Starz Picks Up 'Torchwood' For Summer 2011; Barrowman Returns

Starz Entertainment has acquired U.S. television rights to the next installment of the BBC's audience sensation "Torchwood," developed and produced by BBC Worldwide Productions. Starz will debut the 10-episode series exclusively in the U.S., and BBC One will debut it in the U.K., both in summer, 2011. This is a co-production between Starz, BBC Cymru Wales and BBC Worldwide, and BBC Worldwide will distribute the show outside the U.S. The deal was jointly announced today by Starz, LLC President and CEO Chris Albrecht and BBC Worldwide Productions EVP Jane Tranter.

The stars of the previous versions of "Torchwood," notably John Barrowman (Capt. Jack Harkness) and Eve Myles (Gwen Cooper), will return for the new version. Additional key cast, reflecting the more international scope of the series, will be announced soon.

"Torchwood" is a drama that puts extraterrestrial threats into a very real world, and asks how humanity deals with the danger - while fighting mankind's darkest instincts. The series' previous three seasons aired on BBC America in the U.S. and garnered record-breaking ratings for the network. Created by visionary writer/producer Russell T Davies, "Torchwood" has to date been located primarily in Cardiff, Wales. The new series will allow Davies and his writing team to tell a more explosive and global story, one that takes advantage of the unlimited narrative opportunities of a premium television service like Starz.

Davies and BBC Worldwide Productions' SVP Scripted Julie Gardner return as executive producers, with Davies also serving as show-runner for the new "Torchwood."

"Torchwood" originally debuted in the UK on BBC One in 2006. All five episodes of "Torchwood: Children of Earth" reached the Top 10 list in TV Episodes across the entire iTunes TV Store, with episode 1 of the series reaching the top spot the week of launch in August, 2009.

John Barrowman most recently appeared on ABC's Desperate Housewives. Barrowman recently led the cast of Menier Chocolate Factory's La Cage aux Folles, having stepped into the role of Albin in September of last year. Barrowman is a common face in English households, having been a judge on UK reality TV shows "How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?" and the BBC program "I'd Do Anything" (to cast stars of Oliver!). He is also the star of the hit TV series "Torchwood." In 2005, Barrowman appeared on the West End in A Few Good Men. His many other West End credits include Anything Goes (both in 1989 and in its 2003 revival), Grease!, The Phantom of the Opera, The Fix, Hair, Aspects of Love, Miss Saigon, Beauty and the Beast and Chicago, and he has appeared in the States in two Sondheim shows--Broadway's Putting It Together and as Bobby in Company at the Kennedy Center, as well as in Sunset Boulevard. Barrowman has appeared on TV on "Central Park West," and "Titans," and currently plays Captain Jack Harkness on the BBC series "Doctor Who." Film credits include De-Lovely and The Producers.

Starz Entertainment, LLC, is a premium movie and original programming entertainment service provider operating in the United States. The company offers 16 premium channels including the flagship Starz® and Encore® brands with approximately 17.1 million and 31.1 million subscribers respectively. Starz Entertainment airs in total more than 1,000 movies and original series every month across its pay TV channels and offers advanced services including Starz HD, Encore HD, Starz On Demand, Encore On Demand, MoviePlex On Demand, Starz HD On Demand, Encore HD On Demand, MoviePlex HD On Demand, and Starz Play. Starz Entertainment (www.starz.com) is an operating unit of Starz, LLC, which is a controlled subsidiary of Liberty Media Corporation, and is attributed to Liberty Starz (Nasdaq: LSTZA), a tracking stock group of Liberty Media Corporation.

BBC Worldwide is the main commercial arm and wholly owned subsidiary of British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). In the U.S., BBC Worldwide Productions, one of BBC Worldwide's seven core businesses, is based in Los Angeles and New York. It is responsible for the smash hit Dancing with the Stars and develops scripted and non-scripted projects for U.S. cable and broadcast networks.

 

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