A STARZ Original Series From Executive Producer Ronald D. Moore: Outlander

[creagdhubh]

Greetings,

We are approaching the series premiere of Outlander, which is scheduled for release sometime later this year. The television series is based on the international bestselling novels by Diana Gabaldon, with the first book of the series published in 1991. In June 2013, STARZ ordered 16 episodes of a television adaptation and production began in October 2013 in Scotland. I have yet to read the books, but I may have to remedy that very soon. The actors that have been cast for the series are in my opinion, well chosen, since I am familiar with some of their past work.

The overall plot does make for a rather interesting and intriguing television series:

In 1946, after WWII, a young Englishwoman named Claire Beauchamp Randall goes to the Scottish Highlands with her husband, Frank. She’s an ex-combat nurse, he’s been in the army as well, they’ve been separated for the last six years, and this is a second honeymoon; they’re getting re-acquainted with each other, thinking of starting a family. But one day Claire goes out walking by herself, and comes across a circle of standing stones—such circles are in fact common all over northern Britain. She walks through a cleft stone in the circle….and disappears. Back into 1743, where the first person she meets is a gentleman in an 18th-century army officer’s uniform. This gentleman, Jack Randall, looks just like her husband Frank—and proves to be Frank’s six-times-great-grandfather. Unfortunately, he also proves to be a sadistic bisexual pervert, and while trying to escape from him, Claire falls into the hands of a gang of Highland Scots, who are also trying to get away from Black Jack Randall—though for other reasons.

In order to avoid being handed over to Captain Randall, Claire is obliged to marry one of the young clansmen. So she finds herself trying to escape from Castle Leoch and her Scottish captors, trying to get back to her husband Frank, trying to avoid being recaptured by Captain Randall—and falling in love with Jamie Fraser, the young man she’s been forced to marry. The story rolls on from there…

Despite the fact that Outlander is purely and quite obviously a work of fiction, hopefully, the attention to detail is present. I am curious what the rabble thinks. Many of you may have never even heard of this series, which was precisley my case until just a few weeks ago when I read an article about the upcoming television adaption produced by Ronald D. Moore of Star Trek: TNG, Star Trek: DP9, and Battlestar Gallactica fame. Will you be keen on watching the series once it begins later this year?

Here are several links for more information:

http://www.starz.com/originals/outlander

http://www.dianagabaldon.com/books/outlander-series/

https://www.facebook.com/OutlanderTVSeries.starz

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rkkyp78xFQ

Lead characters, Claire Randall Fraser (played by Caitriona Balfe) and Jamie Fraser (played by Sam Heughan)

Photo used with kind permission by STARZ.

I'm sure we will be hearing/reading more about this series on the forum as time goes on. In the meantime, happy viewing (or reading, if you decide to pick up the books as well)!

Beannachd leibh,