The Doctor, Amy and Rory aren't the only alien-fighting Brits heading to America this year.

The highly anticipated fourth season of Torchwood, titled "Miracle Day," will be set mostly in the ole U.S. of A, with the cast and crew using one word to describe the awesomeness that is headed our way: "bigger."

"It's going to be bigger and better," John Barrowman, aka Captain Jack himself, told Deadline Monday. "...the audience is going to need a forklift truck to pick their jaws up off the ground."

Barrowman, who served as a companion to both the Ninth Doctor (Christopher Eccleston) and the Tenth Doctor (David Tennant) in Doctor Who, was excited about discussing a stunt which he declared couldn't have been shot in Wales because of the budget. A helicopter scene in the opening sequence proves his point.

"If we were in Wales shooting, we might not have had that, or we would have to rewrite the sequence."

According to producer Julie Gardner, Torchwood: Miracle Day has a budget that triples the previous seasons that were shot in the UK, giving the show's producers the opportunity to go wild with the type of stunts they can pull off. The helicopter scene is a prime example of this newfound freedom. But the explosions and transcontinental scope of the story aren't the only things of Torchwood that is expected to get an upgrade. Add 'sex' onto the list as well.

"Jack will have his little dabblings and the audience will get what they want," Barrowman promised to the die-hard fans of his bisexual TV counterpart, who is a legendary conquistador when it comes to sexual relations. In other words, no American is safe from the charms of Captain Jack Harkness.

So, 'bigger' is the operative word when it comes to Torchwood: Miracle Day this summer. And we would not have it any other way.

The ten part series will also star the other two remaining original Torchwood stars Eve Myles and Kai Owens, along with newcomers Mekhi Phifer, Bill Pullman, Alexa Havins, Dichen Lachman, Lauren Ambrose, and Arlene Tur.

Torchwood: Miracle Day premieres July 8th on Starz. It would be wise to bone up for subscription to the channel now.

Source: Deadline

Photo Credit: Starz

Torchwood: Miracle Day - "Bigger" In Every Sense of the Word

It's that time of year again. The ghouls and goblins are roaming the streets again, and porches are littered with pumpkins carved into the horrific visages of--

Dwight Shrute? The Doctor?

Not every pumpkin you carve for Halloween has to have triangular eyes and jagged teeth. People have been carving their pumpkins into totems of pop culture for years; with the advent of the Internet, talented carvers have begun to show off their gourdish creativity. For those who aren't as good with freehand, they've even offered up stencils of their fantastic carvings, which have delved into the realm of television. Ever wondered what Greg House would look like carved into a pumpkin? Hurley Reyes? Dexter Morgan? How about that lead trio from The Vampire Diaries?

The gallery below has twenty terrific pumpkins for you to ooh and ahh over, and cringe with jealousy. Some of the images below are actual pumpkins, while others are just patters for you to try out yourself.

Are you feeling the Halloween spirit? Well, keep your television sensibilities alive with the wonderful selections below.

Special thanks to Mark O. Estes, who contributed to this article, as well as to PinkRayGun.com, who created many of these fantastic designs.

Dexter Morgan

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This creepy serial killer from Showtime's 'Dexter' is perfect pumpkin material, and will scare off your neighbors.

20 Pumpkin Carvings for the TV Fanatic

Children of Earth was the banner title for the third season of Torchwood, a five-part miniseries event that was lauded by both fans and critics. Now, after Torchwood's move to Starz, it seems as though it's getting another such title -- something that the first two seasons of the show didn't have.

As a whole, the season will be titled "The New World," according to The Hollywood Reporter. While this obviously refers to the new audience and new setting of the series, it could very well also describe a more literal "new world," as in a planet.

The new story will follow a CIA agent (Rex) and analyst (Ester) who tackle an alien-related global issue. Torchwood, having been destroyed and disbanded, is "like a legend now ... it's like something that's ceased to exist and is now spoken of only in whispers." Soon, Rex and Ester are on the run and are seeking out the help of Captain Jack and Gwen.

That synopsis sort of leaves room for both explanations, though it's interesting to see the two new main characters being American. "The two teams coming together is a big part of the story -- are they friends or enemies? There's a lot of sparks and excitement," shared creator and showrunner Russell T. Davies.

"We definitely have a really big story to tell," said executive producer Julie Gardner. "It's absolutely rebooted to welcome in a new audience."

The series will be akin to Children of Earth in that it will tell one big story, only this time with double the number of episodes. The ten episode season will also, according to the article, have more room for sex and violence now that it's on a pay-cable network.

"I've always had loose standards and practices," Davies said. "If the story demands intimacy or savagery, we will go there absolutely ... [but] there's nothing better than a great big global thriller that stops for a sex scene -- it's probably hard to make that happen in a thriller."

Torchwood: The New World is slated to premiere on Starz and BBC One next year.

Torchwood: After 'Children of Earth' Comes 'The New World'

John Barrowman, a star of British television shows Doctor Who and Torchwood, recently made the move from Scotland to the U.S., and is currently taking it by storm. The 43-year-old actor has already appeared in a multi-episode arc on Desperate Housewives, and his show Torchwood has been picked up by the American network Starz. What's next? Well, it seems that Barrowman might be making the leap from fighting aliens to singing songs.

The actor, who has participated in several stage productions, has recently claimed that he's discussing a part in FOX's hit sophomore series with network execs. "I met with their casting people and I said I'd love to be in it," Barrowman told British celebrity magazine Now. "The ball's in their court, though."'

Barrowman had previously made claims of being in talks for a role in March, though this was denied by Glee's executive producer Ian Brennan, says Digital Spy.

But what role would Barrowman like? Well, he told Heat that he'd like to be one of main character Rachel Berry's two gay dads. "I'd be good as one of [them]!" he claimed. Barrowman is openly gay, and has portrayed Jack Harkness as an omnisexual man with several male relationships in Torchwood and Doctor Who. Playing gay in Glee would be nothing new for him.

"I have no idea if I'll be in it," Barrowman claimed, stating that he had met with several of the show's casting directors and expressed his interest in the show.

One problem that could potentially arise is if his role in Glee turned out to be recurring and overlapped with the upcoming filming of Torchwood's fourth season-- though I wouldn't worry too much about that -- now that Torchwood's production has moved stateside, things should be much easier to negotiate.

What do you think? Would you like to see Barrowman on Glee?

Barrowman for 'Glee?' Maybe

This isn't a piece of news, per se, but it is a fun pic of three showrunners having fun with an evil alien.

Bryan Fuller, known for his work on the shows Pushing Daisies, Dead Like Me (both of which he created), and Heroes, was photographed in Los Angeles with Russell T Davies, Julie Gardner, and a Dalek.

