Meat (Torchwood) - Production

Production

"Meat" was made alongside "Sleeper", the second episode of the series which was also directed by Teague, as part of block two of production which ran from 3 June to 5 July 2007. It originally had the working title "Another Working Day". In discussing the origins of the central alien writer Catherine Tregenna states that "we were just throwing ideas around and true to form Russell said "why isn't it just a great big whale in a warehouse?"" Davies states the alien was designed to be "one of Torchwood and Doctor Who's biggest monsters" not in terms of concept but its "literal size". He felt this provided insight into "the strangeness of life". Producer Richard Stokes states that the concept design team created an idea of what they envisaged the whale to look like. Tregenna felt that the original design for the creature was "a little fanciful" in that it was a bit too "beautiful and exotic" before deciding "if it looked like that they would exhibit it, it would be a freak show." She characterises the final design as resembling "a giant kebab". Contrary to observations from commentators, Tregenna did not intend the story to promote vegetarianism as she is not a vegetarian — she simply wanted to write an episode that was more action based than her series one episodes ("Out of Time" and "Captain Jack Harkness"). The hypothetical size of the space whale resulted in Teague having to find this "huge great warehouse" and hire a fifty foot crane for camera angles. Whilst the main body of the alien was created using computer-generated imagery a prosthetic version of the cut wound in the side of the alien was available for the actors to interact with on set. Actor Eve Myles describes it as being like filming within a "blood soaked, soppy big sponge". The opening of the creature's eye was created using green screen. Owen felt having to react to this to be the most unusual acting experience he'd had whilst filming Torchwood.

In regards to the relationship between Gwen and Rhys, Davies felt that the episode provided a "rite of passage for the couple". Director Colin Teague remarked that the character of Rhys "puts up with a lot from his wife to be." The production team had previously planned to kill the character off at the end of the previous series but retained the character, partly because they liked Owen as an actor. In storylining the second series Davies states that "one of the first decisions we made was that we can't make this guy look like a sap any longer. He's got to be made aware of what's going on." Tregenna identified one of the central themes of the episode as the "love triangle between Gwen, Rhys and Jack". The argument in which Gwen ultimately reveals to Rhys that she catches aliens for a living was partly improvised by Owen and Myles. The denouement of the episode sees the character of Rhys take a bullet to protect Gwen. To create this scene Owen's clothing was fitted with a minor explosive, the gunshot effect " a bit" which both Teague and Owen felt helped with the timing of the actor's reaction. Location filming for the episode took place around Roald Dahl Plass on 3 July for several scenes, including the final scene with Gwen and Rhys on Mermaid Quay, and the earlier scene where Rhys observes Jack and Gwen by the water fountain. A warehouse near Roath Dock, Cardiff Bay was used as the location for the abandoned warehouse-meat processing plant, whilst the Imperial Park Bypass was used for some of the road scenes. During the episode Gwen asks "What is this, Scooby-Doo?" in regards to Rhys' suggestion the team hide in his van in order to carry out a sting operation. Torchwood Magazine suggest that this was a knowing reference from Tregenna to the critic and satirist Charlie Brooker's reaction to the first series of the show.