It was recently announced to the world that Torchwood Season 4 would be making its way across the pond to the United States, thanks to a purchase by Starz Entertainment, a US Television channel. However with that exception, details have been rather sketchy of late. Would Captain Jack Harkness be making a return? How about Gwen? Well now fresh details have come to light regarding the acquisition and resurrection of the popular Doctor Who spin-off, Torchwood, courtesy of series star John Barrowman via Manchester Evening News:

“Negotiations have been underway for some time,” John confides. “I was in discussions with the creator of Desperate Housewives, one of the top three television series in the whole world, and he invited me to play Patrick. It was such a good role playing the baddie and I really wanted to do it. But I also didn’t want to spoil the Torchwood deal, so I told him that if I played Patrick he’d have to find a way to kill me off and he went along with that. Desperate Housewives is so huge that it actually helped to seal the Torchwood deal, so everyone is happy.”

So Captain Jack will be back – I, for one, will be letting out a huge sigh of relief. Also Torchwood related are actual details of what shape the fourth series might take. Gone is the miniseries format of Torchwood: Children of Earth to be replaced by a TEN episode series and ONE over-arcing storyline – delicious! As if that wasn’t enough, Torchwood: The New World (yup, that’s the title) has a synopsis! Take a look below:

When C.I.A. agent Rex Matheson investigates a global conspiracy, he finds himself unearthing a threat which challenges the entire human race.

The answers seem to lie within an old, secret British institute, known only as Torchwood. But Torchwood was destroyed, years ago, and the keys to the institute are held by its only two survivors – former Police Officer Gwen Cooper, who has long since disappeared along with her husband and child, and the mysterious Captain Jack Harkness, a man whose history seems to stretch back centuries.

With Rex under attack from all sides, in both the US and the UK, he soon discovers there are forces at work within every level of society, determined to stop Torchwood’s return. As a chain of events across the world links together the most disparate and unlikely individuals – including a surgeon, a killer, senators and CEOs – a new Torchwood team takes shape. But this time, the threat is much closer to home, as they realize that their greatest enemy is mankind itself…

While there’s no release date set for Torchwood: The New World it’s likely to be making it’s return to our screens next year -why is that you ask? Doctor Who will be enjoying a new format next year, a US-style split halfway through the series, with the remainder playing out in the Autumn. Now just what could be big enough to fill the void that will be left I wonder…