If you're unfamiliar with the last three names, you obviously don't watch Doctor Who. Davies and Gardner were responsible for the relaunch of the series in 2005, and both were attached to the series until last year, when both decided to move on to other things, leaving an entirely new production crew in charge of the show (a good move, in my opinion). Gardner and Davies then moved to Los Angeles to work at BBC Worldwide America, a branch of the UK television network in the U.S. There, Davies and Gardner orchestrated the Torchwood partnership between Starz and the UK, where the Doctor Who spinoff will be co-produced by both channels and take on a different setting.

So what was Fuller doing with Davies and Gardner? I'd absolutely love it if they were working on something together, but chances are, they were just hanging out. Fuller's Twitter caption of the photo, "Battling Daleks with Russell T Davies and Julie Gardner," certainly lends credence to the latter option. However, I'm still holding out hope that maybe the former is true. Having Fuller write for Torchwood would be all kinds of awesome.

Check out the photo below:

Bryan Fuller Battles Daleks with Russell T Davies and Julie Gardner

If you thought that the Doctor was in dire straits at the end of "The Pandorica Opens," guess what happens in the upcoming season of The Sarah Jane Adventures. Let me give you a hint: "Death of the Doctor." Well, that's the title of episodes four and five of the season, anyway, which just happen to be the episodes in which Matt Smith is guest starring.

If you're unfamiliar with The Sarah Jane Adventures, it's one of the three currently-running spinoffs of Doctor Who (along with Torchwood and K-9). Unlike Torchwood, however, Sarah Jane is filled with a little more humor, and is more skewed toward a younger audience than Torchwood's adult audience. It stars former Doctor companion Sarah Jane Smith, who appeared alongside the Third and Fourth Doctors before reappearing in the series three episode "School Reunion" along with the Tenth (David Tennant). Though her interaction with the Doctor seemed at an end considering their silent goodbye in "The End of Time," it seems that's not quite so.

The episodes, written by Russell T. Davies (who still is a writer for Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures but not Who). What's the plot for Sarah Jane's death-themed Doctor outing? Not much, according to DoctorWhoTV:

Plot details are still thin on the ground, but we know it will feature a secret base beneath Snowdon and new alien race called the Shansheeth, who are described as ‘vulture undertakers’.

No word yet on whether the Doctor will be accompanied by his companion, Amy Pond, in this appearance, as she has been signed on to appear in Doctor Who season six. However, the Doctor's appearance in Sarah Jane might just be all we see of him between "The Big Bang" and the 2010 Christmas special. However, compared to the Who-lite 2009, the break should fly by.

The Sarah Jane Adventures Spoiler - Death of the Doctor

Every season of Doctor Who has an overall arc, whether it's "Bad Wolf" for season one, "Vote Saxon" for season three, or, most recently, the cracks in time for season five. Nobody knows where the cracks came from, but they have the ability to erase people straight from history-- as if they never existed!

Take for instance Rory, Amy Pond's boyfriend. The poor guy was not only shot to death by a Silurian in the denouement of "Cold Blood" (part two of the Silurian episodes), but he was sucked into the time cracks and was forgotten by everyone but the Doctor (because the Doctor's a complicated space-time event).

These cracks have been linked to something called the Pandorica, which the Doctor seems to believe is just a myth, despite being reminded of the mysterious thing by Prisoner Zero in "The Eleventh Hour" and by River Song in "Flesh and Stone." But, as we know, the Doctor can be very, very, wrong, and in the case of the Pandorica, he most certainly is.

Why? Well, the penultimate episode of the season is called "The Pandorica Opens." I don't know about you, but that seems like pretty solid evidence to me. There are also some photos from the episode. Now, photos are usually placed in the gallery, but these were absolutely just too spoilery for me not to keep them all to myself.

The Pandorica appears to be a giant collection of all of the Doctor's worst enemies. That's right -- the Daleks, Cybermen, Sycorax, Silurians, Sontarans, pilot fish, Judoon, and the Hoix are all going to appear, as well as creatures from spinoffs Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures. You can see all these creatures in the photos below.

However, there appear to be Roman soldiers around too, and -- if I'm not mistaken -- that's the back of Rory's head in one of the shots. Could it be that the Pandorica comprises of everything that's ever been sucked into a crack in space? Could it be that Rory's alive and can be rescued? Let's hope so.

cybermen-pandorica

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Doctor Who Spoilers - The Pandorica Opens

Anna, the face of the Visitors - V

With the upcoming launch of "V",  it makes it the perfect time to reminisce about our favorite aliens of yore.   The extra-terrestrials who land on earth seem to come in three varieties:  aggressors, refugees, and observers.   But whether they have come to Earth with world domination on their minds, or they simply want to study the local ugly giant bags of mostly water, they almost always seem to stick around for a while.

So click-through and check out some of TVOvermind's favorite, and not so favorite aliens on television.

AGGRESSORS

We've got a pretty nice planet here.  And they want it.  They want our resources; they consider us to be lower life forms and want us to supplement their food supply; they just want us dead.  No matter how you slice it, we are going to have a fight on our hands.

Some claim to come in peace.  We'll find out next week what the true motivations of the Visitors are.  The last time they showed up they set up fake factories in order to steal our fresh water supply and abducted and flash-froze humans by the thousands to use as entrees.  I don't think a single fan of the original series will ever forget the cheesy horror of the scene where the visitors' true nature was revealed when one of them opened his snake-like double-jointed jaw and swallowed a hamster whole.  I doubt that they'll be a whole lot friendlier this time around.

From the Steven Spielberg mini-series - Taken

Aliens don't have to have a lot of screen time in order to scare the holy hell out of us.  A duo of X-Files writers gave us Space: Above and Beyond where humans were well into a war with invaders.  We didn't need to see them; their ships were enough.  In Steven Spielberg's Taken, three families suffered for generations after aliens abducted and impregnated various members in a decades-long experiment that finally resulted in hybrid child that may be the key to their future.  This mini-series wasn't the first to cover this idea but it was definitely the most disturbing version to come out in recent years. These guys were not E.T.  Human experimentation was also the premise for The 4400, but that series dealt mostly with the after-effects and the aliens themselves didn't have a real role.  Mulder's Roswell Greys were a threat from day one in the X-files but they were seldom physically present although their impact on our civilization had been tremendous over the decades.

