What happens when a quiet life in the countryside collides with something far darker? What if the rolling green hills you’ve known all your life hide secrets no one wants to see? Out There on ITV takes that idea and runs with it, turning a family farm into a battleground between loyalty, survival, and morality.
The show isn’t about faraway jungles or mountains, it’s about the wildness that grows inside people when they’re pushed too far. From its first episode, Out There feels different. It’s personal, unsettling, and deeply human. Let’s unpack what makes this six-part drama worth talking about.
Life on the Edge of Nowhere
Out There opens in rural Wales, where Nathan Williams runs his family farm. He’s still reeling from the death of his wife and trying to hold his life together. The land is his legacy, his refuge, and his burden. It’s also slipping through his fingers.
Nathan’s teenage son, Johnny, wants more than small-town life offers. He’s restless and drawn to easy money. That hunger pulls him into the orbit of local criminals, who see his family’s struggling farm as a useful cover for their trade.
From there, things spiral. Nathan’s quiet world becomes a war zone of suspicion and violence. The story doesn’t need city streets or flashing lights; it finds menace in sheep barns, dirt tracks, and empty fields. The contrast between the beauty of the land and the corruption creeping into it gives Out There its uneasy power.
Out There on ITV Season 1: Where It All Began
Out There on ITV season 1 launched in January 2025, introducing audiences to a new kind of British crime drama. Instead of slick detectives or polished villains, it gave us people who look and sound ordinary, people who might live next door.
The show aired on ITV1 in a prime Sunday slot, and the full season dropped the same night on ITVX for binge-watchers. That decision made sense; Out There plays like a single-tense novel. Each episode ends on a quiet cliff edge, pushing you straight into the next.
Don’t forget: From Waitress to Wealth: Brenda Blethyn Net Worth Journey
By the finale, the tension has built to the breaking point. Every decision carries weight. Every mistake comes home. Nathan’s efforts to protect his family only pull him deeper into the danger he’s fighting to escape.
When Was Out There Released, and Where Can You Watch It?
The Out There ITV release date was 19 January 2025, airing at 9 p.m. on ITV1. That same night, all six episodes went live on ITVX, ITV’s streaming platform. If you’re in the UK, that’s where you can watch the full series now. For international viewers, access may vary, but VPN users have managed to catch it through ITVX. The show’s strong word-of-mouth buzz helped it reach audiences well beyond the UK.
Meet the Cast: Familiar Faces, New Depths
The cast of Out There on ITV is one of its greatest strengths. Martin Clunes, best known for his long run as Doc Martin, steps into completely new territory as Nathan Williams. Gone is the charm and humor of his usual roles. Here he’s weary, guarded, and unpredictable. You can see the strain in his face every time the world closes in a little tighter. Louis Ashbourne Serkis plays Johnny, Nathan’s son. He brings raw energy and vulnerability to the role, showing how a good kid can lose his way without ever realizing it. Their relationship, half love, half frustration, anchors the show emotionally.
Mark Lewis Jones appears as Caleb, Nathan’s brother, a man torn between loyalty and self-preservation. Natalia Kostrzewa plays Eva, a local woman whose quiet presence hides deeper involvement. Gerran Howell and Carly-Sophia Davies round out the younger side of the cast, representing the generation trapped between opportunity and danger. Together, they make the world of Out There feel lived-in and authentic. These aren’t caricatures. They’re people who make wrong choices for the right reasons, or the other way around.
Out There on ITV Episodes: How the Story Unfolds
You might be wondering, Out There how many episodes are there? The first season has six episodes, each running about an hour. The pacing is deliberate, slow enough to build atmosphere, fast enough to keep you tense.
Episode 1 sets the stage. We meet Nathan, Johnny, and the fragile balance of their world. The show doesn’t waste time hinting at danger. By the end of the first hour, that danger is real.
Episode 3 is where things start to crumble. Nathan realizes the trouble his son is in, but every attempt to pull him back only exposes them further. The emotional distance between father and son becomes as dangerous as the criminals they’re facing.
Episode 6, the finale, brings it all to a head. Without spoiling it, the last moments are raw and uncertain. You don’t walk away with easy answers, just a sense that every choice came with a price.
Out There Season 2: Will It Ever Happen?
Here’s the tough news: Out There won’t be returning for a second season. ITV confirmed that Out There season 2 is not in the works. Despite strong performances and solid reviews, the network decided to end it after one season.
