The irony is that TORCHWOOD: MIRACLE DAY tells the tale of what the world would look like if death ceased to exist.  Miracle Day was the day that people stopped dying.  Death had finally abandoned us and left the entire human race to rot for eternity.  The blessing soon became a curse and TORCHWOOD: MIRACLE DAY sought to show how horrifying never-ending life can be.
 
But with only 10 episodes granted for this miraculous fourth season of TORCHWOOD, and seven episodes having aired to date, I found myself thinking something appalling:  I wish it had never come back.
 
When TORCHWOOD ended its third and final season as a British series with CHILDREN OF EARTH, it was heralded as its finest season and one worthy of accolades across the globe.  It was a taut thriller that tormented us with its question of what would you sacrifice to save the human race – was the life of a child a price too high to pay?
 
Coming off that glorious season, the news that the show was not being picked up due to financial issues left fans and critics stunned at its sudden demise.  But determined to not let his “baby” die, Russell T Davies took his series to America and secured the financing necessary to continue the TORCHWOOD saga. 
 
But like TORCHWOOD: MIRACLE DAY has so acutely shown:  dead is dead.  Death may elude for a time, but sooner or later it shall swoop back in.  So those who have been marked for death – who have sustained illnesses or injuries so catastrophic as to virtually render them dead – they are essentially dead.  They are dead men walking.  Zombies, if you will.  They arise conquering death only to slowly rot away.  It was no wonder that the module ovens were created to dispose of those who would simply not die, but were already dead and yet their bodies would not obey the natural order of life.
 
TORCHWOOD is the same.  It is a living zombie of its former self.  It has risen from cancellation to be but a pale imitation of the show it once was.  It was not simply the Americanization of the show, nor the addition of prevalent American characters.  It just isn’t TORCHWOOD anymore. 
 
The TORCHWOOD we all knew and loved died.  We are now merely watching a caricature of a show that calls itself TORCHWOOD.  Captain Jack and Gwen may be there, with brief appearances by Rhys and a few other familiar faces, but the heart and soul of TORCHWOOD is gone.  Everyone is going through the motions, but it doesn’t feel the same and it is not the same.
 
Too much has been changed.  The show not only films in America, but it also takes place in America with virtually all the actors being American, letting the American tone and voice color the story and characters.  Worse yet, it seeks to cultivate and entice the American viewers who have been leery of embracing a British television series by incorporating some of the most crass elements of American television. 
 
This most recent episode is a good example.  In episode 7 “Immortal Sins,” the story sought to spotlight Captain Jack, a character who had been relegated to the sidelines for much of this season, only trotted out to remind us that he was there.  Having been afflicted in reverse, his immortality stripped and made mortal the moment everyone else on Earth became immortal, Jack was pushed aside as being too vulnerable to risk his life.  But in “Immortal Sins,” it was finally necessary to pull back the curtain and reveal why Miracle Day had been brought about.  It was, as suspected, invoked by someone from Jack’s past – a scorned and abandoned lover who had inadvertently turned Jack over to an alien species looking to extend their own lives – at Jack’s expense by killing him repeatedly, bleeding him dry and stealing his blood with its unique healing properties.  While the concept was cool, its execution was stomach-turning.  The entire episode felt like a cheap horror flick, combining gay porn with torture porn.  Not only was the character exploited, but the actor as well.  This was not the way to tell the story of how Jack’s blood brought about Miracle Day.
 
For fans of TORCHWOOD prior to this season, one of the more endearing aspects of Captain Jack was his faithfulness to those he loved.  Jack would always sacrifice himself for those he cared for, without hesitation.  This episode violated two of those basic principles.  One, Jack would have gladly given his life in exchange to save Gwen’s child and family. After all, that is why he returned to Earth — to protect Gwen.  Two, Jack loved Ianto.  The love story of Jack and Ianto was a beautiful relationship that fans embraced through the second and third seasons of TORCHWOOD.  While it may have not aired recently, fans acutely recall Ianto’s sacrifice in CHILDREN OF EARTH.  Even seeing Jack fall in love with and seduce another man in Jack’s past feels like a slap in the face.  It may have been decades before Jack met Ianto, but for the fans, it feels like yesterday.  Jack may not have cheated on Ianto, but it sure felt like it watching Jack portrayed as being in love so soon after such a huge love of his life had been killed.  For new fans, it is like yesterday.  I know I persuaded many to watch the prior seasons of TORCHWOOD before MIRACLE DAY began airing last month – and Ianto’s death is fresh on their minds as well.  So while it is helpful to know that Jack had inspired someone to love him to such a degree that such a man would come back to haunt him many years later, the explicit relationship did not need to be thrown in our faces.  It dishonors the memory of Ianto and the relationship that he and Jack shared.
 
Plus, the over emphasis of Jack’s relationship with the man who created Miracle Day did not serve to endear the character to the audience.  It just felt misplaced.
 
And don’t even get me started on the exploitive torture scene! Is that truly what the writers think American audiences are attracted to — explicit sex and explicit violence?  Speaking for myself, I have always loved TORCHWOOD because it was able to tell the darkest, most horrifying stories ever to grace the television screen without resorting to explicit sex or violence.  Both sex and violence have been a part of TORCHWOOD from the beginning, but it was never used to titillate and make us a party to its glorifying excess.  TORCHWOOD was about the dark side of human nature and what we will do when confronted with our darkest fears and the means to conquer them.  It was a psychological thriller challenging our perceptions and beliefs.  Instead, it has been resurrected in typical misconception with the strategy to simply “shock and awe.”  But there is no substance in that.
 
When Vera died within the fires of the module oven, did we weep?  No.  But we should have.  TORCHWOOD has always been magnificent at introducing characters in such a way that it is gut-wrenching when they die.  Even the traitorous Suzy left us with a haunting impression that sent ripple-effects throughout the subsequent seasons.  TORCHWOOD: MIRACLE DAY has been slapped together without finesse, insight or care.  It reeks of too much money, too much ambition and not enough craftsmanship.  I lay the blame squarely on two shoulders:  Jane Espenson, who has written 5 out of the 10 episodes (more than any other writer this season), who writes with such a broadstroke and lack of respect to the core of what made TORCHWOOD special; and Russell T Davies, who entrusted TORCHWOOD into the care of writers who could not deliver the quality necessary to invoke the true TORCHWOOD spirit.  Showrunning does not simply mean recruiting writers, it means keeping a watchful eye over them to ensure that due care and respect is given. 
 
Echoing the millions of TORCHWOOD fans across the globe, we expected so much more.  Now we can only pray the show gets a dignified death and is not cursed to live for eternity in its zombie state.  It is but a shell of the show we all know and loved.

New episodes of TORCHWOOD air Fridays at 10PM on Starz (Saturdays at 9PM on Space in Canada) and stars John Barrowman, Eve Myles, Kai Owen and Gareth David-Lloyd.

Tiffany Vogt is a contributing writer to The TV Addict. She has a great love for television and firmly believes that entertainment is a world of wondrous adventures that deserves to be shared and explored – she invites you to join her. Please feel free to contact Tiffany at Tiffany_Vogt_2000@yahoo.com or follow her at on Twitter (@TVWatchtower). Tiffany also writes as a columnist for NiceGirlsTV.

Not attending San Diego Comic Con 2011? Not a problem! Because theTVaddict.com, courtesy of our West Coast Correspondent Tiffany Vogt and photag sister Jen will be risking life and limb to get you up close and personal with your favorite stars. Next up, TORCHWOOD: MIRACLE DAY star John Barrowman who in a slightly not-safe-for-work interview talks sex, size, Sarah Jane and why you’ll never see DOCTOR WHO drop by. See for yourself, after the jump.

