For those of us who are big fans of the Doctor Who spinoff show Torchwood, it's been a tough year. After the critically acclaimed and fan loved third season/mini-series event "Children Of Earth" aired on BBC last summer, we've been left hanging with no definite word as to what was going to happen to the show going forward. The show ended with the Torchwood team seemingly broken up for good. All but two members of the team were dead, one was pregnant, and the leader ran away to space to deal with the guilt of what had to do to save the world. It wasn't exactly a happy ending.
Fans waited eagerly to hear that a fourth season of the show had been picked up by the BBC, but no word came. Then there were rumors of budget cutbacks at the network and that Torchwood may have been one of the many shows that were forced to end their run due to lack of money. It was a dark time indeed, but things were about to get darker.
New rumors of an American version of Torchwood started swirling all around the internet. The sci-fi serial killer Fox was looking at adapting the show for American Audiences. Actor John Barrowman was said to still be in-line to reprise his role as Captain Jack Harkness, but there was word that the character may be changed so that he wasn't as omnisexual (read as "not gay") as he was on the British version of the series. Fans (myself included) recoiled in horror at the prospect that Fox might sexually neuter the show and destroy a franchise that was so loved, like they have so many times before.
The only bright spot for the last year for Torchwood fans was when word came down that Fox decided to pass on the project. Yes, it still meant no new Torchwood was going to be made, but at least Fox wouldn't ruin it either. Nothing is preferrable to Fox tinkering with things.
Happily though, word has come down last week that Torchwood is officially back. And not just in one media format, but in two.
First up, The BBC has officialy announced that an all new season of Torchwood (10 new episodes) has been ordered, but there's a bit of a twist. The new shows will be co-produced with the American cable network Starz.
The 10-episode instalment will be written by a team led by Torchwood creator, Russell T Davies, and produced by BBC Worldwide Productions. Davies and BBC Worldwide Productions’ SVP Scripted, Julie Gardner, return as executive producers with BBC Worldwide Productions EVP Jane Tranter. The series has been commissioned by Controller BBC ONE, Jay Hunt, Controller BBC Drama, Ben Stephenson, and Starz President and CEO, Chris Albrecht.
While previous series were based on location in Cardiff, Wales, this new instalment will see storylines widen to include locations in the U.S. and around the world. John Barrowman and Eve Myles will return in their roles as Captain Jack and Gwen respectively, along with new faces.
Announcing the commission, Ben Stephenson, Controller, BBC Drama Commissioning said: "We have a long history of working with many U.S. networks but it is incredibly exciting to be working with Starz for the first time, as well as to be reunited with the best of British in Russell, Jane and Julie. Torchwood will burst back onto the screen with a shocking and moving story with global stakes and locations that will make it feel bigger and bolder than ever"
To be honest, I don't see a lot to worry about in that statement. Torchwood's original creator (and all around awesome guy) Russel T. Davies is on board. Not only is John Barrowman coming back to play Captain Jack, but Eve Myles is returning to play Gwen Cooper as well. We've got the show's creator, and the actors for both of the team's surviving members coming back. It's not a reboot, it's a continuation of the series . . . . and to top things off, it's going to be on cable, not network TV. That means that Captain Jack's sexual antics are no longer limited by what he can do on Network TV
Oh God. Just imagine what Captain Jack Harkness will be like now that he can do whatever he wants.
Adding an international scope to the show isn't a bad thing either. I would totally love to see how Gwen and Captain Jack deal with having to work with agencies from around the world. It could add whole new layers to the show. Plus, Starz has made some pretty decent shows themselves. I'm still dying for a second season to Spartacus: Blood and Sand. Having them airing a new Torchwood season is fine by me. At the very least, it'll be a million times better than what Fox would have probably done with the show.
It's not just TV where one can continue to follow the adventures of Torchwood though. There's a new comic book series coming out too. It comes out this August from Titan Comics, and it features two stories. One of those stories has been written by none other than Captain Jack himself, John Barrowman.
Barrowman's tale, "Captain Jack and the Selkie," finds Jack Harkness dealing with a remote Scottish island where people are disappearing one by one. The book's second story, "Broken," was written by Torchwood script editor Gary Russell; in this five-part adventure, Jack, Gwen, and Ian get trapped in a cosmic hotel.
It certainly seems that after a long drought for Torchwood fans, the rain has finally come. We're about to get more John Barrowman than we know what to do with, which I'm sure is exactly how he likes it.
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