Fans were quick to protest online. Many praised Martin Clunes for showing a completely different side of himself and argued that the story had more ground to cover. But the creators designed the show as a limited series from the start. What we have is a complete arc, self-contained, tragic, and final.
If you’re the kind of viewer who hates unfinished stories, don’t worry. Out There doesn’t leave you hanging. The ending feels true to the world it built. It’s messy, emotional, and earned.
What Makes Out There Worth Watching
So, is Out There on ITV worth your time? Absolutely. Here’s why.
First, it treats its audience like adults. There’s no hand-holding, no spoon-fed morality. The show trusts you to sit with discomfort and uncertainty. You’ll spend more time watching characters think than shout, and that’s a good thing. Second, it’s visually stunning. The cinematography captures Wales in all its contradictions: lush and lonely, peaceful yet hostile. The landscape isn’t just scenery; it mirrors the characters’ isolation and turmoil.
Third, it’s built on emotion, not shock value. When violence comes, it feels real. It’s messy, awkward, human. That restraint makes every confrontation hit harder. And finally, Out There stands out because it refuses to glamorize crime. The money, the power, the danger, they all come with a cost. You feel the weight of every lie and compromise.
The Power of Martin Clunes’ Performance
For years, Martin Clunes was known as the cranky but lovable doctor in Doc Martin. That makes his transformation here even more striking. As Nathan Williams, he’s not a man of witty lines or easy warmth. He’s bruised, proud, and constantly on edge.
You can see the exhaustion in him, the kind that comes from years of trying to hold a family together. When he finally lashes out, it’s not theatrical. It’s desperate. It’s the kind of rage that builds up quietly until it can’t stay hidden.
Critics praised Clunes for the honesty of his performance. There’s no vanity here, no attempt to soften Nathan’s flaws. He’s stubborn, fearful, sometimes cruel, and that’s exactly what makes him believable.
The Mood That Makes It Stick
Most crime dramas rely on pace and plot twists. Out There relies on tone. The stillness, the silences, the long shots of wind-swept hills, they all build unease. You can feel that something bad is always one step away.
Even the dialogue reflects that restraint. Characters speak in short bursts, often saying less than they mean. You read between the lines, which keeps you engaged.
The soundtrack helps too, minimal, atmospheric, always hinting that peace is temporary. Together, the visuals and sound make you feel trapped in the same quiet dread as the characters.
Out There Episode 3 and Episode 6: Turning Points
It’s worth highlighting two of the most intense hours in the series, episode 3 and episode 6.
In episode 3, Nathan’s denial cracks. He starts to realize just how deep Johnny’s in, and that’s when his fear turns to anger. It’s one of the most emotionally charged points in the show. The bond between father and son begins to splinter, and from there, there’s no going back.
Episode 6 brings closure but not comfort. It doesn’t wrap things up neatly. Instead, it forces every character to face what they’ve become. The choices made in that final hour linger long after the credits roll.
Why Out There Feels So Real
Part of what makes Out There hit so hard is how real it feels. The story might be fictional, but its roots run deep. Rural communities are struggling with economic decline. Families fractured by grief and desperation. Young people are drawn into dangerous circles because they see no other path. The show doesn’t preach about any of it. It just shows you the consequences. Every bad choice starts small, a shortcut, a favor, a lie. By the time you realize how far things have gone, it’s already too late.
The Ending and What It Says
Without spoiling key details, the ending of Out There doesn’t give you victory or redemption. It gives you something more honest: survival at a cost. Nathan and Johnny both reach their breaking points. What started as a father’s effort to protect his son becomes a test of what “protection” even means. Sometimes saving someone doesn’t look like saving at all. The final scenes linger because they feel painfully real. The damage doesn’t just disappear. It stays, shaping what’s left of their lives.
FAQs
How many episodes are there of Out There on ITV?
There are six episodes in total. Each builds directly on the last, so it’s best watched as one continuous story.
Is ITV Out There worth watching?
Yes. It’s dark, thoughtful, and beautifully made. If you like slow-burn dramas that dig into moral gray areas, this one delivers.
Is Out There available on ITVX?
Yes. All six episodes are streaming on ITVX in the UK.
Is ITV Out There a true story?
No. It’s a fictional drama, though it draws inspiration from real social issues like rural poverty and small-town crime.
Why was Out There cancelled?
ITV decided not to renew it for a second season, likely due to moderate ratings despite critical praise.
