Found this positive 'Torchwood' review. Some general spoilers, but nothing too specific. Sound promising.

TV Review: Torchwood - Episode 1, "Everything Changes"

He's being very generous. It was billed as an adult spin-off, but in fact it's an adolescent and badly-thought out pantomime with too many one-liners and in-jokes for genre geeks. It reminded me more of a low-budget VAN HELSING than anything else.

SPOILERS

I saw both the first and second episodes on Sunday night (on BBC 3). I was also disappointed on this viewing - it's a lot less witty and well-written than Doctor Who (hopefully the former will not suffer in quality because Russell T Davies has now transferred his attention to this). The inital meeting between the Daleks and the Cybermen ("Identify yourself" etc) in the last episode of the last series had more wit than in both episodes combined.

The plot of the second episode in particular just seemed designed to tell people that this was a more adult-orientated production (and was basically a rehash of a five minute sequence from the first episode when one of the characters sprayed himself with something that made him sexually irrisistible).

The revelation of the killer in the first episode didn't make much sense either nor did the feeble epilogue (in which Torchwood agreed to "intervene" a little more) carry conviction.

The use of Cardiff as a locale had some plus factors.

But the writing is pretty wobbly with no attempt (yet) to really explain what Torchwood is, what it is trying to do, why its personnel only have to waive a pass to be accepted as "special ops" when they don't seem to officially exist, and where all the money comes from to support their operations ("we're above the United Nations" is the only explanation so far). The writers already seem to have dug themselves in a hole with Captain Jack's character having revealed him to be possessed of Captain Scarlett-like invulnerability already. And they haven't said what the other members are/what they do etc.

Frankly, I think it needs a lot more work - and the ratings are starting to slip already. Plus they need to get rid of the guy who lloks like Pete from Big Brother who is supremely irritating.

I've only seen the first ep so far. Bad Wolf is how Jack became immortal (we know he can die, but won't stay dead; don't know about aging), all things considered not that much of a stretch. I'm more curious on how he got from the year 200,100 to 2006. The rift thing (even though they established it in 'The Unquiet Dead') had me thinking Hellmouth!

A rough start, a little to much posturing (rooftop shots of Cap'n Jack), hopefully it'll find its legs as the first series progresses.

Just saw the most recent episode in the UK -- about a half-cyberwoman one of the Torchwood crew is keeping hidden in the basement. And it was absolute rubbish. I winced a lot in the first two episodes but was willing to stay with it, hoping for better. Missed the third episode, but this one is really horrible. There's no way around it, the show is awful, worse than the worst STARGATE episode.

And I just can't help but think -- the whole 2nd season of Dr. who prepped us for this? What a waste.

To add an alternative view: Maybe I set my expectations quite low for this, but I'm enjoying the hell out of this series. To be honest, I've never been a huge Sci-Fi fan but DOCTOR WHO always held a special place in my heart (especially having my formative years in the 70s). TORCHWOOD may be a bit silly but it's fun in a BIG way - and the recent episode on the Moors also had the added benefit of being often quite terrifying! Each episode is a rip-roaring burst of adrenaline - with added bursts of grue and a pleasingly pansexual element.

Pure entertainment as far as I'm concerned.

Just saw this at Sci-Fi Wire:

Torchwood Gets Second Season

The first series has been uneven at best, but BBC is apparently willing to give them time to work off the rough edges. And I guess the ratings have been good enough. Torchwood already made history by being the only Doctor Who spinoff to make it past one episode (much less a whole series). Good. Wonder when the R1 dvd will show.

An opinion by proxy (my sister) is that the first 4 episodes were terrible and intelligence-insulting, and then it takes a surprisingly better storytelling turn in episodes 5-8. So maybe those last few episodes saved its bacon for the renewal.

I assume TORCHWOOD is airing on the Sci-Fi Channel at some point?

I think they'd have to get into a 3rd or 4th series before sci-fi comes seriously a-courtin'. There's plenty of sci-fi/genre stuff produced in the U.K. that we never see over here or if we're lucky shows up on BBC America (like Life On Mars/Afterlife/The Eleventh Hour). Still Torchwood does have the Doctor Who connection, so...leastways I haven't seen anything official one-way or another.