BBC Wales And Kudos To Produce New Sci-Fi

[Mark]

"I don't think the human race will survive the next thousand years, unless we spread into space. There are too many accidents that can befall life on a single planet. But I'm an optimist. We will reach out to the stars."

– Stephen Hawking

BBC Drama today announces that Outcasts – a brand new high concept series from Kudos Film and Television and Ben Richards (Spooks, Party Animals) – is in development by BBC Wales for BBC One.

Set in space with the future of earth looking increasingly precarious, the race is on in Outcasts to find an alternative home in the universe.

In return for their "liberty", a group of social misfits and criminals are sent to be the pioneers of a large new settlement on a near planet.

They contain a variety of different types – from the brilliant deviant to the petty thief. They are the "outcasts", fascinating but ultimately dispensable who must build the conditions for a new life.

Outcasts is a tense and fast-paced series about co-operation and conflict, idealism and power, sexual competition and love. Most of all it is about our life's big imperatives – cheating death, seeking suitable mates and surviving as a species.

Jane Tranter, Controller, BBC Fiction, says: "Following the unique success of time travel in Life On Mars, I'm naturally extremely excited about the dynamic duo of Kudos and Ben Richards joining forces to create a further dimension in BBC Drama."

Jane Featherstone, Joint MD, Kudos Film and Television, says: "The colonisation of space by humans is only a matter of time, and we think that Ben Richards' brilliant vision of what life will be like when that happens will offer audiences a dramatic, original and entertaining new drama arena."

Sounds promising

[Dirk Gently]

Sounds interesting.

[Perry Vale]

Following the unique success of time travel in Life On Mars....

But there wasn't any time travel in LoM, was there?

[Si Hunt]

I can't believe nobody has had the idea of a band of petty criminals and outcasts from the near future exploring space before.

Si.

[Rob McCow]

I don't know about this. I hope there are some jokes in it, or it could be a bit too earnest!

[Milky Tears]

I already despise the opening titles.

[Paul Monk]

Blakes 7 returns!

[Dave Tudor]

Indeed! But then, between them, BBC Wales and Kudos are producing some of the best drama series on television right now, so it could be good.