Doctor Who/Torchwood/The Sarah Jane Adventures Crossover Guide

Doctor Who has spawned three spin-off series' since its return in 2005. Doctor Who sits at the heart of the franchise, with The Sarah Jane Adventures, Class and Torchwood catering for the children, teenager, and adult markets respectively. The question is: how does it all fit together? Below is a chronology of the show's main crossover episodes. It's by no means exhaustive, but what follows should be enough to give the new viewer a rough idea of what to expect, and the order in which to expect it.
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Torchwood: Children Of Earth (Day 5)

Jack: "You said yourself, the world is going to hell any second. Before it does, give us a moment of grace. Just take Gwen home, please. I can't look at her any more."

I was in tears with this one. A tragic finale really. In the end the children were saved. But the cost was so terribly high, that it was difficult to see it as a victory. Steven's gone. Ianto's gone. Jack's gone. Torchwood is seemingly in tatters. I feel quite glum.

Torchwood: Children Of Earth (Day 4)

Ianto: “Don't forget me.”
Jack: “I never could.”

Did they seriously kill Ianto? Is that what just happened? I kept on thinking... don't panic, he'll wake up any minute... they must surely have taken precautions against the virus (somehow)... a pill, maybe... they're just pretending. But Jack's face told a different story. He was absolutely devastated. So that's Suzie, Owen, Tosh and now, Ianto... all dead. At this rate there won't be enough people left for a fourth season. Now there's an unnerving thought.

Torchwood: Children Of Earth (Day 3)

The 456: “We are here!”

At first glance, the new Torchwood Hub (imaginatively named Hub 2) seemed a poor replacement for the now levelled Torchwood Three. No fancy gadgets, just a few old armchairs and a coffee making facility. But it's home now, and with the aid of some electricity and a laptop, Torchwood are back in business. Kind of. Jack still needed kitting out with some decent clobber. Thank God Ianto had the foresight to buy him some sensible clothes. Track suit bottoms? Still, I suppose we should be grateful he was wearing something.

Torchwood: Children Of Earth (Day 2)

The 456: “We are coming... tomorrow.”

Not so long ago John Barrowman made the comment “as long as they pay me the right money, I'm ready to get out my cock and balls." All I can say is, he must currently possess a big fat wallet (no euphemism intended). It was brief... and mostly hidden by the letter X (I didn't zoom in, honestly). But they were definitely out, weren't they? I noticed, too, that Gwen couldn't resist a quick look later in the episode. Real subtle, Gwen. Seriously.

Torchwood: Children Of Earth (Day 1)

The 456: "We are coming. We are coming... back!"

Wow... that was pretty damn decent. I was unsure how well the mini-series format would suit Torchwood, but it actually worked rather well. I was listening to an interview with John Barrowman on Radio One this afternoon and he seemed to suggest that, in future, they may use the extended story-arc format again (assuming for a moment that Torchwood has a future). If tonight's episode was anything to go by, then bring it on!