''Outlander'' is a

historical History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some theorists categ ...

drama Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Play (theatre), play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on Radio drama, radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a g ...

television series based on the book series of the same name by

Diana Gabaldon Diana J. Gabaldon (; born January 11, 1952) is an American author and television writer. She is best known for the book series ''Outlander''. Her books merge multiple genres, featuring elements of historical fiction, romance, mystery, adventu ...

. Developed by

Ronald D. Moore Ronald Dowl Moore (born July 5, 1964) is an American screenwriter and television producer. He is best known for his work on ''Star Trek,'' as well as on the re-imagined ''Battlestar Galactica'' television series, for which he won a Peabody Awar ...

, the show premiered on August 9, 2014, on

Starz Starz (stylized in all caps as STARZ; pronounced "stars") is an American pay television network owned by Starz Entertainment, and is the flagship property of Starz Inc. Launched in 1994 as a multiplex service of what is now Starz Encore, ...

. It stars Caitríona Balfe as

Claire Randall Claire Beauchamp (who adopts the surnames Randall, Fraser, and Grey at various times) is a fictional character in the ''Outlander'' series of multi-genre novels by American author Diana Gabaldon, and its television adaptation. In the series, Cl ...

, an English former

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

military nurse Most professional militaries employ specialised military nurses or nursing sisters. 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 ...

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 ...

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

Highland Highlands or uplands are areas of high elevation such as a mountainous region, elevated mountainous plateau or high hills. Generally, ''upland'' refers to a range of hills, typically from up to , while ''highland'' is usually reserved for range ...

warrior named Jamie Fraser (

Sam Heughan Sam Roland Heughan (; born 30 April 1980) is a Scottish actor, producer, author, and entrepreneur. He is best known for his starring role as Jamie Fraser in the Starz drama series '' Outlander'' (2014–present) for which he has won the People ...

), a

tacksman A tacksman (, 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 yearly rent for th ...

Clan Fraser of Lovat Clan Fraser of Lovat ( ) 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 gained lands there in the 13th century. ...

. Here, Claire becomes embroiled in the

Jacobite rising Jacobitism was a political ideology advocating the restoration of the senior line of the House of Stuart to the British throne. When James II of England chose exile after the November 1688 Glorious Revolution, the Parliament of England ruled ...

. The 16-episode first season of the television series is based on the first novel in the series, '' Outlander'', and was released as two half-seasons, with the first part being aired from August to September 2014 and the second part from April to May 2015. 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 boo ...

'', aired from April to July 2016. The 13-episode third season, based on ''

Voyager Voyager may refer to: Computing and communications * LG Voyager, a mobile phone model manufactured by LG Electronics * NCR Voyager, a computer platform produced by NCR Corporation * Voyager (computer worm), a computer worm affecting Oracle ...

'', 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 c ...

'', 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, published on September 27, 2005. Centered on time travelling 20th century doctor Claire Fraser and her 18th century Scottish Highlander ...

'', aired from March to May 2022. The seventh season, which consists of 16 episodes, is based on the end of ''A Breath of Snow and Ashes'', ''

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 boo ...

'', ''

Written in My Own Heart's Blood ''Written in My Own Heart's Blood'' is the eighth 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 Fras ...

'' and elements of '' Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone'', and was released as two half-seasons, with the first part aired from June to August 2023 and the second part from November 2024 to January 2025. By February 2022, development had begun on a prequel series titled '' Outlander: Blood of My Blood'', which will focus on Jamie Fraser and Claire Beauchamp's parents. In January 2023, ''Outlander: Blood of My Blood'' was officially confirmed for a ten-episode first season, and ''Outlander'' was renewed for a ten-episode eighth and final season, which will be based on ''Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone'' and parts of the tenth and final novel in the series.

Episodes

Plot

Season 1 (2014–2015)

In 1945,

, who had formerly served as a nurse in the

British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...

during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, and her husband Frank are visiting

Inverness Inverness (; ; from the , meaning "Mouth of the River Ness") is a city in the Scottish Highlands, having been granted city status in 2000. It is the administrative centre for The Highland Council and is regarded as the capital of the Highland ...

