Buffy Writer Confirmed For Torchwood - The New World

Writer Jane Espenson--a name associated with Battlestar Galactica, Caprica, Warehouse 13, Dollhouse, Tru Calling, and Buffy (to cite a few)--has been confirmed for three of the 10 episodes of the forthcoming transatlantified fourth season of Torchwood, subtitled The New World, alongside other top-drawer writers And she promises that the new season will be "intense." Given the content of season 3, expectations regarding how powerful the material is will be quite high, and Espenson sounds ready to deliver.

"I'm thrilled to say I was invited," Espenson told Blastr. "My agent told me about it very casually; I was already busy at the time, and he thought I'd want to decline, but I jumped in fast to say I absolutely wanted to participate."

On what we can expect from her stories: "I love blending tones--mixing the broadly comedic moment in with the darkly dramatic one can heighten both. Torchwood is a show that welcomes that kind of moment. I'm also really eager to play with all the culture-clash material that comes naturally out of the show's pedigree. And I'm especially eager to write material that pushes the boundaries of what can ordinarily be done on television."

Changes are being made to some of the building blocks of the new season. "We've already changed the name of at least one character that was announced in the press," she said. "And there's nothing to stop us from changing more--so if you hear anything, even if it was true at some point, it probably isn't anymore. So the more you learn about Torchwood, the less you know."

Production of Torchwood: The New World is due to begin in January in Cardiff, Los Angeles, and other locations. So far only John Barrowman, Eve Myles, and Kai Owen have been confirmed as cast members--anything else out there is just speculation.