"Out of Time" is the tenth episode of the first series of the British

science fiction television Science fiction first appeared in television programming in the late 1930s, during what is called the Golden Age of Science Fiction. Special effects and other production techniques allow creators to present a living visual image of an imaginary ...

series ''

Torchwood ''Torchwood'' is a British-American science fiction television programme created by Russell T Davies. A spin-off of the 2005 revival of ''Doctor Who'', it aired from 2006 to 2011. The show shifted its broadcast channel each series to reflect i ...

'', which was originally broadcast on the digital television channel

BBC Three BBC Three is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It was first launched on 9 February 2003 with programmes for a 16 to 34-year-old target aud ...

on 17 December 2006. The episode involves the alien-hunting team

taking care of and trying to acclimatise a pilot and two passengers of an aircraft from 1953 who were brought forward to early 21st-century Cardiff.

Plot

The vintage biplane airliner the ''Sky Gypsy'' passes through the

Rift In geology, a rift is a linear zone where the lithosphere is being pulled apart and is an example of extensional tectonics. Typical rift features are a central linear downfaulted depression, called a graben, or more commonly a half-graben ...

from 1953 to the present.

help the three people on board, pilot Diane Holmes and passengers Emma-Louise Cowell and John Ellis, with room and board while assisting them in adapting to modern conveniences. The three travelers separate, pairing off with members of Torchwood.

Owen Owen may refer to: People and fictional characters * Owen (name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or surname Places United States * Owen, Missouri, a ghost town * Owen, Wisconsin * Owen County, Indiana ...

tries to help Diane to get flying lessons so she can pilot a modern aircraft, but finds that she will have to wait weeks to take them, but airplanes of today are largely flown via

instruments Instrument may refer to: Science and technology * Flight instruments, the devices used to measure the speed, altitude, and pertinent flight angles of various kinds of aircraft * Laboratory equipment, the measuring tools used in a scientific lab ...

and

autopilot An autopilot is a system used to control the path of a vehicle without requiring constant manual control by a human operator. Autopilots do not replace human operators. Instead, the autopilot assists the operator's control of the vehicle, allow ...

, much to Diane's disappointment as she does not believe it constitutes "real flying". Her biplane licence has also expired. After a romantic night with Owen, Diane secretly leaves to fly the ''Sky Gypsy'' off through the same pattern, hoping to fly through the Rift back to 1953, but if not to simply explore the world. Owen realises that their relationship is different than any he's had before; he actually loves her as a person, rather just being attracted to her sexually. When he wakes up, Owen warns her that she may end up anywhere, but she refuses to heed his advice before she flies off. John finds that his son Alan is still alive but suffers from

Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease and the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in remembering recent events. As the disease advances, symptoms can include problems wit ...

and is in a nursing home, with no children to help look after him. John becomes very remorseful at missing Alan's life and being unable to adapt to modern times. When

Jack Jack may refer to: Places * Jack, Alabama, US, an unincorporated community * Jack, Missouri, US, an unincorporated community * Jack County, Texas, a county in Texas People and fictional characters * Jack (given name), a male given name, incl ...

discovers that

Ianto Ianto may refer to: * Ianto Davies (1892–1945), Welsh international rugby union full back * Ianto Evans, Welsh-American applied ecologist, landscape architect, inventor, writer, social critic, and teacher *Ianto Morgan, a fictional character in ...

's car has gone missing, he believes John has taken it, and finds him in the garage of his old home ready to commit suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning. John asks Jack to help him end his life with dignity. Jack holds John's hand as they succumb to the fumes and die; Jack resurrects immediately afterwards. Emma-Louise bonds with

Gwen Gwen may refer to: * Gwen (given name), including a list of people with the name * Gwen (singer), a member of the Filipino Pinoy pop group Bini * ''Gwen, or the Book of Sand'', a 1985 animated film * Gwen (film), a 2018 horror film * Tropical Storm ...

, and discovers that sex is much more promiscuous than in the 1950s. Gwen and her boyfriend

Rhys Rhys or Rhŷs is a popular Welsh language, Welsh given name (usually male) that is famous in Welsh history and is also used as a surname. It originates from Deheubarth, an old region of South West Wales, with famous kings such as Rhys ap Tewdwr. ...

help Emma to become more accustomed to modern romance, although Rhys' trust in Gwen is damaged when he learns that her story about Emma-Louise being a distant relative is false. Emma's skills as a "retro" fashion artist land her a job in London. Gwen tries to convince her to stay in Cardiff, but tearfully helps Emma off to a bus station to enjoy her new life.

