Whilst academic work has examined Torchwood’s parent show Doctor Who in both its classic (pre-2005) and contemporary forms, less attention has focused on Torchwood. This one-day symposium, organised by Dr Rebecca Williams, aimed to redress this balance, considering the show from a media and cultural studies perspective.

The event featured a keynote address by Dr. Matt Hills, Reader in the School of Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies at Cardiff University, who is the author of numerous articles on cult TV, as well as books such as Fan Cultures (Routledge, 2002) and Triumph of a Time Lord: Regenerating Doctor Who in the Twenty-first Century (I.B. Tauris, 2010).

There were also panels on the themes: fandom and sexuality; space, place and location institutions; and narrative and genre. The conference involved academics from as far afield as Britain, France, Australia and the USA, reflecting the international scope of the Torchwood series.

An edited collection by Dr Williams is in development with I.B.Tauris.

A report of the conference by Ross Garner is available on Scope: an online journal of film and TV studies. Download a copy of the conference programme here.