Although theTorchwoodcast made their way intoDoctor Who, no version of the franchise’s most famous Time Lord ever appeared in the spinoff show, which makes it all the more devastating that it ended three years before something that could have been absolutely fantastic. Running between 2006 and 2011,Torchwoodwas pretty much a self-contained storythat unfolded away fromDoctor Whowhile still existing within the same universe. It rarely made an effort to connect itself to its parent show, but there were occasional nods with props and shared characters.
Torchwoodremains the most mature ofall theDoctor Whospinoff shows. It was generally more sexually-charged and less afraid to address far darker subject matters thanDoctor Who’s classic eraor the post-revival episodes of the show.Torchwood’s biggest rescue mission arguably happened offscreen inDoctor Whoseason 4, but the alternate timeline in which this happened was scrubbed from existence by the end of the episode.David Tennant and Matt Smith both ledDoctor WhowhileTorchwoodwas on the air, but their successor is the iteration I’d have loved to have seen in the spinoff.
Peter Capaldi’s Twelfth Doctor Would Have Been A Perfect Fit For A Torchwood Cameo
Twelve’s darkness would have allowed him to fit Torchwood’s vibe
The severed hand ofDavid Tennant’s Tenth Doctorwas the closest thing we ever got to the Time Lord showing up inTorchwood. The spinoff’s premise meant it was possible for him to appear at any time, but he was either occupied with other threats or he simply considered Cardiff sufficiently protected by Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman) and his team. Because of when the show was made, the Tenth and Eleventh Doctors were the only versions who could have made their way intoTorchwood, as it ended before Eleven regenerated. Annoyingly,Capaldi’s Twelve inTorchwoodwould have been amazing.
Sadly, what had been possible for Tennant and Smith was never an option for Capaldi.
Peter Capaldi played one of the darkest versions of the Doctor, and definitely the most gritty version in the franchise’s modern age. So,Twelve wouldn’t have stuck out inTorchwoodas Ten or Eleven would, as the latter two were far more upbeat and zany most of the time. It would have made canonical sense for them to have cameos, but neither would have fittedTorchwood’s tone nearly as much as Twelve would have done. Sadly, what had been possible for Tennant and Smith was never an option for Capaldi.
There Are Many Reasons Why Twelve Never Appeared In Torchwood (& Probably Never Will)
Torchwood’s ambiguous ending and the Doctor’s fluid timeline aren’t enough to make this crossover happen
The most obvious reason why Capaldi never appeared inTorchwoodis that the spinoff show had already been over for three years before he was cast as the Twelfth Doctor. This alone is enough to explain the crossover never happening, but there is actually another factor to consider. Although he didn’t have his full debut as Twelve until 2014,Capaldi did actually appear inTorchwoodseason 3 in 2009, which was subtitledChildren of Earth. He played John Frobisher, and he was great. So,it would’ve been a waste to have Capaldi as the Doctor inChildren of Earth.
I’m Convinced This Torchwood Season 1 Episode Had A Secret Connection To Doctor Who’s Time Lords
Torchwood quite often avoided making direct references to Doctor Who, but one of the spinoff’s earliest moments could easily reference the Time Lords.
Interestingly,Doctor Who’s extensive canon means that Twelve could technically come back at any time, and Jack could also return and reestablishTorchwood’s titular organization. Although Twelve has already regenerated, his presence in aTorchwoodstory could just be explained as taking place at an unseen point in his complex timeline. Similarly, Jack’s immortality means he’s not going to meet his end any time soon. However,Capaldi has already said he’ll never return as Twelve, andBarrowman has been blacklisted by the BBCfor behind-the-scenes reasons. So, such a team-up looks very unlikely, as doesTorchwood’s return.
Capaldi’s Doctor Did Appear In A Different Doctor Who Spinoff
Twelve has a cameo in Class' premiere
Even though Twelve never had the opportunity to appear inTorchwood, he did go on to have a cameo appearance in 2016’sClass.The single-seasonDoctor Whospinoff was somewhat similar toTorchwoodin its darker approach to storytelling, but it wasn’t aimed at an audience quite as mature as the Barrowman-led show. Despite a promising premise and some good reviews, the BBC wasn’t happy enough with howClassperformed and pulled the plug after the season 1 finale. Regardless, it remains part of the franchise canon, and so Capaldi did snag an appearance outside the parent project.
Starring inClass' pilot episode allowed Capaldi to fall into the same group as Tennant and Smith, who both also appeared in aDoctor Whospinoff.
Starring inClass' pilot episode allowed Capaldi to fall into the same group as Tennant and Smith, who both also appeared in aDoctor Whospinoff. The Tenth and Eleventh Doctors featured inThe Sarah Jane Adventures, although not at the same time. Jodie Whittaker’s Thirteenth Doctor had no active spinoff shows in which to cross into, and it remains to be seen if Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor will feature as part of the upcomingDoctor Whospinoff,The War Between the Land and Sea.
Torchwood
Cast
This Doctor Who spinoff follows the adventures of beloved character Captain Jack Harkness as he works for the Torchwood Institute, a small team in Cardiff dedicated to investigating extraterrestrial phenomena.
Doctor Who
An alien from the planet Gallifrey travels through time and space to explore, solve problems and fight injustice while also making friends with human beings. His spaceship, called TARDIS, resembles a police box, but it is much more than it appears to be.
