It’s been a fun week producing so much Torchwood-related content. Thanks to everyone who’s enjoyed what we’ve produced and given us such great feedback, be it on the site, by email or Twitter or on the various message boards around the internet that have been linking to us.

Here’s the full list of what you may have missed (may contain spoilers):

On Monday, we kicked things off with an interview with creator, executive producer and head writer Russell T Davies. “So much has been made of how the team is “still in mourning”. There’s a half second mention! That was in a press release nine months ago, and it carries over into every bit of reportage.” Russell’s interview carried over into Tuesday: “You watch this footage from Africa, from Bosnia, as if we’re more civilised than those people, as though we’re more intelligent than them and that could never happen here…. And it’s just a lie, a complete lie.”

Then the interviews moved on to the cast. On Wednesday, we spoke to Gareth David-Lloyd (Ianto): “When they first said it was going down to five episodes, I was obviously a bit put out because I was expecting a little more work, basically… but I’m more proud of this series than anything else I’ve done before.”

On Thursday, it was the turn of Eve Myles (Gwen Cooper): “We lost two awesome characters, but more importantly we lost two great friends. But that’s the nature of the job, and the nature of Torchwood.”

And we finished off the week with Captain Jack himself, John Barrowman: “I’m not one of those actors who goes, ‘I can’t watch myself.’ That’s bullshit. Don’t agree with it. Why are you doing it if you can’t watch yourself?”

But of course we’ve had more than just the interviews, great though they are. On Monday, Mark looked at how the BBC website is complementing the news series. Tuesday saw the launch of our Torchwood novels competition, on Wednesday we threw the spotlight on the Radio 4 Afternoon Play series and yesterday Mark provided a Square Eyes special preview of Monday’s first episode.

That’s quite a haul. We hope you’ve enjoyed it and that it puts you in the mood for next week’s five-part serial (Monday to Friday, 9pm, BBC1). I daresay we’ll have some feedback from the TV episodes next week, but beyond that TV Today will of course continue covering the best of British drama and comedy on TV and radio. We hope you’ll stay with us.

Saturday Play: Utz Radio 4, Saturday 2.30pm
Gregory Norminton adapt Bruce Chatwin’s novel to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of his death. Kaspar Utz is a Prague-based collection of Meissen porcelain, and has managed to preserve his collection throughout his country’s turbulent past. A British academic who met him in the 1960s returns twnety years later to find out what has happened to the man and his collection.

Classic Serial: The Spy Who Came in from the Cold Radio 4, Sunday 3pm
The Complete Smiley series returns after John le Carre’s first two novels featuring the gentleman spycatcher first appeared in the Saturday Play slot. Simon Russell Beale is perfect as Smiley, and in this three-part adaptation he is joined by a superb cast including Brian Cox, Ruth Gemmell and Siobhan Redmond.

Drama on 3: Tartuffe Radio 3, Sunday 8pm
Moliere’s classic comedy, as adapted by Roger McGough for the Liverpool Playhouse.

Afternoon Play: In Mates Radio 4, Monday 2.15pm
Pauline Quirke stars in a play by Sue Teddern.Michelle (Quirke) sends audio tapes from he home in Orpington to her pen pal Randall, an inmate on Death Row. She promises herself and Randall that these will be the unexpurgated confessions of a bubbly housewife. But as the relationship unfolds, it becomes clear that she is trapped in her house and she isn’t quite as bubbly as she would like to think.

Arthur Smith’s Balham Bash Radio 4, Tuesday 11pm
Stage columnist Arthur Smith invites an audience into his Balham home for an evening of music and comedy. Pippa Evans costars, with a range of guests including Paul Sinha, Milton Jones and Glenn Tilbrook.

Baggage Radio 4, Wednesday 11.30am
A fourth series of Hillary Lyon’s Edinburgh-based domestic drama. At the end of the last series, Fiona lost her battle with breast cancer, leaving her friend Caroline (Lyon) and ex-husband Roddy (Robin Cameron) to bring up her baby, April. The odd family unit expands in this series to include April’s birth father and Fiona’s Alzheimer-afflicted mother.

Shappi Talk Radio 4, Thursday 6.30pm
Curious mix of stand-up comedy and chat show-style interviews hosted by Shappi Korsandi. Each week the show will have a different theme: in this first show, the subject is racism. Meera Syal and Felix Dexter are guests.