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

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

stone circle A stone circle is a ring of megalithic standing stones. Most are found in Northwestern Europe – especially Stone circles in the British Isles and Brittany – and typically date from the Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age, with most being ...

at Craigh na Dun (in what is now

Tay Forest Park Tay Forest Park is a 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 in total. ...

). 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, a clan may claim descent from a founding member or apical ancestor who serves as a symbol of the clan's unity. Many societie ...

MacKenzie (a fictionalization of the real

Clan MacKenzie Clan Mackenzie ( ) is a Highland Scottish clan associated with Kintail and Ross-shire. Its chiefs trace their lineage to the 12th century, though the earliest recorded chief is Alexander Mackenzie of Kintail, who died after 1471. The clan suppo ...

), who are being pursued by government troops led by

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

Jonathan "Black Jack" Randall. Randall turns out to be Frank's ancestor. The Jacobite rebels are led by Dougal Mackenzie, war chief of the Clan, and include his sister's son, Jamie Fraser, and Jamie's godfather Murtagh Fraser. Jamie is wanted by the authorities. Clan MacKenzie suspect Claire of being a government 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 the Highlanders against rebellion. Black Jack Randall suspects Claire of being a Scottish spy; he tortures her and plans to drag her to England for trial. Directed by Dougal, Claire marries Jamie Fraser, purely so she can receive the protection of his Clan, but Claire and Jamie quickly fall in love. This earns Claire the hatred of a Mackenzie woman named Laoghaire, who has a crush on Jamie. Claire befriends a healer named Geillis, who later turns out to be another time-traveller from the 20th century. Jamie is captured, tortured, and raped by the sadistic Randall, but Claire and his clansmen rescue him. The jealous Laogharie denounces Claire and Geillis as witches. Geillis is sentenced to burn, but she and Clan Mackenzie's lawyer collude to save Claire. Claire tells Jamie that she is pregnant as they set sail for the

Kingdom of France The Kingdom of France is the historiographical name or umbrella term given to various political entities of France in the Middle Ages, medieval and Early modern France, early modern period. It was one of the most powerful states in Europe from th ...

Season 2 (2016)

In 18th-century

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

, Claire and Jamie try to thwart the Jacobites by subverting the funds that King

Louis XV of France Louis XV (15 February 1710 – 10 May 1774), known as Louis the Beloved (), 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 maturity (then defi ...

is likely to provide. Jamie becomes the confidant of Charles Stuart, but the Frasers fail to prevent the Rising. 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. Jacobitism, Jacobite forces, led by the Stua ...

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

Battle of Culloden The Battle of Culloden took place on 16 April 1746, near Inverness in the Scottish Highlands. A Jacobite army under Charles Edward Stuart was decisively defeated by a British government force commanded by the Duke of Cumberland, thereby endi ...

, 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 crash. Claire takes her 20-year-old daughter Brianna to Scotland. They encounter Roger Wakefield, a young historian whose adoptive father was a friend of Claire and Frank's. Through Roger's research, Claire discovers that Jamie did not die at Culloden. She 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 its 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 1950, Claire enrolls in medical school in

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

. Frank is killed in a car crash while Brianna is in college. With Roger Wakefield's help, Claire finds clues to Jamie's fate after Culloden. In 1968, 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

West Indies The West Indies is an island subregion of the Americas, surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, which comprises 13 independent island country, island countries and 19 dependent territory, dependencies in thr ...

. Jamie and Claire follow and rescue him from Geillis, who had escaped

burning at the stake Death by burning is an execution, murder, or suicide method involving combustion or exposure to extreme heat. It has a long history as a form of public capital punishment, and many societies have employed it as a punishment for and warning agai ...

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 South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

Season 4 (2018–2019)

In the

Province of North Carolina The Province of North Carolina, originally known as the Albemarle Settlements, was a proprietary colony and later royal colony of Great Britain that existed in North America from 1712 to 1776.(p. 80) It was one of the five Southern col ...

, Claire and Jamie seek to return to Scotland with Fergus, Marsali and Ian. They visit a

plantation Plantations are farms specializing in cash crops, usually mainly planting a single crop, with perhaps ancillary areas for vegetables for eating and so on. Plantations, centered on a plantation house, grow crops including cotton, cannabis, tob ...

owned by Jamie's aunt Jocasta Cameron, where they encounter Black slaves. Claire and Jamie decide to leave and claim land that they name Fraser's Ridge, which is already inhabited by the

Cherokee The Cherokee (; , or ) people are one of the Indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, they were concentrated in their homelands, in towns along river valleys of what is now southwestern ...

