Longtime fans of 'Torchwood' (Friday, 10PM on Starz) know that you get attached to a character at your own peril. They weren't particularly happy with the massacre in the BBC season three mini-series, 'Children of Earth.' But the one character who seemingly couldn't die, mostly because he is actually immortal, was Captain Jack, a good friend of some guy called The Doctor.

But in the Starz version of the show, 'Torchwood: Miracle Day,' everyone is immortal, except Captain Jack. And as it turns out, his blood holds the key to reversing that immortality. The only other remaining original 'Torchwood' character, Gwen, must shoot him and release his blood.

The Gallifreyan dust cleared by now on the final episode of the Russell T. Davies era of Doctor Who. And, after watching and digesting the final episodes of the David Tennant era, Davies couldn't move on fast enough for me.

The two-part story, "The End of Time," was watched by 10 million in the UK -- flirting with a 50 ratings share. So, it's an undeniable success. It was also an undeniable mess of a story that proved unworthy of Tennant's swan song.

Davies forever deserves credit for taking the street credit his successful work on series like Queer as Folk gave him and investing it in one shot from the BBC to bring back the network's crown jewel, Doctor Who. And he deserves credit for increasing the nerdy guy-friendly show's popularity with women by introducing "Buffy-ized" romance and humor.

But, the hard truth is Davies isn't a gifted sci-fi genre writer. And it showed in "The End of Time."

[Warning: mild spoilers for Doctor Who: The End of Time ahead] David Tennant's tenure as Doctor Who ended this weekend, and not without a few tears (including a few from our own Brad Trechak).

On a personal note, this was the end of an era for me, because it was Tennant who pulled me back into Doctor Who a couple of seasons ago. I had heard the new series was great, but didn't manage to catch Christopher Eccleston's incarnation. I have since gone back and watched his series, but I may not have had Tennant not been such a fantastic fit for the role (Brad also explained this in out Best TV of the '00s feature).

Before Doctor Who fans say good bye to David Tennant in the BBC's final three specials of 2009, they'll get a little extra colorful bonus Tennant from the Beeb's Red Button service and the Who website.

Doctor Who: "Dreamland" is the show's first venture into "3D" CG animation, and that makes for a stylistic representation of the Tennant's tall, skinny Time Lord. Writer Phil Ford (a veteran of both live action Who and Torchwood) takes the The Doctor to a diner in Roswell, New Mexico where all manner of alien shenanigans are going on.

American fans won't get to see the six-part series in its first run, as they're blocked out of video feeds on the BBC's websites. If only there were other websites that showed online video (illegally) posted by fans. Oh, well.

Earlier this month, we asked you if you wanted a season four of Torchwood. Early responses seemed to say yes, and then we got deluged with people who were fed up with their favorite characters dying and who weren't entirely impressed with the Torchwood: Children of Earth mini-series that was season three.

Well, there is going to be a season four, and Torchwood Magazine got the scoop (Dammit! How'd they manage that?). According to the magazine, Torchwood creator and writer Russell T. Davies already has several storylines worked out, and knows what happens to the characters that did survive seasons two and three. He's not sure if it will be another mini-series or a 13-episode season, but he does know what he'd include.

Reports flooded out of Comic Con International that a fourth season of Torchwood was all but a lock based on its spectacular ratings on both sides of the Atlantic.

That would make sense when you consider the third mini-season ("Children of Earth") pulled in north of 6 milllion viewers a night in the U.K. and is now BBC America's all-time highest rated show. Why wouldn't the BBC want to bring it back?

But, in an informal discussion in Los Angeles Wednesday, Russell T. Davies told me the fourth season has not been officially approved, despite previous reports.

A Torchwood panel headlined by Russell T. Davies and John Barrowman was the last big event of Comic-Con International this year. While it didn't pack any huge revelations, it did come with good news for fans. The show will return for a full season in 2010.

The BBC decided to make the show's third season, "Children of Earth," into a week-long miniseries event. It was a huge ratings success in the U.K. and fared well on BBC American in the U.S. So, the Beeb is giving it a longer run.

It's safe to say David Tennant wasn't prepared for what he was running into at Comic-Con International.

"I've never been to San Diego before, lets alone Comic-Con," Tennant told me in the Scottish accent he hid while playing The Doctor for five years on the BBC's crown jewel, Doctor Who. "The fan response here has been incredible -- just walking to the elevator. I can't imagine what'll be like during the panel (Sunday)."

