''Outlander'' is a

historical History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...

drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has been ...

television series based on the '' Outlander'' novel series by

Diana Gabaldon Diana J. Gabaldon (; born January 11, 1952) is an American author, known for the ''Outlander'' series of novels. Her books merge multiple genres, featuring elements of historical fiction, romance, mystery, adventure and science fiction/fantas ...

. Developed by Ronald D. Moore, the show premiered on August 9, 2014, on

Starz Starz (stylized as STARZ since 2016; pronounced "stars") is an American premium cable and satellite television network owned by Lions Gate Entertainment, and is the flagship property of parent subsidiary Starz Inc. Programming on Starz consist ...

. It stars

Caitríona Balfe Caitríona Mary Balfe (; born 4 October 1979) is an Irish actress, producer, and former fashion model. She is best known for her starring role as Claire Fraser in the Starz historical drama series '' Outlander'' (2014–present), for which sh ...

as Claire Randall, a former

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

military nurse Most professional militaries employ specialised military nurses. They are often organised as a distinct nursing corps. Florence Nightingale formed the first nucleus of a recognised Nursing Service for the British Army during the Crimean War in 1854 ...

in Scotland who, in 1945, finds herself

transported ''Transported'' is an Australian convict melodrama film directed by W. J. Lincoln. It is considered a lost film. Plot In England, Jessie Grey is about to marry Leonard Lincoln but the evil Harold Hawk tries to force her to marry him and she w ...

back in time to 1743. There she encounters, falls in love with and marries a dashing

Highland Highlands or uplands are areas of high elevation such as a mountainous region, elevated mountainous plateau or high hills. Generally speaking, upland (or uplands) refers to ranges of hills, typically from up to while highland (or highlands) is ...

warrior named Jamie Fraser (

Sam Heughan Sam, SAM or variants may refer to: Places * Sam, Benin * Sam, Boulkiemdé, Burkina Faso * Sam, Bourzanga, Burkina Faso * Sam, Kongoussi, Burkina Faso * Sam, Iran * Sam, Teton County, Idaho, United States, a populated place People and fictional ...

), a

tacksman A tacksman ( gd, Fear-Taic, meaning "supporting man"; most common Scots spelling: ''takisman'') was a landholder of intermediate legal and social status in Scottish Highland society. Tenant and landlord Although a tacksman generally paid a yea ...

of Gabaldon's fictionalized version of

Clan Fraser of Lovat Clan Fraser of Lovat ( gd, Friseal french: link=yes, Fraiser) is a Highland Scottish clan and the principal branch of Clan Fraser. The Frasers of Lovat are strongly associated with Inverness and the surrounding area since the Clan's founder gaine ...

and becomes embroiled in the

Jacobite rising , war = , image = Prince James Francis Edward Stuart by Louis Gabriel Blanchet.jpg , image_size = 150px , caption = James Francis Edward Stuart, Jacobite claimant between 1701 and 1766 , active ...

. The 16-episode first season of the television series (released as two half-seasons) is based on the first novel in the series, '' Outlander''. The second season of 13 episodes, based on ''

Dragonfly in Amber ''Dragonfly in Amber'' is the second book in the ''Outlander'' series of novels by Diana Gabaldon. Centered on time travelling 20th century nurse Claire Randall and her 18th century Scottish Highlander warrior husband Jamie Fraser, the books ...

'', aired from April to July 2016. The 13-episode third season, based on '' Voyager'', aired from September to December 2017. The 13-episode fourth season, based on ''

Drums of Autumn ''Drums of Autumn'' is the fourth book in the ''Outlander'' series of novels by Diana Gabaldon. Centered on time travelling 20th century doctor Claire Randall and her 18th century Scottish Highlander warrior husband Jamie Fraser, the books cont ...

'', aired from November 2018 to January 2019. The fifth season of 12 episodes, based on '' The Fiery Cross'', aired from February to May 2020. The sixth season of 8 episodes, based on ''

A Breath of Snow and Ashes ''A Breath of Snow and Ashes'' is the sixth book in the ''Outlander'' series of novels by Diana Gabaldon. Centered on time travelling 20th century doctor Claire Fraser and her 18th century Scottish Highlander warrior husband Jamie Fraser, the ...

'', aired from March to May 2022. The upcoming seventh season which consists of 16 episodes, is based on ''

An Echo in the Bone ''An Echo in the Bone'' is the seventh book in the ''Outlander'' series of novels by Diana Gabaldon. Centered on time travelling 20th century doctor Claire Fraser and her 18th century Scottish Highlander warrior husband Jamie Fraser, the books ...

'' and is set to premiere in mid-2023. In 2022, development began on a prequel series titled ''Outlander: Blood of My Blood'', which will focus on Jamie Fraser's parents.

Plot

Season 1 (2014–2015)

In 1945, Claire Randall, who had formerly served as a nurse in the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

during the

and her husband Frank are visiting

Inverness Inverness (; from the gd, Inbhir Nis , meaning "Mouth of the River Ness"; sco, Innerness) is a city in the Scottish Highlands. It is the administrative centre for The Highland Council and is regarded as the capital of the Highlands. Histori ...

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

, when she is carried back in time to 1743 by the

standing stones A menhir (from Brittonic languages: ''maen'' or ''men'', "stone" and ''hir'' or ''hîr'', "long"), standing stone, orthostat, or lith is a large human-made upright stone, typically dating from the European middle Bronze Age. They can be foun ...

at Craigh na Dun (in what is now

Tay Forest Park Tay Forest Park is forest park in the council area of Perth and Kinross in Scotland. It consists of a network of forests managed by Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) that are spread across the Highland parts of Perthshire, and covers 194 k ...

). She falls in with a group of rebel Highlanders from

Clan A clan is a group of people united by actual or perceived kinship and descent. Even if lineage details are unknown, clans may claim descent from founding member or apical ancestor. Clans, in indigenous societies, tend to be endogamous, meaning ...

MacKenzie (a fictionalization of the real

Clan MacKenzie Clan Mackenzie ( gd, Clann Choinnich ) is a Scottish clan, traditionally associated with Kintail and lands in Ross-shire in the Scottish Highlands. Traditional genealogies trace the ancestors of the Mackenzie chiefs to the 12th century. Howev ...

), who are being pursued by

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

redcoats led by

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

Jonathan "Black Jack" Randall. Randall turns out to be Frank's ancestor. Out of necessity Claire marries a Highlander, Jamie Fraser, but they quickly fall in love. Clan MacKenzie suspect her of being a spy, but retain her as a healer, which prevents her from attempting to return to her own time. Knowing that the Jacobite cause is doomed to fail, she tries to warn them against rebellion. Her husband Jamie is captured, tortured and raped by the sadistic Randall, but Claire and his clansmen rescue him. Claire tells Jamie that she is pregnant and they set sail for the

Kingdom of France The Kingdom of France ( fro, Reaume de France; frm, Royaulme de France; french: link=yes, Royaume de France) is the historiographical name or umbrella term given to various political entities of France in the medieval and early modern period. ...