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

. 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 New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States. With a population of 115,451 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, eighth-most populous city in the st ...

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 (Kanien’kehá:ka), an indigenous people of North America (Canada and New York) *Mohawk language (Kanien’kéha), the language spoken by the Mohawk people *Mohawk hairstyle, from a ...

. 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 the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

looms on the horizon. Brianna and Roger marry and Governor

William Tryon Lieutenant-General William Tryon (8 June 172927 January 1788) was a British Army officer and colonial administrator who served as governor of North Carolina from 1764 to 1771 and the governor of New York from 1771 to 1777. He also served durin ...

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 Crown The Crown is a political concept used in Commonwealth realms. Depending on the context used, it generally refers to the entirety of the State (polity), state (or in federal realms, the relevant level of government in that state), the executive ...

, 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 confrontation of the Regulator Movement, a rebellion in colonial North Carolina over various issues with the Colonial Government. The Regulators primarily wanted reforms ...

, when Roger's attempt to warn Murtagh fails and Murtagh is shot dead. Roger is captured and mistakenly hanged by Tryon's soldiers; 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 beta-lactam antibiotic, β-lactam antibiotics originally obtained from ''Penicillium'' Mold (fungus), moulds, principally ''Penicillium chrysogenum, P. chrysogenum'' and ''Penicillium rubens, P. ru ...

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

gang rape In scholarly literature and criminology, gang rape, also called serial gang rape, party rape, group rape, or multiple perpetrator rape,Ullman, S. E. (2013). 11 Multiple perpetrator rape victimization. Handbook on the Study of Multiple Perpetrato ...

d by Lionel Brown and his men, but is subsequently rescued by Jamie, Fergus, Roger, and the other men of the Ridge. A wounded Lionel is taken alive back to the Ridge, but Marsali kills him with poison in revenge for his assault on Claire. 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 and Claire) and the MacKenzies (Roger and Brianna), 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 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, driving a wedge between the Native Americans, the colonists, 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 Christies as Jamie and Claire's grip on Fraser's Ridge becomes ever more fragile.

Season 7 (2023–2025)

The 16 episodes of season 7 are divided into two parts. Part 1 premiered in June 2023, with the storyline following the Frasers as they become entangled in the American Revolutionary War before their return to Scotland. Part 2 aired from November 2024 through January 2025.

Cast and characters

* Caitríona Balfe as Claire Fraser *

as James "Jamie" Fraser *

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

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, The Saint of Killers in the AMC series ''Preacher'', Dougal MacKenzie and William Buccleigh MacKenzie in t ...

as Dougal MacKenzie (seasons 1–2; guest season 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 1975) 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, comp ...

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 ...

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

Simon Callow Simon Phillip Hugh Callow (born 15 June 1949) is an English actor. Known as a character actor on stage and screen, he has received numerous accolades including an Olivier Award and Screen Actors Guild Award as well as nominations for two BAFT ...

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

Laura Donnelly Laura Donnelly (born 24 June 1982) is an actress from Northern Ireland. She studied at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland before her early roles on stage and screen. She is known for her collaborations with playwright Jez Butterworth acting i ...

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

Douglas Henshall Douglas James "Dougie" 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 (TV series), Primeval'' (2007–2011) and D ...

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; guest season 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 '' Thérès ...

as Le Comte St. Germain (season 2) *

Andrew Gower Andrew Gower (born 8 November 1989) is an English actor. 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 Spotlight Prize for Best Actor in 2010. Life ...

as Prince

Charles Edward Stuart Charles Edward Louis John Sylvester Maria Casimir Stuart (31 December 1720 – 30 January 1788) was the elder son of James Francis Edward Stuart, making him the grandson of James VII and II, and the Stuart claimant to the thrones of England, ...

