Scripted series · BBC One
The Outlaws
Cleaning up their act is dirty work.
Who's in it
Cast
The principal ensemble across the run of the series.
Christopher Walken
Frank
13 eps
Rhianne Barreto
Rani
17 eps
Darren Boyd
John
17 eps
Gamba Cole
Christian
17 eps
Jessica Gunning
Diane
17 eps
Clare Perkins
Myrna
17 eps
Eleanor Tomlinson
Gabby
17 eps
Grace Calder
Sgt Haines
17 eps
Kojo Kamara
DS Selforth
16 eps
Harry Trevaldwyn
Stan
5 eps
Rhys Yates
Smiler
9 eps
Charles Babalola
Malaki
15 eps
Claes Bang
The Dean
10 eps
Tom Hanson
Spencer
14 eps
Dolly Wells
Margaret
12 eps
Aiyana Goodfellow
Esme
12 eps
Stephen Merchant
Greg
17 eps
Ian McElhinney
John Snr
12 eps
Nina Wadia
Shanthi
10 eps
Gyuri Sarossy
Jerzy
8 eps
Elizabeth Dulau
Lesley
1 eps
Steve Aaron-Sipple
Man (Rani's Lover)
1 eps
Jessica Boyde
Anne-Marie
5 eps
Chelsea Edge
Sarah
2 eps
Silvia Presente
Tori
4 eps
Bridgitta Roy
Rhona
4 eps
Nicholas Rowe
Strickland
5 eps
Brona C. Titley
Female Uber Passenger
1 eps
Rufus Wright
DCI Monroe
7 eps
Richard E. Grant
The Earl
4 eps
Amanda Drew
Ruth
11 eps
Patrick Robinson
Sean
5 eps
Brett Curtis
Young Sean
1 eps
Ricky Grover
Burgess
4 eps
Ross Hatt
Dog Walker
1 eps
Gerard Horan
Hilgard
4 eps
Adrian Lukis
Kelvin Archer
2 eps
Adam Vaughan
Scary Inmate
1 eps
Matilda Ziegler
Judge #1
4 eps
Mircea Monroe
Helena
2 eps
The Nutevio profile
TV DNA
How The Outlaws actually feels to watch, measured on the traits our editors track across every series.
Signature profile
The Outlaws reads strongest on Character Depth, Serialized and Bingeability.
How fully written and psychologically layered the ensemble is.
How much each hour depends on the one before it.
How hard it is to stop after one episode.
How often the series is genuinely funny, by design.
The sustained pressure the series keeps you under.
How much the series is designed to affect you.
How often an episode ends on a hook you can't ignore.
Visual ambition — scale, craft and set-piece filmmaking.
The scale, internal logic and texture of the world.
The story
What it's about
Seven strangers from different walks of life - people who would never normally interact - are forced to work together to renovate a derelict community centre. They resent the menial physical labour and they resent each other. But when one of their number gets dragged into a dangerous world of organised crime, they unite in ways none of them thought possible.
The run
Seasons
3 seasons · 17 episodes.
Season 1 · Complete
Series 1
20216 episodes
6.1IMDbBest episode · S01E06 Episode 6
Season 2 · Complete
Series 2
20226 episodes
5.6IMDbSeries 2 picks up a few months after the climax of series 1. The Outlaws still have time to serve on their sentences, but quickly realize the criminal underworld isn’t done with them yet — not by a long chalk. This ragtag group of misfits’ shared past comes back to haunt them, in the shape of a terrifying London drug lord out for blood — The Dean.
Best episode · S02E01 Episode 1
Season 3 · Complete
Series 3
20245 episodes
4.9IMDbWith crime boss The Dean behind bars awaiting trial, The Outlaws are moving on with their lives – until one of their own returns with a deadly secret, hurling them back into mortal danger. As a murder manhunt closes in on the gang, can they prove their innocence before The Dean's case collapses, and he comes looking for revenge?