And so Torchwood Week starts to draw to a close here on TV Today, with the last of our interviews. After yesterday’s talk with Eve Myles, Wednesday’s conversation with Gareth David-Lloyd and our two-part interview with Russell T Davies on Monday and Tuesday, we’ve saved the biggest, brashest player till last: John Barrowman.

As before, expect some spoilers ahead. And, as before, the questioning took place a few weeks ago after the press screening of Children of Earth: Day One — hence why there are no questions about his comments to the Radio Times.

Coronation Street (Friday 7.30/8.30pm, ITV1)

A storyline that’s been bubbling away in the background for the last couple of months (and could still explode all over the cobbles somewhere down the line), takes a twist tonight as Maria gives birth to her baby, fathered by Liam Connor before his death. But perversely, present at the birth is his murderer, Tony Gordon - is there something else brewing between Tony and new mother Maria? With this being a soap, it’s highly likely.

Celebrity Masterchef (Friday 8.30pm, BBC1)

It’s all getting very tense in the Masterchef kitchen, and Gregg and John are STARTING TO SHOUT LOUDER! I’m rooting for Wendi Peters off of Corrie to go the distance, but it’s anybody’s race at the moment.

Hotel Babylon (Friday 9pm, BBC1/BBCHD)

Hotel Babylon is sometimes from that “any port in a storm” mentality of TV viewing, and with a repeat of Doc Martin on the other side, this is my port of choice tonight (not that there’s much wrong with Doc Martin, I hasten to add!). And in tonight’s glass of fizz from HB, receptionist Anna finally gives birth to her baby - and we find out who the father is - but I’m not saying who. Also, Honor Blackman guest-stars as a dotty old actress.

Total Wipeout (Saturday 7.25pm, BBC1)

The bizarrely addictive physical game show returns as contestants run around an assault course that’s more It’s a Knockout than The Krypton Factor. Richard Hammond provides his usual disparaging asides from the comfort of a London studio.

Casualty (Saturday 8.35pm, BBC1)

We’re now in the depths of summer - you can tell, because Casualty remains one of the few things worth watching -which shows you how bad things are. Nick Jordan, battling with his own mortality, is starting to spout homespun twaddle about how precious life is, so it can’t be long before he’ll be leaving Holby A&E once again. This time, however, there’s little chance that one of the original Holby City characters will be making another return to the wards. Maybe we can get Anton Meyer back next time…

On Thin Ice (Sunday 9pm, BBC2)

Poor the Jonny Lee Miller - after joining up with James Cracknell and Ben Fogle for their adventure to the South Pole, he had to pull out due to work commitments. I hope this wasn’t down to his US drama, Eli Stone, which was stoned in the schedules and is now no longer with us. The upshot of Miller pulling out is seen in this episode as our intrepid heroes search for a new teammate to join them in their travels. And then Ben goes down with a dreadful illness brought about by a flesh-eating bug. Nice.

Kingdom (Sunday 9pm, ITV1)

A change of scene this week for the gentle legal drama about everyday Norfolk folk. Lyle (the underrated ex-soapie Karl Davies) is summoned home to murky Stockport by his mother (Green Wing’s Pippa Haywood) to lend his legal weight to saving a local allotment. And compared to the picturesque backdrop of Kindgom’s usual stomping ground, it ain’t half grim up north (I’m from Yorkshire, so I’m allowed to say that). Elsewhere, Peter takes on a case that revolves around a father being banned from recording his daughter’s cello recital. Expect lots of impassioned speeches about civil liberties and the usual happy ending.

The Day of the Triffids (Sunday 7pm, BBC4)

Ahead of the BBC’s retooling of John Wyndham’s classic novel, take another look at the highly regarded take from the early 1980s, starring John Duttine. It remains as chilling and thrilling as ever, and the incessant tap-tap-tap of the triffids still scares the living daylights out of me.

I’ve had a somewhat uneven history with Torchwood. The first season, broadcast in 2006, didn’t do much for me. It started well enough, but within a few episodes had descended into a juvenile mess that really didn’t become the pedigree of the people making it. Cyberwoman still ranks as one of my most hated 45 minutes of drama ever made (which makes me feel bad now, with writer Chris Chibnall doing some sterling work on the recently recommissioned Law and Order: UK). I think it was a problem with identity, and early Torchwood was trying on different hats to see what fit.