Season 2 (2016)

In 18th century

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

, Claire and Jamie try to thwart the Jacobites by subverting the funds that King Louis XV of France is likely to provide. Jamie becomes the confidant of Charles Stuart, but the Frasers fail to prevent the risings. Randall reappears in Paris, but Claire makes Jamie swear to keep him alive until Frank's descent is assured. She achieves this by convincing Randall to marry Mary Hawkins. Claire and Jamie's daughter Faith, is stillborn and she and her 18th century husband return to Scotland. The Jacobites win the

Battle of Prestonpans The Battle of Prestonpans, also known as the Battle of Gladsmuir, was fought on 21 September 1745, near Prestonpans, in East Lothian, the first significant engagement of the Jacobite rising of 1745. Jacobite forces, led by the Stuart exile C ...

. Jamie and Claire also adopt a young French boy named Claudel, who Jamie re-names Fergus. Before the

Battle of Culloden The Battle of Culloden (; gd, Blàr Chùil Lodair) was the final confrontation of the Jacobite rising of 1745. On 16 April 1746, the Jacobite army of Charles Edward Stuart was decisively defeated by a British government force under Prince Wi ...

, Jamie convinces Claire, pregnant again, to return to the 20th century. Jamie decides to die fighting at Culloden with his clan. Back in her own century, Claire tells Frank about her time travel. He asks her to forget Jamie and let him raise her child as his own. Twenty years later, Frank has died in a car accident. Claire takes her 20-year-old daughter Brianna to Scotland. Claire discovers that Jamie did not die at Culloden and vows to return to him.

Season 3 (2017)

Jamie kills Randall at Culloden and is gravely injured, but spared execution. At Ardsmuir prison, he befriends the governor, Lord John Grey, who later paroles him to work at an English estate. There, Jamie is manipulated into a sexual liaison and fathers an illegitimate son, William. Jamie returns to Scotland and becomes a printer. In 1948, Claire enrolls in medical school in

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

. Frank is killed in a car accident while Brianna is in college. With the help of Roger Wakefield, Claire finds clues to Jamie's fate after Culloden. She returns to the 18th century and discovers Jamie has married a widowed Laoghaire. Claire's return nullifies their union as illegal. They try to retrieve some hidden treasure so that he can placate Laoghaire with a settlement, but Jamie's nephew Ian is captured by pirates and taken to the

Caribbean The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...

. Jamie and Claire follow and manage to rescue him from Geillis, who had escaped burning at the stake in season one. Claire and Jamie sail for Scotland, but are shipwrecked on the coast of

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

Season 4 (2018–2019)

In the

British colony The British Overseas Territories (BOTs), also known as the United Kingdom Overseas Territories (UKOTs), are fourteen territories with a constitutional and historical link with the United Kingdom. They are the last remnants of the former Bri ...

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

, Claire and Jamie seek to return to Scotland with Fergus, Marsali and Ian. They visit the plantation of Jamie's aunt Jocasta Cameron, where they encounter

enslaved Africans The Atlantic slave trade, transatlantic slave trade, or Euro-American slave trade involved the transportation by slave traders of enslaved African people, mainly to the Americas. The slave trade regularly used the triangular trade route and i ...

. Claire and Jamie decide to leave and claim land that they name Fraser's Ridge, which is already inhabited by

Cherokee The Cherokee (; chr, ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯᎢ, translit=Aniyvwiyaʔi or Anigiduwagi, or chr, ᏣᎳᎩ, links=no, translit=Tsalagi) are one of the indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, t ...

. Jamie reunites with Murtagh, now a

blacksmith A blacksmith is a metalsmith who creates objects primarily from wrought iron or steel, but sometimes from #Other metals, other metals, by forging the metal, using tools to hammer, bend, and cut (cf. tinsmith). Blacksmiths produce objects such ...

and leader of the

Regulator Movement The Regulator Movement, also known as the Regulator Insurrection, War of Regulation, and War of the Regulation, was an uprising in Province of North Carolina, Provincial North Carolina from 1766 to 1771 in which citizens took up arms against colo ...

. Lord John visits with Jamie's son, Willy. In the 1970s, Brianna rejects Roger's marriage proposal. After learning her parents will die in a fire, Brianna travels through the stones. When Roger discovers Brianna has left, he follows her. They meet in

Wilmington, North Carolina Wilmington is a port city in and the county seat of New Hanover County in coastal southeastern North Carolina, United States. With a population of 115,451 at the 2020 census, it is the eighth most populous city in the state. Wilmington is the ...

and enter into handfast marriage. Shortly after, they get into an argument and Roger leaves. In his absence, Stephen Bonnet rapes Brianna. She reunites with her mother and finally meets her biological father, Jamie. Brianna discovers she is pregnant. Roger goes to Fraser's Ridge, where Brianna's maid Lizzie, wrongly assumes that he is the rapist. Lizzie informs Jamie, who beats Roger. Young Ian sells Roger to the

Mohawk Mohawk may refer to: Related to Native Americans * Mohawk people, an indigenous people of North America (Canada and New York) *Mohawk language, the language spoken by the Mohawk people * Mohawk hairstyle, from a hairstyle once thought to have been ...

. Discovering their mistake, they set off to rescue Roger and Ian trades his freedom for Roger's. Roger and Brianna are reunited at Jocasta's plantation and Jamie receives instructions to kill Murtagh, who is a fugitive.

Season 5 (2020)

Jamie and Claire fight to retain their home at Fraser's Ridge as the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

looms on the horizon. Brianna and Roger marry and Governor Tryon further pushes Jamie to hunt down Murtagh, forcing Jamie to gather up a militia and counteract the Regulators. He struggles to balance keeping his godfather safe and fulfilling his duties to the British, especially under the eye of Lieutenant Knox, who is determined to find and kill Murtagh. Despite Murtagh's pleas for Jocasta to return his love for her, she moves forward with her fourth marriage, choosing the safety and security of her plantation's future over his idealism. Jamie's loyalties are pushed to the breaking point at the

Battle of Alamance The Battle of Alamance, which took place on May 16, 1771, was the final battle of the Regulator Movement, a rebellion in Province of North Carolina, colonial North Carolina over issues of taxation and local control, considered by some to be the ...