TORCHWOOD: MIRACLE DAY airs Friday nights at 10PM on Starz (Saturdays at 9PM on Space in Canada).

As a spin-off from the globally popular sci-fi series DOCTOR WHO, it seemed impossible to conceive that Russell T Davies could create two addictive universes. Yet upon the creation of Captain Jack Harkness in Series 1 of DOCTOR WHO, which starred Christopher Eccleston, that is exactly what happened. Creating a character larger than the multi-episode arc could contain, Russell T Davies did the unthinkable and with a wave of his magical wand – the writing pen – he dazzled fans once again by creating TORCHWOOD. Not only poaching one of the more flamboyant and captivating characters of the new series of DOCTOR WHO, Russell also chose to use an anagram of DOCTOR WHO and came up with the name TORCHWOOD.

Thus, one year after his successful debut as Captain Jack in DOCTOR WHO, John Barrowman debuted in his own television series as the infamous time-traveler now stuck on Earth. Being an earthbound extraterrestrial was not the entirety of Jack’s claim to fame. As viewers quickly found out, Jack is immortal. Even a bullet to the head at point blank range did little to phase Jack’s regenerative powers. Touched by the hand of god, or The Doctor in this case, Jack was not only abandoned on Earth, he had been cursed to live for eternity upon it. But a resourceful and resilient man, Jack ingratiated himself with the British government and was bestowed with his own secret government branch called Torchwood.

As seen through the eyes of a new recruit Gwen Cooper (fantastically portrayed by Eve Myles), who stumbled upon Torchwood as the series began, the entirety of the first three season of TORCHWOOD followed the star-crossed adventures and many loves of Gwen and Jack. Jack being an other-worldly being never felt constrained by our mere human relationship standards and continued to live his eternal life connecting romantically and physically with anyone and everything that struck his fancy. Gwen was also soon caught up in the no boundaries type of lifestyle and found herself connecting on all levels with other beings and humans of both persuasions.

But as the first series of TORCHWOOD wrapped, Jack found his ticket off Earth and vanished – leaving Gwen and the rest of the Torchwood crew all on their own. Fellow teammates Tosh, Owen and Ianto were just as hurt and chagrined by Jack’s abrupt departure. The weight of the responsibility of Torchwood fell on Gwen’s shoulders as she helped the remaining team continue with their daily tasks of saving the world. For who knew what would next fall through the cracks in the Rift – a wormhole in the existence of time itself which was allowing all kinds of alien life to be unleashed on Earth. When Jack finally returned in Series 2, it was not without repercussions and recriminations. No longer secure in knowing that Jack would always be there, the Torchwood team began to seek solace and security in themselves – and not relying on Jack who could live forever, but who would probably leave them again when given the chance.

So while Series 1 of TORCHWOOD introduced viewers into an amazing world of aliens, adventure and unexpected romance, Series 2 took a slightly darker turn as two of the team’s key members sacrificed their mortal lives. It was a noble, yet heart-wrenching loss to the already diminutive Torchwood team. A team of five suddenly became a team of three and their loss was understandably horrific. Series 2 left viewers as lost as the Torchwood team felt after Series 1. Whether by choice or by circumstance, the Torchwood team would never be whole again.

Then as Series 3 embraced the darkest hour ever known to the planet as its children were called upon to be sacrificed in order to save everyone else, a terrible choice had to be made. No human could have made it. But after sustaining yet another loss to their precious team, Captain Jack made the ultimate sacrifice – giving his grandson’s life in exchange for the rest of the children. Unable to bear his own grief and the horror of the faces around him over the impossible choice he made, Jack abandoned his team yet again. But this time, it was only Gwen that he left behind. There was literally no one else left. Fortunately for Gwen, she had already chosen her life path and her mate of choice stood steadfastly by her side. Married and with a child on the way, Gwen chose to live in hiding as Jack escaped to the stars.

The incredible journey of TORCHWOOD seems to have only just begun. With the financial backing of the American television network Starz, TORCHWOOD was picked up for a fourth season and debuted as TORCHWOOD: MIRACLE DAY on July 8, 2011. To date, three adrenaline-pumping episodes have aired reintroducing Captain Jack and Gwen Cooper as the last surviving members of Torchwood reluctantly recruited by the CIA to aid with an event known as Miracle Day – the day that all humans stopped dying. (To read more, check out: “The Secret Horror of TORCHWOOD: MIRACLE DAY”) With another seven episodes yet to air, the fate of the world hangs in the balance as Captain Jack now the last mortal man on Earth and Gwen and her family’s future remains uncertain. What is known is that this next leg of their continuing journey will be breath-taking, spine-tingling, and just as hair-raising as ever.

For fans that have not yet had the opportunity to discover and enjoy TORCHWOOD prior to the current season, or for those who simply want to revisit those amazing adventures, the BBC just released the entire DVD box set containing Series 1-3. Also included on the DVD set as a special treat are extras such as the “Torchwood Declassified” commentaries, outtakes, deleted scenes and other fun featurettes. Available as of July 19th, it is a wonderful way to discover or enjoy all over again the world of TORCHWOOD from the beginning.

It is also helpful for new fans who wonder at the innuendos and hidden meanings behind the Jack and Gwen relationship; for surely, there must have once been something between them for each to risk their lives so willingly for each other unto death. Not even Gwen’s darling daughter Anwen prevents her from being at Jack’s side the minute he needs her. There is, as hinted, more than meets the eye. The history of Jack, Gwen and Torchwood is a multi-layered story that was years in the making. It is time to rediscover what made TORCHWOOD the phenomenon that captured not only DOCTOR WHO fans’ hearts, but fans of its own. TORCHWOOD is a show now unto itself. The interwoven history of Captain Jack, Gwen, her loyal husband Rhys, and the fallen comrades Ianto, Tosh and Owen still echo throughout our memories and are engraved on our hearts.

As you continue to watch TORCHWOOD: MIRACLE DAY, remember this: TORCHWOOD is just beginning. It is going to be a wild ride and you had better buckle up, it will be unlike anything you have experienced before. Take a deep breath and enjoy every second of it!

Tiffany Vogt is a contributing writer to The TV Addict. She has a great love for television and firmly believes that entertainment is a world of wondrous adventures that deserves to be shared and explored – she invites you to join her. Please feel free to contact Tiffany at Tiffany_Vogt_2000@yahoo.com or follow her at on Twitter (@TVWatchtower). Tiffany also writes as a columnist for NiceGirlsTV.

Not attending San Diego Comic Con 2011? Not a problem! Because theTVaddict.com, courtesy of our West Coast Correspondent Tiffany Vogt and photag sister Jen will be risking life and limb to get you up close and personal with your favorite stars. Next up, TORCHWOOD: MIRACLE DAY star Eve Myles who does her best not to spoil the most “massive, exhilarating, brilliant and biggest decision” Gwen will ever have to make. See for yourself, after the jump.

TORCHWOOD: MIRACLE DAY airs Friday nights at 10PM on Starz (Saturdays at 9PM on Space in Canada).

Full disclosure: After a weekend spent chained to our desk editing a seemingly never-ending barrage of video direct from San Diego Comic Con 2011, our brain power, not to mention ability to stare at our admittedly beautiful 27″ iMac is probably not where it should be for a Tuesday morning. Which is why we, in lieu of actual content, we have opted to take the easy way out by posting some fantastic exclusive shots of a handful of your favorite small screen stars from this past weekend’s Con. But did our photag extraordinaire Jennifer Schadel capture your favorites? Find out for yourself, after the jump.

