The Outlaws
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The Outlaws is a crime thriller comedy television series created by Elgin James and Stephen Merchant, and directed by Merchant and John Butler. It is shown on BBC One in the UK and Amazon Prime Video in some international territories. Filming of series 1 was halted in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In January 2021 it was confirmed that a second series had been ordered, with series 1 production resuming in February 2021. It was later confirmed that both series had been filmed back to back.

Plot

The story follows seven strangers from different walks of life who are forced together to complete a Community Payback sentence, set in Bristol. However, their luck changes – not necessarily for the better – when they discover a bag full of money, unaware that its true owners are very dangerous.

Cast

  • Christopher Walken as Frank Sheldon, an American former conman living with his estranged daughter and grandchildren.
  • Stephen Merchant as Greg Dillard, an unsuccessful and socially inept lawyer attempting to rebuild his love life following his divorce.
  • Rhianne Barreto as Rani Rekowski, a prospective Oxford applicant who struggles under the expectations and high standards of her strict and austere parents.
  • Gamba Cole as Ben Eastfield, a young nightclub security guard looking after his younger sister, who assumes the identity of Christian Taylor to carry out community service in his name.
  • Darren Boyd as John Halloran, a businessman and right wing blow-hard who struggles to impress his unloving father and keep his struggling business afloat
  • Clare Perkins as Myrna Okeke, an activist and left wing militant who frequently clashes with John, whilst struggling with guilt over the death of a police officer for which she was responsible.
  • Eleanor Tomlinson as Lady Gabriella Gabby Penrose-Howe, an out-of-touch socialite, reality TV star and social media influencer with anger management and substance abuse issues.
  • Jessica Gunning as Diane Pemberley, a former juvenile delinquent, now acting as both a supervisor for community service, and later a PCSO, with an inflated sense of authority.
  • Dolly Wells as Margaret, Frank s daughter.
  • Ian McElhinney as John Halloran Snr., John s father.
  • Nina Wadia as Shanthi Rekowski, Rani s mother.
  • Gyuri Sarossy as Jerzy Rekowski, Rani s father.
  • Aiyana Goodfellow as Esme Eastfield, Ben s sister.
  • Charles Babalola as Christian Taylor, a drug dealer running a drug operation in Bristol for the Dean.
  • James Nelson-Joyce as Aiden Spider Haswell, a drug dealer who works for Christian.
  • Guillermo Bedward as Tom, Frank s grandson.
  • Isla Gie as Holly, Frank s granddaughter.
  • Claes Bang as the Dean, the biggest drug dealer in Bristol.
  • Sam Troughton as Mr Wilder, Diane s superior.
  • Richard E. Grant as the Earl of Gloucestershire, Gabby s aristocratic absentee father.
  • Grace Calder as DS Lucy Haines
  • Kojo Kamara as DS Selforth
  • Tom Hanson as Spencer Fitzwilliam, Greg s sleazy and mean-spirited colleague who bullies him.
  • Michael Cochrane as Mr Kingsley, Greg s boss.
  • Gerard Horan as Graham Hilgard
  • Marcus Fraser as Souljah, a drug dealer who works for Christian.
  • Alexandria Riley as Yvonne, Myrna s sister.
  • Elizabeth Dulau as Lesley

Episodes

Series Episodes Originally aired
First aired Last aired
1 6 25 October 2021 29 November 2021
2 6 5 June 2022 10 July 2022

Series 1 (2021)

No. Title Directed by Written by Original air date  U.K. viewers
(millions)
1 Episode 1 Stephen Merchant Stephen Merchant and Elgin James 25 October 2021 <(3.11)
2 Episode 2 Stephen Merchant Stephen Merchant and Emma Jane Unsworth 1 November 2021 4.22
3 Episode 3 John Butler Stephen Merchant and Nikita Lalwani 8 November 2021 3.43
4 Episode 4 John Butler John Butler 15 November 2021 <(3.23)
5 Episode 5 John Butler Stephen Merchant 22 November 2021 <(3.23)
6 Episode 6 Stephen Merchant Stephen Merchant 29 November 2021 <(3.50)

Series 2 (2022)

No. Title Directed by Written by Original air date  U.K. viewers
(millions)
1 Episode 1 John Butler Stephen Merchant 5 June 2022 2.96
2 Episode 2 John Butler Nathaniel Price 12 June 2022 <(2.63)
3 Episode 3 Alicia MacDonald Stephen Merchant and Nikita Lalwani 19 June 2022 <(2.35)
4 Episode 4 Alicia MacDonald Claire Downes 26 June 2022 <(2.29)
5 Episode 5 Alicia MacDonald John Butler 3 July 2022 2.13
6 Episode 6 Alicia MacDonald Stephen Merchant 10 July 2022 2.33

