Since the moment Torchwood: Children of Earth ended its five episode run on BBC America in 2009, I have looked forward to the return of no British series–not even Doctor Who–more than that of Torchwood. And what an excruciatingly long wait it has been. Thankfully, the wait is almost over! Today, Starz announced that the new season, Torchwood: Miracle Day, will premiere on July 8.

Unfortunately, and contrary to what my Pop Confidential co-hosts might lead you to believe, I do not actually have access to my own Tardis. Otherwise, you could bet your last dollar that I’d be hopping a fast ride into the future, so that I could be watching the season premiere “today.”

If you’ve never watched Torchwood, its arrival on Starz offers plenty of reason to check it out. All My Children grad Alexa Havins is set to portray Esther Drummond, “a deskbound CIA employee who dreams of active duty and who suddenly finds herself running alongside Jack (John Barrowman), Gwen (Eve Myles) and Rex.” Former ER star Mekhi Phifer is set to play the aforementioned Rex Matheson, a C.I.A. agent investigating a global conspiracy. Bill Pullman–whose speech rallying humanity against the alien invasion as President Thomas J. Whitmore in Independence Day is one of my all-time favorite speeches in film–plays Oswald Danes, “a former school teacher and convicted child killer.”

As part of their announcement, Starz teases Torchwood: Miracle Day’s plot, which sounds just as potentially spine chilling as Torchwood: Children of Earth was. READ MORE

Another one bites the dust, in Canada? According to reports, One Life to Live has been cancelled on CTV.
 

CTVglobemedia presented its upcoming Fall schedules today for CTV and ‘A’ networks. The flagship network picked up Dr. Oz and has placed it at 5pm. This will shift Dr. Phil to 3pm, sending General Hospital to the ‘A’. CTV will become a one-soap network with The Bold and the Beautiful continuing to air at 1:30pm.

One Life To Live has been cancelled by ‘A’ and reruns of ER will air in its place at 2pm. ‘A’ will keep All My Children at 1pm and then air GH at 3pm.

Times are all from the Toronto market. Other markets will be announced at a later date. OLTL fans can still catch the show on ABC.

Eonline and TV Guide are reporting the return of A-list superstar George Clooney to ER.  Also to accompany him will be Doug Ross' longtime sweetheart, Carol Hathaway once again played by Julianna Margulies.  Clooney made his last apperance on the show in 2000 in Margulies' final episode.

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Zap2it is reporting that former Ryan's Hope star and Oscar nominee Angela Bassett has signed on to star in the final season of NBC's long running medical drama ER.

Apparently she'll portray an attending physician who returns to Chicago's County General after spending the last several years abroad.

"Angela is a wonderfully talented actress whom I've long hoped to work with," ER executive producer John Wells tells The Hollywood Reporter.

ER, which will be celebrating its 15th and final season next year, is pulling out all the stops in attempt to reclaim the ratings gold it enjoyed for so many seasons. Fan favorite Noah Wyle will be returning for four episodes as John Carter and rumors have persisted that the show is trying to woo back other popular actors to the roles that made them famous.