Outlander exec argues Blood of My Blood is "not looking to replicate Jamie and Claire”
The spin-off series is "uniquely different" to the original Outlander series.
We're only a day away from the premiere of Outlander: Blood of My Blood, and while we're set to get awe-inspiring panoramic shots of the Scottish highlands, sweeping love stories and time travel, the spin-off series is actually more different to Outlander than fans may be expecting.
The new series is focused on the parallel love stories of Jamie (Sam Heughan) and Claire's (Caitríona Balfe) parents, but also incorporates its own hurdles and dilemmas, with the notion of family, power and succession all playing a prevalent part in the show.
Of course, though, there must've been mounting pressure to ensure casting for the spin-off series lived up to fan-favourite duo Jamie and Claire.
When asked about it at a set visit for Outlander: Blood of My Blood last year, showrunner and executive producer Maril Davis revealed to RadioTimes.com and other press: “There was a lot of pressure to cast this one because obviously, look at Outlander, that’s been really successful in terms of casting."
She went on: "We already know who Jamie and Claire are, so that’s set up in terms of their looks and personalities. So we set out to cast their parents and we were like ‘how do we clone these two people in some ways but make them different?’
"It’s inevitably going to be compared, these two shows. But they are uniquely different in many ways. We’re certainly not looking to replicate necessarily Jamie and Claire, we want these two couples to stand uniquely on their own.”
While Blood of My Blood will undoubtedly be subject to comparisons to the original show, Outlander's very own Sam Heughan has expressed excitement at the idea of the show's family growing.
Speaking at the US premiere of Outlander: Blood of My Blood, Heughan told Variety: "I’ve no idea what to expect. I know nothing other than the basic premise, so I’m a fan. I’m coming here because I love the world."
Read more:
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The official synopsis for Outlander: Blood of My Blood reads: "Outlander: Blood of My Blood introduces viewers to two new couples – Julia Moriston (Hermione Corfield) and Henry Beauchamp (Jeremy Irvine), and Ellen MacKenzie (Harriet Slater) and Brian Fraser (Jamie Roy) – who fight against all odds to be together as their love stories unfold across time.
"From the battlefields of World War I to the rugged Highlands of 18th century Scotland, two fated love stories must defy the forces that seek to tear them apart, intersecting in surprising and unforeseen ways."
The series is led by Harriet Slater (Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny) and Jamie Roy (Condor's Nest) as Jamie's parents Ellen MacKenzie and Brian Fraser, while Hermione Corfield (We Hunt Together) and Jeremy Irvine (Benediction) play Claire's parents Julia Moriston and Henry Beauchamp.
Other cast members include Rory Alexander (Then You Run), Sam Retford (Coronation Street), Séamus McLean Ross (Payback), Conor MacNeill (The Tourist), Tony Curran (Mary & George), Peter Mullan (Ozark) and plenty more.
Outlander: Blood of My Blood will premiere on Saturday 9th August in the UK on MGM+ in the UK. You can buy Diana Gabaldon's Outlander books on Amazon.
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Authors
Morgan Cormack is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering everything drama-related on TV and streaming. She previously worked at Stylist as an Entertainment Writer. Alongside her past work in content marketing and as a freelancer, she possesses a BA in English Literature.