Ryan McPartlin (CHUCK)

Yvonne Stahovski (CHUCK)

John Barrowman (TORCHWOOD)

Mark Christopher Lawrence (CHUCK)

Manu Bennett & Liam McIntyre(SPARTACUS)

Lucy Lawless (SPARTACUS)

Liam McIntyre (SPARTACUS)

Chris O’Donnell (NCIS: LA)

Renee Felice Smith & Barrett Foa (NCIS: LA)

Eric Balfour (HAVEN)

Felicia Day (EUREKA)

Christopher Gorham (COVERT AFFAIRS)

Ian Somerhalder (THE VAMPIRE DIARIES)

Paul Wesley (THE VAMPIRE DIARIES)

Nina Dobrev (THE VAMPIRE DIARIES)

Thomas Dekker (THE SECRET CIRCLE)

Britt Robertson (THE SECRET CIRCLE)

Photo Credits: Jennifer Schadel

As TORCHWOOD drifts further from DOCTOR WHO and now its own self-sustainable series, what are the chances that fans will see cross-overs between the two series in the future?
RUSSELL: It’s interesting that. It’s probably less to be honest because when I used to run DOCTOR WHO and TORCHWOOD, then I could sort of spin those things quite easily in my head and talk things over. Now, they are two separate production teams.  I’m so out of touch with DOCTOR WHO, I’m not even sure when it’s on air because they’ve got these very expensive plans and split seasons and I don’t know what they’re planning for 2012 at all. So it would kind of be difficult now. Then again, I could just phone them up and ask them. It’s not impossible but I think you know, we’ve got TORCHWOOD now standing on its own two feet. I think it was always on its own two feet but I think, in the public’s eye, I think there is a nice separate now and they see it as this big, strong, muscular program. So I’m not in a rush to sort of go back and backtrack or anything. Nonetheless, we would always exist in the same happy, lovely created universe. So I think there will be always lots of references to and fro I think. But frankly, who needs that doctor and his [blue boat]? [laughter]
 
What were some of the biggest challenges you would say in the filming of MIRACLE DAY?
RUSSELL: That’s interesting. I mean, it was interesting for us coming across from Britain to America because, in many ways, it’s the same industry. You have scripts, you have actors, you have a camera.  You get on with it and yet everything is slightly translated with a slightly different language. Even the lights have got slightly different names.  So sometimes, even three months in, you sit there and go, ‘what are you talking about?’ to one of the sparks or grips or something. You don’t even know the names of the cranes any more. So just the language was a really, really odd thing going from one country to another. But, as ever, the biggest challenge was the same challenge we always faced in Britain, which is realizing the ambition of the show. I think we have done it. It’s a show — we all of us, all the cast and everyone — wants to be bigger and better every week. We always start with a great episode and we want to build on that.  There are very unexpected episodes to come that trips into history, great big, modern, epic scenarios. It’s just pushing it all the time.  Pushing ourselves to make it bigger, better and bolder and never relaxing. That’s the key to it really, just always pushing. And literally, I have to tell you, like listening to you lovely cast members, we’ve just finished editing Episode 10 and it’s magnificent. Oh my god, it’s good. It’s epic and huge and heartbreaking and wonderful. So we did it. We got there, folks.
 
John and Eve, how do you manage to keep your characters not only fresh and exciting but also challenging for you both to play from the first season of TORCHWOOD up until MIRACLE DAY?
EVE: That’s not up to us. That’s completely to Russell T. Davies and what he puts on the page for us. He challenges me as an actor every time I get a script through the door. It’s kind of like (new) but it also keeps you alive as an actor and every day you go in and once you’ve conquered the scenes and some of them are massive, big, epic, beautifully written scenes – it’s the best feeling in the world. Every year those characters are evolving and becoming different people and becoming stronger people. Becoming these great kind of modern day kind of heroes, but in a very, very different way. And that goes for every character in it this year. It’s down to Russell and the words he gives us to say.
JOHN: I have to agree with Eve that the thing that I enjoy most about being Captain Jack and working with Russell and everybody else is: every day when you come into or when you get a new script, you’re learning something new about the character. We, as the actors and particularly myself, I’m not one of those actors who likes to analyze things too much. So I trust what the writers and what Russell are doing with the characters in order to give them their journey. My job is to come in and try to make those words on the page come alive on the camera. I think one thing, like with Eve and Alexa and Mekhi and Arlene and Bill and myself and Lauren, what we all have that we do is we bring a little bit of our personalities to those characters and that’s what connects, I think, with the audience and lifts the words that are brilliantly written off of the page. So it’s a collaboration, but it’s also as Eve said rightly off, it’s a trust. We get the words and the words are beautifully written and then we can build from there. And I think that’s why it works.
EVE: Absolutely.
 
There is a moment where Jack realizes that he is mortal and intellectually you would think that Jack would be relieved that he is now mortal. But there was a distinct look of fear going on.  What was going on in Jack’s head in that moment? And also how easy was it to slip Jack Harkness back on as a character?
JOHN: Jack Harkness is so easy to slip back on because it’s like his coat. It’s very easy to put your arms in and wear it. It’s such a part of me that it comes very naturally. The other part of the question, in regards to him discovering his mortality, yes, there was an element of fear in his face because it’s something he’s never experienced before. It’s something that he — well, until the point where he became immortal  – he never really had that moment of fear. To have that and to realize that his body wasn’t healing, that he could die, it was also a moment of confusion because how does he deal with this? How does he handle this situation? What can he do? He’s always been the one who has been the man who put himself in front of harm’s way to help people, has really gone boldly into those situations not fearing any of it and all of a sudden, my goodness, he can’t do this. So it’s also a little bit of excitement there too because he can experience a lot of things that he’s never experienced before. That’s what’s really wonderful about the journey with Jack, when this discovery has happened, because he starts not only having a little bit of fear but he also starts to live a little. That’s what was really nice about the whole aspect of that idea.
 
How different was it from the standard writing a couple of episodes ahead of time as far as character development and kind of changing and letting the story flow and change as you went along?
RUSSELL: It was unusual. I mean, even in Britain, we actually got nine episodes ready ahead of transmission, which we then kept on rewriting during production. But there were nine episodes ready at the very start. We had to do this because (the story) goes to and from Wales all the time and it keeps going to Wales all the way through to the last episode. But we only had one trip to Wales right at the beginning of the shoot to shoot everything from those episodes. So we had to get them ready. It was three weeks in Wales to block shoot the scenes that would go into all ten episodes. So it was kind of forced upon us, the necessity of the production, but we planned on that. When I say forced on us, that sounds like an emergency or something. But way back to the previous summer, that’s exactly what we planned in order to maximize the Welshness of it. So that was unusual. It meant none of the writers, not even me, had ever got nine scripts ready in advance or something before. It was a bit of a shock to the whole production team. They get stacks of scripts arriving on their desks and then you’ve got second drafts and third drafts and fourth drafts. So actually, in no time at all, you end up with 45 scripts on your desk. It’s really quite frightening the amount of paper we generate. But everyone does it. It’s just buckle down and read them and get on with it. So it’s a fantastic result in the end where we’re all the way through episode nine, this huge sequence that’s set in Wales, and it all ties together so nicely that it was worth all the planning and all the forethought has really paid off. I’m glad you asked that question because it’s one of the things I’m really pleased about with the show.
 