By the end of the first season, things had settled down somewhat, with the final two episodes of the season showing some of the promise that was to come.

Season two was a stellar leap forward in terms of style and consistency. The tone was less forced and the writers knew the characters better. There was less emphasis on bolting on self-conscious adult content and it got on with telling good stories - Owen’s journey throughout the season being particularly well thought out. There were some stumbles, but nothing’s perfect, and this season finished with a brace of episodes that were action-packed and shocking in places - even if the lad playing Jack’s brother had more wood than Epping Forest.

And now we come to Children of Earth, effectively being Torchwood’s coming of age - it’s in the big league now, playing out on BBC1 over five nights. Many Torchwood fans are seeing this as a slight to the show, some kind of punishment and that it’s a sure sign of the BBC wanting to kill it off. Which is, obviously, nonsense (although star John Barrowman takes a different view).

Children of Earth: Day One, is a calm, considered, intelligently played and chilling piece of drama that sets up things for coming four episodes. It helps that this marks Russell T Davies’s return to Torchwood, a series he created, as scriptwriter for the first time since Everything Changes. And it shows…

And so, as we enter into the home straight of our Torchwood Week here on TV Today, we follow up yesterday’s interview with Gareth David-Lloyd with a sit-down with Eve Myles, who plays Gwen Cooper.

As with Gareth’s interview (and our two-part talk with Russell T Davies on Monday and Tuesday) the interview took place directly after the press screening of Children of Earth: Day One.

And more than any other interview in this series, we couldn’t avoid talking about certain aspects of that episode which impact upon both Gwen and Eve. So be warned — plenty of spoilers ahead…

So the first of three Radio 4 Afternoon Plays featuring Cardiff’s least secret top-secret organisation, Torchwood: Asylum, has just finished. If you missed it, it’ll be available on iPlayer for seven days, and for UK licence fee payers is available as an MP3 download for the same period.

So what did you think?

Caution: if you haven’t heard the play yet, proceeding further may reveal spoilers…

As part of our ongoing week of interviews and features about BBC1 science fiction drama Torchwood, today we interview Gareth David-Lloyd, who plays Ianto Jones.

As with our previous interview with the show’s writer and producer Russell T Davies (read part 1 and part 2), the conversation does include spoilers for next week’s five-part story, Children of Earth — as well as some minor spoilers for the series of Afternoon Plays on Radio 4, the first of which airs today at 2.15pm.

For that reason, we won’t start the interview until after the jump.

For all our Torchwood-related features and the chance to win three Torchwood novels, go to http://thestage.co.uk/torchwood.

We know that Torchwood is not only a success on television. As we highlighted in our weekly radio preview, the brand is also spreading onto radio — but since the series’ inception, BBC Books has been publishing a series of original novels featuring the staff of Cardiff’s least secret top-secret organisation.

Three new novels have just been published to coincide with the broadcast of Children of Earth — and we have two sets to give away to lucky TV Today readers!

Previously on Torchwood Week: Russell T Davies, creator of Torchwood and head writer of the new series Children of Earth, talked about the way the storytelling changes as a result of the new five-episode, single-story format and the demands of hiring so many children.

As before, do beware: more so than yesterday’s interview, this interview does contain spoilers about the events in Children of Earth.

The relationship between Jack and Ianto is really brought to the fore in this story. Was that a conscious effort to get a gay relationship into primetime BBC1?

I didn’t think of it in those terms, really. Personally, it’s just because I’m interested in that story. I’m fascinated by how Ianto used to have a fiancee, so I just had stuff to say about it. So, it’s not me going, “I must put this on BBC1.” I wouldn’t blink about putting it on on BBC1, but nobody was stopping me put it on BBC1, either.

I think it’s much more about relationships. It’s more intimate, which then becomes more resonant, really. So it’s always important to me to write that, but so important I don’t ever think about it. I’m not sitting there thinking, I must do this.

However, I like to see someone coming out to his sister when he’s not even sure what he is, and even he doesn’t know what’s going to happen, or anything. I like that scene. I’ll always write that sort of thing.