Continuity

* The ''Sky Gypsy'' is a

de Havilland Dragon Rapide The de Havilland DH.89 Dragon Rapide is a 1930s short-haul biplane airliner developed and produced by British aircraft company de Havilland. Capable of accommodating 6–8 passengers, it proved an economical and durable craft, despite its outd ...

. It is identified as a de Havilland on the Torchwood Institute web site (where it is misnamed the ''Sea Gipsy''). * Diane's fate is not shown in the episode. A vision of her appears to Owen in "

End of Days End of days may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''End of Days'' (film), a 1999 supernatural film * '' Carnival: At the End of Days'', an upcoming fantasy film Music * '' The End of Days'', a 2010 album by Abney Park * ''En ...

", begging him to be "brought back". * When Jack is talking to John after his suicide attempt, he says that after you die, there is just black, partially echoing Suzie Costello in "

They Keep Killing Suzie ''Torchwood'' is a British television science fiction, British science fiction television programme created by Russell T Davies for the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). Initially developed as a stand-alone show, it was reworked into a sp ...

Music

* Beethoven's "

Moonlight Sonata The Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor, marked ''Quasi una fantasia'', Op. 27, No. 2, is a piano sonata by Ludwig van Beethoven, completed in 1801 and dedicated in 1802 to his pupil Countess Julie "Giulietta" Guicciardi. Although known throu ...

" (when Jack tunes the radio for John; Gwen talks with Emma as she unpacks) is featured in this episode, along with "

Trouble Trouble may refer to: Film and television * ''Trouble'' (1922 film), an American silent comedy-drama film directed by Albert Austin * ''Trouble'' (1933 film), a British comedy film * ''Trouble'' (1977 film), a Soviet drama film * ''Trouble'' ...

" by

Ray LaMontagne Raymond Charles Jack LaMontagne (; born June 18, 1973) is an American singer-songwriter and musician. LaMontagne has released nine studio albums: '' Trouble'', ''Till the Sun Turns Black'', '' Gossip in the Grain'', '' God Willin' & the Creek Don ...

(when Diane and Owen share drinks at his apartment), "

I See You Baby "I See You Baby" is a song by British duo Groove Armada, featuring Gram'ma Funk on vocals. The song was later remixed by Fatboy Slim, with this latter version appearing in airplay. It was also remixed by Futureshock. The Fatboy Slim remix featu ...

" by

Groove Armada Groove Armada are an English electronic music duo, composed of Andy Cato and Tom Findlay. They achieved chart success with their singles " At the River", " I See You Baby" and " Superstylin'". The duo have released nine studio albums, four of ...

(Gwen and Rhys take Emma to a club) and "The Good Life" by

Tony Bennett Anthony Dominick Benedetto (August 3, 1926 – July 21, 2023), known professionally as Tony Bennett, was an American jazz and traditional pop singer. He received many accolades, including 20 Grammy Awards, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, ...

(when Diane and Owen dance on the roof of the car-park then return to his apartment). * The song sung by Emma in the hostel is "I Just Blew in from the Windy City" from ''

Calamity Jane Martha Jane Canary (May 1, 1856 – August 1, 1903), better known as Calamity Jane, was an American American frontier, frontierswoman, Exhibition shooting, sharpshooter, sex worker, and storyteller. In addition to many exploits, she was known f ...

''.

Outside references

* The visitors are taken to a branch of the supermarket

Asda Asda Stores Limited (), trading as Asda and often styled as ASDA, is a British supermarket and petrol station chain. Its headquarters is in Leeds, England. The company was incorporated as Associated Dairies and Farm Stores in 1949. It expanded ...

for their initial orientation, although efforts are made by the production team to disguise this fact. Several recognisable brands and products are also shown on the screen, albeit quite briefly, including

Maltesers Maltesers are a British confectionery product manufactured by Mars Inc. First sold in the UK in 1937, they were originally aimed at women. They have since been sold in Europe, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, United States and Midd ...

Mars Bar Mars, commonly known as Mars bar, is the name of two varieties of chocolate bar produced by Mars Inc. It was first manufactured in 1932 in Slough, England, by Forrest Mars Sr. The bar consists of caramel and nougat coated with milk chocola ...

