Praise be, Torchwood is coming to the States.
Acclaimed British cult TV favorite "Torchwood" is getting a U.S. makeover courtesy of Starz.
The premium cable outlet will share production costs on the show's upcoming season in exchange for domestic distribution rights. The 10-episode run will debut on BBC One and Starz next summer, and take on a more international scope. The bulk of the story will shift from UK to North America and key U.S. actors will join the cast.
Once again, stars John Barrowman and Eve Myles will return.
"This gives 'Torchwood' the chance to feel like a real global drama," said BBC Worldwide Productions executive vp Jane Tranter. "The story of 'Torchwood' will impact worldwide humanity and not just a small area of the UK. This will scale it up."
The most recent edition of "Torchwood" was a five-episode miniseries titled "Children of Earth" that was recently nominated for best miniseries by the Television Critics Association. The show chronicles a group that keeps Britain safe from hostile aliens and is led by an immortal named Captain Jack (Barrowman).
Producers previously were developing a U.S. version at Fox, which eventually passed on the project.
John Barrowman is an incredibly likable character who happens to be attracted to men, women and aliens. When I first read that FOX was thinking about picking up the show, I figured they would have to change his character and destroy it because there was no way they would let Capt. Jack make out with a guy on American TV, but now he'll be intact and so will the show. Something funny happened in the UK. The children didn't all turn "gay" after watching the show which is something the homophobes here would have screamed about.
Eve Myles plays the female lead who is in love with Jack, but never says it even as she marries her boyfriend and really is the heart of Torchwood even though Captain Jack Harkness was the character that sold the show after he appeared on season one of the newer Doctor Who. From what I'm hearing the story arc is brilliant, it will have American actors/characters to make up the team and it's just as dark as Children of Earth which was the BBC America's biggest hit to date ratings wise at the time.