Marvin the Martian versus Bugs Bunny - Looney Tunes

Some aliens have the same failings as we do - a big ol' ego being at the top of the list.  Why bother experiment on us when they can arrive and simply rule?  Of course, ego does not always equal intelligence, as Marvin the Martian found out in his running attempts to dominate Earth in various Looney Tunes incarnations.  Marvin first appeared in 1948 and hasn't succeeded yet.  He shouldn't feel badly; that wascally wabbit has a tendency to outwit humans too.

The war at home doesn't always have a visibly alien enemy.  Both First Wave and War of the Worlds had enemy combatants in human form.  It's much easier to identify them when they run around in impenetrable armor or have lizard skin.

I suppose when should be flattered that the Borg felt that we were advanced enough to be assimilated.  When they first appeared in Star Trek - The Next Generation, their unstoppable threat was impressive.

The Borg - Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Voyager

Unlike most televisions aliens, like Stargate: SG-1's Goa'uld, Ori, and Replicators, the Borg were never decisively beaten in battle.  Humans (okay, all of Star Fleet) won skirmishes.  They blew up individual cubes.  In one epic battle, they even managed to blow up a transwarp hub.  But the Borg remained a threat that was too widespread to destroy.  Although regions of space were freed from their influence, the knowledge was out there.  We may have proved that resistance is not futile but we certainly didn't will the war.

Alien Encounters - Television's Memorable Extra-Terrestrials

Torchwood: Children of Earth was an absolute success with fans of the series, but also left those fans a bit despondent over the future of the franchise.  None other than Torchwood creator himself, Russell T. Davies, has come forward to ease your fears concerning the future of the show, should the BBC be bold enough to order more.

“I could write you scene one of series four right now”, says Davies in a revealing interview with Torchwood Magazine. “I know exactly how to pick it up. I’ve got a shape in mind, and I’ve got stories. I know where you’d find Gwen and Rhys, and their baby, and Jack, and I know how you’d go forward with a new form of Torchwood.”

The news will come as a tonic to fans of the show, which enjoyed runaway success in the ratings when the latest series Children of Earth screened over five nights in July this year. The dramatic finale and the death of much-loved team member Ianto Jones had fans fearing the worst for the future of the show, but Davies’ positive comments will re-ignite hopes that Torchwood will once again return to television screens.

Davies is also confident of writing another compelling series of Torchwood, regardless of the format the BBC decides to choose for the show.

“If the BBC asked for another 13 one-part stories, that’s what we’d do”, Davies goes on to explain to Torchwood Magazine. “I’m ready for anything, but I think it works well as one continuous story. But if the BBC decide they want 13 one-offs, I’ll suddenly decide that’s the best format in the world!”

The prolific writer, widely credited with sparking the recent revival of parent show Doctor Who, goes on to talk candidly about the origins of Torchwood, and why he thinks the timing was all important for the success of the show.

“It’s been a very intelligent decision to make hay while the sun shines”, he says. “Look at the recession that’s sweeping in now. If I’d tried to get Torchwood off the ground now, they would say there’s no money for it. So while we had one very successful show, we made a strategic decision to push our advantage. Julie [Gardner, then Head of Drama at BBC Wales] passionately wanted a big, strong Welsh drama department – but one show is not a drama department, You’ve got to have more, so we did it while those doors were open to us.”

After Davies’ incredible successes on British shores, where he has also penned the acclaimed drama serials Queer as Folk and The Second Coming, the writer is looking forward to his next challenge across the Atlantic.

Davies tells Torchwood Magazine he believes his trade is taken much more seriously in the USA than it is at home in the UK:

“The attitudes towards drama there are very different, and their outlook is more professional in terms of how they approach the job. I heard this brilliant quote from [acclaimed British screenwriter] Frank Cottrell Boyce recently, where he said that British writers are essentially amateur and they want to go home or go to the pub, but in America they can’t wait to go in to the office.”

Source: Torchwood Magazine

Russell T. Davies has Plans for Torchwood

***SPOILER WARNING***
This article contains spoiler information about Day Five of the miniseries. Don’t continue reading if you don’t want to know what happens.

Torchwood continues to go from strength-to-strength following the recent airing of its third season, a mini-series aired over five nights on BBC America entitled Children of Earth. Following the Torchwood team’s closest brush with catastrophe yet, creator Russell T. Davies talked with Entertainment Weekly’s Michael Ausiello to discuss the death of a much-loved character, and the show’s future prospects.

Day Four of Children of Earth saw the death of Ianto Jones, who began as a butler-type character but became increasingly important as the show progressed. The character gained somewhat of a cult following, down to Gareth David-Lloyd’s boyish good looks and Ianto’s quick-fire quips and interaction with John Barrowman’s Captain Jack. With all that said, why did Davies risk alienating (no pun intended) a large proportion of the female fanbase? Simple, really. “The threat to the world was just so great it simply would have been unlikely if everyone had survived,” he says. “Poor Ianto was defeated by a greater evil, I'm afraid.”

Far from being intimidated by the fans that are eager for his blood, Davies claims to be glad that there has been such a strong reaction, “because they’re that involved. But if you can’t handle drama you shouldn’t watch it.” And for those who’ve indeed decided that they will no longer tune into one of the BBC’s flagship shows? “I recommend they go watch Supernatural, because those boys are beautiful,” Davies jokes.

Death seems particularly prevalent in the Torchwood universe at the moment. First, Toshiko Sato, the team’s technological genius, was shot by Jack’s brother Gray. Then, medic Owen Harper perished in a nuclear meltdown caused by the same man. The tragic death of Ianto, Gwen’s departure to have her baby, and Jack’s mysterious disappearance into the star-strewn sky has led fans to wonder how a fourth series could be possible. Davies is hopeful, however. “I’m fairly confident [it will continue] in some shape or form. I’m kind of excited what we’ll do next,” he says. He cannot see a Torchwood without its lynchpin, Captain Jack Harkness, however. “[Captain Jack is] absolutely fundamental to Torchwood,” Davies reassures.

What did you think of Torchwood: Children of Earth? Have we seen the last of Torchwood 4, or is there still life left? And how did the death of Ianto Jones affect you?

Source: Ausiello Files

Russell T Davies Talks Torchwood: Children of Earth

Aliens are coming back to Earth after abducting a bus full of children in 1965. Oh, and the Hub just exploded with Captain Jack Harkness still inside. Must be Tuesday.

Never fear, because anyone who watches Torchwood knows that Jack can’t stay dead. Not only that, but both Gwen and Ianto have managed to escape the explosion and the subsequent attempts on their life by the evil Agent Johnson. One of the rare moments of comic relief in this series comes when a PC on the scene of the Hub explosion continues to insist that he knows Gwen Cooper and she’s not a terrorist…even all the way in the van to raiding her flat. Gwen grabs her ever-loyal husband Rhys (the much underappreciated Kai Owen) and the two wisely flee Cardiff Bay, but not before getting a call from Ianto so they know he’s alive. Rhys puts up with way more than any sane man should, God bless him, and he’s getting the hang of this. Looks like he’s about to become the unofficial fourth member of the band.