, when Roger's attempt to warn Murtagh fails and Murtagh is shot dead. Roger is captured and mistakenly hanged by the British; he survives, but is left traumatized by the experience. Jamie is left devastated in the months following the battle. Meanwhile, Roger and Bree's relationship is put to the test as there are signs of Stephen Bonnet's reappearance, forcing Brianna to take matters into her own hands when she is captured by him. Eventually, Bree and Roger decide to go back through the stones when they realize Jemmy can too, as the future will be much safer for their son. Their attempt fails and the two, taking this as a sign of fate, decide to stay at Fraser's Ridge, along with their large family. Young Ian returns from his time with the Mohawk and learns the truth about Claire, Brianna and Roger's origins when he confronts them with information passed to him by the Mohawk. Claire continues to subvert conventional medical practices by producing

penicillin Penicillins (P, PCN or PEN) are a group of β-lactam antibiotics originally obtained from ''Penicillium'' moulds, principally '' P. chrysogenum'' and '' P. rubens''. Most penicillins in clinical use are synthesised by P. chrysogenum using ...

and covertly providing medical advice under a pseudonym, but her subversive advice backfires on her. Claire is abducted and

gang raped Gang rape, also called serial gang rape, group rape, or multiple perpetrator rape in scholarly literature,Ullman, S. E. (2013). 11 Multiple perpetrator rape victimization. Handbook on the Study of Multiple Perpetrator Rape: A Multidisciplinary Re ...

by Lionel Brown and his men, but is subsequently rescued by Jamie, Fergus, Roger and the other men of the Ridge. Though Jamie returns Lionel's body to Richard, Lionel's brother and mayor of Brownsville, Richard subtly threatens Fraser's Ridge and Jamie's family.

Season 6 (2022)

The political unrest in the colonies begins to boil over and the Frasers (Jamie, Claire, Brianna and Roger) try to peacefully live on their isolated homestead in the foothills of North Carolina. Jamie is suddenly faced with walking between the fires of loyalty to the oath he swore to the British crown and following his hope for freedom in the new world. Trouble continues with the Browns as they form 'a committee of safety' that threatens the peace on the ridge dividing a wedge between the native American Indians, the British and the Frasers. In the meantime the Christie family arrive on the Ridge, a throwback to Jamie's time in Ardsmuir Prison and begin to influence the harmony on the Ridge. Malva Christie, the daughter of Tom Christie takes a liking to Claire only to betray her in announcing her pregnancy with Jamie as the father. The season ends with a huge amount of unrest involving the Browns and the Christie's as Jamie and Claire's grip on Fraser's Ridge becomes ever more fragile.

Cast and characters

as Claire Fraser *

as James "Jamie" Fraser *

Tobias Menzies Tobias Simpson Menzies (born 7 March 1974) is an English stage, television and film actor. He is known for playing Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh in the third and fourth seasons of Netflix's series ''The Crown'', for which he won the Primetime ...

as Frank Randall (seasons 1–4) and Jonathan "Black Jack" Randall (seasons 1–3) *

Graham McTavish Graham McTavish (born 4 January 1961) is a Scottish actor and author. He is known for his roles as Dwalin in ''The Hobbit'' film trilogy, Vlad Dracula Țepeș in the Netflix animated franchise ''Castlevania'', Loki in various Marvel animated pr ...

as Dougal MacKenzie (seasons 1–2, 7) and William "Buck" MacKenzie (season 5) * Duncan Lacroix as Murtagh Fitzgibbons Fraser (seasons 1–5) * Grant O'Rourke as Rupert MacKenzie (seasons 1–3) *

Stephen Walters Stephen Walters (born 22 May 1973) is an English actor. A regular in British television and film, he has played a wide range and variety of character roles in both drama and comedy. Walters is most commonly associated with unpredictable, compl ...

as Angus Mhor (seasons 1–2) * Gary Lewis as Colum MacKenzie (seasons 1–2) *

Lotte Verbeek Lotte Verbeek (born 24 June 1982) is a Dutch actress, dancer and model. She is known for her role as Giulia Farnese in '' The Borgias'' television series created by Neil Jordan, and as Geillis Duncan in the Starz series '' Outlander''. Early li ...

as Geillis Duncan Gillian Edgars (seasons 1–3, 7) * Bill Paterson as Edward "Ned" Gowan (seasons 1, 3) *

Simon Callow Simon Phillip Hugh Callow (born 15 June 1949) is an English film, television and voice actor, director, narrator and writer. He was twice nominated for BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his roles in ''A Room with a View (1985 ...

as Clarence Marylebone, Duke of Sandringham (seasons 1–2) *

Laura Donnelly Laura Donnelly (born 24 June 1982) is a Northern Irish actress. She is the recipient of a Laurence Olivier Award as well as a nomination for a Tony Award. On television, she is known for her roles in the Starz series '' Outlander'' (2014–201 ...

as Janet "Jenny" Fraser Murray (seasons 1–3) *

Douglas Henshall Douglas “Dougie” James Henshall (born 19 November 1965) is a Scottish television, film and stage actor. He is best known for his roles as Professor Nick Cutter in the science fiction series '' Primeval'' (2007–2011) and Detective Inspect ...

as Taran MacQuarrie (season 1) *

Steven Cree Steven Cree (born 29 February 1980) is a Scottish film, television and theatre actor. He is best known for his role as Ian Murray in the Starz television series '' Outlander''. His other work includes the films '' Brave'' (2012), '' 300: Rise of ...

as Ian Murray (seasons 1–4, 7) *

Stanley Weber Stanley Weber (born 13 July 1986) is a French actor and theatre director. He is known for his performance as Juan Borgia in the television series '' Borgia'', and for his roles in films ''The First Day of the Rest of Your Life'' and '' Thérè ...

as Le Comte St. Germain (season 2) *

Andrew Gower Andrew Gower (born 8 November 1989) is an English actor. A staple in British television and theatre, he is best known for his recurring role as Cutler in '' Being Human'' and his turn as Prince Charles Stuart in ''Outlander''. Gower won the S ...

as Prince

Charles Edward Stuart Charles Edward Louis John Sylvester Maria Casimir Stuart (20 December 1720 – 30 January 1788) was the elder son of James Francis Edward Stuart, grandson of James II and VII, and the Stuart claimant to the thrones of England, Scotland and ...

(seasons 2–3; guest season 6) *

Rosie Day Rosie Jane Day is an English actress, director and writer. She is known for her roles as Mary Hawkins in the Starz series '' Outlander'' and Sarah Jessica Parker's daughter in the comedy film '' All Roads Lead to Rome''. She starred as Tina Pem ...

as Mary Hawkins (season 2) * Dominique Pinon as Master Raymond (season 2) * Frances de la Tour as Mother Hildegarde (season 2) *

Nell Hudson Nell Rose Hudson (born 19 November 1990) is an English actress best known for her recurring roles as Laoghaire MacKenzie in the Starz television drama '' Outlander'' and Nancy Skerrett in the ITV period drama ''Victoria''. Early life Hudson ...

as Laoghaire MacKenzie (seasons 2–4, 7; recurring season 1) *

Clive Russell Clive Russell (born 7 December 1945) is a Scottish actor. He is known for his roles as Chief Inspector Frederick Abberline in ''Ripper Street'', Angus O'Connor in ''Happiness'' and Brynden Tully in the HBO series ''Game of Thrones''. He also a ...

as Simon Fraser, Lord Lovat (season 2) *

Richard Rankin Richard Rankin (born Richard Harris on 4 January 1983) is a Scottish film, television and theatre actor. He is best known for the Scottish sketch show '' Burnistoun'' and as Roger Wakefield MacKenzie in the Starz drama '' Outlander''. Early li ...

