The prime time BBC TV drama Torchwood 5 part mini-series Children Of Earth, broadcast on consecutive nights, mixed the Dr.Who spinoff alien science fiction (with the usual UK Government and United Nations secret agencies) with even more fast action and political treachery and manipulation à la Spooks.
Both the sci fi Torchwood and the spy fi Spooks achieve the necessary suspension of disbelief when it comes to technology, and create dramatic suspense with interesting human characters, just do not expect the plot to stand up to even cursory scrutiny.
The consecutive nightly screenings of the 5 part mini-series format, could also work well for Spooks, hopefully allowing a suitably well written story to aspire towards , for example, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy classic status.
The real headquarters building of the Security Service (MI5), located at Thames House, south of the Houses of Parliament, just south of where Lambeth Bridge meets Millbank, on the north bank of the river Thames.
It is the key location around which the plot of Children of Earth revolves, as the "thirteenth floor" is where, for some reason, the alien "456 monster" has chosen to descend from the sky in a pillar of flames. Consequently there are several exterior and aerial views of this building in the programmes.
<otaku location trivia mode>
How many of Torchwood Children Of Earth estimated 5 to 6 million viewers on average, spotted that the depiction at the start of Day Three episode of the "warehouse in Battersea", which was a "disused Torchwood 1 Holding Facility", which became the new base for the Torchwood team, was actually an aerial view of the
Government Car and Despatch Agency (GCDA) at 45-46 Ponton Road, London, SW8 5AX., which supplies vehicles and drivers to Government Minister and top civil servants etc, The agency also collects and delivers classified mail and parcels, and offers secure confidential waste handling and destruction.
{original screen grab]
{image flipped so that North is at the top ]
[Hybrid Map / Satellite imagery of Ponton Road]
See Alan Turnbull's UK Secret Bases for some more photos.
To the south west of the GCDA at the end of the Ponton Road cul de sac is, apparently the Metropolitan Police Service's vehicle Garages. The GCDA's neighbour to the north east is the Sotheby's Auctioneers Christie's Fine Art Storage Services high security Fine Art warehouse at 42 Ponton Road.
North and north west of the the GCDA / "Torchwood 1 Holding Facility" is a large Royal Mail postal sorting complex, with its distinctive red liveried vehicles.
North east of this, straddling the entrance to Ponton Road from Nine Elms Lane, is the future site of the new US Embassy in London, which is in the process of being designed and which will be moving from Grosvenor Square in Mayfair.
The Day Four episode of Children of Earth sees the Torchwood team deliberately allowing Agent Johnson's secret para-military spooks to track, a mobile phone call between Yanto out in the streets and Gwen , back in their new Torchwood hideout.
According to the Mobile Phone Communications Data / Location triangulation computer maps, Yanto's call appears to be from near Chelsea Police Station at 2 Lucan Place
Agent Johnson's SWAT team convoy is seen to pass around Queen's Circle roundabout on the Queenstown Road by Battersea Park railway station c.f. the road markings: VXHL = Vauxhall and CLHM = Clapham, as she heads for Battersea.
According to Agent Johnson's bald computer operator's screen, the location of the "warehouse in Battersea" comes up as "TORCHWOOD #1, Holding Facility, Decommissioned 1995".
However that location on the computer map, actually appears to be at the north eastern edge of the Stewarts Lane Depot (former railway steam engine sheds) to the south west of the distinctive New Covent Garden Fruit and Vegetable Market, rather than the Government Car and Despatch Agency in Ponton Road., which would be one grid square line up and right, on this screen.
</otaku location trivia mode>