Torchwood season 4 greenlit

[Lonemagpie]

According to this report:
http://www.comicmix.com/news/2009/07/25/exclusive-torchwood-picked-up-for-another-season-by-bbc/

Though, obviously, it's hard to tell where they actually take it from here.

Apparently Barrowman has said somewhere today (but I don't have a link for yet) that it may well be 13 episodes.

If I had to guess, I'd expect 13 BBC1 episodes as a reboot, with an all-new (bar Barrowman) cast for this new BBC1 audience it's got.

 

[Allyn Gibson]

Though, obviously, it's hard to tell where they actually take it from here.

I can see a couple of possibilities. About the worst possibility is Jack returning to Earth and leading an all-new, all-different team.

One possibility is Jack in space, going all Abslom Daak-like on the Four-Five-Six. If Children of Earth is the story of Jack's fall, then we could hang his redemptive arc on this kind of story.

The other possibility is that Gwen tries to put a team together to carry on in Jack's stead, only she lacks the abilities, the personnel, and the hardware to really pull it off.

That's really the problem. The way Children of Earth ends, there are two storylines to follow, and they don't intersect anymore.

 

[Maestro]

Excellent.

 

[Mr Light]

I would presume the season premiere would be Jack returning to Earth to warn them of a forthcoming alien invasion he learned of, and he reunites with Gwen and Lois to reform Torchwood proper.

 

[StCoop]

Yeah, not going to take that as an offical report given that as of a couple of days ago both Davies and Gardner were saying that those discussions wouldn't be happening for a while.

 

[Lonemagpie]

One possibility is Jack in space,

Which won't happen, cos they're not going to risk their new prime-time hit on the audience that liked a politics-based thriller suddenly liking a lot of cheap alien planets (even if we now know they can actually do decent alien planets).

The other possibility is that Gwen tries to put a team together to carry on in Jack's stead, only she lacks the abilities, the personnel, and the hardware to really pull it off.

Very probable, but Jack is inextricably seen as the face of Torchwood, and we know they've already spoken to Barrowman about it.

It's going to be Jack coming back, because that's the only way the BBC will have it - but whether this would mean Jack and Gwen reuniting, or Jack and a new team, or Jack and Gwen as enemies... who knows?

It it was another 5-episode strip they could get away with not having a new time, and just working out where Jack and Gwen go, but 13 episodes would, IMO, require a new team.

 

[Lonemagpie]

Yeah, not going to take that as an offical report given that as of a couple of days ago both Davies and Gardner were saying that those discussions wouldn't be happening for a while.

It wouldn't be the first time the suits pre-empted the producers based on ratings though. (Most famously, though a long time ago now, when the Controller of BBC1 had the continuity announcer say "Blake's 7 will be back for a new series next year" pretty much on the spot during Terminal, much to the surprise of the cast and crew, who all thought that was the final episode)

 

[StCoop]

There is still Torchwood, its fate hanging in the balance. "I do hope we can keep that going," Davies affirms. "It's not commissioned yet ... I really hope it will come back in some shape or form. But we're in the middle of a £2 billion deficit with the BBC, so now is not perhaps the best time."

http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/television/article/670955#

 

[WillsBabe]

But we're in the middle of a £2 billion deficit with the BBC, so now is not perhaps the best time."

Couple of phone-in contests should sort that out...

I'd love to see a season 4 the calibre of what we've just seen. But, whatever happens, I'll miss Ianto. A lot.

 

[The]

One possibility is Jack in space,

Which won't happen, cos they're not going to risk their new prime-time hit on the audience that liked a politics-based thriller suddenly liking a lot of cheap alien planets (even if we now know they can actually do decent alien planets).

The other possibility is that Gwen tries to put a team together to carry on in Jack's stead, only she lacks the abilities, the personnel, and the hardware to really pull it off.

Very probable, but Jack is inextricably seen as the face of Torchwood, and we know they've already spoken to Barrowman about it.

It's going to be Jack coming back, because that's the only way the BBC will have it - but whether this would mean Jack and Gwen reuniting, or Jack and a new team, or Jack and Gwen as enemies... who knows?

It it was another 5-episode strip they could get away with not having a new time, and just working out where Jack and Gwen go, but 13 episodes would, IMO, require a new team.

Pretty much exactly what I think...

 

[Starkers]

Well God knows where they go after CoE, but this is great news anyway!

 

[Middle Earther]

They could begin a new series that is, say, five years or so in the future - Rees and Gween with a pre-schooler. Jack returns, warning of a new threat and asks for her help in assembling a team. Something like that.

 

[Starkers]

Torchwood...4th season...I have only one thing to say...

Spoiler: Children of Earth spoiler

Zombie Ianto!

Maybe starting with Jack and a new team would be best, then have Gwen as a reccuring character? I'd kinda like Gwen and Rhys to have a happy ending...and I think I'd find Gwen balancing mummy duties with saving the world a tad annoying!

 

[StCoop]

And another quote from RTD less than an hour ago.

"I hope so. We were astonished by the success of that last series. I really, really hope so. I can't give you a promise because I haven't had the meetings with the right people yet. Also there's a recession going on. It will be back, but maybe the ones you want back won't be back. It will be back in some shape or form."

 

[Guy Gardener]

why not both?

the story of jack returning to earth, which could take half a season, while Gwen is trying to rebuild Torchwood, while nasty aliens are slowly taking over everything...

I want to see a crossdimensional torchwood war, like sliders or how they did a couple years of excalibur in the beginning... but that would mean that Mirror jack could could show up with any one in tow, from Mirror Suzie to Mirror Jo Grant.

Then of course, if Captain Jack is in Space, they could always get captain John to help out?

 

[Allyn Gibson]

Then of course, if Captain Jack is in Space, they could always get captain John to help out?

Like Wiseguy, hmm? Vinnie Terranova goes mental, so we have John Raglan or Roger Lococco come in to handle the story.

 

[Admiral_Young]

For some reason I can't help but think that we'll see Captain Jack in space meeting Doctor 11 somewhere before we see Torchwood Season Four. So far all Torchwood series have started (with the exception of Children of Earth) with Captain Jack on an adventure with The Doctor before hand so I'm guessing they will do an episode. The Doctor has always inpsired Jack...and there is stil the intriguing possiblity of the Face of Boe right?

 

[Lonemagpie]

And another quote from RTD less than an hour ago.
...
It will be back, but maybe the ones you want back won't be back. It will be back in some shape or form."

At the risk of saying "I told you so"...

I also double-checked with some other sources, and can tell you that season 4 production jobs have been advertised internally at BBC Wales for a few weeks now.

 

[bismarck_1892]

Why not leave good enough alone? Do something else, like a UNIT series.

 

[AdmiralGarak]

Most likely, we'll have two stories for a time. Jack on walkabout, while Gwen rebuilds Torchwood.

RTD prefers Torchwood to be stripped of all their high-tech gadgets and uberbase. (He said as much in his behind the scenes interviews for S3.) Having Gwen rebuild it with no resources and no alien tech would be the perfect scenario for him. The big questions are, how will he bring back Jack and will any of the characters from S3 be a part of it.