as Roger MacKenzie (season 2–present) *

Sophie Skelton Sophie Alexandra Skelton (born 7 March 1994) is an English actress. She is best known for her role as Brianna Fraser in the Starz drama series '' Outlander''. Biography Skelton was born and raised in Woodford, Greater Manchester, the daughter o ...

as Brianna "Bree" Fraser MacKenzie (season 2–present) * David Berry as Lord John Grey (seasons 3–present) * John Bell as Ian Fraser Murray (season 3–present) *

César Domboy César Domboy (born 10 March 1990) is a French actor best known for '' The Walk'' and his recurring role as Fergus Claudel Fraser in the Starz television drama '' Outlander.'' Early life Domboy was born on 10 March 1990 in France ...

as Fergus Claudel Fraser (season 3–present) *

Lauren Lyle Lauren Lyle (born 12 July 1993) is a Scottish actress best known for her recurring role as Marsali MacKimmie Fraser in the Starz television drama '' Outlander'', and peace protester Jade Antoniak in the BBC drama ''Vigil''. Lyle also plays th ...

as Marsali MacKimmie Fraser (season 3–present) *

Richard Dillane Richard Dillane (born 1964) is a British actor. He appears in a lead role of the Netflix series ''Young Wallander'', based on the character Kurt Wallander created by novelist Henning Mankell. He played British intelligence agent Peter Nicholls i ...

as Captain Raines (season 3) * Edward Speleers as Stephen Bonnet (seasons 4–5) *

Maria Doyle Kennedy Maria Josephine Doyle Kennedy (born 25 September 1964) is an Irish singer and actress. With a singing and acting career that has spanned more than 30 years, she has established herself as one of Ireland's most prolific artists and entertainers. ...

as Jocasta MacKenzie Cameron (season 4–present) *

Colin McFarlane Colin Andrew Ignatius Peter McFarlane (born 15 September 1961) is a British actor, narrator and voice actor. He is best known for his role as Gillian B. Loeb in two films of Christopher Nolan's ''The Dark Knight Trilogy'', Ulysses in the STARZ ...

as Ulysses (seasons 4–5) * Natalie Simpson as Phaedre (season 4) *

Tantoo Cardinal Tantoo Cardinal CM (born Rose Marie Cardinal; July 20, 1950) is a Canadian actress of Cree and Métis heritage. In 2009, she was made a member of the Order of Canada "for her contributions to the growth and development of Aboriginal performing ar ...

as Adawehi (season 4) * Caitlin O'Ryan as Lizzie Wemyss (season 4–present) * Braeden Clarke as Kaheroton (seasons 4, 6) * Gregory Dominic Odjig as Satehoronies (season 4) * Billy Boyd as Gerald Forbes (seasons 4–5) *

Carmen Moore Carmen Moore (born 24 December 1972) is a Canadian actress known for her work in television. She is known for her role as Loreen Cassway on ''Arctic Air'' (for which she was nominated for a Leo Award in 2012) and the lead role of Leona Stoney, o ...

as Wahkatiiosta (season 4) * Tom Jackson as Tehwahsehwkwe (seasons 4, 6) * Yan Tual as Father Alexandre Ferigault (season 4) *

Sera-Lys McArthur Sera-Lys McArthur is a Canadian actress whose roles include Hailey Martin in CBC's ''Arctic Air,'' Amanda in ''Hard Rock Medical,'' and Kodie Chartrand in season 3 of The CW's legal drama television series '' Burden of Truth.'' McArthur is pro ...

as Johiehon (season 4) *

Chris Larkin Chris Larkin (born Christopher Stephens, 19 June 1967) is an English actor. Early life Born Christopher Larkin Stephens on 19 June 1967 in London, Larkin is the elder son of actors Dame Maggie Smith and Sir Robert Stephens. His younger brot ...

as Richard Brown (season 5–present) *

Ned Dennehy Ned Dennehy (born 8 December 1965) is an Irish actor who has appeared in multiple films and television programmes. He is best known for his role as Mider in ''The Mystic Knights of Tir Na Nog''. He also appeared in ''Blitz'', ''Harry Potter and t ...

as Lionel Brown (seasons 5–6) *

Mark Lewis Jones Mark Lewis Jones (born 31 August, 1964) is a Welsh actor, whose roles include that of a First Order Captain Moden Canady in '' Star Wars: The Last Jedi'', a police inspector in BBC drama series ''55 Degrees North'', a whaler in the film '' Mast ...

as Tom Christie (season 6–present) *

Glen Gould Glen Gould (born June 6, 1971) is an Indigenous Canadian actor, director and producer of Miꞌkmaq and Italian descent. Between 2016 and 2020, he played the role of detective Jerry Commanda on the television series '' Cardinal''. Career Goul ...

as Chief Bird (season 6–present) * Simon R. Baker as Still Water (season 6–present) *

Gail Maurice Gail Maurice is a Canadian actress, writer, and producer."Canadian aboriginal filmmaker en route to Sundance with Smudge". ''Times & Transcript'', January 20, 2006. She is most noted for her performances as the title character in the film ''Johnny ...

as Tsotehweh (season 6)

Production

Development

Outlander premiere episode screening at 92nd Street Y in New York 04

In July 2012, it was reported that

Sony Pictures Television Sony Pictures Television Inc. (abbreviated as SPT) is an American television production and distribution studio. Based at the Sony Pictures Studios complex in Culver City, it is a division of Sony Entertainment's unit Sony Pictures Entertainm ...

had secured the rights to Gabaldon's ''Outlander'' series, with Moore attached to develop the project and Jim Kohlberg (Story Mining and Supply Co) producing. Sony completed the deal with Starz in November 2012, and Moore hired a writing team in April 2013. That June, Starz picked up the ''Outlander'' project for a sixteen-episode order, and in August it was announced that

John Dahl John Dahl (born December 11, 1956) is an American film director, film and television director and screenwriter, writer, best known for his work in the neo-noir genre. Life and career John Dahl was born in Billings, Montana, the second of four c ...

would be directing the first two episodes. Starz CEO Chris Albrecht later said that he had green-lit several genre projects, including ''Outlander'', to shift the network's series development toward "audiences that were being underserved" to "drive a real fervent fan base that then becomes the kind of advocacy group for the shows themselves". Calling it "a different kind of show than has ever been on, in my memory", Albrecht believed that ''Outlander''s combination of fantasy, action, a strong central romance and a feminist focus would set it apart. Another distinguishing feature of the show is its use of

Scottish Gaelic Scottish Gaelic ( gd, Gàidhlig ), also known as Scots Gaelic and Gaelic, is a Goidelic language (in the Celtic branch of the Indo-European language family) native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a Goidelic language, Scottish Gaelic, as well as ...

