There was much conjecture within the Torchwood massive as to what the move to a five-episode series meant. Was it a demotion and a slap in the face (as even John Barrowman had suggested)? Or was it actually a move to ‘event TV’, a short, sharp series that ran across the whole week? We’ve had a relatively large about of correspondence leaning towards the former argument – Torchwood fans who have got in touch with us say that they’re disgusted with the whole thing and they really feared for the show’s future. But, looking at the news this morning, the BBC’s gamble seems to be paying off.

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I read in today’s Sun that the show, or at least the first episode, pulled in nearly six million viewers. That’s quite a good number for a primetime drama these days, especially when you consider that it’s a sci-fi programme. The problem with this stripped format, some critics were saying, was that Torchwood would have to be pretty strong in terms of plot and excitement to sustain a five-night run. Thankfully for the show, the critical response has been pretty positive throughout.

In terms of whether this was a demotion or not, six million viewers urinates on the three and a half million its previous series on BBC Two attracted.

So at the moment, the gamble of moving Torchwood to primetime BBC One (and it was a gamble, let’s face it) is paying off. I’m sure Torchwood fans will be hoping that this ratings success will lead to a fourth series next year.