(seasons 2–3; guest season 6) *

Rosie Day Rosie Jane Day is an English actress, author, playwright, and filmmaker. She is known for her portrayals of Mary Hawkins in the Starz historical drama series '' Outlander'' (2016), Tina Pemberton in Sky One's comedy-drama series '' Living the D ...

as Mary Hawkins (season 2) *

Dominique Pinon Dominique Pinon (born 4 March 1955) is a French actor. He is known for appearing in films directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet, often playing eccentric or grotesque characters. Early life and education Dominique Pinon was born in Saumur, Maine-et-Lo ...

as Master Raymond (season 2; guest season 7) *

Frances de la Tour Frances J. de Lautour (born 30 July 1944), better known as Frances de la Tour, is a British actress. A Tony Award winner and three-time Olivier Award winner, she is also known for her roles in the television sitcom ''Rising Damp'' and in ''Harr ...

as Mother Hildegarde (season 2) * Nell Hudson as Laoghaire MacKenzie (seasons 2–4; recurring season 1; guest season 7) *

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

as Simon Fraser, Lord Lovat (season 2) *

Richard Rankin Richard Rankin (born Richard Harris on 4 January 1983) is a Scottish actor. He is best known for the Scottish sketch show '' Burnistoun'', for playing Roger Wakefield MacKenzie in the Starz drama '' Outlander'' and for playing the lead role in ...

as Roger MacKenzie (season 2–present) * Sophie Skelton as Brianna "Bree" Fraser MacKenzie (season 2–present) * David Berry as Lord John Grey (season 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 (2015 film), The Walk'' and his main role as Fergus Claudel Fraser in the Starz television drama ''Outlander (TV series), Outlander.'' Early life Domboy was born ...

as Fergus Claudel Fraser (seasons 3–6) *

Lauren Lyle Lauren Lyle is a Scottish actress best known for her main role as Marsali MacKimmie Fraser in the Starz television drama '' Outlander'', and peace protester Jade Antoniak in the BBC drama ''Vigil''. Lyle also plays the leading role in the ITV ...

as Marsali MacKimmie Fraser (seasons 3–6) *

Richard Dillane Richard Dillane (born 1964) is an English actor. He appears in ''Soldier Soldier'' (1995), ''Cold Feet'' (2000), ''Space Race'' (2005), '' Tristan & Isolde'' (2006), '' Spooks'' (2007), ''Casualty'' (2008-2009), ''Oranges and Sunshine'' (2010), ' ...

as Captain Raines (season 3) *

Edward Speleers Edward John Speleers (born 7 April 1988) is an English actor. He is best known for playing the Eragon (character), title role in the 2006 film ''Eragon (film), Eragon'', antagonist Stephen Bonnet in the TV series ''Outlander (TV series), Outlande ...

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 (seasons 4–6) *

Colin McFarlane Colin Andrew Ignatius Peter McFarlane (born 15 September 1961) is a British actor, narrator and voice actor. He is known for his roles in film and television including Gillian B. Loeb in two films of Christopher Nolan's '' The Dark Knight Tril ...

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

Tantoo Cardinal Tantoo Cardinal CM (born 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 arts in Canada, as a s ...

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, ...

as Wahkatiiosta (season 4) *

Tom Jackson Thomas, Tom, or Tommy Jackson may refer to: Academics *Thomas H. Jackson (born 1950), ninth president of the University of Rochester *Tom Jackson Jr. (born 1959), president of Black Hills State University, South Dakota *Thom Jackson (Thomas Matthew ...

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 prou ...

as Johiehon (season 4) *

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

as Richard Brown (seasons 5–7) *

Ned Dennehy Ned Dennehy (born 8 December 1965) is an Irish actor in films and television. His credits include ''The Mystic Knights of Tir Na Nog'' (1998), '' Blitz'' (2011), ''Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1'', '' Downhill'' (2014), '' Luther ...

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 '' Mas ...

as Tom Christie (seasons 6–7) *

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 Gould ...

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

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 '' Johnn ...

as Tsotehweh (season 6) * Charles Vandervaart as William Ransom (season 7–present)

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 company, production and broadcast syndication, distribution studio. Based at the Sony Pictures Studios complex in Culver City, California, it is a division o ...