. Àdhamh Ó Broin is the language consultant and

Griogair Labhruidh Griogair Labhruidh (born 24 October 1982) is a Scottish Gaelic singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and recording artist from Gartocharn with strong roots in the Gaelic tradition of Ballachulish in the Scottish Highlands. After many years r ...

sang in Gaelic on the second season's soundtrack. On August 15, 2014, after only the

pilot episode A television pilot (also known as a pilot or a pilot episode and sometimes marketed as a tele-movie), in United States television, is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell a show to a television network or other distri ...

had aired, the network renewed the series for a second season of at least thirteen episodes, based on the second book in Gabaldon's series, ''

''. On June 1, 2016, Starz renewed the series for a third and fourth season, which adapt the third and fourth ''Outlander'' novels, '' Voyager'' and ''

''. On May 9, 2018, Starz renewed the series for a fifth and sixth season, which adapt '' The Fiery Cross'' and ''

'', respectively and each season to consist of twelve episodes. On March 14, 2021, the series was renewed for a seventh season, originally to consist of 12 episodes and will adapt the seventh novel, ''

''. On June 1, 2021, Starz announced the sixth season is scheduled to premiere in early 2022 with a shortened eight-episode season while the seventh season consists of 16 episodes. On November 22, 2021, Gabaldon announced that the sixth season would premiere on March 6, 2022.

Writing

Moore said of the pilot: "There's a lot of things we did in the first thirty to forty minutes that aren't in the book or are compilations of things that happened in the book". He emphasised that he did not want to present the time-travel dimension in a traditional special effects-laden science fiction manner. Describing the adaptation of the first season as "straightforward", he explained: "it was always kind of clear what the basic structure was: Claire's trying to get home, then she meets this guy, now she's falling in love, now she has a conflict, will she go home. You lay it out in a very linear fashion". Regarding the darker tone of the season's second half, he said: "the show becomes more complicated and the emotional journey more wrenching". Regarding the second season and the source novel ''Dragonfly in Amber'', Moore said: Gabaldon was employed as consultant to the TV production. When asked in June 2015 about the adaptation of the first season, she said: "I think they did condense it very effectively ... I ended up getting most of the things that I felt strongly about in there. There were only a few instances where the most important stuff in my opinion didn't get in". In March 2015, she said of the scripts for

season two Season 2 may refer to: * ''Season 2'' (Infinite album) * ''2econd Season ''2econd Season'' is the second and most recent album by Atlanta-based rapper Unk. Release It was released on November 4, 2008. Guest Performers The album features gu ...

: "The Parisian stuff is very good and in fact I'm deeply impressed by the outlines I've seen ... I think they've done a wonderful job of pulling out the most important plot elements and arranging them in a convincing way". Gabaldon wrote the screenplay for the episode " Vengeance is Mine". According to Moore, the writing and pre-production for season four began while season three was still in active production. Gabaldon wrote an episode for the fifth season.

Casting

On July 9, 2013, it was announced that

had been cast as Jamie Fraser, the male lead.

was the second actor cast, on August 8, in dual roles of Frank and Jonathan Randall.

and

Annette Badland Annette Badland (born 26 August 1950) is an English actress known for a wide range of roles on television, radio, stage, and film. She is best known for her roles as Margaret Blaine in the BBC science fiction series ''Doctor Who'', Mrs. Glen ...

were announced in the recurring roles of Angus Mhor and Mrs. Fitzgibbons on August 29, 2013, with

and Gary Lewis announced as the MacKenzie brothers on the September 4. Series female lead Claire Beauchamp Randall was to be portrayed by

as announced on September 11, 2013. The series later added

as Geillis Duncan and

as Jamie's sister Jenny in October 2013. In December 2013,

was cast in the supporting role of Duke of Sandringham, and ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...

'' reported in April 2014 that

would portray Ian Murray. Bill Paterson was cast as lawyer Ned Gowan in June 2014. Author Gabaldon has a cameo as Iona MacTavish in the August 2014 episode " The Gathering". In August 2014 it was announced that

Frazer Hines Frazer Simpson Frederick Hines (born 22 September 1944) is an English actor. He began his career as a child actor and appeared in ''A King in New York'' (1957) with Charlie Chaplin. He later played Jamie McCrimmon in ''Doctor Who'', appearing i ...

had been cast in the role of a prison warden in an episode to air in 2015. From 1966 to 1969, Hines had portrayed the ''

Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the u ...

'' character

Jamie McCrimmon James Robert McCrimmon, usually simply called Jamie, is a fictional character played by Frazer Hines in the long-running British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. A piper of the Clan MacLeod who lived in 18th-century Scotland, ...

, who Gabaldon said had inspired the setting of the ''Outlander'' series and the character of Jamie Fraser. Hines plays Sir Fletcher Gordon, an English prison warden, in the May 2015 episode "

Wentworth Prison ''Wentworth'' is an Australian television drama series. It was first broadcast on SoHo on 1 May 2013 and it concluded on Fox Showcase with its 100th episode on 26 October 2021. The series serves as a contemporary reimagining of ''Prisoner'', w ...

". In June 2015, the series cast

as the Jacobite

pretender A pretender is someone who claims to be the rightful ruler of a country although not recognized as such by the current government. The term is often used to suggest that a claim is not legitimate.Curley Jr., Walter J. P. ''Monarchs-in-Waiting'' ...

Prince

;

Robert Cavanah Robert Cavanah is a Scottish stage and film actor, writer, director and producer. Biography Robert Cavanah was born in Edinburgh. He attended James Gillespie's High School in Edinburgh followed by the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Dra ...

as Jamie's Scottish cousin Jared, a wine merchant and Jacobite living in Paris;

Margaux Châtelier Margaux Châtelier (born March 21, 1990) is a French actress known for her role in the 2013 film ''Belle and Sebastian'' and its 2015 sequel, '' Belle & Sebastian: The Adventure Continues''. She appeared as Annalise de Marillac in the Starz ...

as Annalise de Marillac, Jamie's French ex-lover; and Laurence Dobiesz as Alex Randall, Black Jack's younger–and gentler–brother. Other cast added for season 2 include

Romann Berrux Romann Berrux (born 13 August 2001) is a French actor known for his roles as Hugo Roche on the French television show ''Détectives'' and as young Fergus on the Starz drama '' Outlander''. Career Berrux began working professionally as an actor ...

as the French pickpocket Fergus,

as the baronet's daughter Mary Hawkins,

as Le Comte St. Germain, Dominique Pinon as healer Master Raymond,

Marc Duret Marc Duret (born 28 September 1957 in Nice, Alpes-Maritimes, France) is a French actor. Having previously played Cardinal Guillaume Briçonnet in the television series ''Borgia'' from 2011 to 2014, Duret appeared as Joseph Duverney in the St ...

as French Minister of Finance Joseph Duverney, Frances de la Tour as Mother Hildegarde, and Audrey Brisson as Sister Angelique. In July 2015, Lionel Lingelser was cast as King

Louis XV of France Louis XV (15 February 1710 – 10 May 1774), known as Louis the Beloved (french: le Bien-Aimé), was King of France from 1 September 1715 until his death in 1774. He succeeded his great-grandfather Louis XIV at the age of five. Until he reached ...