Tennant is attending Comic-Con with former Who show-runner and Torchwood creator Russell T. Davies to promote the final specials featuring Tennant in the lead role. And, with mere hours to go before Sunday morning's Doctor Who panel (one of the major events of Comic-Con's closing day), he insists that's the only reason he's there -- besides meeting the fans.

"I've heard we're supposed to announce a Doctor Who movie," Tennant explained. "Or, I'm supposed to be playing The Hobbit. But we're just here to promote the specials."

Doctor Who's David Tennant (right) and Who/Torchwood executive producer Russell T. Davies are headed to Comic-Con for the first time this year -- just in time for both of them to walk away from sci-fi's longest running TV series.

It should be a huge event, as fans of both Doctor Who and Torchwood will get their first chance to grill the people most directly responsible for the shows' development over the last few years.

Tennant, will appear alongside Davies, former Who executive producer Julie Gardner and Who/Torchwood director Euros Lyn at this year's Comic-Con in San Diego on Sunday, July 26, 10-11:00 am PT.

Torchwood creator and executive producer Russell T. Davies told the British press Friday that the fourth season of the sci-fi show is ready and waiting, depending on how the show's third mini-season ("Children of Earth") performs.

During a screening of the third series' premiere episode ("Day One"), Davies said he knows where he wants to go in Torchwood's next run. That's good news for fans, as there's every reason to expect that "Children of Earth" will do well both in the U.K. and in the U.S. -- where it out-rates the show that inspired it (Doctor Who) on BBC America.

Davies, the former executive producer of Who, also gave Torchwood fans reason to rejoice when he said he'd be willing to keep knocking the show out for 10 years if the viewers stay tuned. No word if show stars like John Barrowman and Eve Myles would be willing to stay on board into their middle age.

Very rarely does a television series put out a standalone episode that is not only brilliant in and of itself, but also stands above pretty much every episode of that series. And yet, with the tenth episode of the third series, Doctor Who did just that with "Blink." Even more remarkable is that this episode barely featured the Doctor or then-companion Martha Jones. It had become common, due to the tight production schedules, for an episode each season to barely feature the Doctor, but this one absolutely blew our minds.

And apparently voices that matter agreed, because writer Stephen Moffat was just awarded the prestigious Hugo Award for short form dramatic presentation for "Blink." I have to figure it's a large part of why he's been selected to take over as lead writer and executive producer of Doctor Who from Russell T. Davies when the show returns for its fifth series in 2010. Based on this one episode alone, the show couldn't be in better hands.

Since Doctor Who found new life in 2005, Russell T. Davies has served as both executive producer and head writer of the series. Davies had announced that he would be stepping down from the position, and today, we learned the not-so-surprising news that occasional Doctor Who writer and creator of Coupling, Steven Moffat, will be taking over.

This is definitely a step in the right direction for the series, as Moffat's previous contributions to the show have been some of the greatest highlights. For example, that chilling episode "Blink" (the one that made it impossible for me to walk through a sculpture garden without looking over my shoulder every two seconds) was his masterpiece.

Doctor Who executive producer Russell T Davies says the show will be back for a fourth series (that's British for season). He made remarks at the London premiere of series three.

What's less clear at the moment is who will be playing the Doctor in series four. Current Doctor David Tennant has remained silent on the issue. Series three has actress Freema Agyeman playing Martha Jones, the doctor's new assistant. She fills the void left by Billie Piper's departure from the program.

It had been widely suspected that a fourth season was already on deck, but Davies' confirmation should come as good news for Doctor Who fans. Now if only Americans didn't have to wait months or years for each new season to show up on the SciFi channel.

Good news for sci-fi fans in general, and Dr. Who fans specifically. The BBC is reporting that the first two episodes of Torchwood scored the biggest audience for a non sports program on a digital channel ever. Captain Jack was topped by two football matches from 2004 and 2005, no pun intended. One would assume that the great ratings bode well for the continuation of all things Dr. Who. And I am always happy to see positive press for any sci-fi show.

Torchwood is written by Russell T Davies, who also wrote for Dr. Who, and stars John Barrowman as Captain Jack Harkness. Spun off of Dr. Who, the series follows a team of investigators as they solve crimes, both alien and human. There is more info at the show's website, and a good interview with Barrowman on the BBC's page.