Best episode · S03E04 Episode 4
Where the series peaks
Best Episodes
The hours that define the show, ranked by audience response and editorial signal.
S01E06
Episode 6
Even with redemption seemingly in reach, the outlaws find their time running out, and the net closing around them. They face a stark choice — die apart, or survive together?
- Directed by Stephen Merchant
- Written by Stephen Merchant
S01E01
Episode 1
Seven very different strangers begin their community payback sentences, renovating a derelict building in Bristol. But can any of these ‘outlaws’ really reform?
- Directed by Stephen Merchant
- Written by Elgin James, Stephen Merchant
S01E04
Episode 4
A lifelong scoundrel reflects on his past mistakes, the police recruit a surprising new deputy, and a young woman makes a decision which could endanger the lives of all of the outlaws. Can the outlaws launder their dirty money before the gangsters track them down?
- Directed by John Butler
- Written by John Butler
S02E01
Episode 1
A few months on, the outlaws still have time to serve on their sentences. But they discover the criminal underworld isn’t done with them yet.
- Directed by John Butler
- Written by Stephen Merchant
S01E03
Episode 3
The outlaws find themselves in choppy waters. A campaigner is rejected by the very cause to which she dedicated her life, and a decision is made about the outlaw’s sudden windfall.
- Directed by John Butler
- Written by Nikita Lalwani, Stephen Merchant
S02E06
Episode 6
Out of options and time, the outlaws must take extreme measures. But with the eyes of the public and the police on them, can they together pull off the con to end all cons?
- Directed by Alicia MacDonald
- Written by Stephen Merchant
Recently aired
Latest Episodes
S03E05
Episode 5
- Directed by Curtis Vowell
- Written by Jessica Gunning, Stephen Merchant
S03E03
Episode 3
- Directed by Curtis Vowell
- Written by Jess Bray, Nikita Lalwani
S03E02
Episode 2
- Directed by John Butler
- Written by Stephen Merchant, John Butler
S02E06
Episode 6
- Directed by Alicia MacDonald
- Written by Stephen Merchant
Behind the series
Created by
Showrunners, creators, executive producers and the writers who set the voice of the series.
- Photo unavailable
Elgin James
Creator
Stephen Merchant
Showrunner
- Photo unavailable
Jon Petrie
Executive producer
- Photo unavailable
Seb Barlow
Executive producer
- Photo unavailable
Benjamin Rosenberg
Executive producer
- Photo unavailable
Luke Alkin
Executive producer
- Photo unavailable
Matthew Justice
Executive producer
- Photo unavailable
Kenton Allen
Executive producer
- Photo unavailable
John Butler
Executive producer
- Photo unavailable
Jess Bray
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Claire Downes
Writer
Jessica Gunning
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Nikita Lalwani
Writer
Emma Jane Unsworth
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Nathaniel Price
Writer
The craft
Key Crew
Directing, writing, production, camera, music and editing.
Executive production
- Jon PetrieExecutive Producer
- Seb BarlowExecutive Producer
- Benjamin RosenbergExecutive Producer
- Luke AlkinExecutive Producer
- Frances du PilleProducer
- Matthew JusticeExecutive Producer
Writing
- Jess BrayWriter
- Claire DownesWriter
- Jessica GunningWriter
- Nikita LalwaniWriter
- Emma Jane UnsworthWriter
- Nathaniel PriceWriter
Direction
- Curtis VowellDirector
- Alicia MacDonaldDirector
- Stephen MerchantDirector
- John ButlerDirector
Cinematography
- Nick MartinDirector of Photography
Music
- Stew JacksonOriginal Music Composer
- Dan JonesOriginal Music Composer
Where to watch
Streaming
Availability verified against regional listings.
- Amazon Prime VideoStreaming
- Amazon VideoBuy
- Apple TV StoreBuy
- Fandango At HomeBuy
- Amazon Prime Video with AdsStreaming
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Watch Next
Our editors' suggestion for the show you should start tonight — and why.
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Watch this next if you like protagonists you can't quite defend.
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Never stop watching
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