. Moore revealed in June 2015 that Verbeek would be returning in the role of Geillis.

was cast as Roger Wakefield in December 2015, while

was chosen to portray Brianna Randall, Claire and Jamie's daughter, in January 2016. In August 2016, Starz announced that David Berry had been cast as Lord John William Grey for season three. In September,

Wil Johnson Wilbert Charles Johnson (born 18 April 1965) is an English actor, who has had notable television roles in '' Waking the Dead'' and '' Babyfather'', and on stage in '' Othello''. He played Dom Andrews in ''Emmerdale'' from 2012 to 2014. Early ...

was cast as Joe Abernathy and John Bell as "Young Ian" Fraser Murray. In October, César Domboy was cast as an adult Fergus and Lauren Lyle as Laoghaire's daughter Marsali MacKimmie. Hannah James and

Tanya Reynolds Tanya Louise Reynolds (born 4 November 1991) is an English actress. She landed her first major role as a series regular on the Sky 1 comedy-drama ''Delicious (TV series), Delicious'' (2016–2019). Reynolds gained further prominence for portrayi ...

were cast as sisters Geneva and Isobel Dunsany in November 2016. In October 2017, two season four roles were announced.

was cast as Jamie's aunt, Jocasta and

Ed Speleers Edward John Speleers (born 7 April 1988) is an English actor and producer. He is best known for playing the title role in the 2006 film ''Eragon'', the antagonist character Stephen Bonnet in the TV series '' Outlander'', as well as James "Jimmy" ...

as Stephen Bonnet, an Irish pirate and smuggler. The casting of

as Jocasta's slave butler Ulysses was announced in January 2018. The Cherokee and Mohawk people in seasons four and five were portrayed by members of First Nations from Canada who traveled to Scotland for the filming. In May 2020, Berry announced that he would not be returning to ''Outlander'' for the sixth season. Nevertheless, he made a guest appearance in one episode in season six. In May 2022, it was announced that Canadian actor Charles Vandervaart had been cast to play William Ransom, Jamie's son who was raised by Lord John Grey since season three. In October 2022, it was confirmed that

and

would reprise their roles in the seventh season.

Filming

In July 2013, British

Chancellor of the Exchequer The chancellor of the Exchequer, often abbreviated to chancellor, is a senior minister of the Crown within the Government of the United Kingdom, and head of His Majesty's Treasury. As one of the four Great Offices of State, the Chancellor is ...

George Osborne George Gideon Oliver Osborne (born Gideon Oliver Osborne; 23 May 1971) is a former British politician and newspaper editor who served as Chancellor of the Exchequer from 2010 to 2016 and as First Secretary of State from 2015 to 2016 in the ...

confirmed that the production would benefit from the

Creative Sector Tax Relief Creative Sector Tax Relief is a programme of tax incentives implemented in the United Kingdom in 2012 which encompass new incentives aimed at supporting the animation, high-end television and video game industries, in addition to the existing relie ...

programme implemented in the UK in 2012, which extends film tax reliefs to high-end television productions. The Scottish government also agreed to help pay for the conversion of a warehouse complex on the outskirts of

Cumbernauld Cumbernauld (; gd, Comar nan Allt, meeting of the streams) is a large town in the historic county of Dunbartonshire and council area of North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is the tenth most-populous locality in Scotland and the most populated t ...

in North Lanarkshire into a film studio.

Principal photography Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production. Personnel Besides the main film personnel, such as actor ...

began on location in Scotland in September 2013. The Cumbernauld studios were used for on set filming, with location shoots taking place at

Doune Castle Doune Castle is a medieval stronghold near the village of Doune, in the Stirling council area of central Scotland and the historic county of Perthshire. The castle is sited on a wooded bend where the Ardoch Burn flows into the River Teith. It ...

, Stirling; mills in

East Linton East Linton is a village and former police burgh in East Lothian, Scotland, situated on the River Tyne and A199 road (former A1 road) five miles east of Haddington, with an estimated population of in . During the 19th century the populatio ...

, East Lothian;

Newtonmore Newtonmore ( gd, Baile Ùr an t-Sléibh ) is a village in the Highland council area of Scotland. The village is only a few miles from a location that is claimed to be the exact geographical centre of Scotland. Activities *Shinty - The town is ...

in the Scottish Highlands;

Rothiemurchus Forest Rothiemurchus Forest is a remnant of the Caledonian Forest at near Aviemore, Inverness-shire, Scotland. It is in the Highland region. The forest is popular for recreation and contains important independent wildlife, including the osprey, Scotti ...

, Aviemore; quarries near

Bathgate Bathgate ( sco, Bathket or , gd, Both Chèit) is a town in West Lothian, Scotland, west of Livingston, Scotland, Livingston and adjacent to the M8 motorway (Scotland), M8 motorway. Nearby towns are Armadale, West Lothian, Armadale, Blackburn, ...

, West Lothian and

Aberfoyle Aberfoyle may refer to: *Aberfoyle, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland *Aberfoyle, Stirling, Scotland * Aberfoyle, Ontario, Canada *Aberfoyle, Texas Aberfoyle is an Unincorporated area, unincorporated community in Hunt County, Texas, Hunt Count ...

, Stirling, as well as

Linlithgow Palace The ruins of Linlithgow Palace are located in the town of Linlithgow, West Lothian, Scotland, west of Edinburgh. The palace was one of the principal residences of the monarchs of Scotland in the 15th and 16th centuries. Although mai ...

Loch Rannoch Loch Rannoch (Scottish Gaelic: ''Loch Raineach'') is a freshwater loch in Perth and Kinross, Scotland. It is over long in a west–east direction with an average width of about , and is deepest at its eastern end, reaching a depth of .Tom Weir. ...

in the Highlands and Falkland and

Culross Culross (/ˈkurəs/) (Scottish Gaelic: ''Cuileann Ros'', 'holly point or promontory') is a village and former royal burgh, and parish, in Fife, Scotland. According to the 2006 estimate, the village has a population of 395. Originally, Culross ...

Fife Fife (, ; gd, Fìobha, ; sco, Fife) is a council area, historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries with Perth and Kinross (i ...

. Such settings have attracted substantial numbers of international tourists. Filming for season two began in April 2015, to air in spring 2016. The primary setting for the season is Paris, which Moore explained is being recreated using other locations. Some interiors were filmed on the show's Scotland soundstages, while

Prague Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 million people. The city has a temperate ...

was used for the exterior street scenes and the

Palace of Versailles The Palace of Versailles ( ; french: Château de Versailles ) is a former royal residence built by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, Yvelines, Versailles, about west of Paris, France. The palace is owned by the French Republic and since 19 ...

