by Carrie Eckles

Created on: June 07, 2010

BBC’s Torchwood has found new life in the US on Starz. The network has acquired the rights to show the highly anticipated fourth series, which will air in the summer of 2011 and run for ten episodes. The new season will be a coproduction with Starz, BBC Cymru Wales, and BBC Worldwide, and it’s rumored to bring on new characters to reflect the show’s newfound international scope.

The third series, a five-part miniseries titled “Children of Earth”, began airing on BBC One on July 6, 2009. “Children of Earth” saw the death of beloved character Ianto Jones; his death brought the original Torchwood characters still alive down to only two: Gwen Cooper and Capt. Jack Harkness. The ending of “Children of Earth” left fans feeling that things were up in the air; Cooper (portrayed by actress Eve Myles) was last seen giving a tearful goodbye to a very broken Capt. Jack (played by John Barrowman). Many fans were worried it would be the end of the show – especially since news had been so silent about a fourth series.

But now, a year later, all that is changing. Fans will be happy to know that both Gwen and Jack will be back for the new series.

Now that Starz is involved in production of the show, the question now remains: what does this mean for Torchwood? And how will long-term fans react?

The good news is that creator Russell T. Davies is returning as show runner, and will head up the writing team for series four. Reliable sources also confirm that veteran Doctor Who writer Andrew Cartmel will write the series four episode titled “Jinx”. From a writing standpoint, it seems the show is back on solid ground.

But there will be some changes. Before, Torchwood’s Cardiff hub acted for the main base of operations in the series. However, the hub was destroyed during “Children of Earth”, leaving Torchwood without a home; but, without the hub, Capt. Jack and Gwen will find themselves on adventures in several far-flung destinations around the world, including some in the US. The announcement on the BBC website also refers to a “shocking and moving story with global stakes”, which seems to indicate the internationality of the show will be a major theme in the new series.

It seems like bringing Starz on board is allowing creator Russell T. Davies to truly expand his vision for the show. And, until 2011, Davies’ legions of fans will be all anticipation over this mysterious new installment.

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