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 June 15, 1956) is an American film and television director and writer, best known for his work in the neo-noir genre. Early life John Dahl was born and raised in Billings, Montana, the second of four children (his brother is fi ...

would direct 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 (, ; Endonym and exonym, endonym: ), also known as Scots Gaelic or simply Gaelic, is a Celtic language native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a member of the Goidelic language, Goidelic branch of Celtic, Scottish Gaelic, alongs ...

. 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 re ...

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 Kingdom and United States television, is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell a show to a television netwo ...

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, ''

'' 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. Balfe and Heughan became producers on the show beginning with Season 5 to have more input and influence over production. On March 14, 2021, the series was renewed for a seventh season, originally to consist of 12 episodes and adapt the seventh novel, ''

''. On June 1, 2021, Starz announced the sixth season would premiere in early 2022 with a shortened eight-episode season, while the seventh season would consist of 16 episodes, which ended up incorporating ''

'', ''

'', the eighth novel ''

'' and elements of the ninth novel '' Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone''. On November 22, 2021, Gabaldon announced that the sixth season would premiere on March 6, 2022. In January 2023, the series was renewed for an eighth and final season to consist of 10 episodes. According to reports in August of the year, filming was delayed due to the

2023 Hollywood labor disputes From May 2 to November 9, 2023, a series of long labor disputes within the Cinema of the United States, film and Television in the United States, television industries of the United States took place, mainly focused on the strikes of the 2023 W ...

. A start date had been set, but Balfe said there had been no confirmation as to when work would actually commence. The writer's strike is "... obviously a big thing that's going on at the moment Stateside and that may change things. But you know, it's too early to start speculating about that". There was some discussion as to how the series will conclude; Gabaldon was writing the final book but that was not expected to be ready in time for the conclusion to also be used for the series. Executive producer Maril Davis made this comment: "I think about it a lot, I think we're going to do a great job and I have complete confidence in the writers, but we'll see what happens. I'm really confident we'll figure out a way to end it for ourselves". Davis added that they did plan to discuss the proposed ending with the author before finalizing the scripts. In November 2024, Davis and Gabaldon said the final season would mainly cover the ninth novel and "little pieces" of the unpublished tenth novel. Around the time of the release of the second half the seventh season in November 2024 and subsequently, both Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan suggested they would be open to returning to their roles in the future for a continuation of the series, such as an adaptation of the not yet released tenth novel.

Writing

Moore said of the pilot: Moore 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", Moore explained: Moore addressed the darker tone of the season's second half, emphasizing that "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. In June 2015, Gabaldon commented on the adaptation of the first season: In March 2015, Gabaldon said of the scripts for season two: 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 is a British actress known for a wide range of roles on television, radio, stage, and film. She is best known for her roles as Charlotte in the BBC crime drama series '' Bergerac'', Margaret Blaine in the BBC science fiction se ...

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 would be portrayed by Caitríona Balfe 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 online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...

'' 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 The Gathering may refer to: Film and television * ''The Gathering'' (1977 film), an American television film directed by Randal Kleiser * The Gathering (1998 film), an American thriller film directed by Danny Carrales * ''The Gathering'' (2003 ...

". 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, created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber and Donald Wilson (writer and producer), Donald Wilson, depicts the adventures of an extraterre ...

'' 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 on television, science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. A Bagpipes, piper of the Clan Mac ...

, 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'', ...

". 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 may often be used to either refer to a descendant of a deposed monarchy or a claim that is not legitimat ...

Prince

;

Robert Cavanah Robert Alexander Cavanah (born December 1965) 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 ...

as Jamie's Scottish cousin Jared, a wine merchant and Jacobite living in Paris; Margaux Châtelier 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 as the French pickpocket Fergus,

as the baronet's daughter Mary Hawkins,

as Le Comte St. Germain,

as healer Master Raymond, Marc Duret as French Minister of Finance Joseph Duverney,

as Mother Hildegarde, and Audrey Brisson as Sister Angelique. In July 2015, Lionel Lingelser was cast as King

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

was cast as Roger Wakefield in December 2015, while Sophie Skelton 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'' (2016–2019). Reynolds portrayed Lily Iglehart on the Netflix comedy-drama ''Sex Ed ...

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. He is best known for playing the Eragon (character), title role in the 2006 film ''Eragon (film), Eragon'', antagonist Stephen Bonnet in the TV series ''Outlander (TV series), Outlande ...

