It is a BBC2 series about a small band of operatives that investigate extraterrestrial activity that stems from a rift in time and space in Cardiff, Wales (think Hellmouth, but with aliens and time travel). The team is led by Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman), a former Time Agent from the future who keeps much of his past life a secret from his team. While the show is a spinoff of Doctor Who, viewers don’t need to be familiar with that show (new or old) to enjoy this one, though this reviewer highly recommends it!

What does the BBC have to say about "Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang"?

"Captain Jack returns, as the Torchwood team reunite to fight a rogue Time Agent. The mysterious Captain John Hart is determined to wreak havoc, and needs to find something hidden on Earth. But, with Gwen’s life in danger, and cluster bombs scattered across the city, whose side is Jack on?"

This is a well-paced, action-packed and just plain fun hour of entertaining TV. Exposition regarding the characters and premise of the show is handled fairly well, so new viewers should be up to speed quickly. There are even a couple of shout-outs to Buffy. Of course, if you’re reading this, you probably want to know about James. Well, in a nutshell, he owns this episode! Captain John Hart is a charismatic, swaggering, psychopathic bastard and all the more lovable for it. Viewers are left wanting to know what he is going to do next and will get that chance when he returns later in the season. Spike fans (especially classic Buffy season 2 Spike) should be quite happy. Really, with the lack of scripted drama hitting the tube these days, why not enjoy some fun new sci-fi?

Torchwood season two begins airing January 26th at 9pm EST on BBC America.