ITV & ITVX Commission New Thriller

Out There, a new thriller starring Martin Clunes and Louis Ashbourne Serkis, is coming to ITV1 and ITVX.

Set in the Welsh countryside, the six-parter centers on a farmer who deals with urban gangs using his homeland as a field of operations, moving drugs and money between their inner-city hubs and provincial areas. The farmer embarks into a dark world as he fights to protect his family, homestead and legacy.

Out There is written by screenwriter Ed Whitmore (Steeltown Murders, Grace, Manhunt, Silent Witness, Safe House) and director Marc Evans (Steeltown Murders, Manhunt, The Pembrokeshire Murders, Grav). Produced by Buffalo Pictures (Manhunt, Doc Martin, Arthur & George), the series was commissioned by ITV and ITVX.

Clunes commented: “I’m very happy to be working with Marc Evans and Ed Whitmore again after the success of Manhunt. Out There couldn’t be more different from Doc Martin. It’s pretty dark, but definitely a story worth telling.”

Polly Hill, ITV’s head of drama, added: “Out There is a brilliantly compelling drama from the team behind Manhunt, where county lines become very real for a father and son already dealing with the modern challenges of running a farm. Martin Clunes is wonderful as Nathan in a drama full of surprises as he tries to navigate the best way to save his son in a world he doesn’t understand.”

Whitmore said: “County lines is a particularly vicious and ruthless wave of drug dealing that uses fear and violence to coerce often vulnerable young people into working as runners and dealers. It has become a serious and rapidly increasing problem across the whole of the U.K., so it felt like an important and timely story to tell.

“I’ve always been fascinated by the notion of things being hidden in plain sight and the way in which different social worlds can co-exist cheek-by-jowl until, one day, they collide. The fundamental premise of Out There—a widowed farmer who discovers that his son has fallen foul of county lines—immediately spoke to me as a story I wanted to tell.”

Filming has commenced in Wales, and the drama is being produced in association with Creative Wales.

Evans commented: “We are thrilled to have the support of Creative Wales to produce Out There in my home country. We are able to explore beautiful and rarely seen areas around the Black Mountains and to use local talent for our cast and crew.”

Gerwyn Evans, deputy director of Creative Wales, said: “We are so pleased to be supporting the production of Out There, which tells a very contemporary and gripping story of rural communities being affected by organized crime. While telling a dark and harrowing tale, Out There also showcases some of our stunning countryside, and is yet another example of first-class drama being made in Wales.

“Creative Wales is focused on ensuring that our TV and film industry has a sustainable, ethical future that gives back to the economy and people of Wales. Productions like Out There, which provide jobs, significant spend in our economy and trainee placements that help to build our long-term supply of talent, are absolutely crucial in helping us to meet this ambition.”