Five episodes?! Those pesky and increasingly legit-sounding "Torchwood" rumors ...

You might remember that in March certain rumors surfaced about how the third season of Torchwood might look like a very different show. Considering all the rumors I heard during the thrid season of Doctor Who, I initially scoffed at these wild rumors; after all, Freema Agyeman is still working in the Whoverse, the series isn't in the midst of its final season and James Nesbitt hasn't been cast as the eleventh Doctor.

Okay, perhaps it means something that all those ridiculous rumors came from the same source.

However, piece by piece, that radical-sounding Torchwood prophecy rumor is making more and more sense. First, two of the three actors predicted to be gone in season three were written out in the season finale. Now, TV Guide is reporting that the BBC has only ordered five episodes for season three, and that these five episodes will run all in one week, like a miniseries.

The good news? John Barrowman is signed on to appear in season three, so at least that part of the rumor is looking untrue. However, TV Guide also says that the series will run on BBC1, instead of BBC3, where the series debuted and was allowed to be more adult-oriented than Doctor Who. Is this a sign that Torchwood will return aimed at the younger and more general Doctor Who audience? We'll have to keep an eye on this story as it develops. Hopefully, we'll get an answer soon after the current Doctor Who season concludes in July.