Gwen and Rhys flee the city hiding on a produce truck, during which she breaks the news to him that she’s pregnant. He is, of course, overjoyed.

Meanwhile, the 456 have sent instructions to Home Office lackey Frobisher and his people to build them their own facility. I want to see that at Home Depot. Frobisher’s wife is getting really tired of all his BS, and he says there’s nothing to worry about, which of course means there’s everything to worry about. He and the Prime Minister state the obvious: Jack Harkness doesn’t die easily, and people are going to start asking questions about the aliens’ previous escapades. Trusty new assistant Lois gets to work to hear about the bomb, and uses her new boss’s ID to quickly connect the dots between Torchwood and the big boom. Unfortunately, or perhaps for the sake of exposition, she then starts asking questions and is promptly told no one wants to hear it.

Later, Gwen tries to set up a meeting with Frobisher, but gets Lois instead, who tells her and Rhys that Frobisher is the one who ordered the assassinations. She has also managed to figure out that Jack is still alive, and researched where, plus set up a meeting. Yes, she is that crafty. Yes, this is probably your new member of Torchwood.

Ianto turns up at what remains of the Hub looking for Jack, only to see the bag of pieces formerly known as Jack loaded into a private ambulance which is also big and black. He’s smart enough to write down the license plate number, and also smart enough to slip a card to his sister in her husband’s morning racing form. The kids are smart enough to figure out that the big grey sedan outside is full of bad guys and the house is bugged, so Ianto’s sister’s husband goes on a fake tear to distract them while Ianto’s sister reads the card and finds out where to meet him. You have to hand it to the Torchwood writers: these characters are using their heads, and not just stumbling around for drama’s sake.

In order to allow Ianto’s sister to escape out of the house undetected, her husband and a bunch of the neighborhood kids go attack the car outside and scare the crap out of the thugs therein. Apparently their juvenile delinquency comes in handy for something. Ianto’s sister meets him at a local park, and he’s forced to explain to her what it is he actually does. At least she doesn’t totally flip out before he borrows her laptop and her car.

The Bag of Pieces Formerly Known As Jack Harkness gets shipped to a remote location which is of course all grey and mostly concrete because it looks cooler that way or something. Slowly and quite painfully (and incredibly gory, but what did you expect?) it re-forms itself into the man we know and love. Cue the obligatory naked Barrowman, before Agent Johnson decides if she can’t kill him, she’ll just go Han Solo on him – and fills his cell with concrete, effectively entombing him alive (shades of the end of season two, anyone?).

Gwen and Rhys sneak into the compound to break Jack out, but are quickly cornered by Agent Johnson and her big army of minions. Just when you think all is lost, the coolest thing in the world happens. Ianto breaks into the place with a forklift. A FORKLIFT. Really, how awesome is that? He literally picks up and rips out the Big Concrete Box Formerly Known As Jack Harkness (and the wall), and Gwen and Rhys jump on the forklift along with it. Everyone makes a narrow escape.

They take the Big Concrete Box to a quarry and drop it off a cliff to shatter it open, thus resurrecting Jack. Cue more naked Barrowman, in full rear view. Allow me to take a moment to appreciate that.

Oh and by the way, the 456 are coming tomorrow. Frobisher has built their Home Depot box in a room at Thames House, and all there is to do is wait.

What do you think? How scary are the 456 really going to be? How cool is it that you can beat bad guys with a forklift? Sound off below.

Torchwood: Children of Earth Part 2 Recap

When last we left the Torchwood team, they were still reeling from the deaths of two of their own and the return of their leader’s now-vengeful younger brother. The four radio plays in between have helped us whet our appetite but if you’re like me, you’ve been waiting with bated breath for the new season of BBC America’s top-rated import. Wait no more, as tonight begins a controversial five-night mini-season that will change the franchise forever.

If you’ve been watching BBC America for five minutes over the last two months, you know the general premise: all the children on the planet Earth stop at random intervals, announcing as one the arrival of a fearsome alien entity known only (and oh how creatively) as the 456. Meanwhile, the members of Torchwood are being hunted down by the British government as their past catches up with them. Anyone want to guess whose?

We start our tale in 1965, when a bunch of kids are on a school bus in the middle of nowhere at the middle of the night. They get out and are herded toward a big, bright light, and subsequently disappear while a lone unidentified man looks on. Worst. Field trip. Ever.

This leads directly into a big white title card and the familiar few notes of the former Torchwood theme. Gone are the opening explanatory narration by John Barrowman and the opening montage…I suppose they figure if you’re watching the show, you probably know all of that by now. It was clunky, but I liked it! (Okay, I just sort of liked listening to Barrowman talk. I admit it.) The credits now roll over the first few minutes of the show, echoing an emerging trend in television: saving a little time by scrapping the opening credit sequence. Sports Night didn’t have one, Eli Stone didn’t really have one, and now Torchwood doesn’t either. Personally, I think it’s a smart creative decision. We can now watch the credits roll while Russell T. Davies’ favorite character, ex-cop Gwen Cooper, is wondering what the heck is up with the kids of Cardiff. She’s not the only one to notice: in the kitchen of top Home Office aide John Frobisher, his kids aren’t moving either. Neither is Steven Carter, the son of Alice Carter. And if you think she looks like someone, you’re right… The only person other than the children to experience this two-minute freeze is Clem MacDonald, an elderly gentleman committed to an asylum. What does he have to do with it? Well, he was a child in 1965, of course! You didn’t think that flashback was there for nothing?

While Gwen is wondering what’s going on with the children, Jack and Ianto are at a local hospital removing an alien from a dead guy. They lie through their teeth, saying they were the deceased gentleman’s neighbors; they particularly enjoy highlighting that yes, they’re a couple. This is possibly just to confuse the crap out of attending doctor Rupesh Patanjali, who stumbles upon them removing the alien and figures out they’re Torchwood. He later approaches Jack and Ianto with a sob story about disappearing bodies, which Jack at first brushes off but begins to reconsider. I remain convinced John Barrowman preens without even trying. He may be overacting just a little, but come on, it’s Barrowman. It’s part of the fun. And I have to say, “smart alec” looks good on Gareth David-Lloyd. (Even if their relationship in this episode seems more frosty than romantic, or maybe that’s just me. As if adding some violins to the moment where Jack makes the deadpan remark that he hates the word “couple” is supposed to make us fawn over it. I’m not even an ardent fan of the pairing, and I think that’s messed up.)

