The BBC has unveiled the trailer for its upcoming prison drama, Waiting for the Out, which is adapted from Andy West’s acclaimed memoir The Life Inside by award-winning writer Dennis Kelly (Together, Utopia, Matilda The Musical).
The six-part series, which arrives on 3 January, stars BAFTA nominated actor Josh Finan (The Responder) as Dan, a philosopher who begins teaching a class of men in prison. Through his work, Dan delves into his own past, having grown up with a father, brother and uncle who all ended up behind bars.
The series is produced by the award-winning production company SISTER, which boasts an impressive slate of TV hits such as Black Doves, This Is Going to Hurt and Chernobyl. So it’s safe to say viewers are in for a compelling watch! Plus, the series is based on a moving and funny memoir, which suggests that viewers are in for a gut-punching watch with some lighter moments in between.
The newly-released trailer gives a glimpse into Dan’s first day on the job. Sitting amongst male prisoners in a circle of chairs, Dan leads a philosophical discussion about dominance, freedom, luck. He tells the inmates: “I want you to imagine two fictional worlds. The first is called the just world and the other, the luck world.”
The shot then cuts to Dan and his brother Lee (played by Stephen Wight), who clearly disapproves of his brother’s new role, which is perhaps too close to home considering their family history.
“You are choosing to go into that place!” Lee tells his brother.
© CREDIT LINE:BBC Studios/Sister Pictures/Jessica SansomWhat is Waiting for the Out about?
The series follows Dan, a philosopher who begins working in a prison, where he leads classes on philosophy. But through his work, Dan begins to dig deeper into his own past – growing up with a father, brother and uncle who all ended up behind bars.
The synopsis continues: “Dan’s life has taken him down a different path and his time working in prison begins to make him worry, obsessively, that he belongs behind bars just like his father. As Dan’s personal crisis deepens his actions begin to threaten both his own future and his family’s.”
Who else stars in Waiting for the Out?
Josh Finan (The Responder, Baby Reindeer) leads the cast as Dan. He’s joined by Gerard Kearns (The Last Kingdom, The Smoke) as Dan’s father, Stephen Wight (Screw, Bergerac) as Lee and Phil Daniels (House of the Dragon) as uncle Frank.
Also starring in the series are Samantha Spiro (Sex Education) who plays Dan’s mother, alongside Sophia Brown (The Capture, Witcher: Blood Origin), Ronke Adekoluejo (Rain Dogs), Neal Barry (Rain Dogs) and Jude Mack (Such Brave Girls).
© CREDIT LINE:BBC Studios/Sister Pictures/Jessica SansomMeanwhile, playing the prisoners in Dan’s classes are Alex Ferns (Andor), Francis Lovehall (A Thousand Blows), Josef Altin (Top Boy), Steven Meo (House of the Dragon), Ric Renton (One Off), Tom Moutchi (Gladiator II), Nima Taleghani (Heartstopper), Sule Rimi (The Day of the Jackal) and Charlie Rix (Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power).
© CREDIT LINE:BBC Studios/Sister Pictures/Kerry SpicerCharacters in the series, which is also penned by Levi David Addai (Damilola, Our Loved Boy) and Ric Renton (One Off), have been fictionalised.
How to watch Waiting for the Out
The series premieres on Saturday 3 January, with all episodes available to stream on BBC iPlayer from 6am and the first episode airing on BBC One at 9:30pm that evening.
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