Twix Twix is a chocolate bar made by Mars Inc., consisting of a biscuit applied with other confectionery toppings and coatings (most frequently caramel and milk chocolate).The biscuit is typically topped with caramel and then coated with milk chocol ...

Kit Kat Kit Kat (stylised as KitKat in various countries) is a chocolate-covered wafer bar Confectionery, confection created by Rowntree's of York, England. It is produced globally by Nestlé (which acquired Rowntree's in 1988), except in the United S ...

Milky Way bar Milky Way is a brand of chocolate-covered confectionery bar manufactured and marketed by Mars Inc. There are two varieties: the U.S. Milky Way bar and the global Milky Way bar. U.S. version The Milky Way bar is made of nougat, topped with ca ...

Cadbury Cadbury, formerly Cadbury's and Cadbury Schweppes, is a British multinational confectionery company owned by Mondelez International (spun off from Kraft Foods) since 2010. It is the second-largest confectionery brand in the world, after Mars. ...

Dairy Milk Cadbury Dairy Milk is a British brand of milk chocolate manufactured by Cadbury. First introduced in the United Kingdom in June 1905 and now consists of a number of products. Every product in the Dairy Milk line is made exclusively with milk choc ...

, and

M&M's M&M's are color-varied sugar-coated dragée chocolate confectionery by the Mars Wrigley Confectionery division of Mars Inc.. The candy consists of a candy shell surrounding a filling which determines the specific type of M&M's. Each piece has ...

, among others. * Diane muses about the possibility that famed aviator

Amelia Earhart Amelia Mary Earhart ( ; July 24, 1897 – January 5, 1939) was an American aviation pioneer. On July 2, 1937, she disappeared over the Pacific Ocean while attempting to become the first female pilot to circumnavigate the world. During her li ...

may also have flown through a rift when she disappeared. * John talks about the

1953 FA Cup final The 1953 FA Cup final, also known as the Matthews Final, was the eighth to be held at Wembley Stadium after the Second World War. The football match was contested between Blackpool and Bolton Wanderers, with Blackpool winning 4–3, equalling the ...

between

Blackpool Blackpool is a seaside town in Lancashire, England. It is located on the Irish Sea coast of the Fylde peninsula, approximately north of Liverpool and west of Preston, Lancashire, Preston. It is the main settlement in the Borough of Blackpool ...

and

Bolton Wanderers Bolton Wanderers Football Club ( ) is a professional association football, football club based in Horwich, Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester, England, which competes in EFL League One, League One, the third level of the Englis ...

, which Blackpool went on to win 4–3, and particularly praises the performance of

Stanley Matthews Sir Stanley Matthews (1 February 1915 – 23 February 2000) was an English Association football, footballer who played as an Forward (association football)#Outside forward, outside right. Often regarded as one of the greatest players of the Br ...

during the match (known in football folklore as the "Matthews Final"). * Rhys calls Emma "

Pollyanna ''Pollyanna'' is a 1913 novel by American author Eleanor H. Porter, considered a classic of children's literature. The book's success led to Porter soon writing a sequel, ''Pollyanna Grows Up'' (1915). Eleven more ''Pollyanna'' sequels, known a ...

", a slang term which is derived from the main character of the 1913 novel ''

''. * Diane is delighted to see a

Cessna Cessna () is an American brand of general aviation aircraft owned by Textron Aviation since 2014, headquartered in Wichita, Kansas. Originally, it was a brand of the Cessna Aircraft Company, an American general aviation aircraft manufactu ...

at the air training school, remarking that they have "hardly changed at all". The plane is G-DRID, a

Cessna 172 The Cessna 172 Skyhawk is an American four-seat, single-engine, high wing, fixed-wing aircraft made by the Cessna Aircraft Company.flight training Flight training is a course of study used when learning to pilot an aircraft. The overall purpose of primary and intermediate flight training is the acquisition and honing of basic airmanship skills. Flight training can be conducted under a str ...

aircraft An aircraft ( aircraft) is a vehicle that is able to flight, fly by gaining support from the Atmosphere of Earth, air. It counters the force of gravity by using either Buoyancy, static lift or the Lift (force), dynamic lift of an airfoil, or, i ...

References

External links

"Out of Time" episode guide entry on the BBC website
{{Torchwood, selected=Programme Torchwood episodes 2006 British television episodes Television episodes about time travel Fiction set in 1953 Television episodes set in the 1950s Television episodes set in Cardiff Television episodes set in the 2000s