Torchwood: Red Base

Sgt Andy investigates a series of unexplained deaths at a simulated Mars base just off the A474. The result is part techno-thriller and part murder mystery, with more than a passing nod to 2001: A Space Oddessy. It's also, of course, a base under siege, although here without the usual connotations of alien invasion that we'd get in a Doctor Who story of that type.

Despite the base in question being in a fenced-off quarry near Neath, the story still has the sense of claustrophobia that being set on a real Mars base might have, but with the added frustration that the real world is just somewhere outside the door, yet apparently beyond reach. There's also a plausible sense of the crew cracking up under the strain, forced to be cooped up with another for a protracted period. Whether you'll like it will depend on what you expect; there are no sinister aliens here and, while the story is tense, it isn't regular horror, either.

It's a change of pace for Torchwood, keeping things mixed up with something that feels more like hard sci-fi, or even a detective story, than the usual offerings. For me at least, that's welcome once in a while, and this is a well-done story in that vein, keeping a serious tone despite the absurdity of the underlying situation.