Would you have written the show differently if TORCHWOOD was originally picked up by Fox?
RUSSELL: That’s interesting. I think it would have been more of a primetime sort of thing. I mean, I don’t think so. No.  Because the document that we took to Starz was the document that we had taken to Fox. It’s one of the good things about TORCHWOOD is that it’s a pre-existing show. It’s already been on for three years. So when people perk up and show an interest and say, ‘hello, we like your show, we might buy it,’ they know what they’re talking about. It’s not an unknown property. So they can’t actually walk through the door and say, ‘we’re not sure about Jack’s sexuality.’ They can’t walk through the door and say, ‘we’re not sure about the statements you make about society or the darkness of the show’ because that’s what it is. So they wouldn’t have been there, had they not known that. Originally, no one ever did raise those objections. So I have no idea. Our casting would have been the same. You couldn’t get a finer Esther than Alexa. Oswald, we couldn’t do better than Bill Pullman. So I think the cast would have looked the same. I have no idea. I wonder. Maybe we’d have a bigger, glossier title sequence or something like that. I’m just conjecturing now. I don’t think so. I think we’ve been given a lot of freedom to make the show that we want. Actually, that’s quite a successful formula no matter what channel you’re on. So you have to trust people. So hopefully it would have been the same.
 
Alexa, are we looking forward to romance between Rex and Esther or is that strictly just sort of a professional?
RUSSELL: I’ll let Alexa talk about it really.  But I think it’s quite clear in the first episode that she’s quite clearly got a bit of a thing about Rex. It’s very understated but she feels attached to him. She feels very friendly to him. She’s the only person at his hospital bed, which maybe says more about Rex than it does about Esther. But there is certainly a bond and a loveliness there. Alexa, what do you think?
ALEXA: I think it’s more than anything she, as much as she wants more, I think she’s just there. There is something very romantic about the idea with Rex. He’s out in the field and it’s dangerous and there is something sexy about it. And here she is, she’s stuck behind her computer. I think there is a longing not only to be with him, but then to also be out in the field and work with him hand-in-hand. So it’s interesting. There is that. We have this little tango, the professional and the personal relationship. You’ll see as the ten episodes go on, she tries. She gives it her all, but Rex as you see, he’s tough. He’s all business, he’s gruff, he’s stern, which is quite I think makes for an interesting pairing between the two of them.  Because she has this innocence and she’s naïve and she’s fresh. Then here is this guy that has lived a lot. He’s lived a full life, as well as the Captain Jack character and the Eve character. They all know who they are. They’ve had time for growth and that was what was such an honor for me and so much fun as an actor, playing a character that had clear growth like somewhere to go. She’s not the one that had the weapons training and life on the run. So you kind of see her stumble a little and pick herself back up. And she is surrounded by these strong characters that help her become who she is.
 
Can you tell us more about the soulless protest movement? Who came up with those creepy masks? And is the season going to end in a cliffhanger?
RUSSELL: I don’t want to give away too much. It’s a riveting last episode that has shocks and explosions galore and real big, proper revelations. At least, suffice it to say that all your questions are answered if people are worried. I don’t like series that reach a great big cliffhanger that demands you come back the next year. I think the next year should start again from scratch. So you needn’t worry about everything in Miracle Day being answered. Literally, everything you are wondering about is answered in detail not just in the last episode but especially as you hit episodes 7, 8, 9 and 10. It all gets answered, but you do have to keep watching until the very last seconds just to find out everything. And what was the first part of your question?
 
The soulless protest movement.
RUSSELL: Yes, yes. I sort of came up with the idea and I did a rough design of them and then passed it over to (Shauna), our costume designer and we batted that about. It’s lovely isn’t it? It’s really sort of creepy. It’s kind of a sign of, if you’re wondering what they are, it’s a sign of how mad the world goes because psychologically we all get a bit thrown and shocked and disturbed by what happens to the world. So it’s kind of what I used to call the Twitter World, where crazes and scares and panic-attacks happen amongst people. People are like — you see those vast flocks of birds in the sky changing direction very quickly — that’s what people are doing. They join cults. There is this thing called the 45 Club that believes you can commit suicide only if you jump from 45 floors or higher. Esther’s sister, for example, has a complete mental breakdown because she believes in the soulless. She believes that the human race has lost their souls and are doomed because they’ve lost their mortality.  They’ll never get to heaven. So it’s an example of the sort of extreme psychological reactions that society goes through and the soulless is just one of them. We get a lot of these different reactions all the way through the series.
 
Eve, I’m really loving the whole mommy kicking-butt theme. Is this something that’s going to be recurring throughout the season? And how does this kind of parallel with your life with a new baby and having to work and all that?
EVE: Thank you. That’s an absolutely lovely question. Yes, she doesn’t stop kicking-ass in the entire series. She is like a lioness with her cubs. She’s absolutely fierce and, yes, she uses her fists a lot. She uses a lot of weapons but, yes, it’s all very grounded and very real and quite a lot of it is quite humorous as well. So she is really quite militant this year and full on. Trying to compare it with my life, my god, the only confrontation I have normally is with myself in the mirror in the morning. No, I can’t bear being away from my little darling Matilda. To think of the pressure that Gwen Cooper has on the show every day is unbelievably crazy and huge.  So, no, I can’t make a comparison at all although we do have tight tempers the both of us.
 
Did you guys do all your stunts?
ALEXA: Yes.
EVE: There is one stunt that I couldn’t because (my head) would have fallen off literally. But I tried to do it and I wasn’t allowed to do it. But I try to do as many stunts as possible. Yes, absolutely.
ALEXA: I tried, but my character has a high fall and right out of the gate, that was not me. No. I want to do within reason – they let us do as much as we’re comfortable. I think all of us like getting wet I guess. John and I, we got wet in our little fountain so we like (getting active).
JOHN: That was the first night we met.
ALEXA: We were in the hot tub right away together.
JOHN: Exactly.  [laughter]
ALEXA: I like it. I’m scrappy. I’m a little bit of a tomboy so I enjoy that. But then there is a point where they step in and say, ‘okay, there is fire, there’s explosions.’ They want us to be safe.
JOHN: If it involves jumping off a high building they said no. Anything else, they were game for us to try it.
EVE: As long as you don’t hurt the other person you’re all right.
 
TORCHWOOD has a history of not being afraid to kill off characters. Now American TV shies away from that because a cast member might be very popular.  Has this sort of been compromised? Like are you afraid to kill anyone off for the season? Or might, when the Miracle Day perhaps is resolved in episode 10, the character that should have died like Bill Pullman’s Oswald Danes or Mekhi’s Rex Matheson, will they die?
RUSSELL: I think he’s a maverick this man [referring to Jack].  Lovely. Well, yes, I will tell you what’s going to happen in episode 10 right now – as if!  [laughter] You’ll just have to keep watching. But that is a dread that hangs over everyone actually. It’s one of those psychological things that gets into people’s heads and disturbs the whole society of this, which is: if you were meant to die will you die? If the spell comes to an end, am I going to drop dead? That certainly holds Rex all the way through it. It holds Oswald in a different way. So, yes, obviously I’m not going to give any answers to that. But there are big surprises, big shocks coming up. But I don’t know if it’s a more British thing to happily sort of kill your cast. Actually that’s not true. I thought the most wonderful thing about Game of Thrones was — and I had never read [the books] and I had no idea who was going to die and I was completely taken by surprise every time it happened. I loved that.  Then there is a British show called SPOOKS, which is called MI-5 over here and that had a fine old time knocking off its regular cast on a regular basis. So I think when the stakes are this high, when you’re saving the world and so long as you’re not a family drama, then you know, if you’re going after 9:00 p.m., then you have to be that dangerous. You have to show that lives are at stake. I just think it’s vital actually to show how high the stakes are – so, yes.
 