Torchwood: Children of Earth "Day One" - Recap

Torchwood COE Jack exclusive

Torchwood and Doctor Who fans have a lot to be excited about regarding next week’s Comic-Con 2009 in San Diego – and it just got even better for collectors. Underground Toys has just released images of their four exclusive new action figures, which will be available firstly at Comic-Con and then only at select online retailers following the event. If you’re an action figure collector like myself, you won’t want to miss these great new additions.

The first two selections are part of Character Options’ classic figure series. The first is the First Doctor (William Hartnell) with a Dalek Invasion of Earth ‘Black’ Dalek two-pack, harkening back to Doctor Who’s first broadcast in November 1963. Both color and black and white editions will be available, keeping in the spirit of the original black-and-white television broadcast. The second is the Second Doctor (Patrick Troughton), featured here with a Cybermen two-pack representing those found in the September 1967 episode ‘Tomb of the Cybermen’. This figure also has both color and black-and-white variants available. Both the First and Second Doctor exclusives have a SRP of $40.

Underground will also offer a Sixth Doctor variant figure, featuring Colin Baker’s incarnation in the alternative blue coat most visibly used in the BBC’s ‘Real Time’ webcast. This more muted, less frivolous design is a favorite among many fans, and this figure has an SRP of $20.

For Torchwood fans like myself, you’ll be thrilled to hear that a limited edition Captain Jack Harkness figure will also be offered at the convention. This figure, specially packaged for the upcoming Children of Earth miniseries, is a variant of the one released in the first wave of Torchwood figures. It features Jack in his dark blue alternative wardrobe, and is individually hand-numbered. This variant carries an SRP of $20.

All these figures will be available exclusively at the Underground Toys booth at Comic-Con (#3949), and later at select online retailers not yet known at press time. Check here and at the Underground Toys website – http://www.underground-toys.com -- for more information.

[Show as slideshow]

Torchwood Comic-Con Preview: Check Out The Exclusive Action Figures!

Torchwood : Children of Earth is the 3rd season and the third incarnation of Russell T Davies' Doctor Who spin-off show. With the third series, comes a new added impetous as Torchwood has moved to the BBC's main channel, BBC One. Over three seasons, Torchwood has never stayed on one channel, moving from premiering on the digital-only BBC Three for the first, and BBC Two for the second. With each series has come a slight reinvention of the product. Season One began by resembling several shows, its own parent show for one, and whilst it had its moments of quality, seemed to some like a family TV show with added adult content simply for the sake of it, leading to the Torchwood team sometimes being mocked as the "Scooby Doo Gang" on internet forums and blogs.

Season Two began by bringing more of the same, but as the season evolved the show began to find more adult themes that felt meaningful, and less like adult themes being injected into a family show. With characters being killed, brought back to life, and stories given to them that had meaning, depth and sometimes, incredible power.

Season Three's move to BBC One gave the show new pressures. No longer was it to be considered a secondary show on the BBC, but given a marquee slot on the main channel. The cost of this, and certainly a worry for the fans, was that the season was being shortened to five one-hour long episodes with a concurrent story. This worried many fans worldwide, wondering how the show would fair in a mainstream spot on the most popular channel in the UK, and whether some of the character plots and themes might sink by the wayside due to their more controversial nature, and higher exposure.

Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman), Ianto Jones and Gwen Cooper (Eve Myles) are on the trail of a new mysterious occurance. The children of Earth all stopping, at precisely the same moment and chanting "We are coming... We are coming...". The mysterious behaviour catches not only the eyes of Torchwood, but the world at large, including UNIT and the UK and US Governments. The mysterious chanting leads them on a mystery involving a Government conspiracy, seemingly lead by John Frobisher (Peter Capaldi from Doctor Who's episode Fires of Pompeii, and the brilliant government satire The Thick of It), organising the arrival of a mysterious alien force known only as The 456.

Jack, Ianto and Gwen ably assisted by her husband Rhys, begin to investigate and find that there is a conspiracy afoot, that could affect every child on the Earth and lead the entire planet devastated. Who are the 456? Why are they coming to Earth? Have they been here before? And ultimately, do you sacrifice the few, in order to spare the many?

Thankfully all worries about the move to BBC One have been lifted, as Torchwood has evolved and matured into five amazing hours of television. The move to one single concurrent story has been a triumph for the show, and Torchwood's new season not only integrates even tighter with the "Whoniverse" but is now its own show in its own right, beyond its parent program. This season has been easily one of the best pieces of Sci-Fi the UK has produced for years, if not one of the best UK TV dramas in several years.

With the move of show runner and creator Russell T. Davies to work in the United States, the future of Torchwood is still in the air, but after rated an impressive 5.9 million viewers over the 5 nights on average, the BBC would be mad to cancel one of its most popular shows simply because the creator is moving onto pastures new. Torchwood is back, and is better than ever.

Torchwood : Children of Earth airs at 9pm PST (8pm Central) on BBC America and BBC America HD from the 20th July for 5 nights.
It is available in the UK on BBC iPlayer until 17th July, or for purchase on DVD and BluRay in Europe now.

Torchwood : Children of Earth Preview

The official Comic-Con schedule has been released! Below are the confirmed dates, times and guests for all television panels from the following networks: ABC, AMC, BBC, CBS, CW, DISCOVERY, FOX, HBO, NBC, SHO, SYFY & USA. I have also included special television-specific panels hosted by Entertainment Weekly and TV Guide.

I will be attending and reporting about the panels that are denoted by an asterisk. Follow me on Twitter for frequent updates from San Diego!

WEDNESDAY, JULY 22

• Human Target, V & Vampire Diaries
  • Ballroom 20, 6pm-9pm
  • Full pilot screenings of each

THURSDAY, JULY 23

• Burn Notice*
  • Ballroom 20, 2:30pm-3:30pm
  • Guests: Bruce Campbell, creator/exec prod Matt Nix, executive producer Alfredo Barrios Jr.

