BBC, Starz plan to make Torchwood for next 7 years?
John Barrowman has suggested that there’s a long future ahead for Torchwood as the BBC hopes to make it for the next seven years as part of their collaboration with Starz.
“I have turned down a load of other shows to make Torchwood,” the actor told The Scottish Sun. ”We’ll be filming it in LA as it’s now a collaboration between the BBC and the Starz Network in America. They’re planning to make it for the next seven years. So I’ll be spending six months a year in Hollywood and six back in the UK.”
Although this isn’t concrete confirmation that the series will be on air until (at least) 2017, it’s reassuring to hear that they are making such long-term plans! With filming for Series 4 due to start in a few weeks, there are certainly exciting times to come…
Keep up to date with Series 4 developments over at our Torchwood mini-site.
He’s gonna get too old soon, then they will have to end it.
As much as I would love this to be true and I would love to see more torchwood for years to come and, as much as it pains me to say this, I would take this news with a pinch of salt. America is a bit more ruthless with tv more than the UK. If the series doesnt get the ratings then the us will axe it without thought. And I agree with Kane, even though Jack Harkness will never age John Barrowman will, so they would have to change the series radically if and when it plans to go for the long haul
@pirko
But surely they wouldnt be able to ‘axe it without thought’ because the UK has ownership of it too, it’s not theirs to axe, it would have to be a mutual decision.
@Eddie Totally agree with you on that the UK own the rights to it BBC are doing it in collaberation with Starz…But Children of Earth had massive ratings in the US it’s very popular there so it could go on for seven years, but maybe JB will become like an advisor for the show and maybe pop up guest apperance, as a new team maybe takes over totally in the latter years?, but who knows what will happen in the future I’m just incredible happy and excited that there is another series coming on the T.V
I’m glad they want to keep Torchwood going, but besides the fact that John might get too old (there are ways to get around that) I’m worried that it’ll drag on too long. Seven years is a long time for any show. Obviously there are shows that go on for 50 years (like DW), but even that had to go on hiatus for a while. People will get bored with it, or they’ll run out of ways to make it new and exciting.
Rather than committing to seven years right away I think it would be better to take it in small steps. Say two years, and then add more on after that!
NO company would EVER commission a show for 7 years WITHOUT at least seeing the ratings from the first season!
@Eddie
Sorry fella. They would axe it, They did with Doctor Who in 1996. Although it was very successful, the American partner were not impressed with the ratings. Overall, looking at Sci Fi over the last 20 years, there has been a trend to develop Successful shows and then scrap them. Battlestar Galactica, Farscape and Sarah Connor to name a few, all have been scrapped. Rumours are starting about the new V series being scrapped. Farscape was an Australian/American collaboration but was scrapped by the American side.
@Addie
Although to be fair Torchwood has had 3 successful series in the UK and in the US
@pirko
The US is. Starz, however, are a bit more British-like when it comes to cancelling a programme. Although, given the fact that their most notable productions are actually rubbish, well…
ITS ALL POSITIVE NEWS JUST NOW JUST WHAT I LIKE TO HEAR MERRY XMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL BRING ON SATURDAYS A CHRISTMAS CAROL..
I must clarify what I actually meant…i didnt mean to say the series would be axed altogether, as you are all right it is a british production and it belongs to bbc wales. What I MEANT was that if the next series didnt do well ratings wise then the americans would probably not back it again for future series. But of course I am sure it will be fantastic!
@pirko
Hear hear!
I doubt that they’ve got solid plans for seven years, but hey, it’s nice to hear that that’s the sort of figure that’s being bandied around. For a sci-fi spin off that started on a (then) little-watched satellite channel, that’s pretty good going.
As for John Barrowman aging… well, I doubt it’ll be too much of a problem right at the minute. He’s changed in appearance slightly since DW s1 and it’s not mattered. I don’t think seven years could destroy the illusion. And things like keeping him in the same costume and showing other characters changing around him (Gwen getting pregnant, for example, also showing his grown daughter), those sorts of things help to create the illusion. So I don’t think it’s anything to worry about.
what he probably means is that there is 7 year contract, which is not uncommon for many US shows (ie star trek, greys anatomy, desperate housewives; that’s why there are so many news articles about stars wanting to get out of their contracts).
the contract doesn’t mean the show can’t get canceled, it just means that the actor is obligated to be in the shows for 7 years or until canceled.