Production

After some delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, filming on location in Bristol began in February 2021, as well as at The Bottle Yard Studios in Whitchurch. The series is a co-production between BBC One and Amazon Studios. The series was commissioned by BBC Comedy and BBC One, produced by Big Talk with Stephen Merchant s Four Eyes. The series is created by Stephen Merchant and Elgin James. Executive producers are Stephen Merchant for Four Eyes; and Luke Alkin, Kenton Allen, and Matthew Justice for Big Talk. Kate Daughton is the Commissioning Editor for the BBC. Directors are Stephen Merchant and John Butler. Producer is Nickie Sault. Originally announced with the working title The Offenders, the series was renamed during production, with the current title confirmed in September 2021.

A small piece of Banksy s art was used on set.

Broadcast

The series premiered on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in the UK on 25 October 2021; it was later released on Amazon Prime Video in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Nordic countries.

Series 2 was released in full on BBC iPlayer on 5 June 2022.

Year 2021
ReleaseDate 2022-03-18
Plot Seven strangers from different walks of life forced together to complete a community payback sentence in Bristol.
Awards Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award, 1 nomination total
Stars Rhianne Barreto, Darren Boyd, Gamba Cole
Series Produced by Luke Alkin,Kenton Allen,Matthew Justice,Stephen Merchant,Tanya Qureshi,Nickie Sault,Rhodri Thomas,Kate Daughton,Benjamin Greenacre,Fran du Pille,Kizzy Dhaliwal,John Butler,Rebecca Callas,Simon Windsor
Series Music by Stew Jackson,Dan Jones
Series Cinematography by Nick Martin
Series Film Editing by Tony Kearns,Matthew Gray,Dan Gage,Eleanor Cotton
Series Casting By Amy Hubbard,Amy Jackson
Series Production Design by Hayden Matthews
Series Art Direction by Mel Thompson,Graeme Cowie
Series Set Decoration by Sue Jackson-Potter,Shonagh Smith
Series Costume Design by Charlotte Mitchell
Series Makeup Department Chris Lyons,Tifanny Pierre,Natalie Allan,Jill Sweeney,Samuel James,Sarah Johnson,Laura Beard,Franziska Roesslhuber,Sijia Axford,Katy Brown,Lee Eleazar,Jenny Murefu,Lauren Thompson,Charlotte Wood,Di McDonald,Rosie Octon,Madaleine Bassett
Series Production Management Kizzy Dhaliwal,Jack Glossop,Katie Kearney,Caroline Richards,Benjamin Rosenberg
Series Second Unit Director or Assistant Director Kieran Hayhow,Callum Hunter,Marie Sophie Driffield,Mark Inglis,Jake Rollins,Toby Sherborne,Yusra Gilani Ahmed,Gareth Webb,James King,Charles Curran,Dominic Davey,Jonay Sevillano Regalado,Steve Crabtree,Jasmin Greenland,Jordan Kotras,Marios Hamboulides,Trevor Kaye,Grantly Butters,Lawrence Dowell-Phillips,Darcy Farrant,Jennifer Rhodes,Tom Westgate,Andy Pearson,Dylan Nicholson
Series Art Department Alan Crozier,Liam Gibbs,Royston Humphries,Joe Toms-Ashcroft,Shannon Curtis,Luned Gwawr Evans,Keith Hufton,Craig Thomas,Morien Vernon-Jones,Ella Dovey,Alexandra Merchant,Amrit Sagu,Caroline Caley,Mimi Donaldson,Brendan Ewen,Genaya Hartley Gordon,Frederick Hannan,Simon Lee,Glen Carroll,Steph Oppermann,Thomas Xii Craig,Rachel Garlick,Phoebe Flaxton,Sophie Cowdrey,Chloe Loader,Charlie Hibbert,Kit Merryfield,Don Smith,Marcus Stellan,Graham Dance
Series Sound Department Glen Gathard,Rikki Hanson,Nigel Mills,Dafydd Weeks,Jamie Allen,Alex Thompson,James Kum,James Alexander,Jeremy Brown,Jack Eastman,Richard Pilcher,Jason Swanscott,Trevor Swanscott,Stuart Bagshaw,Robert Searl,James Gregory,Nigel Heath,Ben Wood,Helen Miles,Shaula Walker,Matt Coster,Federico Modanese,Sean McGarrity,James Abbay-Bowen,James Barrett,Andrew Caller,Angharan Evans,Jamie Hale,Sophie Mapplebeck,James Matthews