Gwen, you have such great chemistry with John and Kai, since of course you’ve worked with them. But was it immediate sort of chemistry, organically with the new cast members, Mekhi and Alexa and everyone?
ALEXA: Careful. I’m on the phone. You’d better answer nice. [laughter]
EVE: I’m so glad she said that. You know what, we always come in to welcome them on board and make sure that everybody is happy so that we make the best project possible.  And Alexa, Mekhi, Bill, Lauren – I could go on and on and on. It was a dream to work with them every day. It was just fantastic. They came in and nailed it and that was a big wonderful experience for John and myself to learn that these people are fine actors and had done so much homework and came in and just blew us away. Incredible. I can’t talk highly enough of them.
ALEXA: And vice versa from my end.
 
What was it like to play such a strong female set of characters? And did you enjoy working with Bill Pullman?
ALEXA: Evie, you want to start?
EVE: Okay darling, yes, why not? To be able to play somebody like Gwen Cooper is a dream come true for an actor. I mean, she’s an absolute powerhouse, but she’s also a very kind of ordinary girl stuck in this beautiful, extraordinary world and situation. It’s how she deals with things and her challenges, which is so watchable and great for me to play. Working with Mr. Pullman was just — it’s very rare that you catch me behind the monitors watching scenes happen. — but I have to with Bill Pullman because it was an acting lesson for me. It was a master class. The guy is a genius. On top of all that, he’s the most gracious gentleman you’re ever lucky enough to meet. He’s just a joy to work with and, yes, wonderful experience, lots of business going down in my little black book as one wonderful experience.
ALEXA: For me it’s very rare that females are written with strength. I always feel like it’s either like the piece of arm-candy or in comedy you’re like setting-up a joke so the guy gets a big laugh and you’re the straight shooter. I a way it gets a little tedious and boring from our end. So it was so refreshing for me to just have a character that was so thought-out and fleshed-out. Russell knew what he wanted and the females are as strong as the males and it was just wonderful.
EVE: Absolutely. We’re not the tits and ass. We actually get to kick-ass like everybody else.
ALEXA: Exactly. And that’s refreshing for us on our end. So it didn’t ever feel like just a strong female character – I felt like it was just great to be a part of whole of all very strong characters. To be the girl to walk in and give breath to Esther, it’s been an honor. And Bill, you hit on Bill. He’s crazy genius. You just say Bill Pullman — he’s the first thing that people freak-out about and just watching him work. You’re in the scene and you just forget you’re even in the scene. He’s just so focused. What I always say is: there are brilliant actors and a lot of them can not be kind. And this is truly just to reiterate, he is one of the nicest people that you’ll meet. I think it’s really refreshing to see someone with such success on his level to still be as humble and gracious as he is.
EVE: Absolutely.
 
Since the previous TORCHWOOD series CHILDREN OF EARTH kind of saw the deconstruction of Torchwood and basically the end of it, are we seeing in this series kind of the rebuilding? And what do all the characters think about Jack and Gwen think about being involved in this again and Esther and Rex think about being pulled into this world?
RUSSELL: To be honest, at the end of CHILDREN OF EARTH, Torchwood was closed down. But it was actually leaving in an ideal place for this series to happen, which is a restart and a re-launch. Not a reboot, it’s still exactly the same show. But the program opens up with characters like Esther saying: who is Torchwood? What is happening? What are they? So a brand new audience gets filled in on the information. So it was kind of designed that way. It was kind of cleverly done, dare I say so, to move from one stage of TORCHWOOD to the next. So it wasn’t an ending. It just allowed for this fresh start. John, I don’t know how you felt about it.
JOHN: Again the same, it was what we had always said when the last series had ended — that we had done so well in the ratings and it came as a huge surprise to everybody that we hoped it would have a life. Again, like Russell said, the writing was done in a way that it could. For myself, as the actor to get involved again, with open-arms and open doors. I love the character of Captain Jack. I love what the show stands for. I love the other characters in the show. So it was like putting a comfortable pair of shoes on back to go and do it and shoes that were running very quickly and exciting. And as Jack getting back involved into the storyline himself, if you’re talking as Jack Harkness, I think Jack — although he wanted to keep everything under wraps — when Torchwood raised its head again and he had to go and help Gwen Cooper and they got back together, as soon as they start to see each other, that’s it. They’re back and, I think I’m speaking from Jack, he’s very excited to be back and really wants it back although he really knows it kind of shouldn’t be back. But who cares? It’s there. Let’s do it.
EVE: Torchwood is an absolute – that’s Gwen Cooper’s adrenaline. She is an absolute adrenaline-junkie. It runs through her veins and her heart and her soul. When it’s not there, how on earth are you possibly going to carry on your life without having something to do with that wonderful, weird, bizarre, crazy organization called Torchwood? It leaves the biggest hole ever and nothing, nothing fills it for Gwen Cooper except for Jack Harkness, Torchwood. So, when she is seemingly having this very quiet, very strange, secluded life — when she sees Jack Harkness — when she sees trouble knock on her door — it’s not good. But, in a way, her heart starts pounding again and that’s the Gwen we all know and that’s the Gwen I love playing. So coming back to Gwen Cooper, well, it’s just the best thing in the world.
ALEXA: I don’t know. I was trying to follow all those questions and then I got lost in all your guys’ beautiful, eloquent answers. Then I’m like, ‘what’s my question?’
 
How does it feel getting pulled into the TORCHWOOD world as an actor and your character, Esther?
ALEXA: I think Esther is kind of a little bit of Alice in Wonderland down the rabbit hole we go. It just her curiosity gets the best of her. Like Russell was saying, the first thing out the gate is:  did you ever hear of Torchwood? What’s Torchwood?  And down she goes looking for the answer and who is this Gwen Cooper and this mysterious man in the coat? So she just finds herself quickly without choice. I mean, her life is changed in the matter of a moment in this new world. As far as myself, it’s just been an absolute pleasure. Every single person, Russell and (Julie) called me immediately and just welcomed me with open arms into the family. Just to be called a team member and John and Eve were the same. We’re friends for life. It’s just been a great, great experience so far. And I enjoyed every minute and hope you guys enjoy it as much as we did.
 
CHILDREN OF EARTH was just so dark and very, very dense with death and stuff. Is MIRACLE DAY lighter? You can’t really kill off Jack since we know his eventual end that you stated in DOCTOR WHO. He becomes (Faisal Bo). So it’s not like we don’t know that he isn’t going to die.
RUSSELL: Anyone on this show — it’s conjectured that Jack is the (Faisal Bo) — but you shouldn’t watch the series and assume that anyone is safe. You know how much I love killing people off. Anything can happen really. And that’s part of the joy of it. That’s part of the adventure and part of the fun. Like I said earlier, you should watch these shows in fear for people’s lives really. And what was the first part of your question?
 
