Torchwood International

[rogartheranger]

Great News!! Finally after months of speculation the BBC have finally confirmed that a 4th Series of Torchwood has been commissioned which this time will be produced between BBC Wales, BBC Worldwide, and the US network Starz Entertainment.

The new series will see John Barrowman and Eve Myles reprise their roles as Captain Jack Harkness and Gwen, and will be comprised of ten episodes overseen by series creator Russell T Davies. Other former cast members (like Gwen's husband Rhys played by Kai Owen) have yet to be confirmed, but new faces will appear in the team, with adventures set to take place around the world.

Says Ben Stephenson, Controller, BBC Drama Commissioning:
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.

Jane Tranter, EVP, BBC Worldwide Productions:
Torchwood has attracted remarkable attention and loyalty in both the UK and U.S., and in this new partnership with Starz, the next chapter will not only reward our current fans, but also introduce new viewers to the most impressive instalment yet.

Chris Albrecht, LLC, President and CEO of Starz:
We're committed to programming exceptional television that is entertaining, imaginative and provides a premium TV experience, and by any measure the new concept for Torchwood fits that mandate. I've been part of successful partnerships with Jane Tranter and the BBC previously, and I'm very much looking forward to working with them again.

No date for production and eventual broadcast for the series has been announced, though some media sources have suggested it premiering during Summer 2011.

[rogartheranger]

Here's some additional interview snippets which clarify a few points concerning the direction for the new series :-

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Chris Albrecht (LLC, President and CEO of Starz) added:-
"It was too good an opportunity to pass up. Each season of the show, the show has evolved and "The Children of Earth" was terrific as evident in it was just named a Television Critics Press Awards nominee. I'm interested in doing sci-fi and what I like a lot about "Torchwood" is it's a very classic sci-fi entry. It's all about the story, it's not about big effects. I thought "Children of Earth" evolved the franchise to a place where it could continue to evolve on pay TV with an American partner that could bring more production resources. At the end of "Children of Earth" Torchwood was destroyed, so when we pick up in our world the need for Torchwood arises again. A lot of this story takes place in the U.S. as well with several characters that are in the U.S. intelligence forces and end up teaming up with Gwen and Captain Jack to deal with the situation at hand."


The Hollywood Reporter also spoke to Russell T Davies:-
"It's very much the next step. It's not a new version, it's not a reboot. We're simply moving countries. The show was previously a format show -- monster of the week. The breakthrough was "Children of Earth" and that it became one long story. It's not going to be 'Lost' and take 20 years to find out what's going on. It's going to have a most remarkable conclusion after 10 episodes. We're simply going to tell a good story. I wrote the pilot 7 months ago irregardless of network. BBC1 is a prime-time channel, but a brave channel. I don't worry about content."


So there you go, by the looks of things then this new series will carry a more serialised format like Children of Earth over 10 episodes and is branching away from Cardiff to the USA and various other countries too. I will of course add more information once I hear anything, so stay tuned for more exciting developments!