The New World (TV story)

The New World was the first episode of the fourth series of Torchwood.

Synopsis
One day, nobody dies. All across the world, nobody dies. And then the next day, and the next, and the next, people keep ageing – they get hurt and sick, but they never die. The result: a population boom, overnight.

With all the extra people, resources are finite. It’s said that in four month’s time, the human race will cease to be viable. But this can’t be a natural event – someone’s got to be behind it. It’s a race against time as CIA agent Rex Matheson investigates a global conspiracy. The answers lie within an old, secret British institute. As Rex keeps asking: “What is Torchwood?”, he’s drawn into a world of adventure, and a threat to change what it means to be human … for ever.

Plot
Oswald Danes is about to be put to death by lethal injection. As he is receiving the fatal concotion, he starts thrashing around on the gurney. At the CIA, Esther Drummond is on the phone with Rex Mattheson, who keeps asking what Torchwood is. She starts to tell him, only to be impaled by metal from a truck. Gwen Cooper, former Torchwood agent, has woken up from a nightmare. Oswald is talking to a govenor's assistant who tells him he can't be incarcerated again because of the Fifth Amendment. Gwen is talking to her daughter telling her about Torchwood, but Rhys walks in, upset she is going on about that again.

Cast

 * Jack Harkness - John Barrowman
 * Gwen Cooper - Eve Myles
 * Rhys Williams - Kai Owen
 * Rex Matheson - Mekhi Phifer
 * Esther Drummond - Alexa Havins
 * Oswald Danes - Bill Pullman
 * Dr. Vera Juarez - Arlene Tur
 * Noah Vickers - Paul James
 * Charlotte Willis - Marina Benedict
 * Alexander Peterssen - Brian Guest
 * Geraint Cooper - William Thomas
 * Mary Cooper - Sharon Morgan
 * Andy Davidson - Tom Price
 * Senior professor Victor Louis Santini - Ron Butler
 * Rosita - Bunnie Rivera
 * Joan Cabina - Heather Ann Smith
 * Senior Guard Cole - Rocky McMurray
 * Female hiker - Penny Bunton
 * Male hiker - Phil Nice
 * Male professor - Clint Jung
 * Female expert - Laura Gardner
 * Female anchor - Nischelle Turner
 * Female anchor - Jackie Torres
 * Female anchor - Jessica Matthews
 * Male anchor - David Grant Wright
 * Male anchor - Jim Castillo
 * TV journalist - Ellen Fox
 * Senior male anchor - Rick Chambers
 * Archivist - Van Epperson
 * Angry nurse - Lauri Hendler
 * Teenage girl - Carla Jeffery
 * Nurse - Charlene Lovings
 * Male nurse - Hymnson Chan
 * Flight attendant - Laura Morgan
 * Anwen Williams - Unknown

Crew
to be added

Story notes

 * Oswald Danes's release from prison is a reference to an old urban legend which claims that anyone who survives an execution is automatically set free. As this urban legend is actually untrue, the episode correctly depicts a series of legal pressures that lead to Danes's release, rather than Danes being released automatically because he survived.

Ratings
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Myths
to be added

Filming locations
to be added

Production errors

 * The first time Rex has his phone taken from him on the plane, the arm is bare. However, during the flashback, the arm is covered with Jack's vortex manipulator and sleeve. This is apparently deliberate to keep Jack's identity hidden.

Continuity

 * Esther finds files that show pictures of the 456 incident. (TW: Children of Earth)
 * Esther also sees a picture of Jack, actually a publicity still from DW: The Empty Child.
 * Gwen joined Torchwood in October 2006. (TW: Everything Changes)
 * After the events of Torchwood: Children of Earth, Gwen has been declared dead.

Home video releases
to be added