Countrycide (TV story)

Countrycide was the sixth episode in the first series of Torchwood. It was the first Torchwood episode not to feature aliens as the enemy.

Synopsis
Concerned that the space-time rift is spreading, Torchwood investigates a series of gruesome deaths in the Brecon Beacons village of Brynblaidd. What sort of creature could cause such shocking injuries? Stranded without communications or equipment and isolated from one another, the team confronts a terrifying enemy.

Plot
to be added

Cast

 * Captain Jack Harkness - John Barrowman
 * Gwen Cooper - Eve Myles
 * Owen Harper - Burn Gorman
 * Toshiko Sato - Naoko Mori
 * Ianto Jones - Gareth David-Lloyd
 * Rhys Williams - Kai Owen
 * Evan Sherman - Owen Teale
 * Helen Sherman - Maxine Evans
 * Kieran - Callum Gallaghan
 * Huw - Rhys Op Trefor
 * Ellie Johnson - Emily Bowker
 * Martin - Robert Barton

Space-time anomalies

 * Jack says that the Cardiff Rift is increasing in activity.

Species

 * Weevils don't strip their victims down to a carcass.
 * Jack says that no species in the universe goes camping, other than humans.

Story notes

 * This episode contains no obvious CGI elements or aliens, though there was at least one shot where the production team needed to black out the Cardiff cityscape in the background.
 * This is the first non-science fictional or supernatural storyline taking place within the televised Doctor Who universe since DW: Black Orchid, a Fifth Doctor adventure broadcast in 1982. However, considering that even the historical episodes of Doctor Who at the very least featured the TARDIS, then if one discounts the presence of Jack Harkness as a fantasy element (and his immortality is not a factor in this story) and the possible use of any advanced/alien-augmented Torchwood technology (including anything in the Hub), then Countrycide becomes the first televised Doctor Who universe episode not to feature science fiction or fantasy elements at all.
 * It is one of the few televised Doctor Who universe stories not to feature aliens (other than main characters), along with DW: Black Orchid, DW: The Gunfighters, DW: The Romans, DW: The Aztecs and several others.
 * This is the first episode in which no scenes are set in the Torchwood Hub. This would not happen again until after the Hub's destruction in TW: Children of Earth: Day One.
 * This episode contains several references to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
 * Owen Teale (Evan Sherman) previously played Maldak in DW: Vengeance on Varos.

Ratings

 * 1.2 million viewers

Myths
to be added

Filming locations

 * South Wales Caving Club

Production errors

 * When Ellie Johnson is attacked the tyres on her car are punctured but at the end of the scene the tyres are perfectly normal.

Continuity

 * Gwen and Owen snogged in Cyberwoman.
 * The SUV would be stolen again in Children of Earth: Day One.
 * Tosh was locked in a UNIT cell. (TW: Fragments)

Timeline

 * Countrycide occurs after TW: Small Worlds.
 * Countrycide occurs before TW: Greeks Bearing Gifts.

Home video releases
This episode was first released on DVD, with three other episodes entitled Torchwood: Series 1, part 2 on 26 February 2007. It was later released in Torchwood: The Complete First Series on 19th November 2007.