The third season of Torchwood just began production in Cardiff. As previously announced, instead of a thirteen episode season it'll consist of five episodes aired on consecutive nights as a BBC One miniseries in Spring 2009. The title of the miniseries is Torchwood: Children of Earth.

Creator Russell T Davies returns to serve as showrunner in place of Chris Chibnall, who left after two seasons to become the showrunner of the upcoming Law & Order: London. Davies is writing two of the episodes, with former Coronation Street staff writer John Fay writing two more and James Moran (writer of last season's "Sleeper") writing the remaining one. Euros Lyn, director of nine episodes and two mini-episodes of Doctor Who (including "The Unquiet Dead" and "The Girl in the Fireplace"), will direct all five episodes.

The principal cast consists of John Barrowman as Captain Jack, Eve Myles as Gwen, and Gareth David-Lloyd as Ianto. Previous rumors of Doctor Who's Freema Agyeman (Martha) and Noel Clarke (Mickey) joining the cast have been proven untrue. Supporting cast members Kai Owen and Tom Price will also return as Gwen's husband Rhys and PC Andy respectively. Peter Capaldi, Paul Copely, and Liz May Brice are the major guest stars.

As for Law & Order: London, with former Torchwood showrunner Chibnall and producer Richard Stokes moving over to take on the same roles here, as well as Who's Agyeman as a prosecutor and Battlestar Galactica's Jamie Bamber as a police officer, I'm interested in seeing it.

A new version of the cult television show The Prisoner is being produced as a miniseries with Jim Caviezel as Number Six and Ian McKellen as Number Two. It's a co-production by America's AMC network and the UK's ITV network, set to air in 2009. The showrunner is Bill Gallagher, creator of the BBC's 2004 miniseries Conviction.

Actor Don S. Davis passed away yesterday. He was best known as Major Briggs on Twin Peaks, Scully's father on The X-Files, and General Hammond on Stargate SG-1. R.I.P.

I was watching the new episode of Law & Order: Criminal Intent last night and I thought guest star Indira Varma looked familiar before the credits listed her name, then I realized she was Suzie from Torchwood.