Torchwood Starts Up (Without Freema)

Filming for the third season of Torchwood, set to air here in the States on BBC America next spring, has started up in Wales. The new season will take the form of a five-part miniseries called "Torchwood: Children of Earth," and it's being talked up by its creators as an especially high-adrenaline adventure with the customary Torchwood "edge."

The returning cast for the miniseries, which will air over a single week on BBC1 and then some time afterward on BBC America, includes John Barrowman as Captain Jack Harkness, Eve Myles (Gwen Cooper), and Gareth David-Lloyd (Ianto Jones), alongside Kai Owen as Gwen's husband Rhys and Tom Price (PC Andy).

Guest stars will include Peter Capaldi (who played Caecillius in Doctor Who's "The Fires of Pompeii"), Paul Copely (Coronation Street), and Liz May Brice (Bad Girls).

This would seem to confirm that Freema Agyeman, who has reportedly been signed to ITV's ambitious UK adaptation of the Law & Order franchise (together with Battlestar Galactica alumnus Jamie Bamber), will not be involved in Torchwood's third season – despite previous speculation, not to mention the job offer her character, Martha Jones, got at the end of Doctor Who's season finale, "Journey's End," from Captain Jack.

It's still possible, of course, that Agyeman will be involved and the secret is being very well kept (just the sort of game creator/executive producer Russell T. Davies loves to play), but it's looking increasingly unlikely.

"The new series of Torchwood is hugely bold and promises to be bigger and better than ever -- the audience is in for an amazing ride," Davies promises. "This series is one big serial and the most ambitious story we've ever made, and we've got plenty of surprises in store."

"It's going to be a different feel because we're doing five days," John Barrowman recently told The Guardian. Executive producer Julie Gardner "wants to make an impact on BBC1" (previous seasons of Torchwood aired on BBC Three and BBC Two), and in order to do that "we need to do a really exceptional episodic piece. Every episode is just going to be like a punch in the face. It'll be exciting, dramatic and tragic all at the same time."

Barrowman also addressed rumors that Torchwood was being made less raunchy to appeal to a more kid-friendly audience. "It's not going to change, it's not a family show," Barrowman said. "We're still going to be on after 9 p.m. Torchwood's a family show if you think it's appropriate for your children to watch it. We just deal with issues of life. But no, it's not going to be toned down. We're still going to be edgy, because that's what we are."

The mini-season will be directed by Who veteran Euros Lyn (who most recently directed "Silence in the Library"/"Forest of the Dead"), and Davies has said that "More than ever before, this series of Torchwood will be director-led, and it will look absolutely amazing." The writing chores have been shared out, however. Davies has written the first and last episodes and planned the overall story arc; James Moran (who wrote "The Fires of Pompeii" and the excellent Torchwood episode "Sleeper") took episode 3 and John Fay (Coronation Street, Robin Hood), episodes 2 and 4, according to Torchwood Magazine. (Ironically, Moran is also writing for Law & Order: London.)

Meanwhile BBC Video has announced that to Torchwood: The Complete Second Season will be released in North America on Sept. 16. The 5-disc DVD set is described as containing over three hours of bonus features, including deleted scenes, outtakes, and Torchwood Declassified featurettes.