Is it darker than CHILDREN OF EARTH was or is it more of a lighter feel than all the death?
RUSSELL: I think it’s kind of because we’ve got 10 episodes instead of five, it’s kind of wider than CHILDREN OF EARTH. It’s as dark if not – actually it’s darker than CHILDREN OF EARTH in places. But it’s more romantic in certain episodes. Episode 7 is a hugely romantic story. It’s tougher and [episode] 6 is quite harrowing and quite tough with what Esther goes through in that one and what Rex goes through in that. Six is a real crisis mode for everyone. So we’ve just got more room. We’ve got more muscle. That let’s you have more fun sometimes. There are some great laughs in it between the team. So everything that was good about CHILDREN OF EARTH is there. It’s just a bit wider and a bit broader and if anything, a bit more confident. We didn’t know if CHILDREN OF EARTH would work when we transmitted that. Once you’ve got that behind you, once you’re aware that people liked it, that gives you the confidence to say, ‘okay, let’s go and let’s keep exploring new stuff as well.’ So I hope it’s all of those things.
 
Are we going to continue to see Jack’s sins or missteps from elsewhere in time continue to come back to haunt him?
RUSSELL: I think you might have hit upon a theme there. I think the most fascinating thing about Jack is that he’s lived for thousands of years both in the future and the past. So it’s such a gift to a writer and to the whole writing team that you sit people in a room and they always gravitate towards that because it’s fascinating. And we’ve done that in the past and taken Jack into some very dark places. We certainly do that this time and, oh my god, there is some shocking stuff to come. It’s absolutely vital to the story.  So, yes, without giving away too much, there is some good stuff, isn’t there John?
JOHN: Absolutely. The thing that is lovely to hear like that because I love playing those kinds of stories. It allows me to kind of alter Jack a little bit and look into how he has become the man who he is now. When we’re watching him at that moment in time on screen and to go back into the history because I am also a fan of the genre of myself and also I enjoy that kind of in depth look into the characters. Whether it be just with Jack or whether it’s going and looking into more about Gwen Cooper or when hopefully we look into stuff about with Rex. So things like that — it’s exciting as the actor to play those.  So I’m always up for I call it time travel through past history. I love it.
 
TORCHWOOD has always seemed very much aware of current events and current political climates — issues from gay rights to disappointing governments and governmental agencies. How is that underlying awareness still with us in MIRACLE DAY and how does that give you something to continue to write about?
RUSSELL: I just think it’s about a sort of writing with your eyes open. Actually, I don’t have any sort of grandstand about it. It’s just naturally how I write. I believe in putting what’s happened in the world into what you’re writing. You don’t have to write like that. There are marvelous scripts and shows made that don’t do that. But I just love it. It’s just when we were setting up the series of TORCHWOOD, all the healthcare debates in America were raging over Obama’s healthcare reforms. It was ferocious arguments on the right and on the left and it wasn’t a process of me saying, ‘I must put this in the script.’ It’s just what I was thinking about all day, every day. Then you’re thinking about the script all day, every day. So the two just merge. It just can’t be helped really. And I like that. I think TORCHWOOD is entertaining and it’s fun and it’s funny and it’s lively. But also I genuinely think it’s got the nerve to sort of stand up tall and have something to say about the world. I think that’s the point to be honest. But I couldn’t write in any other way. And it’s a joy to write like that. But equally remember it’s a rattling good thriller and you should always entertain at the same time. But I like it. I hope it’s a good Torchwood-style I think.
 
When Gwen comes out of hiding, does that cause any tension with either her husband or Jack or really anybody involved there?
EVE: Yes. Absolutely. I mean, [her and Jack] that’s just not going to happen any more. As for her and Jack, it’s their partnership. It’s like the day before yesterday. They just get straight back into it and they [click].
 
Is there a moment like that you can’t wait for people to see on screen?
ALEXA: For me one of the big moments was the reveal of the two characters. And for me, filming  – and I say this from a fan boy perspective because my husband is an insane fan boy of TORCHWOOD.  So he pretty much said, ‘I will divorce you if you don’t take this job’ – and a big reveal I thought and it kind of catches your breath is when (we’re in) this beautiful big space and Esther is digging, digging, thinking, ‘what is this?’ and then you just look up and there is Captain Jack. It’s such a breathtaking reveal that I just think from a fan’s perspective and a viewer’s perspective, it’s quite an initiation.  Then for the fans of Gwen, I think it’s seeing her with that bad-ass rocket launcher.
EVE: Like Alexa, my fiancé is also a massive, massive TORCHWOOD fan and I can’t even leave a script in front of him and he gives me a huge telling off because he doesn’t want to know anything about it. He wants to watch it every week and get excited every time it’s on.  I’m not allowed to tell him anything. So I can’t wait for him to see certain elements where he’ll give me a nudge and go I know what’s going on here and get excited about it of course, very excited.
JOHN: My partner doesn’t watch it.  I tie him down to the sofa to make him watch it, saying, ‘You’re going to watch this and I don’t care what you say.’ [laughter]  No. The thing for me – there is like both [Eve and Alexa] have said, there are a lot of moments in there . . . There is a lovely moment where Jack and Gwen have this conversation over the telephone and Jack is kind of spilling his heart out to her a little bit and he doesn’t know that she is then talking to her baby on screen. That is a moment for me. But also the big moment — I think there are two of the moments for me — are really when Jack and Gwen lock eyes for the first time in a long time — when she comes running out of the house in Wales and he is standing there with a gun in a Land Rover ready for her to jump on board. That’s like the beginning of it all again, that there.  The other little exciting bit is just a quirky little thing for me being a fan geek myself is the fact that when Jack is covering as a CIA agent and he calls himself Owen Harper.
EVE: Yes. Me too, me too. Absolutely.
 
The most disturbing thing about the first few episodes is the [Oswald Danes]. What kind of creative process led you to choose to include a convicted pedophile in this story to such a great extent? And was there any pushback on that from the network? You said you’re leaving TORCHWOOD after this year. Will there likely be TORCHWOOD without you at some point?
RUSSELL: Who knows? I haven’t actually said that. I was just musing about one day about moving on, as do we all. Then I look into John Barrowman’s eyes and I’m seduced all over again. I fall into his arms. It’s true. I can’t help it. I’m a pushover. [laughter] As for Oswald, it’s sort of the [story] – I don’t work on that. The moment I thought of the series, I knew that it needed Oswald Danes. I knew he needed to be right at the center of the drama along side the Torchwood team as the perfect example of a world gone wrong. I mean, if you’re having people not dying, you could spend a lot of time telling a drama with an 80 year old woman in the geriatric ward who doesn’t die. Not going to really last for ten episodes, that. It’s not going to be the most thrilling part of the world. And unless you get Gloria Swanson, you’re not going to cast it very well. So it needs to be big, something bold, something explosive, something to get people talking exactly like we’re doing now and with a serious exploration of morality at the heart of that. Are you starting to choose who lives and who dies? Which the active execution does. The fact is that’s part of the reason why the story had to be set in America was that we don’t have state executions in Britain. So that all fitted with the American move to do something that was not a British show. And if you’re going to do that then you’re going to have a very strong character right in the center of it. So his involvement and his movement through the story becomes absolutely fascinating. It’s fascinating right from the start as to who he is and what he becomes and will you trust him. So it’s a good strong bit of storytelling. And it’s premium cable in America and it’s BBC1 in Britain. They’re the home of good, strong, meaty drama. They like these challenges. They like that darkness. They like the intelligence of the exploration of morality and humanity. So everyone was up for it and it was a great exploration.
 