. In addition some palaces in the south of England which have French rooms and architecture were used as Parisian interiors and part of Versailles. Moore noted that season two of ''Outlander'' "will look completely different than season one" with a "richer, more dynamic kind of visual palette". With the change of setting from Scotland to France, he said that "visually you’ve moved from the heavy woods and stone of season 1 into the finery of the Parisian apartments". He explained: Production on season three began in September 2016 in Scotland and filming took place in

Cape Town Cape Town ( af, Kaapstad; , xh, iKapa) is one of South Africa's three capital cities, serving as the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. It is the legislative capital of the country, the oldest city in the country, and the second largest ...

from March to June 2017. Filming completed on June 16, 2017. In August 2017, Moore said that for season four, locations in Scotland would double as 18th century America and some of the mountains and rivers of

would be recreated using locations in Eastern Europe. Production for season four was completed in Scotland by July 5, 2018. Production on season five, set primarily in

, began in Scotland in April 2019. Locations included

Kinloch Rannoch Kinloch Rannoch (; Gaelic: ''Ceann Loch Raineach'') is a village in Perth and Kinross, Scotland, at the eastern end of Loch Rannoch, 18 miles (29 km) west of Pitlochry, on the banks of the River Tummel. The village is a tourist and outdoor p ...

(for Craigh na Dun), the

Thomas Coats Memorial Baptist Church Thomas Coats Memorial Baptist Church, colloquially known as the Baptist Cathedral of Europe, stands at the west end of the High Street in Paisley, Scotland. It has been a dominant feature of the Paisley skyline for over 100 years with its strik ...

in Paisley, The Hermitage, Dunkeld in Perthshire and Milne Woods in

Bridge of Allan Bridge of Allan ( sco, Brig Allan, gd, Drochaid Ailein), also known colloquially as ''Bofa'', is a town in the Stirling council area in Scotland, just north of the city of Stirling. Overlooked by the National Wallace Monument, it lies on the ...

. Much of the filming was completed at

Wardpark Wardpark is an industrial estate in Cumbernauld, Scotland split by the M80 motorway. The former Burroughs factory, the first factory of Cumbernauld new town, was reoccupied by OKI but was demolished to make way for Westway Retail Park, OKI having ...

Studios in Glasgow. Production on season six was scheduled to begin in May 2020, but was delayed due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

. Production eventually began in February 2021. Production for season seven began in April 2022, while filming began in May 2022 in Scotland.

Music

The music is composed by

Bear McCreary Bear McCreary (born February 17, 1979) is an American musician and composer of film, television, and video game scores based in Los Angeles, California. His work includes the scores of the television series ''Battlestar Galactica'' (2004), ''Age ...

. The title song is an adaptation of

Robert Louis Stevenson Robert Louis Stevenson (born Robert Lewis Balfour Stevenson; 13 November 1850 – 3 December 1894) was a Scottish novelist, essayist, poet and travel writer. He is best known for works such as ''Treasure Island'', ''Strange Case of Dr Jekyll a ...

's poem ''Sing Me a Song of a Lad That Is Gone'', set to the tune of the Scottish folk song "

The Skye Boat Song "The Skye Boat Song" is a late 19th-century Scottish song recalling the journey of Prince Charles Edward Stuart ("Bonnie Prince Charlie") from Benbecula to the Isle of Skye as he evaded capture by government troops after his defeat at the B ...

". For the first half of season two, the second verse of the opening theme is sung in French to reflect the season's French setting. For the second half of season three, the second verse of the opening theme has Caribbean music to reflect the season's Jamaican setting. The fourth season opening theme has a colonial American sound.

Release

''Outlander'' premiered in the United States on August 9, 2014. Its first eight episodes aired through September and the remaining eight episodes resumed in April 2015. The first-season finale aired on May 30, 2015. ''Outlander'' debuted in Australia on

SoHo Soho is an area of the City of Westminster, part of the West End of London. Originally a fashionable district for the aristocracy, it has been one of the main entertainment districts in the capital since the 19th century. The area was develop ...

on August 14, 2014, and began airing in Canada on

Showcase Showcase or vitrine may refer to: *Cabinet (furniture) *Display case Music * ''Showcase'' (Bill Anderson album), 1964 * ''Showcase'' (Patsy Cline album), 1961 * ''Showcase'' (Buddy Holly album), 1964 * ''Showcase'' (Philly Joe Jones album), 1959 ...

on August 24, 2014. The series also premiered on October 21, 2014, in Ireland. In the United Kingdom, it was acquired by

Amazon Prime Video Amazon Prime Video, also known simply as Prime Video, is an American Video on demand#Subscription models, subscription video on-demand Over-the-top media service, over-the-top Streaming media, streaming and Renting, rental service of Amazon (c ...

, where it premiered on March 26, 2015 In April 2015, '' The Herald'' reported that emails leaked in the

Sony Pictures Entertainment hack On November 24, 2014, a hacker group identifying itself as "Guardians of Peace" leaked a release of confidential data from the film studio Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE). The data included personal information about Sony Pictures employees ...

suggested that the broadcast delay in the UK may have been due to sensitivity about the September 2014 Scottish independence referendum. The second season of 13 episodes premiered on April 9, 2016, and the 13-episode third season on September 10, 2017. The fourth season premiered on November 4, 2018, and the fifth on February 16, 2020. The sixth season premiered on March 6, 2022. In New Zealand, ''Outlander'' was previously distributed by the video streaming service

Lightbox A lightbox is a translucent surface illuminated from behind, used for situations where a shape laid upon the surface needs to be seen with high contrast. Types Several varieties exist, depending on their purpose: * Various backlit viewing d ...

. Following

Sky The sky is an unobstructed view upward from the surface of the Earth. It includes the atmosphere and outer space. It may also be considered a place between the ground and outer space, thus distinct from outer space. In the field of astronomy, ...

's acquisition of Lightbox, Sky's streaming service

Neon Neon is a chemical element with the symbol Ne and atomic number 10. It is a noble gas. Neon is a colorless, odorless, inert monatomic gas under standard conditions, with about two-thirds the density of air. It was discovered (along with krypton ...

acquired the distribution rights to ''Outlander'' in New Zealand.

Reception

Critical response

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...

, the average rating of the overall series is 89%, while on

Metacritic Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...

it has an average rating of 76 out of 100.

Season 1

The first season received mostly positive reviews. On Metacritic, it has a rating of 73 out of 100, based on 34 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". On Rotten Tomatoes, the season has a 91% rating with an average rating of 7.95/10 based on 52 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads: "''Outlander'' is a unique, satisfying adaptation of its source material, brought to life by lush scenery and potent chemistry between its leads". ''

The Huffington Post ''HuffPost'' (formerly ''The Huffington Post'' until 2017 and sometimes abbreviated ''HuffPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and ...

'' called the first episode "... A masterpiece of impressive depth ... It is amazing!" ''

'' gave the premiere an "A−" rating, writing that it was "sexy and smart and stirring".