There are elements of Bob and Rose in there, too.

Yes, same issues, I suppose. Both of them defy labels, which is always true.

The Torchwood SUV gets written out in episode 1, although we’ll refrain from talking about how that happens. Was that part of a decision to ground the Torchwood team in a reality where they can interact with the public in a more realistic way?

I’ve never had a problem with those interactions. It’s funnier, in a way. I love Doctor Rupesh finding Torchwood because, as he says, if anyone asks about Torchwood they just point towards the bay! I like that.

In honour of this being Torchwood Week here at TV Today, to get the ball rolling I thought I’d take a quick look at the nicely executed Torchwood website - the beginning of the Children of Earth experience for viewers ahead of next Monday’s launch.

What I like about the Torchwood website is its lack of fuss - it’s very much a what you see is what you get affair that has the latest BBC1 trailer front and centre for your viewing pleasure (a second trailer having gone live today). There are no fancy flash animations here, just a clearly designed site that doesn’t overload the senses

From here, you can then click through to separate sections covering Characters, Behind the Scenes, Gallery and a section on the previous series for new fans to catch up with the adventures of Capt Jack and co.

The Supersizers Eat… The Fifties BBC2, Monday 9pm
Giles Coren and Sue Perkins’ travels through the culinary and cultural tastes of yesteryear reach a time in which Britain was just emerging from post-war austerity. As new ingredients such as olive oil and tinned salmon emerge, a nation still affected by rationing was also dining on horsemeat. But it’s rarely about the food, more the banter between Coren and Perkins that makes this programme such a delight.

Ugly Betty E4, Tuesday 9pm, repeated Channel 4, Wednesday 10pm
One thing that’s noticeable about this new series of Ugly Betty is how the programme’s relocation to a New York production base has helped the show feel more rooted in Manhattan than in previous seasons, even if that takes a little of the shine off the cartoon quality that makes it look so distinct from any other programme. Anyway, the visual highlight this week is a glorious dream sequence as we see Betty turned into a Wilhemina clone. Scary and funny at the same time — and a good reminder of the skills of America Ferrara.

A Beautiful Tragedy Sky Arts 2, Tueday 9.45pm
The rigours of performing arts training — far more arduous and emotional than anybody would guess if Britannia High were your only source of reference — are highlighted here with this documentary about Russia’s child ballet stars.

The Bill: Conviction ITV1, Wednesday & Thursday 8pm
Running over three weeks, The Bill comes up with another mammoth six-episode storyline. Two seemingly unrelated crimes — a burglary that looks suspiciously staged and a fight outside a trendy wine bar — turn out to be connected to each other. As the team investigates further, the bar goes up in flames…

James May at the Edge of Space BBC2, Wednesday 10pm
Shown on BBC4 last week, Top Gear’s Captain Slow tries to get as close to space as possible, as he trains to fly in a U2 spy plane at an altitude of 70,000 feet. An engaging watch from start to finish, the shots from the plane are just breathtaking.

Can I Get High Legally? BBC3, Thursday 9pm
I sometimes think BBC3 doesn’t get enough credit for its occasional documentaries — but, when its ‘factual’ output ends up dominated by Snog, Marry, Avoid, maybe it only has itself to blame. Anyway, this week BBC 6Music’s most hated DJ and Big Brother’s Little Brother presenter George Lamb investigates the herbal and over-the-counter pharmaceuticals that claim legal highs equivalent to those offered by illegal drugs. As Lamb discovers, a substance being legal doesn’t make it safe — an important message that’s told well here.

As we announced on Friday, this week is Torchwood Week here on TV Today. In the run up to next week’s transmission of the five-part Children of Earth on BBC1, we’ll have a variety of features and interviews throughout the week.

We’ll start with the first of a two-part interview with series creator Russell T Davies, who returns to writing duties on the show for the first time since 2006’s premiere episode, Everything Changes.

Conducted after the press preview of the first episode of Children of Earth, be warned: the interview does contain some spoilers for the upcoming story, although we’ve tried to keep those to a minimum.

This series takes a very different structure, with its single story over five episodes playing over a single week. Why did you go for this format?