TORCHWOOD seems to have come out of the gate as incredibly popular in America and before DOCTOR WHO changed networks, it was arguably more popular than the show it spun off from. To what do you attribute TORCHWOOD hitting it out of the park right from the beginning in the U.S.?
RUSSELL: We struck lucky to be honest. I mean, both series have always done very well over here. DOCTOR WHO actually used to get phenomenal ratings on the Syfy Channel actually. People forget that because they didn’t use to advertise it. But it’s available in more homes and did very, very well on that channel. So I just think there is a love here of fantasy, of challenging material. It’s the broad spectrum you get with American networks from primetime cable to the smaller, niche cable channels to the networks is amazing. There is a really wide range of material here. I’ve just been watching that new TEEN WOLF show on MTV of all channels, and I’m 48 years old.  I shouldn’t be watching MTV and it’s an excellent show. . . It turns out they made a really, really good show there. So it’s always really surprising and interesting material if you look for it. So along comes TORCHWOOD that is a creative, bold show with a big, strong cast with big, strong ideas. I like to think this is like the perfect environment. So I’m kind of not surprised it worked because there is an audience here for that.
 
There are a lot of references to 456 in the first episode and I’m wondering if that’s just a nod to the past or if you can tell us is it kind of a hint to something?
RUSSELL: Although I shouldn’t give things away, no, that’s just a nod to the past. I don’t want to raise false expectations that those big gassy monsters are waiting around the corner.  It literally sort of ties it into the same world and there are vestiges just flying past you. If you’re a new viewer they might as well be saying ABC or 123, as well as 456. So it’s one of those little references that means something to previous viewers. If you’re a new viewer, it absolutely won’t stop your enjoyment. You won’t think, ‘I don’t know what’s going on here, I can’t follow what they’re talking about.’ But it’s not a false expectation. Literally, I’m not even lying. They are not behind it. It’s not the sort of story in which an alien like the 456 would fit very well. It’s much more based around the human race. It’s wondering, what we are and what we’re capable of and what we become. So old Smokey the Space Pelican is stuck in his box somewhere, that monster. He’s probably somewhere in Britain. [laughter]

Would you ever consider making TORCHWOOD into a film?
RUSSELL: That would be good. Yes. Hooray. There we go. Done. Yes. If you could raise the money for us, that would be brilliant. I don’t know. I think we have a lovely time making TORCHWOOD in all its iterations. It’s been a 13-week series.  It’s been a five-part series.  It’s been a 10-week series. I think if you get the right story and if it was two hours long then that would be absolutely perfect. I would love to see it. Yes.
 
On that last final last note, to find out more about the incredible new world of TORCHWOOD: MIRACLE DAY and a world full of never-ending life, be sure to tune in for the spectacular premiere on Friday, July 8th at 10:00PM on Starz (Saturday July 9th at 9PM on Space in Canada)

There is perhaps no more polarizing, yet inspiring series on television than TORCHWOOD. It provokes heated debate about the value of human life and our efforts to preserve it at all costs. But it also reminds us that there is an amazing world within the universe, which it has created, and it invites us to play there for a while. So while TORCHWOOD will galvanize fans with its shocking deaths, it also makes one weep with joy for having been granted the privilege of knowing those wondrous characters.

As TORCHWOOD returns for its fourth season, it promises to provide yet another shock-and-awe story. Having closed the book on the story of season three with the ultimate sacrifice, season four introduces a brand new story of adventure. With the show transplanting from the U.K. to the U.S. in search of greener pastures (not to mention the funding necessary for such an expensive sci-fi show), TORCHWOOD embraces the American culture and weaves in a distinctly American style to telling its finely-honed tapestry.

When we last saw our valiant warriors, Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman), Gwen Cooper (Eve Myles) and Rhys Williams (Kai Owen), they were in a race to save the planet from an alien species intent on taking our children. After those fateful events, the Torchwood team was essentially disbanded and went into hiding. In the time since then, it has been Captain Jack’s mission to ensure the protection of his last valued team member, Gwen, her husband Rhys and their baby daughter. So when the name Torchwood pops up across CIA computer screens and sets off alarms, Jack is back to the rescue. Simultaneously, this triggers a sequence of events that is on a collision path with fate.

CIA analyst Esther Drummond (Alexa Havins) saw the news flash with the name Torchwood and unable to ignore such a tantalizing secret, she and fellow CIA agent Rex Matheson (Mekhi Phifer) find themselves entangled in a global conspiracy. With Torchwood still a government hot-button, it becomes a race to find the last remaining Torchwood members before they are finally exterminated.

So as the paths of Esther, Rex, John, Gwen and Rhys collide, the world falls apart – or rather, death takes a holiday. A miracle has been bestowed on an undeserving planet. Decreed “Miracle Day” because it is the day that everyone stopped dying, a new phenomenon is unleashed. Without death, the world creaks under the weight of over-population, rapidly dwindling resources and a pressing need for pain medication. Just because you can’t die, doesn’t mean you can get hurt – and now, those injuries won’t heal. It becomes a race not to fight off death, but to find death. There just simply is not enough space, food/water, and prescription drugs to supply a planet whose population is growing exponentially each day.

Then on the fringe of the story, there is another odd twist. Unable to die, a convicted pedophile Oswald Danes (Bill Pullman) outlives his execution and uses a legal loop-hole to be set free. Unwanted by the entire world and with nowhere to go, Oswald is recruited by a multi-conglomerate corporation to be the spokesperson for Miracle Day. Swimming around this circle of events is a gung-ho publicist Jilly Kitzinger (Lauren Ambrose) and a surgeon Dr. Vera Juarez (Arlene Tur) who becomes the voice of the medical community due to the heightened demand for medical care and prescription drugs.

So what exactly does Torchwood, the CIA, prescription drugs, and a pedophile have in common? Who has deemed it necessary that they are the chess pieces to play with across the global chessboard? The who and the why are not readily apparent. But what is apparent is that this game is high-stakes. People may not be able to die, but there is no end to their suffering.

Feeling the world’s pain – perhaps for the first time – is Jack. The “immortal man” of the show finds that along with Earth’s inability to offer death to its inhabitants, he has become mortal. As Jack notes with horror, “The whole world becomes immortal, and I become mortal – human.” Captain Jack Harkness is literally the world’s last human man.

The biggest clue to what is happening is this must be a deliberate intervention-by-design and surely no one on Earth has the ability to make such a strategic and precision attack to employ the “death of death.” Who could actually wield such a weapon as never-ending life?

And who knew that by rendering humans to being essentially living-zombies that it would make us so powerless? To have to pray for death because it has been vanquished is inconceivable. That becomes Torchwood’s mission – it is not enough to survive, they must find a way to restore death into our world. To allow humans the dignity of dying when it is their time, to release them from the burden of never-ending pain and suffering. For God only intended humans to have never-ending life in paradise, not to live in hell on Earth.

What starts as a simple story of tracking down the last surviving Torchwood members becomes a joint mission to save the human race. TORCHWOOD: MIRACLE DAY is haunting and terrifying. To be forced to endure a never-ending life of pain and regret. It’s not a gift of hope – but of hopelessness. It is to be cursed for eternity. That is the true horror of Miracle Day.

