Torchwood to go pre watershed on BBC2

Torchwood, the BBC’s award-winning drama and current cult sci-fi favourite, will be bursting back on to UK TV screens in mid-January, bigger and bolder than ever.

And in response to audience demand, younger fans of the show will now be given the opportunity to watch a specially edited pre-watershed repeat when the Doctor Who spinoff switches from BBC Three to a primetime slot on BBC Two.

Quite what that means for fans of the Captain Jack (John Barrowman) and Ianto Jones (Gareth Lloyd-Davies) relationship, only time will tell. However, speaking at the recent Torchwood season two press launch, when it came to the subject of the show's gay relationships, executive producer Russell T Davies was quick to point out that “the kissing won’t be removed” from the pre-watershed repeats.

Apparently, the move to introduce an edited version of the show for pre-watershed broadcast (before 9pm which is the cut-off point for programs intended for family viewing and those programs intended for an adult audience) was in response to "popular demand from families and younger viewers".

Davies also added: "This series pushes the Torchwood team further than ever before. They are joined by some incredible guest stars who are really going to cause waves. It's adventurous, thrilling and packed full of surprises."

The new thirteen-part series sees Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s James Marsters making a special appearance in the first episode, as Captain John. Other well-known faces set to make an appearance in season two include Richard Briers, Nerys Hughes and Ugly Betty’s Alan Dale, as well as Doctor Who’s companion, Martha Jones, played by Freema Agyeman.

Also speaking at the press launch, BBC Two controller Roly Keating added: "We're delighted that Torchwood is joining BBC Two. We know from the success and popularity of Heroes (also shown on BBC2) that there's a growing appetite for smart, high-quality, sci-fi drama on the channel so Torchwood is a perfect fit.”

The first series of Torchwood premiered on BBC Three last year, and achieved the channel's highest ratings for 2006, with an audience of 2.5 million turning in for the first episode.