• Dexter*
  • Ballroom 20, 5pm-6pm
  • Guests: Michael C. Hall, Julie Benz, Jennifer Carpenter, executive producers John Goldwyn, Sara Colleton, Clyde Phillips & Melissa Rosenberg

• Legend of the Seeker
  • Room 6DE, 4:45pm-5:45pm
  • Guests: executive producers & cast [names not confirmed]

• The Middleman*
  • Room 6A, 11:15am-12:15pm
  • Guests: Matt Keeslar, Natalie Morales, Mary Pat Gleason, Brit Morgan, Jake Smollett, Mark Sheppard, Brendan Hines, producer Sarah Watson, writers Jordan Rosenberg, Margaret Dunlap & Andy Reaser, creator Javier Grillo-Marxuach
  • Cast reunion reading & lost episode table read, “The Doomsday Armageddon Apocalypse”

• Psych
  • Ballroom 20, 3:45pm-4:45pm
  • Guests: James Roday, Dule Hill, Maggie Lawson, Tim Omundson, Corbin Bernsen, creator/exec prod Steve Franks

• Entertainment Weekly: Wonder Women – Female Power Icons in Pop Culture*
  • Ballroom 20, 1:15pm-2:15pm
  • Guests: Sigourney Weaver, Elizabeth Mitchell (Lost, V) & Zoe Saldana (Avatar)

FRIDAY, JULY 24

• 24
  • Ballroom 20, 2:15pm-3pm
  • Guests: Kiefer Sutherland, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Anil Kapoor, Katee Sackhoff, executive producer Howard Gordon

• The Big Bang Theory
  • Ballroom 20, 1pm-2pm
  • Guests: Johnny Galecki, Jim Parsons, Kaley Cuoco, Simon Helberg, Kunal Nayyar, executive producers Chuck Lorre & Bill Prady

• Bones*
  • Ballroom 20, 3pm-3:45pm
  • Guests: Emily Deschanel, David Boreanaz, executive producer Hart Hanson

• Caprica/Battlestar Galatica: The Plan
  • Ballroom 20, 11:45am-12:45pm
  • Guests: Esai Morales, Edward James Olmos, executive producers Ronald Moore, David Eick & Jane Espenson

• Dollhouse & Joss Whedon Q&A*
  • Ballroom 20, 4pm-6pm
  • Guests: Eliza Dushku, executive producer Joss Whedon
  • Screening of episode “Epitaph One”

• Eureka
  • Room 6BCF, 3:15pm-4:15pm
  • Guests: Salli Richardson-Whitfield, Erica Cerra, Neil Grayston, executive producer Jaime Paglia

• FlashForward*
  • Room 6A, 11:45am-12:45pm
  • Guests: Joseph Fiennes, John Cho, Jack Davenport, Sonya Walger, executive producers David S. Goyer, Brannon Braga & Marc Guggenheim

• Jericho
  • Room 7AB, 5pm-6pm
  • Guests: Lennie James, executive producers Dan Shotz, Karim Zreik, Jon Steinberg, writer Robert Levine
  • Details about Season Three: Civil War comic book continuation of series storyline

• The Middle
  • Hilton Bayfront Indigo Ballroom, 12pm-1pm
  • Guests: Patricia Heaton
  • Pilot screening

• The Mighty Boosh
  • Room 6A, 4:45pm-5:45pm
  • Guests: Julian Barratt, Noel Fielding, Michael Fielding, Rich Fulcher, Dave Brown

• Past Life
  • Room 6A, 2:15pm-3:15pm
  • Guests: Kelli Giddish, Nicholas Bishop, Ravi Patel, executive producers David Hudgins & Lou Pitt
  • Pilot screening

• The Prisoner
  • Room 6BCF 11:30am-12:30pm
  • Guests: Jim Caviezel, Jamie Campbell Bower, Lennie James, writer Bill Gallagher, AMC series production VP Vlad Wolynetz

• Stargate Universe
  • Ballroom 20, 10:30am-11:30am
  • Guests: Robert Carlyle, Brian J. Smith, Elyse Levesque, David Blue, Alaina Huffman, Jamil Walker Smith, Ming-Na, creators Brad Wright & Robert Cooper

• TV Guide Magazine: Sci Fi Hot List
  • Ballroom 20, 6:15pm-7:15pm
  • Guests: John Cho & Scott Wolf (V), Johnny Galecki & Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory), Zachary Levi (Chuck), Rebecca Romijn (Eastwick), Allison DuBois (the real Medium), Marc Guggenheim (producer, FlashForward), Kevin Williamson (executive producer, The Vampire Diaries, Scott Peters (executive producer, V)

SATURDAY, JULY 25

• Chuck
  • Ballroom 20, 10am-11am
  • Guests: Zachary Levi, Yvonne Strahovski, Joshua Gomez, Ryan McPartlin, Mark Christopher Lawrence, Vik Sahay, Scott Krinsky, Sarah Lancaster, Adam Baldwin, executive producers Josh Schwartz & Chris Fedak

• The Cleveland Show
  • Ballroom 20, 12pm-1pm
  • Guests: Sana’a Lathan, Kevin Michael Richardson, executive producers Seth MacFarlane, Mike Henry & Rich Appel

• Doctor Who: Planet of the Dead & Torchwood: Children of Earth screenings
  • Room 6DE, 7:30pm-10:00pm

• Eastwick
  • Room 6A, 10:15am-11:15am
  • Guests: Rebecca Romijn, Lindsay Price, Jaime Ray Newman, Paul Gross, executive producers Maggie Friedman & David Nutter
  • Full pilot screening

• Family Guy
  • Ballroom 20, 11:15am-12pm
  • Guests: executive producer Seth MacFarlane

• Fringe*
  • Ballroom 20, 4pm-5pm
  • Guests: Anna Torv, John Noble, Josh Jackson, producers Alex Kurtzman & Robert Orci, executive producers Jeff Pinkner & JH Wyman

• Futurama
  • Ballroom 20, 1pm-1:45pm
  • Guests: Billy West, Katey Sagal, John DiMaggio, Maurice LaMarche, executive producers Matt Groening & David Cohen

• Glee
  • Hilton Bayfront Indigo Ballroom, 1:30pm-3pm
  • Guests: Matthew Morrison, Lea Michele, Cory Monteith
  • New episode screening

• Heroes
  • Hilton Bayfront Indigo Ballroom, 3:15pm-4:15pm
  • Guests: creator Tim Kring, Jack Coleman, Masi Oka, Adrian Pasdar, Zachary Quinto, Robert Knepper, Dawn Oliveri, Ray Park, Madeline Zima
  • "Volume 5: Redemption" trailer debut

• Human Target
  • Room 6BCF, 4:45pm-5:55pm
  • Guests: Mark Valley, Chi McBride, Jackie Earle Haley, executive producers Jon Steinberg, Brad Kern, Peter Johnson, comic co-creator Len Wein
  • Pilot screening

• LOST*
  • Hall H, 11am-noon
  • Guests: executive producers Carlton Cuse & Damon Lindelof and surprise guest

• Mythbusters
  • Room 6BCF, 7:15pm-8:15pm
  • Guests: Jamie Hyneman, Adam Savage, Tory Belluci, Grant Imahara