We just fancied it, to be honest, it was as simple as that. I loved it on Criminal Justice, and Five Days. And Anne Frank, actually, I thought that was brilliant — although that came after [the decision for Torchwood].

And you’d never have the money for thirteen episodes on BBC1 for something like this. And we’ve done all sorts of two-parters and one-offs on Doctor Who, Sarah Jane and Torchwood, but we’ve never done a long thriller.

And I’ve never done a multi-part story with more than one writer [John Fay writes episodes 2 and 4, while James Moran co-writes episode 3 with Davies] — I’ve written six parters myself, of course. So that was brand new, and I thought that’d keep me awake of a day.

What’s the appeal of that to you as a writer?

Oh, it’s marvellous. That’s what’s really exciting, because it’s brand new. You can be a lot cheekier with it, and simply have to assume that people are watching. For example, in the first episode we just have Kai [Owen, who plays Rhys] in one scene. If we just went out weekly on a Monday night, we’d give him a lot of big scenes in episode 1 to establish him.

I don’t know, you wait months for episodes of quality sci fi to come out of BBC Cardiff, then eight come along all at once. Doctor Who’s adult spin-off Torchwood returns next week, kicking off (as previously noted in our radio previews) with three audio dramas in Radio 4’s Afternoon Play slot. They will be followed by the TV series proper, finally making the transition to BBC1 with the five-part story Children of Earth, which will air nightly from Monday July 6.

In the run up to Children of Earth, we’re declaring next week to be Torchwood Week here on TV Today. We’ll have interviews with the cast as well as series creator Russell T Davies, who returns to writing duties on Torchwood for the first time since the first episode of Series 1.

To whet your appetite, over the jump we’ve got the latest BBC1 trailer.

Glastonbury (from Friday, 7pm, various BBC channels)

The BBC’s usually excellent coverage of Glastonbury kicks off this evening, and no doubt Neil Young’s turn on stage this evening will be a crowd-puller at 11pm on BBC2. Coverage continues throughout the weekend.

Hotel Babylon (Friday 9pm, BBC1)

Oh Hotel Babylon, you try so hard, but never quite come up to five-star standard. In tonight’s sickly serving, new boss Sam (a shockingly terrible Nigel Harman, but that’s no surprise) gets to grips with his new hotel purchase. And as ever, things are never quiet at HB - there’s a celebrity couple’s tantrum-tastic birthday celebrations and a visit from a health inspector to deal with in tonight’s episode. The problem with this series now is that the cast look to be having much more fun than I am, and that’s always a bad thing in my book.

Law and Order: Criminal Intent (Friday 10pm. Five)

Liza Minnelli guest-stars in this US drama mainstay. And surely, that’s all the information you need…

Robin Hood (Saturday 6.45pm, BBC1)

Hold on to your bow and arrows, this one could get messy. Robin, Guy and the gang (sans the deceased Alan) are holed up in Nottingham Castle. Outside, a back-from-the-dead Sheriff of Nottingham is waiting with a tooled up army, ready to storm the castle. We know Robin is off - who else won’t make it to the end of this episode is anyone’s guess. This is likely to be an action-packed, emotional end to what has proved to be an excellent third series - but will there be a season four?

Top Gear (Sunday 8pm, BBC2)

Stephen Fry, ahead of his turn in Kingdom at 9pm, is this week’s star in a reasonably priced car. His Twitter feed earlier this week indicates it might one of the most entertaining yet.

On Thin Ice (Sunday 9pm, BBC2)

First of a five-part documentary that charts the exploits of Ben Fogle and James Cracknell as they embark on a gruelling race to the South Pole. This first episode focuses on the training regime the pair must endure before setting out, and their search for a third member of the team - and actor Jonny Lee Miller steps up to the sled. Will he stay the course? It’s great stuff, a bit like Long Way Round, but without Charlie Boorman. So another good reason to watch then.

Kingdom (Sunday 9pm, ITV1)

Assuming he survives his session in a reasonably priced car over on BBC2, Stephen Fry as avuncular Norfolk solicitor Peter Kingdom looks into a blackmail case that has a curmudgeonly local judge at its centre (played with relish by Jack Dee). Kingdom is nothing groundbreaking in drama terms, but it’s made with a solid heart and is a good way to sooth away that Sunday back-to-school feeling for an hour.