute story and well I had some reservations especially when I found out the story would be narrated also.  I don’t really enjoy a story that is narrated but in The Conspiracy it worked pretty well as it helped move the story along and it wasn’t overbearing as the story was mostly performed and the narration was minimal.  That is a good thing and I forgot the story was being narrated halfway through so it doesn’t really affect it that much.

I really enjoyed the story about Captain Jack investigating the conspiracy theorist George Wilson.  It ended up being a game of cat and mouse and it was good to see Captain Jack being jerked around and confused by the whole situation of George Wilson who ended up being a fake but actually getting things right about some of the conspiracies that Jack knew was real. I really liked the mystery surrounding this story and who The Committee was and how they are connected to Jack which made the ending of this story something a tad bit unexpected and something you wished they tried in the televised Torchwood.  It ended up that it was all a trap for Jack and it ends up that George Wilson’s daughter Kate wasn’t even human after all but part of The Committee and every once in a while feed him something true in a way to draw Jack’s interest. Now this was a pretty good ending as it made Jack go on the run again and leave the everyday running of Torchwood to his trusted friends.

What is good about this series is that the individual releases are linked in a way and my guess it will be with The Committee going after individual members of Torchwood.  If they are written as cleverly as The Conspiracy then the Torchwood audio adventures will be really good going forward.  I really enjoyed The Conspiracy and to actually have Torchwood back in this format will make the diehard fans really happy and hopefully they get some new interest from the casual fan also.  The Conspiracy is a good start to the Big Finish Torchwood audio adventures.

Grade A

Reviews Torchwood: The Conspiracy by DJ Forrest

Written by David Llewellyn

Directed by Scott Handcock

Produced by Big Finish

Music by Murray Gold

Cue the intro and the new upbeat and funky theme tune by Murray Gold.

Torchwood is BACK!

Immediately I feel a sense of loss for the old theme tune but it’s soon forgotten as the story gets underway.  Jack Harkness tells a portion of the story and you know it’s Jack, because there’s that old bouncy, excited, voice of the Torchwood Captain, that I didn’t feel was there in ‘Another Life’ narration from John Barrowman, until the 2^nd disk when the story picked up after Jack was attacked by the creature in the bath. 

Torchwood is definitely back, that old feel of the great coat, the squeal of the tyres of the SUV thundering along the streets of Cardiff.  This is the old series and for that I’m hyped and excited as the old Captain himself. 

There are new characters and a newer story to tell, as well as reminiscing about old cases.

I couldn’t give you any spoilers even if I tried.  Not because Big Finish might rap my knuckles or I might offend and upset all the fans and the writers and the people I admire, but just because the hour long story is so crammed full of plots and interesting characters, and so much detail that I wouldn’t know where to begin. 

The Big Finish audio drama is a lot different I feel to the old BBC audios.  I can’t put my finger on it, but there is a difference.  I never thought we’d ever hear from Torchwood again, and I’m so glad that Big Finish picked up the baton and ran with it, and I look forward to the next story with utter glee and excitement, because if this story is anything to go by, then I’m curious to see how they’re going to top it. 

Stay on after the end credits, don’t be in a rush to quickly put the audio away, or restart the disk.  There are four great interviews and all worth a listen. 

Only one gripe I guess, the front cover looks a lot darker than the poster that teased us for the first story of the new season.  Yet they say, never judge a book by its cover, and so I feel that, that says a lot about this story by David Llewellyn. 

It’s brilliant!  So worth the wait! 

We asked the fans what they thought of the new story and avoiding all Spoilers, here are their views. 

Claudia Lindner Love it, cleverly written, great story! It has the Torchwood feeling; John as Captain Jack is awesome, brings the whole Torchwood atmosphere back. Other cast is very good, too. The new theme is fantastic, brings something new, but picks up the Torchwood we know. Gripping story, I can't wait for the next ep. Captain is coming for them!

Alice Osborne Gripping story, the entire cast is fantastic, as are the interviews at the end. Torchwood is back!

Gary Gillespie I really enjoyed it, heard it today, so glad Jack is back!

Ianto Tarrant Good start, loved hearing Captain Jack again....

Interviews The Conspiracy with David Llewellyn by DJ Forrest

It’s been a long time coming – the return of one of our favourite sci fi dramas, and although it’s not back on the television screen but audio, it’s still something to celebrate.  When the news came through that Big Finish were going to be broadcasting the audios, our resident Weevil dove for cover, hands over his ears, eyes tightly shut as we whooped loudly in the office.  Yes, dear friends – Torchwood is back!

The title of the new audio released by Big Finish is The Conspiracy but the details of the story are still a mystery – much of the description is blotted out like a WWII telegram.  It gave us something to whet our appetite though, and as ever I wanted to know more.  So I asked the writer of the new story David Llewellyn to shed some more light on the new range of Audios by Big Finish.

Hi David, are these the TW audios that John Barrowman announced earlier on this year that will involve the full team?

David: These are indeed the audios that John Barrowman announced earlier in the year! I was asked quite early on, back in late 2014, to write a spec script for a possible first episode, but at the time didn't know how many episodes were being planned. But yes, as announced on Sunday there will be six episodes in total, including mine.

Are you writing, or have you written more than one story for the series of audios that are coming out?

David: At present, I've only written 'The Conspiracy', but I'd love to write more Torchwood. It's always fun.

Back in our first year, when we interviewed you as part of the Consequences novel - Baby Farmers - is the story ‘The Conspiracy’ set in the past or the present?

David: It will fit within the series' continuity, so I guess you could say it's in the present, but it's set before the events of Children of Earth.

With Torchwood off the air on the television, how will the stories play out, given the last we saw was Miracle Day and read The Exodus Code - which direction will the stories take, and will they be like many of the old Classic Who dramas, that continue to play individual stories long after the series has ended. 

David: I've honestly no idea, as I haven't read any of the other scripts that are in the pipeline. But there's so much scope with audio plays, as there is with novels, to tell stories that are simply too ambitious to attempt on screen, and there's plenty of unexplored Torchwood and Captain Jack history, too. As for how this series will pan out after 'The Conspiracy', we'll just have to wait and see!

So there you have it.  Torchwood is back and the new story will begin in September this year, with the next story in January till May 2016. 

You can pre-order ‘The Conspiracy’ on the Big Finish website. http://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/the-conspiracy-1294

The physical CD audio is £9.99 but you can order a digital download for the much cheaper price of £7.99.  If you’re anything like me, you’ll want the hard copy, to read the inscriptions and admire the artwork by Lee Binding. 

‘The Conspiracy’ is directed by Scott Handcock.  It stars John Barrowman as the awesome Captain Jack Harkness, John Sessions as Wilson, Sarah Ovens as Kate and Dan Bottomley as Sam. 

It was recorded on 30^th April 2015, and if while you’re on the Big Finish website, check out the awesome photos of John Barrowman recording his parts from the studio in LA. 

http://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/the-conspiracy-1294/behind_the_scenes

Definitely worth a view. 

Thank you to David Llewellyn for our Torchwood interview.  The Author photo is by Jon Pountney.