Torchwood comes to America?

American fans of the BBC's Doctor Who spin-off, Torchwood, will now be able to watch new episodes on their TVs instead of the internet: Fox has a US version of the show in development.

Before you gasp in horror, read on: this "remake" rests in the capable hands of BBC Worldwide Productions' US branch. American Torchwood star John Barrowman is the only confirmed Yank on staff - although his presence is more "maybe" than "yes" right now.

We've seen quality UK shows get butchered by clumsy American hands, but we've also seen successes. Let's hope that the presence of a British production team helps this endeavor to be the latter. Oh, and let's also hope American censors don't get in the way of Torchwood's charmingly insouciant approach to portraying homosexual relationships.

After the show's shocking denouement last season, fans wondered how Torchwood could continue at all; although it was approved for another season, no one is sure where the plot has left to go. It's unclear whether Fox's Torchwood will be a remake, a continuation, or something else entirely -- and what it is could depend entirely on who signs up for the project.

We'll do our best to withhold judgement until we see this, but here's just one request: please don't let this be a Spiderman-esque reboot of the whole Torchwood story. Especially not if John Barrowman officially signs on to reprise his role of Jack Harkness. Despite Barrowman's long list of theatre credits, TV shows are not theatrical tours. Production companies shouldn't just take the same script to another country and expect fans to feel the same attachment to the altered version. If Fox plans to do that, then we say -- just give us re-runs.