Manners has long worked with Joss Whedon, serving in a variety of capacities in the Buffyverse and having produced Dollhouse, which featured Dichen Lachman. He appears to have brought other Whedon alumni into Torchwood, including people like associate producer Skip Schoolnik, costume designer Shawna Trpcic, and key make-up artist Todd McIntosh, Additionally, Lion Visual Effects, Inc. — the visual effects company for Miracle Day, had worked with Manners before on Dollhouse.