Davies: It's International, But Wales Is At Heart Of 'Torchwood'

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Davies: It's International, But Wales Is At Heart Of 'Torchwood'
June 10, 2010
By ALAN STANLEY BLAIR
Airlock Alpha


ans waiting with bated breath to hear if BBC would move its science-fiction series for adults, "Torchwood," to the United States for an Americanized edition were slightly disappointed when it was revealed the series would not make the trans-Atlantic jump.

Fortunately, there is some better news as BBC Cymru Wales have revealed that a fourth season of the series has been commissioned and will take the show's central characters further afield than ever before … but Wales will still be at the heart of the story.

"It's a bit soon to give away too much about the story, but we will be shooting in Wales and there will still be Cardiff actions on your screens," series creator and showrunner Russell T. Davies said. "But, the story now takes the team to America and to some other countries as well. It's still going to be very good and very personal stories. Sometimes you describe this international stuff and it sounds like a 1960s series called 'The Jet Set' or something. It's going to really good, strong human stories at the heart of this never mind the travel. It's still about people really."

Both John Barrowman and Eve Myles have signed on to return for a 10-episode season of the "Doctor Who" spinoff, and the season will be produced in conjunction with BBC Worldwide (responsible for BBC America) and also American premium cable channel, Starz Entertainment. And, thanks to the joint development of the series, Davies has high hopes of attracting talent from both sides of the pond.

"Barrowman will be back, bless him, and we're all very excited," he said. "And hopefully some more U.K. signings to come as well, and a few American cast as well. That is part of the fun of the script as well, which is the culture clash. It's not just going to be, well ... you know how sometimes Americans crop up in dramas for no reason. This going to be the Americans puzzling at the Welsh, the Welsh not knowing what's going on in America ... there is a lot of fun with that. It is a big story and it's going to be lively."

News that the series will return for a 10-part season also will please fans who were left slightly disappointed when the series dispelled its usual 13-episode format for a five-part miniseries last year. However, "Children of Earth" –- which ran over five consecutive days as a television event -– was a ratings success for the BBC and brought in an audience in excess of 6 million.

In addition, "Torchwood" also has attracted BBC America's best audience when more than a half-million viewers tuned in to see Capt. Jack Harkness in 2007 (nearly 300,000 of which were from the key audience demographic of adults 25 to 54). And it is that success that has attracted Starz to the series.

"I think science-fiction stuff is very popular, fantasy stuff is popular, and I think we're very lucky in casting it well -- there is just such an appetite for the story," Davies said. "It's a funny show in a way, it has been designed for the digital age. It's a bit of a weapon in the way it keeps moving channel. The fact now is that it is a production of BBC Worldwide Productions, they are actually the makers of this, and that is the first drama that BBC Worldwide Productions has ever made.

"Again, this is a new way forward, it's a way of making dramas, it's a new way of funding drama, to be in association with Starz. So, as a title, it's a sort of generic science-fiction title that acts as this digital weapon to go into new channels like BBC One, to go five nights a week on BBC One like nothing had ever done before. It's like it just suits the age really to have a flexible, dynamic show that can take new shapes and this is the newest shape yet so it's exciting."