Matt Zoller Seitz Matt Zoller Seitz (born December 26, 1968) is an American film and television critic, author and film-maker. Career Matt Zoller Seitz is editor-at-large at RogerEbert.com, and the television critic for '' New York'' magazine and Vulture.com, as ...

of ''

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

'' magazine also praised the series, calling it "defiantly its own thing: part romance-novel fantasy, part-time-travel story and part wartime drama (set across two time periods)". Sonia Saraiya of ''

The A.V. Club ''The A.V. Club'' is an American online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was cre ...

'' gave the first six episodes an A, writing that it "does for 1743 Scotland what ''

Downton Abbey ''Downton Abbey'' is a British historical drama television series set in the early 20th century, created and co-written by Julian Fellowes. The series first aired in the United Kingdom on ITV on 26 September 2010 and in the United States on P ...

'' does for 1912 England" and adding that "''Outlander'' succeeds admirably ... it refuses to sit comfortably in any genre." British reception was more mixed. In the first UK review, Siobhan Synnot of ''

The Scotsman ''The Scotsman'' is a Scottish compact newspaper and daily news website headquartered in Edinburgh. First established as a radical political paper in 1817, it began daily publication in 1855 and remained a broadsheet until August 2004. Its par ...

'' said "There has not been such a proud display of tartanalia since the opening of the 2014 Commonwealth Games". Alastair McKay of ''

The Evening Standard The ''Evening Standard'', formerly ''The Standard'' (1827–1904), also known as the ''London Evening Standard'', is a local free daily newspaper in London, England, published Monday to Friday in tabloid format. In October 2009, after be ...

'' quoted Saraiya's comparison with ''Downton Abbey'', adding " he comparisonis entirely correct. It is magical-mystical heuchter-teuchter cobblers." Euan Ferguson of ''

The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. It is a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', whose parent company Guardian Media Group Limited acquired it in 1993. First published in 1791, it is the w ...

'' called it "gorgeous drivel" and Thomas Batten of ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'' stated "If you love the scenery, shifting allegiances and palace intrigue of 'Game of Thrones'' but find yourself wishing the pace were a little slower and that the sex scenes were filmed in a more pretentious manner with lots of slow pans and softer lighting, here's your show." Graeme Virtue noted "the rather languid pace of the opening episodes", but praised the show's "rare acknowledgment of the female gaze" in its treatment of sex scenes. ''

The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally. It was fo ...

'' also made the ''Game of Thrones'' comparison, while ''

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...

'' stated "...yes, it's a time-travelling, wish-fulfilment fantasy, but it's done with such flair and attention to detail that it's impossible not to hop on board for the ride."

Season 2

The second season received universal acclaim. On Metacritic, it has a score of 85 out of 100 based on 11 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". On Rotten Tomatoes, it reports a 92% rating with an average rating of 8.05/10 based on 25 reviews. The website consensus reads: "''Outlander'' returns for a second addictive season of mystery and sweeping romance as Claire and Jamie take on Paris." Based on five episodes for review, Marah Eakin of ''

'' gave it a perfect "A" grade and wrote, "It's not just well-written and lovely to look at. It's downright immersive. ... ''Outlander'' feels important–even moreso in its second season."

Season 3

The third season also received universal acclaim. It has a Metacritic score of 87 out of 100 based on 6 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". Rotten Tomatoes reports a 90% rating with an average rating of 7.95/10 based on 16 reviews. The website consensus reads: "''Outlander''s epic love story returns with the same strong storytelling and an added layer of maturity." Based on six episodes for review, Liz Shannon Miller of

IndieWire IndieWire (sometimes stylized as indieWIRE or Indiewire) is a film industry and review website that was established in 1996. The site's focus was predominantly independent film, although its coverage has grown to "to include all aspects of Hollyw ...

gave it an "A"-grade review and wrote, "This is a show that's grown and matured since its initial premiere in ways that defied our initial expectations."

Season 4

The fourth season received mostly positive reviews. It has a Metacritic score of 71 out of 100 based on 6 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Rotten Tomatoes reports an 88% rating with an average rating of 7.15/10 based on 10 reviews. The website consensus reads: "''Outlander''s epic romance settles into a violent fourth season, planting its flag on the American frontier while treading on darker themes."

Season 5

The fifth season also received mostly positive reviews. It has a Metacritic score of 73 out of 100 based on 4 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Rotten Tomatoes reports an 86% rating with an average rating of 7/10 based on 11 reviews. The website consensus reads: "''Outlander''s romantic ardor doesn't burn as bright in this fifth season, but the Frasers remain an enthralling pair as they try to forge a home together."

Season 6

The sixth season has an 89% rating on Rotten Tomatoes with an average rating of 7.8/10 based on 9 reviews.

Ratings

The first eight episodes averaged more than 5.1 million multiplatform viewers. In July 2015, noting ''Outlander'' strong ratings, its "vocal online fandom and a slew of think pieces tied to its feminist twists on the action genre", Josef Adalian of ''

Vulture A vulture is a bird of prey that scavenges on carrion. There are 23 extant species of vulture (including Condors). Old World vultures include 16 living species native to Europe, Africa, and Asia; New World vultures are restricted to North and ...

'' credited ''Outlander'' as one of the series responsible for

's increased success against competitors like

Showtime Showtime or Show Time may refer to: Film * ''Showtime'' (film), a 2002 American action/comedy film * ''Showtime'' (video), a 1995 live concert video by Blur Television Networks and channels * Showtime Networks, a division of Paramount Global w ...

. On February 11, 2020, cable provider

Comcast Comcast Corporation (formerly known as American Cable Systems and Comcast Holdings),Before the AT&T merger in 2001, the parent company was Comcast Holdings Corporation. Comcast Holdings Corporation now refers to a subsidiary of Comcast Corpora ...

moved Starz from its base cable packages to an

a la carte A, or a, is the first letter and the first vowel of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''a'' (pronounced ), plural ''aes' ...

option. This occurred five days before the premiere of season five.

Accolades

Prequel series

In February 2022, it was reported that a prequel series was in works, with Matthew B. Roberts writing and executive producing. In May 2022, executive producer Maril Davis confirmed that the series would focus on the parents of Jamie Fraser. In August 2022, it was confirmed that the series will be titled ''Blood of My Blood''.

Notes

References

External links

* * {{Starz Shows Fiction set in 1743 Fiction set in 1945 2014 American television series debuts 2010s American drama television series 2020s American drama television series American time travel television series 2010s American time travel television series 2020s American time travel television series English-language television shows Outlander (franchise) Saturn Award-winning television series Scottish Gaelic-language films Serial drama television series Starz original programming Television shows based on American novels Television series by Left Bank Pictures Television series by Sony Pictures Television Television series set in the 18th century Television series set in the 1940s Television shows set in France Television shows set in Scotland Television shows set in Edinburgh Television shows filmed in the United Kingdom Television shows filmed in the Czech Republic Television shows filmed in South Africa 2010s American LGBT-related drama television series 2010s British LGBT-related drama television series 2020s American LGBT-related drama television series 2020s British LGBT-related drama television series