Russell T. Davies is not only expanding 'Torchwood' internationally for its 2011 debut on Starz, he's also expanding the writing staff. Davies has tapped scribes with some major league credits for the 4th season of the 'Doctor Who' spinoff, which originally aired on BBC and BBC America.

According to the Chicago Tribune, Davies has added John Shiban ('Breaking Bad,' 'Supernatural,' 'The X-Files') and Jane Espenson ('Battlestar Galactica,' 'Buffy,' 'Game of Thrones'), and brought former 'Torchwood' writer John Fay over from the U.K. They will all join him in writing the 10-part season 4.

Johnny Depp isn't the only Captain Jack that hoists our mainsail -- John Barrowman's Captain Jack Harkness also gets our flag flying, and according to the Ausiello Files, U.S. audiences are about to see a whole lot more of him.

Michael Ausiello is reporting that cable network Starz has acquired the rights to the new season of British sci-fi series 'Torchwood,' which enjoys a cult following stateside along with sister series 'Doctor Who'. The 10-episode run will air summer 2011 on Starz (in the U.S.) and BBC One (in the U.K.).

A few years back, a bold co-production initiative was launched with Canada. So far, it's produced underwhelming ratings performers like 'Mental' and 'Defying Gravity.' Meanwhile, thanks to BBC America, US fans are falling in love with new UK shows, only to find ourselves frustrated when the powers-that-Beeb pull the plug. It's a lot like foreign fans of US material must feel when we cancel shows on them: powerless.

But it doesn't have to be that way. Most recently, BBC America finished running the first and second series of the BBC post-apocalyptic drama 'Survivors,' back-to-back. Before it finished, the BBC announced that they weren't going to commission any more episodes, due to slipping ratings in the UK. 'Survivors' wasn't failing miserably, but BBC programming doesn't get advertising revenue like shows in the US, so expectations are different.

I don't know if US ratings were considered for the show, but I know it was one of the more popular series on BBC America and that it has a pretty loyal and faithful following on both sides of the pond. Could US support have saved it?

'Torchwood' fans leery of seeing their fav series Americanized can rest easy -- for now.

Fox has given up on developing a U.S. version of the UK cult hit series about a criminal investigation group that battles hostile extraterrestrial threats, according to a report in The Hollywood Reporter.

"BBC Worldwide Productions and the Fox Broadcasting Company have mutually agreed not to progress together with a 13-episode serialized 'Torchwood' format," the BBC Worldwide said in a statement.

Remember way back in July 2009? Of course you don't, but thank goodness for search engines. You see, on July 31st of last year, Bob wrote about a Torchwood character going to Wisteria Lane. Now, it's happening. John Barrowman will be appearing on Desperate Housewives. Captain Jack Harkness will be playing a villain, stirring up trouble for the ladies of the neighborhood.

Barrowman is expected to leave England in March to come to Los Angeles to begin filming. He'll appear on screen in April, and he's there for a mini-arc, at least five episodes. And he will be playing a malevolent man, i.e. a villain.

Ausiello reports that he's going to be involved with Angie's story. How will he impact on the Bolens, who are already brimming with angst and drama? Doesn't sound like it will be a positive impact.

On the heels of Fox's announcement yesterday that they are in the process of developing an American remake of the hit British TV series 'Torchwood,' sci-fi fans around the world are reacting with one universal response: why?!

'Torchwood,' for those not familiar with the original BBC cult favorite, follows the adventures of a group of secret government agents who handle and cover up alien encounters here on Earth, 'Men In Black' style. It's also very British in its origins (the show is a spin-off from the beloved 'Doctor Who' franchise), environment (the cast rarely ventures outside of their Welsh headquarters) and sensibilities (every character is bi-sexual, for starters).

Is American network television ready for the sexually freewheeling sci-fi of 'Torchwood'?

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Fox is developing an imported version of the popular British sci-fi series (seen in the U.S. on BBC America) about a super-secret agency charged with protecting Earth against alien threats. It's like '24,' with tentacles and sex. Lots of sex, and especially lots of same-sex sex.