• Sanctuary
  • Hilton Bayfront Indigo Ballroom, 12:30pm-1:30pm
  • Guests: Amanda Tapping, Robin Dunne, executive producers Martin Wood & Damian Kindler

• The Simpsons
  • Ballroom 20, 1:45pm-2:30pm
  • Guests: creator Matt Groening, showrunner Al Jean, executive producer Matt Selman, supervising director Mike Anderson

• True Blood*
  • Ballroom 20, 5:15pm-6:15pm
  • Guests: Anna Paquin, Stephen Moyer, Nelsan Ellis, Rutina Wesley, Sam Trammell, Alexander Skarskard, Michelle Forbes, Deborah Ann Woll, writer Charlaine Harris, executive producer Alan Ball

• V*
  
  • Ballroom 20, 2:45pm-3:45pm
  • Guests: Elizabeth Mitchell, Scott Wolf, Morris Chestnut, Joel Gretsch, Morena Baccarin, executive producers Scott Peters, Jeffrey Bell, Steve Pearlman & Jace Hall
  • Pilot screening

• The Vampire Diaries
  • Room 6BCF, 5:55pm-7pm
  • Guests: Ian Somerhalder, Paul Wesley, Nina Dobrev, executive producers Kevin Williamson & Bob Levy, writer Julie Plec
  • Pilot screening

• Warehouse 13
  • Room 6A, 2:15pm-3:15pm
  • Guests: Eddie McClintock, Joanne Kelly, Saul Rubinek, Allison Scagliotti, executive producers Jack Kenny & David Simkins

• Weeds
  • Hilton Bayfront Indigo Ballroom, 8pm-9pm
  • Guests: Justin Kirk, Hunter Parrish, creator Jenji Kohan

• Entertainment Weekly: Totally LOST w/Jeff Jensen & Dan Snierson
  • Room 5AB, 3:30pm-4:30pm

SUNDAY, JULY 26

• American Dad
  • Ballroom 20, 11:15am-12:15pm
  • Guests: Seth MacFarlane, Wendy Schall, Dee Bradley Baker, executive producers Mike Barker & Matt Weitzman

• Being Human & Torchwood
  • Ballroom 20, 2:15pm-3:45pm
  • Guests: John Barrowman, Russell Tovey, Lenora Crichlow, Aidan Turner, executive producers Russell T. Davies, Julie Gardner & Toby Whithouse, director Euros Lyn

• Doctor Who
  • Ballroom 20, 10am-11am
  • Guests: David Tennant, executive producers Russell Davies & Julie Gardner, director Euros Lyn

• Ghost Whisperer
  • Room 6BCF, 1pm-2pm
  • Guests: Jennifer Love Hewitt, David Conrad, Christoph Sanders, Jamie Kennedy, Camryn Manheim, executive producers Ian Sander, Kim Moses & PK Simonds

• Smallville
  • Room 6BCF, 10:30am-11:30am
  • Guests: Allison Mack, Erica Durance, Justin Hartley, Cassidy Freeman, Callum Blue, showrunners Kelly Souders & Brian Peterson

• Supernatural
  • Room 6BCF, 11:45am-12:45pm
  • Guests: Misha Collins, Jim Beaver, executive producers Eric Kripke, Ben Edlund & Sera Gamble

Source: comic-con.org

Jo is a pop culture writer who loves television and covers Lost extensively. She is currently enjoying The Cleaner, Nurse Jackie, True Blood and Weeds while impatiently awaiting Comic-Con 09. Email:  jo [at] jopinionated [dot] com.

Comprehensive & Confirmed Comic-Con 09 TV Panel Schedule

Comic-Con 2009 is now only three weeks away! Below is your weekly television panel schedule update, including guests for each that have been confirmed thus far.

If time permits, I will be attending the panels that are denoted by an asterisk.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 22

• Human Target, V & Vampire Diaries (6pm-9pm, room TBD) *
  • Full pilot previews of each

THURSDAY, JULY 23

• Burn Notice (room & time TBD)

• Dexter (Ballroom 20, 5pm-6pm) *

• Legend of the Seeker (room & time TBD)

• The Middleman (Room 6A, 11:15am-12:15pm) *
  • Guests: Matt Keeslar, Natalie Morales, Mary Pat Gleason, Britt Morgan, Jake Smollett, ep Javier Grillo-Marxuach
  • Cast reading of lost 13th episode script, "The Doomsday Armageddon Apocalypse"

• Psych (room & time TBD)

FRIDAY, JULY 24

• 24 (Ballroom 20, 2:15pm-3pm)
  • Guests: Kiefer Sutherland, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Anil Kapoor, Freddie Prinze Jr., Katee Sackhoff, ep Howard Gordon
• Batman: The Brave and the Bold; animated (Room 6DE, 10am-11am)
  • Guests: Diedrich Bader, ep Sam Register
  • Screening of "Mayhem of Music Meister" episode featuring voice of Neil Patrick Harris
• The Big Bang Theory (Ballroom 20, 1pm-2pm)
  • Guests: Johnny Galecki, Jim Parsons, ep Chuck Lorre
• Bones (Ballroom 20, 3pm-3:45pm) *
  • Guests: Emily Deschanel, David Boreanaz, ep Hart Hanson
• Caprica/Battlestar Galatica: The Plan (Ballroom 20, 11:45am-12:45pm)
  • Guests: Esai Morales, Edward James Olmos, eps Ronald Moore, David Eick & Jane Espenson
• Dollhouse (Ballroom 20, 4pm-6pm) *
  • Guests: Eliza Dushku, ep Joss Whedon
  • Screening of episode "Epitaph One"
• Eureka (Room 6BCF, 3:15pm-4:15pm)
  • Guests: Salli Richardson-Whitfield, Erica Cerra, Neil Grayston, ep Jaime Paglia
• FlashForward (Room 6A, 11:45am-12:45pm) *

• The Mighty Boosh (Room 6A, 4:45pm-5:45pm)
  • Guests: Julian Barratt, Noel Fielding, Michael Fielding, Rich Fulcher, Dave Brown
• Past Life (Room 6A, 2:15pm-3:15pm)
  • Guests: Kelli Giddish, Nicholas Bishop, Ravi Patel, ep David Hudgens
• The Prisoner (11:30am-12:30pm, room TBD)

• Stargate Universe (Ballroom 20, 10:30am-11:30am)
  • Guests: Robert Carlyle, Brian J. Smith, Elyse Levesque, David Blue, Alaina Huffman, Jamil Walker Smith, Ming-Na, eps Brad Wright & Robert Cooper