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

, Nell Hudson,

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 the head of HM Treasury, His Majesty's Treasury. As one of the four Great Offices of State, t ...

George Osborne George Gideon Oliver Osborne (born 23 May 1971) is a British retired 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 Cameron government. A ...

confirmed that the production would benefit from the Creative Sector Tax Relief 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 in

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 havin ...

Industrial Estate, near

Cumbernauld Cumbernauld (; ) is a large town in the Shires of Scotland, historic county of Dunbartonshire and council area of North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is the tenth List of towns and cities in Scotland by population, most-populous locality in Scotl ...

, 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 the ...

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), 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 i ...

, Stirling; mills in

East Linton East Linton is a village and former police burgh in East Lothian, Scotland, situated on the River Tyne, Scotland, River Tyne and A199 road (former A1 road (Great Britain), A1 road) five miles east of Haddington, East Lothian, Haddington, with ...

, East Lothian;

Newtonmore Newtonmore ( ) is a village of approximately 1100 inhabitants in Badenoch, within the Highland (council area), Highland council area of Scotland. The village is only a few miles from a location that is claimed to be the exact geographical centre ...

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, Scott ...

, Aviemore; quarries near

Bathgate Bathgate ( or , ) is a town in West Lothian, Scotland, west of Livingston, Scotland, Livingston and adjacent to the M8 motorway (Scotland), M8 motorway. Nearby towns are Linlithgow, Livingston, and West Calder. A number of villages fall under ...

, West Lothian and

Aberfoyle Aberfoyle may refer to: * Aberfoyle, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland *Aberfoyle, Stirling Aberfoyle () is a village in the historic county and registration county of Perthshire and the council area of Stirling, Scotland. The settlement li ...

, 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 Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland in the 15th and 16th ce ...

Loch Rannoch Loch Rannoch () 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. ''The Scottish Lochs''. pp. 69-75 ...

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 ( , ; ; ) is a council areas of Scotland, council area and lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area in Scotland. A peninsula, it is bordered by the Firth of Tay to the north, the North Sea to the east, the Firth of Forth to the s ...

. 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 ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...

was used for the exterior street scenes and the

Palace of Versailles The Palace of Versailles ( ; ) is a former royal residence commissioned by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, Yvelines, Versailles, about west of Paris, in the Yvelines, Yvelines Department of Île-de-France, Île-de-France region in Franc ...

. 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 is the legislature, legislative capital city, capital of South Africa. It is the country's oldest city and the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. Cape Town is the country's List of municipalities in South Africa, 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

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

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 (; ) 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 pursuits centre. It has a small ...

(for Craigh na Dun), the

Thomas Coats Memorial Baptist Church Coats Paisley is a reception hall which stands at the west end of the High Street in Paisley, Scotland. The building was the home of Thomas Coats Memorial Baptist Church, colloquially known as the Baptist Cathedral of Europe, until 2018. It h ...

in Paisley,

The Hermitage, Dunkeld __NOTOC__ The Hermitage (officially The Hermitage pleasure ground) is a National Trust for Scotland-protected site in Dunkeld, Perth and Kinross. Located just to the west of the A9, it sits on the banks of the River Braan in Craigvinean Forest. ...

in Perthshire and Milne Woods in

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

. Much of the filming was completed at

Studios. 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 and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

. Production eventually began in February 2021. Production for season seven began in April 2022, while filming began in May 2022 in Scotland. Production for the eighth and final season began in March 2024 and ended on September 27, 2024.

Music

The music is composed by

Bear McCreary Bear McCreary (born February 17, 1979) is an American composer of film, television, and video game scores. His work includes the scores of the television series '' Battlestar Galactica'' (2004), '' Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'', '' Black Sails'', '' ...

. 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 ...

'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" (Roud 3772) is a late 19th-century Scottish song adaptation of a Gaelic song composed c.1782 by William Ross, entitled ''Cuachag nan Craobh'' ("Cuckoo of the Tree"). In the original song, the composer laments to a cuckoo ...

