Torchwood - Children of Earth

I have never watched this show before but I have been loving the five part miniseries. The characters are terrific. The story is exciting with the tension being almost unbearable at times. The aliens are a true threat. As you watch you feel the hopelessness that the characters feel. The music they use is very effective at setting the mood. For a neophyte, its very easy to get up to speed about who the characters are and what purpose they serve towards advancing the tale. I like stories where the scrappy team of determined and brilliant heroes fight overwhelming odds and still find a way to win in the end. However, this victory doesn't come easily or without significant human cost. Its not an easy go of it for the viewer. The loses the characters suffer are heartbreaking. I just met these characters and I am feeling for them. Having it be a UK production sets everything in a world that is familiar but still unique enough to support the ideas they are trying to get across. The story involves a group of aliens who have come to Earth demanding 10% of the world's children. The government has no choice but to comply with their request as the aliens have superior technology and methods that would insure the total annihilation of our species if they are not given what they asked for. Its not the first time these aliens have been to this planet. In 1965 they were given 11 children. Now they are back and want more. I won't give it away but the reason the aliens want the children is original and frightening. It makes fighting them all the more necessary but ultimately futile. Even Torchwood itself may not be able to solve this problem in time to save the millions of children that the aliens have demanded. Torchwood is a secret government agency led by the immortal Captain Jack Harkness whose purpose is to deal with these kind of alien threats. He, for me, is a great hero. He has the burdens of the world on his shoulders and has to make decisions that would crush an ordinary man. There are layers upon layers to this man's character and I can't wait to watch the earlier episodes of the Torchwood series to see how this character was developed. The underlying gay relationship between Harkness of his fellow Torchwood member, Ianto, really moved me. In North American television you would NEVER see two men share a kiss at the moment when one of them was about to die. I was impressed with the way their relationship was handled. It made the whole adventure that much more compelling for me. The show was spun out of the Dr Who universe. I never really got into the Dr. Who program but I just may pay it some more attention if this miniseries is any indication of the stories I would encounter. I was totally riveted to this tale and it stayed with me long after it was over. Thanks to Booksteve for putting it in view of my radar.