What do you think?
Rate this book
Torchwood One #5
Torchwood One: I Hate Mondays
Torchwood One faces three of the worst Mondays ever...
Dinner for Yvonne by James Goss, from a story by James Goss and Joseph Lidster
A cloud of psychic plasma is sweeping over Salisbury Plain towards London. Unfortunately, it’s Yvonne’s night off and she’s throwing a dinner party. Will London perish before she can serve the artisanal cheese board?
By Royal Appointment by James Goss
Poppy Greenleaf finds herself appointed the Crown’s royal liaison for Torchwood. What is Torchwood? Who is Yvonne Hartman? Why is the world ending? Poppy finds herself lost in a world of alien invasions, international espionage and intergalactic diplomacy.
Nerves by Joseph Lidster
Another Monday morning, another mission for Torchwood. Ianto and Tommy have to transport a canister of deadly Euphorian nerve agent to an underground bunker in the South Downs. It should be an easy straight-forward job but other forces are gathering…
Dinner for Yvonne by James Goss, from a story by James Goss and Joseph Lidster
A cloud of psychic plasma is sweeping over Salisbury Plain towards London. Unfortunately, it’s Yvonne’s night off and she’s throwing a dinner party. Will London perish before she can serve the artisanal cheese board?
By Royal Appointment by James Goss
Poppy Greenleaf finds herself appointed the Crown’s royal liaison for Torchwood. What is Torchwood? Who is Yvonne Hartman? Why is the world ending? Poppy finds herself lost in a world of alien invasions, international espionage and intergalactic diplomacy.
Nerves by Joseph Lidster
Another Monday morning, another mission for Torchwood. Ianto and Tommy have to transport a canister of deadly Euphorian nerve agent to an underground bunker in the South Downs. It should be an easy straight-forward job but other forces are gathering…
- GenresDoctor Who
Audio CD
First published May 20, 2024
About the author
James Goss
232 books183 followersJames Goss has written two Torchwood novels and a radio play, as well as a Being Human book. His Doctor Who audiobook Dead Air won Best Audiobook 2010. James also spent seven years working on the BBC's official Doctor Who website and co-wrote the website for Torchwood Series One. In 2007, he won the Best Adaptation category in the annual LA Weekly Theatre Awards for his version of Douglas Adams' novel Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
May 4, 2026
Three stories set on consecutive Mondays at Torchwood One, although with little else to connect them beyond taking place around the events of Disco in the monthly range.
Dinner for Yvonne
The first story is, at least in part, a comedy, focusing on Yvonne’s attempts to hold a dinner party on her night off and trying to avoid having to deal with work issues. Which, naturally, doesn’t go as planned. There’s a lot about trying to make a good impression on the neighbours, as part of the classic sitcom setup of trying to hide the chaos in the background. Here, at least two of the guests are quite ghastly, and the others are self-absorbed, their interactions forming almost as much of the narrative as the predictable disasters with the roast potatoes.
On top of which, of course, there is the science fiction element, happening off-stage as Ianto and Tommy try to get Yvonne to deal with a growing crisis that could threaten the whole of southern England. It ties in to the main plot, but it’s almost a side story, providing a sense of underlying tension that has to be resolved before the dinner reaches the artisanal cheese board. All of which makes for an unusual story for this series, playing on well-worn sitcom tropes to do something that, in this context, is more original than its inspiration. 4 stars.
By Royal Appointment
The second story takes a more serious tone, as we are introduced to the Palace official responsible for overseeing Torchwood; arguably the closest thing Yvonne has to an actual boss. It turns out that such people normally just leave her to get on with it, but the new incumbent wants to find out what it is she is actually supervising. What we get is a sort of day-in-the-life story with Torchwood One dealing with a series of apparently unconnected issues and the somewhat naïve, if personable, overseer tagging along.
The story had some dark elements, with Yvonne’s ruthless streak coming to the fore. She’s Machiavellian here, in a way that clashes with her overly confident approach in Army of Ghosts, but that’s nothing new for this audio series, which has largely reinvented the character. A lot of the tension comes from her failing to explain what she’s actually doing, although this far into the audio series, it’s hard not to realise that there has to be more going on than meets the eye; we know that she’s not a very nice person, but also that she’s not really a villain. That aside, it may not be the strongest story, but it works and at least makes something of the fact that even 21st-century Torchwood is supposedly under the control of the Crown, and is, as the tagline says, “beyond the government”. 3.5 stars.
Nerves
Like the previous one, this, too starts off like a normal day, with Ianto and Tommy charged with delivering an alien weapon to a safe containment facility. However, it’s obvious almost from the beginning how the mundanity of the job is going to be shattered, as we also see the even more unremarkable lives of a motorist and a lorry driver travelling the same route. When the inevitable happens, it turns the story into a desperate battle for survival, any hope of contacting the outside world cut off by Torchwood’s protocols.