SATURDAY, JULY 25

• Chuck (Ballroom 20, 10am-11am)
  • Guests: Zachary Levi, Yvonne Strahovski, ep Josh Schwartz
• The Cleveland Show (Ballroom 20, 12pm-12:45pm)
  • Guests: Sana'a Lathan, Kevin Michael Richardson, eps Seth MacFarlane, Mike Henry & Rich Appel
• Doctor Who: Planet of the Dead & Torchwood: Children of Earth screenings (Room 6A, 7:30pm-10:30pm)

• Eastwick (Room 6A, 10:15am-11:15am)
  • Guests: Rebecca Romijn, Lindsay Price, Jaime Ray Newman
  • Full pilot screening
• Family Guy (Ballroom 20, 11:15am-12pm)
  • Guests: Seth Green, Mila Kunis, ep Seth MacFarlane
• Fringe (Ballroom 20, 4pm-5pm) *
  • Guests: Anna Torv, John Noble
• Futurama (Ballroom 20, 1pm-1:45pm)
  • Guests: Billy West, Katey Sagal, John DiMaggio, Maurice LaMarche, eps Matt Groening & David Cohen
• Glee (Bayside Hilton Indigo Room, 1:30pm-3pm)
  • Guests: Matthew Morrison, Lea Michele, Cory Monteith
  • New episode screening
• Heroes (room & time TBD)

• Human Target (Room 6BCF, 4:45pm-5:45pm)
  • Guests: Mark Valley, Chi McBride, Jackie Earle Haley
• Lost (Hall H, 11am-noon) *
  • Guests: eps Carlton Cuse & Damon Lindelof
• Mythbusters (Room 6BCF, 7:15pm-8:15pm)
  • Guests: Jamie Hyneman, Adam Savage, Tory Belluci, Grant Imahara
• Sanctuary (Bayside Hilton Indigo Room, 12:30pm-1:30pm)
  • Guests: Amanda Tapping, Robin Dunne, eps Martin Wood & Damian Kindler
• The Simpsons (Ballroom 20, 1:45pm-2:30pm)
  • Guests: Matt Groening, Al Jean, Matt Selman, Mike Anderson
• V (Ballroom 20, 2:45pm-3:45pm) *
  • Guests: Elizabeth Mitchell, Scott Wolf, eps Scott Peters & Jeffrey Bell
• Vampire Diaries (Room 6BCF, 6pm-7pm)
  • Guests: Ian Somerhalder, Paul Wesley, Nina Dobrev, ep Kevin Williamson
• Warehouse 13 (Room 6A, 2:15pm-3:15pm)
  • Guests: Eddie McClintock, Joanne Kelly, Saul Rubinek, Allison Scagliotti, eps Jack Kenny & David Simkins

SUNDAY, JULY 26

• American Dad (Ballroom 20, 11:15am-12:15pm)
  • Guests: Seth MacFarlane, Wendy Schall, Dee Bradley Baker, eps Mike Barker & Matt Weitzman
• Being Human & Torchwood (Room 6BCF, 2:15pm-3:45pm)
  • Guests: John Barrowman, Russell Tovey, Lenora Crichlow, Aidan Turner, eps Russell Davies, Julie Gardner & Toby Whithouse, director Euros Lyn
• Doctor Who (Ballroom 20, 10am-11am)
  • Guests: David Tennant, eps Russell Davies & Julie Gardner, director Euros Lyn
• Ghost Whisperer (1pm-2pm, room TBD)

• Smallville (Room 6BCF, 10:30am-11:30am)
  • Guests: Erica Durance, Justin Hartley, Cassidy Freeman
• Supernatural (Room 6BCD, 11:45am-12:45pm)
  • Guests: Misha Collins, Jim Beaver, ep Eric Kripke

Awaiting word: Heroes, True Blood

Stay tuned for more details!

Jo is a pop culture writer who loves television and covers Lost extensively. She is currently enjoying The Cleaner, Nurse Jackie, True Blood and Weeds while impatiently awaiting Comic-Con 09. Email:  jo [at] jopinionated [dot] com.

Comic-Con 2009: TV Panel Updates with Confirmed Guests

It was announced today that BBC America acquired the rights to air five Doctor Who specials.

The 2008 Christmas special, The Next Doctor, is set to air on June 27, 2009. Doctor Who: Planet of the Dead will debut in July, and Doctor Who: The Waters of Mars will be released later this year. The other two specials are slated for late 2009 or early 2010.

These specials will be the last for lead David Tennant, who will be replaced next season by Matt Smith (who will play the Eleventh Doctor). Executive producer/writer Russell T. Davies will also be departing the series, and writer Steven Moffat will be assuming the show running responsibilities.

In addition to Doctor Who, Davies is bringing the five-part special Torchwood: Children of the Earth to BBC America in July.

Coming to (BBC) America: Doctor Who & Torchwood

It seems that John Borrowman, who plays Captain Jack on the BBC hit Torchwood, will have his first original Torchwood comic strip released in the newest issue of Torchwood magazine.  Borrowman wrote the new comic with his sister, and regular collaborator, Carole E. Barrowman.  The comic strip is titled Captain Jack and the Selkie and will be exclusively featured in the #14 issue of the bimonthly magazine, which hits newsstands tomorrow, March 17.

The tale follows Captain Jack as he faces a deadly threat as people start disappearing one by one on a remote Scottish island.  To his horror, Jack starts to suspect that he may know who, or more specifically what, is responsible.

The artwork for the comic strip is provided by Tommy Lee Edwards and Trevor Goring, whom John and Carole met last year at Comic Con 2008.  Tommy Lee Edwards is the acclaimed artist behind several stunning comic projects including Marvel’s current smash hit ‘1985’, plus the acclaimed ‘Bullet Points’, DC’s ‘The Question’, and several more.

In an interview done by Carole, John explains:

…given that we’d just hooked up with two of the best artists in the comic world, as far as I was concerned, it made sense to pitch a comic . . . and then later when you and I were brainstorming on a story, I remembered you’d written something before about the myth of the selkie, and I thought it’d be a perfect plot to adapt for what, in my head, I was already calling a ‘Captain Jack Tale.’

Speaking about the project, Torchwood comic editor Martin Eden said:

I’m so excited to be working on this story – John and Carole are an absolute pleasure to work with. And Tommy Lee Edwards is one of my favorite artists. I’ve seen the thumbnails that Tommy and Trevor have worked on – and, believe me, the readers are in for a treat!

Below is a ‘first look’ at some of the fantastic artwork in the comic, and if you continue to the second page you can read the full interview with John Borrowman, conducted by his sister Carole.

[Show as slideshow]

John Borrowman pens new "Torchwood" Comic