Cast bringing the community together
The Outlaws
BBC1, 10.35pm
VIEWERS who have watched The Outlaws since episode one will no doubt have been hooked by the characters, scripts and ensemble cast. But it’s probably safe to say that some of the first tuned in for the novelty value of seeing veteran Hollywood actor Christopher Walken in a BBC series set in Bristol.
Stephen Merchant, who created the series as well as starring in it as Greg, admits that he always wanted the actor playing Frank to stand out.
He says: “One character is this older, charming, slightly devilish conman and I wanted him to be an older American actor because I liked the idea of him feeling a little alien in Bristol, like he’s the man who fell to earth.
“That was the opportunity to have some big star casting. But when you start to talk about it, there aren’t that many actors of that vintage who have that kind of charisma and that audience recognition.”
He adds: “Someone mentioned Christopher Walken and I thought that would be amazing. What I love about him is that he can do both great charm and be very funny, but also menacing at the same time.”
It may have initially seemed strange to see Walken in this series, but then that’s been one of the themes of The Outlaws, which has shown us how community service can bring together people who never normally meet.
In fact, Merchant says that’s the inspiration behind the drama. He explains: “Growing up, my parents used to work for Bristol Community Service. My mother was always careful, she would say, ‘I can’t tell you about specific cases...’ as if it was sensitive information and I couldn’t be trusted. But here and there, not naming names, she would talk about some of the people that came through the doors.
“I was always intrigued because it was such a mix of people. You’d have the businessman who’d got caught drink-driving or some student who’d got in trouble for some minor thing. Or there was an old guy who was stealing cabbages from allotments just to get community service, because he was lonely and he liked the social aspect of it.”
Merchant continues: “You could have a random cross-section of society and it was totally legit that they were all there doing community service. I was always interested in the idea of that.”
In this final episode, we’ll find out just how close our unlikely band have become as Christian’s nemesis closes in on him and the truth about their shared history is revealed to the outlaws.
Meanwhile, as Frank starts to bond with his daughter Margaret, John risks ruining his relationship with his own dad, and Rani’s parents remind her of the importance of honouring one’s obligations. Greg is caught between a rock and a hard place, and Gabby and Myrna join in a rescue mission, but ultimately the whole group is left facing a choice – should they die as individuals or join forces to survive?
It sounds simple when you put it like that….