If one could make a criticism, it’s that, even this early in the morning, it’s hard to believe that the road is as deserted as it is. But, if we ignore that, it’s otherwise both tense and a great character piece, as everyone is pushed to their limits. The science fiction elements, while present, really aren’t that important, with it more being about how everyone reacts to the desperate situation they’re in. This clash between reality and the alien is a large part of what Torchwood is about, and it’s expertly done here. And, in this show, it’s not obvious that everyone is going to make it out alive… 5 stars.
Dinner for Yvonne
The first story is, at least in part, a comedy, focusing on Yvonne’s attempts to hold a dinner party on her night off and trying to avoid having to deal with work issues. Which, naturally, doesn’t go as planned. There’s a lot about trying to make a good impression on the neighbours, as part of the classic sitcom setup of trying to hide the chaos in the background. Here, at least two of the guests are quite ghastly, and the others are self-absorbed, their interactions forming almost as much of the narrative as the predictable disasters with the roast potatoes.
On top of which, of course, there is the science fiction element, happening off-stage as Ianto and Tommy try to get Yvonne to deal with a growing crisis that could threaten the whole of southern England. It ties in to the main plot, but it’s almost a side story, providing a sense of underlying tension that has to be resolved before the dinner reaches the artisanal cheese board. All of which makes for an unusual story for this series, playing on well-worn sitcom tropes to do something that, in this context, is more original than its inspiration. 4 stars.
By Royal Appointment
The second story takes a more serious tone, as we are introduced to the Palace official responsible for overseeing Torchwood; arguably the closest thing Yvonne has to an actual boss. It turns out that such people normally just leave her to get on with it, but the new incumbent wants to find out what it is she is actually supervising. What we get is a sort of day-in-the-life story with Torchwood One dealing with a series of apparently unconnected issues and the somewhat naïve, if personable, overseer tagging along.
The story had some dark elements, with Yvonne’s ruthless streak coming to the fore. She’s Machiavellian here, in a way that clashes with her overly confident approach in Army of Ghosts, but that’s nothing new for this audio series, which has largely reinvented the character. A lot of the tension comes from her failing to explain what she’s actually doing, although this far into the audio series, it’s hard not to realise that there has to be more going on than meets the eye; we know that she’s not a very nice person, but also that she’s not really a villain. That aside, it may not be the strongest story, but it works and at least makes something of the fact that even 21st-century Torchwood is supposedly under the control of the Crown, and is, as the tagline says, “beyond the government”. 3.5 stars.
Nerves
Like the previous one, this, too starts off like a normal day, with Ianto and Tommy charged with delivering an alien weapon to a safe containment facility. However, it’s obvious almost from the beginning how the mundanity of the job is going to be shattered, as we also see the even more unremarkable lives of a motorist and a lorry driver travelling the same route. When the inevitable happens, it turns the story into a desperate battle for survival, any hope of contacting the outside world cut off by Torchwood’s protocols.
If one could make a criticism, it’s that, even this early in the morning, it’s hard to believe that the road is as deserted as it is. But, if we ignore that, it’s otherwise both tense and a great character piece, as everyone is pushed to their limits. The science fiction elements, while present, really aren’t that important, with it more being about how everyone reacts to the desperate situation they’re in. This clash between reality and the alien is a large part of what Torchwood is about, and it’s expertly done here. And, in this show, it’s not obvious that everyone is going to make it out alive… 5 stars.
February 12, 2025
Honnêtement, je ne suis pas trop fan des épisodes comiques de Torchwood, donc le premier de la série qui tourne autour de situations comiques avec Yvonne Hartman n'était pas pour moi. J'ai aussi trouvé le deuxième épisode un peu léger et un peu facile (ça restait plaisant, mais je n'ai pas trop compris qu'est-ce que l'épisode explorait vraiment comme sujet ou thème). Toutefois, le dernier épisode était vraiment beaucoup plus rentre dedans et rachète un peu pour moi l'écoute de cette "trilogie" où Ianto apprend la mort de son père et affecte son rapport à ses collègues de Torchwood One et au restant du monde. Le dernier épisode de Joseph Lidster aborde extrêmement frontalement la question du deuil et de la perte à travers un accident de voiture où Ianto se retrouve complètement pris au dépourvu et ce sont les autres personnages qui doivent agir pour sauver la situation. Ce n'est pas un épisode triste ou vraiment dramatique, mais plutôt "rentre-dedans" qui secoue un peu les différents personnages et où il y a plusieurs phrases "assassines" très bien écrites et jouées.
Dans les trois épisodes, les acteurs et actrices étaient vraiment très doué·es dans leurs rôles respectifs. Je commente assez rarement là-dessus, ou juste pour un personnage souvent, mais dans ce coffret, les personnages étaient marquants, riches, super bien caractérisées et on sentait vraiment un vécu comme si on suivait certains personnages depuis plusieurs épisodes déjà. C'était assez rafraîchissant dans la série Torchwood One où on ne suit réellement que trois personnages dans le 5 coffrets publiés jusqu'à présents.
Je commence toutefois à regretter un peu l'absence d'arc narratif qui pourrait aiguiller l'ensemble des coffrets (autre que l'anticipation de ce qui est à venir). Il n'y a pas vraiment personne qui revient de temps à autre, des ennemis qui sont une véritable menace pour l'organisation, etc. Je pense que le coffret manquait juste un peu de quoi au-delà de la question du deuil complexe de Ianto.