" and is sung by McCreary's wife Raya Yarbrough. 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. The theme song is sung by

Sinéad O'Connor Shuhada' Sadaqat (born Sinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor; , ; 8 December 1966 – 26 July 2023) was an Irish singer, songwriter, record producer and activist. Her debut studio album, ''The Lion and the Cobra'', was released in 1987 and achieve ...

for the seventh season, which was the final song recorded by O'Connor before her death in July 2023.

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. 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. The first part of the seventh season premiered on June 16, 2023, and the second part premiered on November 22, 2024. As of 2024, the first six seasons are available on

Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...

in the United States. ''Outlander'' debuted in Australia on

SoHo SoHo, short for "South of Houston Street, Houston Street", is a neighborhood in Lower Manhattan, New York City. Since the 1970s, the neighborhood has been the location of many artists' lofts and art galleries, art installations such as The Wall ...

on August 14, 2014, and began airing in Canada on Showcase 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, known simply as Prime Video, is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming television service owned by Amazon. The service primarily distributes films and television series produced or co-produced by ...

, 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, the hacker group " Guardians of Peace" leaked confidential data from the film studio Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE). The data included employee emails, personal and family information, executive salaries, copies of th ...

suggested that the broadcast delay in the UK may have been due to sensitivity about the September 2014 Scottish independence referendum. The show later aired on

More4 More4 is a British free-to-air television channel, owned by Channel Four Television Corporation. The channel launched on 10 October 2005. Its programming mainly focuses on lifestyle and documentaries, as well as foreign dramas. Content The i ...

from 2017 to 2019. It later became available through Lionsgate+ and then

MGM+ MGM+ (formerly known as Epix; pronounced ''epics'' and stylized as eᴘix), is an American Pay television, premium cable television, cable and satellite television, satellite television network owned by the MGMPlus Entertainment subsidiary of M ...

after the former shut down in the U.K. 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 device ...

. Following

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

's acquisition of Lightbox, Sky's streaming service

Neon Neon is a chemical element; it has symbol Ne and atomic number 10. It is the second noble gas in the periodic table. Neon is a colorless, odorless, inert monatomic gas under standard conditions, with approximately two-thirds the density of ...

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

Reception

Critical response

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, 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 ...

, the average rating of the overall series is 90%, while on

Metacritic Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...

the average rating is 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 92% rating with an average rating of 7.95/10 based on 263 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'' (''The Huffington Post'' until 2017, itself often abbreviated as ''HPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and covers p ...

'' 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 filmmaker. Career Matt Zoller Seitz is editor-at-large at RogerEbert.com, and the television critic for ''New York'' magazine and Vulture.com, as w ...

of ''

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

'' 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 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 created in ...

'' 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. It first aired in the United Kingdom on ITV (TV network), ITV on 26 September 2010 and in the United St ...

'' does for 1912 England" and adding that "''Outlander'' succeeds admirably ... it refuses to sit comfortably in any genre." British reception was more mixed. Alastair McKay of ''

The Evening Standard The ''London Standard'', formerly the ''Evening Standard'' (1904–2024) and originally ''The Standard'' (1827–1904), is a long-established regional newspaper published weekly and distributed free of charge in London, England. It is print ...

'' 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. First published in 1791, it is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper. In 1993 it was acquired by Guardian Media Group Limited, and operated as a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' ...

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

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

'' 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 British daily broadsheet conservative newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed in the United Kingdom and internationally. It was found ...

'' 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 acclaim. On Metacritic, it has a score of 85 out of 100 based on 11 reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes, it reports a 92% rating with an average rating of 8.05/10 based on 234 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 195 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 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 170 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 142 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.

Season 7

The seventh season has a 95% rating on Rotten Tomatoes with an average rating of 7.6/10 based on 18 reviews. On Metacritic, it has received a score of 75 out of 100 based on 4 reviews, indicating "generally favorable 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 ''

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

's increased success against competitors like

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. On February 11, 2020, cable provider

Comcast Comcast Corporation, formerly known as Comcast Holdings,Before the AT&T Broadband, AT&T merger in 2001, the parent company was Comcast Holdings Corporation. Comcast Holdings Corporation now refers to a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation, not th ...

moved Starz from its base cable packages to an

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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 being developed, 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 prequel series will be titled ''Blood of My Blood''. In January 2023, Starz ordered a 10-episode first season.

Notes

References

External links

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