To see how this riveting story unfolds, be sure to tune to watch TORCHWOOD: MIRACLE DAY for its premiere on Friday, July 8th at 10PM on Starz (Saturday at 9PM on Space in Canada)

Dear TV Addict, I know you’re on vacation, but as someone who has really been enjoying your increasingly informative ‘Ask the Addict’ columns as of late I was wondering if there was any chance you could post an abbreviated one this week? — Jeff
The TV Addict: Ask and ye shall receive! Thanks in no small part to our somewhat insatiable addiction to TV, coupled with the unexpected access to high speed internet available at the current undisclosed location we find ourselves staying in, we’re only too happy to oblige with a vacation shortened edition of ‘Ask the Addict’ in 3… 2… 1…

With the new season of DEGRASSI now less than two weeks away, I’m hoping you can provide some intel on what to expect. Have I mentioned I cannot wait for July 18th? — Hillary
The TV Addict: Think you’re excited for DEGRASSI’s July 18th premiere (9PM on TeenNick and MuchMusic in Canada), well, join the club. In fact, we’re so enthusiastic for the eleventh season of Canada’s most popular export that we decided to cajole our source on the set to share some scoop… and share he (or “she” did!). Not only will the one-hour season premiere feature a VERY (Editor’s Note: Our source actually took it upon themselves to type “very” in all caps) unexpected death, the aftermath will be felt throughout the season. What’s more, continuing the show’s penchant to go where no teen-oriented show has gone before, our source promises that Adam (Jordan Todosey) is going to explore the physical sides of being an FTM transgender teen.

Loving Season Two of ROOKIE BLUE! Any intel? — Michelle
The TV Addict: We don’t so much have intel, as a belated birthday gift for star Gregory Smith in the form of some really great news. Turns out, despite the fact that both ABC and Global TV in Canada have yet to officially announce a third season pickup, your very own TV Addict has learned that casting has already begun for third season!

I’ve been hearing a lot of talk about zombies on the new season of TORCHWOOD. Is MIRACLE DAY really borrowing a page from THE WALKING DEAD’s playbook? — Tina
The TV Addict: You’ve heard correctly. TORCHWOOD: MIRACLE DAY has in fact entered the zombie-zone! Or at least that’s what we’re calling a planet full of people who can’t die. Suffice it to say, it’s not pretty.

Are Amy and Paul going to get their own storyline this season on THE NINE LIVES OF CHLOE KING? — Lesley
The TV Addict: All is not smooth sailing for Chloe’s BBF’s and in the July 12 episode Paul tries to get creative in his attempt to patch things up with his lady-love only to have it backfire spectacularly which may leave the door open for a rival who catch’s Amy’s eye.

Getting even more excited for TERRA NOVA, any scoop to tied me over until this show finally premieres? — Bill
The TV Addict: Scoop, we’ve got tons. Unfortunately since we have this little thing about staying on Fox’s good side, we’ll simply say that Jim Shannon’s (Jason O’Mara) brood isn’t the only dysfunctional family fans are going to have to worry about come TERRA NOVA’s much-anticipated September premiere.

What’s next for Zane and Jo in the upcoming season of EUREKA? — Rayna
The TV Addict: Zane is not a clueless as he may have previously appeared in this new timeline. The mystery of how or why Jo had his grandmother’s ring drives him a bit crazy and he takes drastic measures to learn the truth.

Love, love, love me some PARENTHOOD. Any word on what’s in store come Season 3? — Brenda
The TV Addict: Since TVLine’s Vlada Gelman beat us to the punch with regards to yesterday’s big PARENTHOOD scoop (Pause as we clench fist, stare up into space and scream “TVLiiiiiiinnnnnneeeee!”), we’ll simply touch on the single biggest bit of info that TVLine completely ignored! Jason Ritter’s Mr. Cyr, who fans may remember as Sarah’s (Lauren Graham) on again off again love interest will be back. R.I.P. THE EVENT.

(Additional Reporting by Tiffany Vogt)

As a 90210 fan who is still reeling from Naomi’s unexpected pregnancy reveal at the end of last season, I’m curious if you have any ideas as to just how the show plans on dealing with it come season 4? — Allie
The TV Addict: Assuming of course new showrunners Patti Carr and Lara Olsen bother to stick with last season’s somewhat out of left field baby bump bombshell, we can assure you that the pregnancy will have very little effect on Naomi. At least if the first two episodes of the season are any indication, which according to reports will not just see Naomi continue to be the life of the party, but do so in a manner that will catch the attention of both the authorities and the Dean of California University. Ouch!

Season 7 of SUPERNATURAL cannot come soon enough! Any scoop? — Noam
The TV Addict: Entitled “The Girl Next Door,” SUPERNATURAL’s much anticipated seventh season will kick off by not just introducing fans to an old flame friend of Sam’s, but will flashback to Sam and Dean’s teenage years where we’ll meet, as the episode’s title suggests, the girl next door… a beautiful girl who in typical SUPERNATURAL fashion harbours a terrible, emphasis on the terrible, secret.

When we last left WAREHOUSE 13, Myka had left the Warehouse. Will she be back and how soon? — Ricky
The TV Addict: In the wacky mixed-up files of the WAREHOUSE 13 world, the dilemma over how to lure Myka back will be a rocky, but short road. More interesting still, it will take not a friend or a lover to lure Myka back, but a deadly foe. 

Sunday’s season premiere of TRUE BLOOD had far too little Joe Manganiello for my liking. Any intel on when we can expect Alcide to return? — Bittany
The TV Addict: Alcide fans will be thrilled to learn that Joe Manganiello will — at the behest of Sookie — return in a big way in TRUE BLOOD’s third episode of the season. Alcide fans will be somewhat less than thrilled to learn that when Alcide returns to Bon Temps, he will not be doing so alone.

Any hints as to who the hot new love-interest for Captain Jack in TORCHWOOD: MIRACLE DAY? — Catherine
The TV Addict: Yes, and he is quite the eye-candy. However, it is not about who Jack ends up in bed with, but rather who Jack calls from his lover’s bed that may hold the key to Jack’s heart. But to see that scene, you’ll have to wait for Episode 3, entitled “Dead of Night” — and more than one couple ends up in the sheets that night!

What should we look out for as the 4th season of EUREKA resumes on July 11th? — Jeremy
The TV Addict: Look for a trip to outer-space, someone to get cold feet, and musical mood swings that drive everyone to do crazy things.  Mostly, keep an eye on Felicia Day who joins the show for an extended arc as the scintillating Dr. Holly Marten.

Any chance you could shed some light on a PRETTY LITTLE LIARS rumor going around that will see another woman come in between Ezra and Aria in an upcoming episode — Lisa
The TV Addict: As much as we’d like to confirm or deny the report that another girl will very soon come in between Ezra and Aria we have a feeling you’d much prefer to hear from Ezra’s portrayer Ian Harding who had this to say when posed that very question, “Well, yes [another girl will soon have an impact on Ezra and Aria's relationship]. But that’s all I’m going to say because I think where the writers are going with this one story line is really, really interesting. So I think that we’re starting to shoot—well, actually no, I won’t say any more. I’ll just say yes and be really vague.”

Will HAVEN answer the question of who is the real Agent Audrey Parker, or will it be drug out through the second season? — Dylan
The TV Addict: The answer to that gigantic reveal from the first season will be answered within the first new episode when the show returns on July 15th.  You will not want to miss a second of that episode to see how that doppelganger situation resolves itself. 

Any word on how NIKITA plans to start its second season? — Amy
The TV Addict: Remember that quasi-romantic final shot from NIKITA’s first season finale that saw Nikita and Michael peacefully drive off into the sunset mere moments after pledging to work together to bring Percy and Division down once and for all? Well, enjoy that while you can for when NIKITA returns for its second season, their first roadblock will be a doozy. Or to be more specific, a twenty-something love interest for Alex military man who has been tasked by Oversight to help Division now fronted by Amanda track down Nikita and those pesky black boxes.

Additional Reporting By Tiffany Vogt