If Russell T. Davies has anything to be proud of, it is without a doubt the resurrection of "Doctor Who" for a whole new generation.

Going one step further, Davies has not just developed a single show for prime-time television - he has turned what was once a very amateurish show into a very real, very tangible and very profitable science-fiction machine. Complete with spinoffs, animated shows, action figures, trading cards and even birthday cakes (eating a chocolate Dalek is something of a guilty pleasure), "Doctor Who" is bigger than ever.

But before Davies was committed to the series there was a small show he was working on with Julie Gardner. It was called "Excalibur" and was set to revolve around a group of young, hip and sexy alien hunters who defend the Earth in a very cool way. At the time, the duo viewed the series as a piece of America and exactly the kind of genre show that the BBC has never embraced.

Then the call came and the Tardis was re-built, sending Excalibur onto the backburner ... at least for a little while. Because, when the BBC began looking to expand the Whovian franchise, the concept for the "Excalibur" series went through a few changes and eventually became what we now know as "Torchwood."

Forget "Doctor Who," "Torchwood" is a brand new show that just happened to fit into the mythology of the mother series. It is more adult in content; more mature thematically; and has a far darker atmosphere than you would ever expect to see on any show spun out of "Doctor Who." More importantly, the Fox network now wishes to make "Torchwood" one of its own.

Normally, such an announcement would be a thrill to the show's loyal fan base. Despite the numerous U.K. television channels (each broadcasting a multitude of original shows), it is usually American scripted dramas that dominate the air waves in what is becoming a very Americanized British culture. So, with a big American network looking to adopt the series there can be no finer vindication as a series ... "Torchwood" is a resounding success.

Some fans will be excited to see what an American entertainment powerhouse can do with the show, and most will be undoubtedly worried that the series will fail. After all, it's not the first time a BBC series has had a trans-Atlantic re-imagining and failed miserably.

Most recently, "Life On Mars" not only crashed and burned, it done so without capturing the same essence or thrill of the original series which starred John Simm. In its original form, "Life On Mars" was a bizarrely compelling, intricately warped series that left you guessing what was really going on; is it a coma, or did Tyler really jump back in time? Such a concept even leaves you wondering what genre the series falls under. If he's in a coma, drama is the obvious choice. But if he has indeed fallen through time then the shows status of science-fiction is guaranteed.

Maybe it was because the U.K. edition -- the original edition -- had already completed its run that the ABC version lacked all of those qualities and was eventually cancelled after only a single season.

And "Torchwood" isn't the only series that will be traversing the Atlantic - Syfy already is working on its own take on "Being Human," an odd couple type show featuring a werewolf, a ghost and a vampire sharing a flat. And thanks to the added boost that supernatural themed shows are receiving these days it stands a very good chance of succeeding.

But I'm not worried that "Torchwood" will fail ... I'm terrified it will succeed.

Unlike "Doctor Who," which is Great Britain's signature sci-fi series, "Torchwood" is more than British ... it's Welsh. And it is that localization that has made the series so unique, original and damned entertaining. In fact, it's not too dissimilar to "Life On Mars" in many respects.

Why am I so afraid of its success? Well, "Torchwood" is a sci-fi series for U.K. genre fans to be incredibly proud of and it would be a travesty if the original medium of the Welsh-based alien hunting team is forgotten through the release of a bigger, more action oriented, America cousin ... especially since Fox is looking to keep Davies on board as well as its lead actor, John Barrowman.

So, to Fox I say: "Torchwood" is our show. Do what you want with your take on it, just don't mess ours up.