Dans les trois épisodes, les acteurs et actrices étaient vraiment très doué·es dans leurs rôles respectifs. Je commente assez rarement là-dessus, ou juste pour un personnage souvent, mais dans ce coffret, les personnages étaient marquants, riches, super bien caractérisées et on sentait vraiment un vécu comme si on suivait certains personnages depuis plusieurs épisodes déjà. C'était assez rafraîchissant dans la série Torchwood One où on ne suit réellement que trois personnages dans le 5 coffrets publiés jusqu'à présents.
Je commence toutefois à regretter un peu l'absence d'arc narratif qui pourrait aiguiller l'ensemble des coffrets (autre que l'anticipation de ce qui est à venir). Il n'y a pas vraiment personne qui revient de temps à autre, des ennemis qui sont une véritable menace pour l'organisation, etc. Je pense que le coffret manquait juste un peu de quoi au-delà de la question du deuil complexe de Ianto.
May 15, 2024
This is a very good little audio drama anthology, with superb voice acting.
Torchwood has always been something of a darker cousin of Doctor Who, often dealing with certain topics that the main show and its accompanying material won’t. While at times it can be just as simple as scarier aliens or darker consequences, I’ve always felt that that the Torchwood IP was at it’s best when exploring themes of mental distress that would likely occur if your job was to keep the planet safe from aliens on a daily basis.
While Ianto has always been Torchwood’s go-to character for this, both in the show and audio/print, I Hate Mondays gives insight into the toll the job takes on many people.
While “By Royal Appointment” is certainly the weakest of the three stories, as it misunderstands some of its characters, it’s still an enjoyable listen.
Torchwood has always been something of a darker cousin of Doctor Who, often dealing with certain topics that the main show and its accompanying material won’t. While at times it can be just as simple as scarier aliens or darker consequences, I’ve always felt that that the Torchwood IP was at it’s best when exploring themes of mental distress that would likely occur if your job was to keep the planet safe from aliens on a daily basis.
While Ianto has always been Torchwood’s go-to character for this, both in the show and audio/print, I Hate Mondays gives insight into the toll the job takes on many people.
While “By Royal Appointment” is certainly the weakest of the three stories, as it misunderstands some of its characters, it’s still an enjoyable listen.
July 15, 2024
Dinner for Yvonne - decent episode, kinda funny, kinda forgettable, but pleasant. 3/5
By Royal Appointment - this one was all over the place and I struggled to follow what was going on. Poppy was a good character and well-performed but that's about it. 2/5
Nerves - holy shit, where did this stroke of genius come from? My new favourite episode in the Torchwood One series? Cinematic in its cuts between characters from the beginning, you know all of these stories are going to intersect, but how? For the entire run of the series I've constantly been thinking "stop trying to make Tommy a thing" but he's really earnt his spot on the cover for this series. Moving, clever, and ties up the threads of this set well - also ties in with Disco quite nicely. Bravo. 5/5
By Royal Appointment - this one was all over the place and I struggled to follow what was going on. Poppy was a good character and well-performed but that's about it. 2/5
Nerves - holy shit, where did this stroke of genius come from? My new favourite episode in the Torchwood One series? Cinematic in its cuts between characters from the beginning, you know all of these stories are going to intersect, but how? For the entire run of the series I've constantly been thinking "stop trying to make Tommy a thing" but he's really earnt his spot on the cover for this series. Moving, clever, and ties up the threads of this set well - also ties in with Disco quite nicely. Bravo. 5/5
November 22, 2024
A superb boxset as expected from the Torchwood One sub franchise.
* Dinner for Yvonne is a lighthearted audio about Yvonne trying to set up a dinner which nevertheless has an underlying message about Torchwood making it difficult to maintain friendships and with an ending which affects the rest of the boxset.
* By Royal Appointment is the weak point, but nonetheless has some good scenes regarding Ianto’s attempts to deal with the death of his father and Yvonne’s poor attempts to provide comfort.
* Nerves is the strongest of the three and has some great messages about dealing with grief, especially when the dead relative was an ass in life. No wonder Ianto is the most utilised character in Big Finish Torchwood - he’s got a past and character which leads to some really good stories.
* Dinner for Yvonne is a lighthearted audio about Yvonne trying to set up a dinner which nevertheless has an underlying message about Torchwood making it difficult to maintain friendships and with an ending which affects the rest of the boxset.
* By Royal Appointment is the weak point, but nonetheless has some good scenes regarding Ianto’s attempts to deal with the death of his father and Yvonne’s poor attempts to provide comfort.
* Nerves is the strongest of the three and has some great messages about dealing with grief, especially when the dead relative was an ass in life. No wonder Ianto is the most utilised character in Big Finish Torchwood - he’s got a past and character which leads to some really good stories.
May 26, 2024
Given that Barrowman is person non-grata per order via BBC, Big Finish has re-focused their best Torchwood writing to their Torchwood: One range. Truly fabulous stuff.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews