TVSquad

The TV world is buzzing around Gareth David-Lloyd right now. The actor and musician is watching new episodes of Torchwood blow up on British TV and wondering what the future will bring.

When the BBC announced the third season of the popular Doctor Who spin-off would be a special, five-episode mini-series with all five episodes airing over five consecutive nights ("Children of Earth"), fans held their breath to discover what would become of David-Lloyd's character (Ianto Jones) and the rest of the Torchwood crew.

When we catch up to Jones, Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman) and Gween Cooper (Eve Myles), they're mourning the loss of Owen (Burn Gorman) and Tosh (Naoko Mori), who sacrificed themselves to save their friends in the second season's finale.

In "Children of Earth," Torchwood faces a threat from home while they're also investigating an alien invasion. When they try to discover why all the children in the world have suddenly stopped at the same time, Torchwood has to deal with human beings who are trying to hide a past mistake.

As Torchwood: "Children of Earth" premieres on BBC1 this week, David-Lloyd made a cross-Atlantic call to discuss the eagerly-awaited mini-series with us.

How does the new series expand Torchwood in its third season?
["Children of Earth"] is one big story playing out over the five episodes. We worked for 16 weeks straight, as though we were on a movie shoot. It's such a great script with a great cast. I've enjoyed every minute. I think it reaches out beyond sci-fi. It's a huge human story with a lot of action included.

When we catch up to the members of Torchwood, have they moved on from the deaths of their comrades at the end of season two?
No, they're definitely still in mourning and very vulnerable. They're not doing too well dealing with their memories. In the first episode, you see Gwen say a "good morning" to photos of the lost team members. But, as the episodes play out, they find new allies, new team members. They move on because they have to to do their jobs.

A series of Torchwood radio shows aired on BBC radio in recent months. Are they considered part of the show's canon?
The radio shows definitely play a role in setting up "Children of Earth." The themes of the radio stories set up the mini-series because they help to prep the mood and to establish where the team is when the TV series starts up again.

I love doing the radio shows because they rely on imagination over budget. We can can do anything we want without worrying about expense and visual effects. And, I can walk into the studio in a beard and a hoodie and go to work without an hour in costume and make-up.

How do the events in "Children of Earth" change your character?
You get to see a different side of Ianto in this one. You see him out and about, involved with all the action -- not sitting back in Cardiff and running things from afar. My character has to deal with the emotions of all that, of being in the field and in the midst of the action.

With Torchwood's third season promising to be a TV event, can we look forward to season four?
I've heard that season four is ready to go. It's a question of how well "Children of Earth" does. After seeing the five episodes myself, I'm very optimistic. I think the fans are going to love it, and it's going to do really well.

What do you to keep busy away from Torchwood?
I work with my band [Blue Gillespie] on as many gigs as possible. I'm also going to be in an Independent film through contacts I made via Torchwood. And I make appearances at conventions to meet the fans.

How have you responded to the enthusiasm of Torchwood and Doctor Who fandom?
It's been great for me. Wherever I've gone, I've seen fans with great dedication. It's obvious Torchwood and Doctor Who fans take their favorite shows very seriously and are very generous to us.

Torchwood: "Children of Earth" premieres on BBC America for a five-night run beginning July 20.