 This story features the return of the Cybermen and the Daleks and is the first ever television confrontation between these two great foes. Although they both briefly appeared together during The Doctor's trial in the final episode of the 1969 Second Doctor story "The War Games" and in separate scenes during the 1983 Twentieth Anniversary Special "The Five Doctors".
This story features the return of Noel Clarke (as Mickey Smith), Camille Coduri (as Jackie Tyler) and Shaun Dingwall (as Pete Tyler). For Noel Clarke and Shaun Dingwall this story would be there last for the show. Noel Clarke, however, maintained his association with Doctor Who, by appearing in some of the TARDISodes remaining to be recorded for the season, through writing the Torchwood story "Combat" and by presenting the Doctor Who Confidential chapter that accompanied the 2009 story "Planet of the Dead".
Tracy-Ann Oberman, who plays the part of Yvonne Hartman, is more famous for her role, in EastEnders, as Chrissie Watts - the wife of Den Watts who she murdered. Another ex-EastEnders star Raji James, who played the part of Ash Ferreira, is another guest star in this story - playing the part of Dr. Rajesh Singh. Even Barbara Windsor, playing the part of Peggy Mitchell - the Landlady of the Queen Vic, makes an appearance.
Freema Agyeman had enjoyed a regular role in the soap opera Crossroads, and subsequently had appearances in Casualty, Holby City and The Bill. She impressed the production team as Adeola and so was offered the chance to take over from Billie Piper (who plays Rose Tyler) as the Tenth Doctor's new companion - Martha Jones - at the start of Season Twenty Nine (New Series 3). It was later revealed in "Smith and Jones" that doomed Adeola was the cousin of future companion Martha Jones. Freema Agyeman is the second companion to be cast as such following a guest role in the show. Lalla Ward got the job of Romana after playing Princess Astra in the 1979 Fourth Doctor story "Armageddon Factor".
This story is the actual introduction of Torchwood.
This story was originally going to be set in Cardiff, near the Time Rift on which the Torchwood Hub is now built.
The aerial shot of One Canada Square in Canary Wharf is taken from the opening credits of The Apprentice.
Although seen as part of a fictional television show in this story, the world of EastEnders has appeared as part of the Doctor Who universe. Characters from both shows appeared alongside each other in the Thirtieth-Anniversary Children In Need special "Dimensions in Time", in 1993.
Fake ghosts have featured in previous adventures, including a device used to frighten people away from Magnus Greel's hidden sewer lair in the 1977 Fourth Doctor story "The Talons of Weng-Chiang".
The Cult of Skaro are: Sec, Caan, Jast and Thay. Jast was originally called Rabe, but the production team changed their minds and renamed him during sound dubbing for the episode.
This story sees the first instance of a Dalek's ability to escape from a dangerous situation by using an Emergency Temporal Shift.
The final Bad Wolf Bay scenes were secretly filmed at a place called Southerndown, on the Welsh coast just west of Cardiff.
The term 'Rel', as a measure of time, was first heard in the Peter Cushing Doctor Who films in the 1960s. It was not until this story that the Daleks are heard to use Rels in the television show. One Rel appears to last just over a second.
Catherine Tate's appearance, one of the best kept secrets in Doctor Who, was secretly filmed during the Season Twenty Eight (New Series 2) wrap party.
The 58 second TARDISode for the first episode of this story featured a reporter delving into the history of Torchwood, only to be betrayed by his editor and committed to an asylum. The TARDISode for the second episode (also 58 seconds long) showed a news anchor reporting on the Cyberman invasion, whereupon her studio is attacked by the Daleks. As with all the other TARDISode's - all of which were written by Gareth Roberts - they could be downloaded from the BBC Doctor Who website or via a mobile phone a week before the broadcast of each episode.
Before the title sequence in episode two there is a brief recap of the main events that took place in the first episode.
At the very end of this story comedy actress Catherine Taite appears briefly inside the TARDIS wearing a wedding dress - as a trailer for the 2006 Christmas Special "The Runaway Bride".
Like the previous double episode story in this season ("The Impossible Planet/The Satan Pit"), the first episode of this story includes a trailer for the next episode - this follows immediately after the end credits. The end credits also include a title card reading "To be continued...". The second episode of this story, being the last episide of the season does not include a trailer for the next story. It does though have a title card, at the beginning of the end the credits, that reads "Doctor Who will return at Christmas in THE RUNAWAY BRIDE".
Following on immediately after each episode of this story, on BBC3, were the twelth and thirteenth chapters of the second series of Doctor Who Confidential. These being "Welcome to Torchwood" and "Finale". Both were presented by Mark Gatiss.
This story was voted, by readers of the Doctor Who Magazine as the best television story broadcast in 2006.
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The Firsts:
The introduction (at the very end of episode two) of Donna Noble played by Catherine Tate - even though she would not be officially classed as a companion until the beginning of Season Thirty (New Series 4).
The first appearance of Freema Agyeman, in the role of Adeola, before she played regular companion Martha Jones.
The first Dalek story of Season Twenty Eight (New Series 2).
The first ever television confrontation between the Cybermen and the Daleks.
The introduction of the 'The Cult of Skaro' - a group of four super-daleks.
The first instance of a Dalek's ability to escape from a dangerous situation by using an Emergency Temporal Shift.
The first time the Daleks are heard to use Rels (as a measure of time) in the television series.
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(Position = 1 out of 11)
(Position = 22 out of 200)
