Outlander: Blood Of My Blood: What We Know About The Prequel Spinoff
It’s fair to say that while the hit drama, Outlander, is still very capable of bringing fans dramatic reveals and some of TV’s sexiest romantic moments, that the show is a bit long in the tooth. The historical romance, which is currently filming a super-sized Season 7, was recently announced to be ending with a 10-episode eighth season on Starz, leaving dedicated viewers without the book finale that’s still being written by author Diana Gabaldon.
But! Good news awaited in that sad announcement, because we are going to be able to go back even further in time with the prequel series, Outlander: Blood of My Blood. Though there are plenty of things about the upcoming drama that we don’t know just yet, we do have quite a bit of info regarding the first official expansion of the on-screen world. So, let’s get to it!
What Is The Outlander: Blood Of My Blood Premiere Date?
As it’s still very early stages, no premiere date for Outlander: Blood of My Blood has been announced right now. Additionally, we don’t know if production on the final season of the flagship series will take precedence (as many of the behind-the-scenes players are also involved with the new show) and push the debut even further back than we might otherwise expect.
As Of February 2023, No Cast Has Been Announced Yet
Seeing as how the upcoming show was only recently given an official, public greenlight, no cast members have been revealed right now. However, with Outlander still being one of the best shows on TV and such a consistent hot commodity, it’s likely that producers are already working to find the right people to take on many of the important roles, so that they can begin filming as soon as all the other pieces are fully in place. With that, I wouldn’t be surprised if we hear about the leads (at least) being cast within a few months from the time of this writing.
The Outlander Prequel Will Focus On Jamie Fraser’s Parents
Yes! We’re finally at something that we know for sure, as the upcoming prequel will set its sights on the love story between Jamie Fraser’s parents, Ellen MacKenzie and Brian Fraser. As executive producer and showrunner Matthew B. Roberts told Starz when the spinoff was announced:
Outlander: Blood of My Blood is, at its heart, a love story. It will explore what lengths a person will go to find love in a time when love is considered a luxury, and when marriages are made strategically, often for political or financial gain. The title is a nod to Jamie Fraser’s marriage vow to Claire and there will be several names and faces that Outlander fans will know and recognize.
During Season 1 of Outlander, we saw a few flashbacks of Jamie’s father right before his sudden death, though we’ve never seen Ellen (whom Claire and Jamie’s daughter, Bree, is said to look a lot like) on screen before. Roberts’ words also mean that viewers will be treated to a much younger version of Brian, Dougal MacKenzie, and Brian's friend/sorta rival for Ellen’s affections, Murtagh Fitzgibbons Fraser. And I’m definitely here for more Murtagh!
The Series Will Have 10 Episodes In Season 1
The network also announced that this expansive, historical story will be given a good amount of time in the first season to set things up for fans, as there will be 10 episodes for us to enjoy. Fans of the previous show (as well as any who adore the novels) are sure to know some details about the characters who will be involved here, but the episode count will allow for plenty of time to set things up for any newcomers.
Related:
The 10 Best Outlander Episodes So Far, Ranked
Many seasons of the long-running series that we already know and love have had 13 episodes, so it’s not impossible that, should this new show prove equally popular, a possible second season might shoot for a longer run time.
Outlander’s Matthew B. Roberts Will Act As Showrunner And Executive Produce
As was noted above, Starz also revealed that Matthew B. Roberts will act as showrunner, while also executive producing Outlander: Blood of My Blood. He just so happens to hold the same gigs on the original series, and helped create the new show with his fellow Outlander executive producers Ronald D. Moore and Maril Davis. Roberts is also set to write the upcoming drama.
The Writers Started Working On The Scripts By Early August 2022
Speaking of writing this exciting show, a report from Deadline in early August 2022, which finally confirmed that the rumored series was in development at the premium cable channel, noted that the writers room had already opened and that work on the story was underway. And, it turns out that those behind the show are getting help in crafting Ellen and Brian’s romance from someone well known to the fans who's the most important player in the world of Outlander.
Author Diana Gabaldon Is Writing A Book About Jamie’s Parents And Will Serve As A Consulting Producer On The Show
It was late in 2022 that Diana Gabaldon, the writer behind the many Outlander novels and several spinoff books and short stories, announced on her website that while working on the tenth and final installment in Claire and Jamie’s adventures, she had also begun work on the story of Brian and Ellen’s courtship and eventual marriage, even sharing an excerpt from her initial writings. Because the author is already well versed in the 18th century time period of her stories (along with, obviously, knowing everything there is to know about her characters), she has officially been announced as a consulting producer on the hotly anticipated prequel.
The original series itself is due to air sometime in the summer of 2023, and we obviously have more to learn about Outlander: Blood of My Blood before its eventual debut. Until such a time, you can continue to stream any and all shows like Outlander. Now, if they could only give us a spinoff series about the ever popular Lord John Grey, I think the fandom would absolutely be even happier.