Series Special Effects by Mark Turner,Martin Jones,Scott MacIntyre
Series Visual Effects by Matthew Fitzgerald,Daniel Smith,Gabriel Valente,Crista Reed-Thomas,Joe Wreford,Andrew Li,Sam Ridgway,Declan Boyle,K L Sateesh Varma
Series Stunts Dean Forster,Tom Hatt,Dani Biernat,Leon Gabbidon,Rob Jarman,Ian Songhurst,Paul Bailey,Anna Benton,Christina Low,Andrew Burford,Karen Teoh,André Layne,Tony Van Silva,Martin Vose,Lloyd Bass,Maria Hippolyte,Paul Joseph,Joanne O Dell,Zach Roberts,Claire Lawrence,Benjamin Ashley,Eddy Beckett,Matthew Bell,Liam Carey,Stephanie Carey,Tracey Caudle,Francesca Cozier,Jonty Green,Nadia Hansell,Gary Hoptrough,Sarah Lochlan,Heather Phillips,Richard Verran Townsend,Donna Williams,George Harris,Kyle Holman,Martin Pemberton
Series Camera and Electrical Department Ben Platts,Pete Scott,David Key,John Truckle,James Pardon,Steve Quan,Andrew Truckle,Paul Hill,Rob Kitzmann,James Leigh,James Wiltshire,Sally Mais,Dion M. Casey,Tamia Diaz,Arthur Cauty,Andrew Bradley,Ben Mankin,Nathan Carson,Jack Crew,Kofi Richards,Nic Turton,Tom Askew,Robin Sparrow Biggs,Harry Cohn,Mandy de Groot,Tom Fears,Joseph Fionda,Brendan Gage,Jeff Gaydon,Charlotte Gee,Conor Gilmour,Matt Heath,Ian Jewels,Nabeel Mahmoud,Ian Pearce,Gruff Roberts,Alex Scott,Charles Sebestyen-Regan,Gary Sheppeard,Kieran Toman,Chris. M. Williams,David Holliday
Series Casting Department Heidi Lawry,Abhaya Sethu,Amy Jackson,Jill Scott,Olissa Rogers
Series Costume and Wardrobe Department Lauren Coates,Louise Nipper,Vicky Salway,Rosalie Tyack,Gayle Woodsend,Nicola Holter,Tope Odude,Amrit Sagu,Annabel Towler,Chloe Henderson
Series Editorial Department Clyde Kellett,Kyle Hartigan,Eleanor Cotton,Dee Collier,Jack Glossop,Will Fletcher
Series Location Management James Woodgate,Rhiannon Richards,George Hambidge,Adam Willmott,Jamie Lemetti,Clive Miles,Andy Moore,Monty Till,Richard Lindsay,Rebecca Pearson,Madeleine Hall,Bronagh Riley,Grace Carr,Emmalene Barlow,Paul Andrew Davies,Jake Sainsbury,Josh Suter,Dean Glyn Morris,Nikki Smart,Jack Thomson
Series Music Department Catherine Grieves
Series Script and Continuity Department Will Truefitt,Susannah Binding,Paul Rubery,Dani Watson,Jane Gruffydd,Chiara Carbonara,Elizabeth Benbow,Julia Gallart
Series Transportation Department Mark Oliver,Andrew Thurlbourne,Andy Boulton,Richard Collings,Doug Riddiford,Gary Towles,Dean Young
Series Additional Crew Tom Hingston,Steve Monchar,Rachel McVay,Chris Hale,Felicity Harrison,Ben Parsons,Charlotte Taylor,Luke West,Gemma Wright,Lori Azoor,Rebekah Harvey,Lindsey Perlman,Rachel Raftery,Glen Wiggall,Rebecca Creighton,David Devine,Alex George,Debi Lindsay,Daniel Rogers,Tara Bohn,Oskar House,Sascha May,Charlotte Brokenbrow,Jasmin Greenland,Martin Walton,Pablo Casas-Arruti,Oliver Laurenson Gore,George Page-Bailey,Christina Angeloudes,Alex Bell,Sam Clark,Beverley Clement,Judd Cowley,Alice De Lambert,Ben Harding,Beth Martin,Lucy Mills,Eben Neale,Hugo Pettitt,Kate Phillips,Nathan Richards,Richard Young,Amy Cavender,Ruby Flux,Andy Hines,Isabel Christina Maria Copley,Kailey Doku,Beth Leaver,Sammy Murray,Mia Pacak,Dale Platt,Kizzy Rowland,Lois Saunders,Rich Cain,Lydia Cartwright,Katharine Hardman,Ian Johnson,Ita O Brien,Simon Roberts,Nieaal Williams,Jack Bibby
Genres Comedy, Crime, Drama
Companies Amazon Studios, BBC Studios, Big Talk Productions
Countries UK
Languages English
ContentRating TV-MA
ImDbRating 7.7
ImDbRatingVotes 11289
Keywords community,dark comedy,stranger,force,noblewoman