2009 was a good year for television. It offered the resurgence of the comedy on network television, and the continuing growth of original programming on cable. In all honesty, I don't think I could just do a list of what was great and what was horrible on television because I would need pages and pages.

Instead, I'm going to focus on the things that really stood out this year. Sorry, Mad Men fans, but even though this was a great third season and an amazing finale, I expect it at this point. It's the only way I could come up with to keep my list manageable.

Also, as a point of protest I did not include Jon, Kate or the balloon boy hoax. These events got more attention than they deserved already this year, and I feel bad I even mentioned them.

John Barrowman, best known as Captain Jack Harkness on the Doctor Who spinoff Torchwood, has confirmed that he has signed to play the character again in the series' fourth season. Unlike the mini-series of the third season, Barrowman claims that the fourth will have a full 13-episode run.

Given that the majority of the cast was killed off during seasons two and three, this would represent a good opportunity for Russell T. Davies and whichever other creators are involved to re-invent the series. Whether the new series will involve the newest Doctor Matt Smith is anybody's guess, however given Davies' departure from the source program (which, granted, was amicable) and his likely desire to similarly remove Torchwood from Doctor Who continuity as much as possible, I doubt it.

So here we have Captain Jack returning to Earth and assembling a new team. Will Gwen be involved as well, child in tow? Are you looking forward to a new season of Torchwood?

Former Doctor Who lead Christopher Eccleston will be playing John Lennon in an upcoming British television drama commissioned by BBC Four about the life of John Lennon between 1967 and 1971. To further the Doctor Who connection, former Torchwood star Naoko Mori (who played Tosh on the show) will be playing Yoko Ono.

There is a lot of crossover between Doctor Who fans and Beatles fans, so there is sure to be some interest in the series. The roles I know Eccleston best for are those of the Doctor and Destro from G.I.Joe: The Rise of Cobra, so the question is if he can pull off a Liverpudlian accent. Since in the aforementioned roles he's done a Northern British accent (I believe his natural one) and a Scottish accent, he's likely capable of it.

So what do you think? Is Eccleston a good choice for the role of John Lennon?

The miniseries Torchwood: Children of Earth was a huge ratings and critical success. It was only a matter of time before show creator Russell T. Davies started talking, officially, about moving ahead with another season of Torchwood.

Davies told TV Guide that Torchwood is likely to be renewed for a fourth season. The BBC has yet to officially green-light a fourth year, but Davies said he's already working on ideas for the further adventures of Captain Jack Harkness and crew.

"The recession has hit British television, but fingers crossed, it will be a go. We expect things to start to move in January. We've got great ideas for the show. I think there's a further lease on life for many years to come, but certainly for a [fourth season]," Davies said.

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.

A couple of weeks removed from the American showing of Torchwood: Children of Earth, the mini-series that served as the Dr. Who spinoff's third season, I am still thinking about what a season four would look like. I've been a fan of the show since the first series, and I have liked the Torchwood team and admired the writing.

But the ending of Children of Earth complicated things. At the end of season two, two major characters died, then COE killed off another. The immortal, normally untouchable Captain Jack Harkness had been compromised to the point where he had to leave the planet, and Gwen was pregnant and happily married. So what would a fourth season even look like?

I would hate to see Torchwood: Baby Boomer, with Gwen balancing the baby with fighting aliens, and all the clichés that come with the balancing-a-job-and-motherhood plots from movies and television past. But then, series creator and writer Russell T. Davies has done a fantastic job of avoiding the predictable, so I'd be willing to take that leap of faith to see what he comes up with. And Davies is already on record as saying that Captain Jack is "fundamental to Torchwood."

If you're a regular viewer of the BBC sci-fi series Torchwood, you're more than aware of the recent dust up between fans and writers over a major character death in this past season's finale. Angry fans immediately ran to message boards to express their displeasure with the direction the show has taken, but now, that angry fan reaction seems to have taken a sudden and serious turn for the worse.

Before we get too far into this, I'm putting a spoiler warning on this post, even though the episode in question has already aired in the U.S. For anyone still saving it on their DVR, beware. It's a biggie.