Why the BBC's new sci-fi drama Outcasts is just so good...

In the US, mysterious sci-fi shows are ten-a-penny. We’ve had Lost, and now The Event. So it was about time the UK got its own slice of the action – and show that TV series can be intelligent, adventurous and not spoon-feed its viewers. There’s a need for shows that trust their viewers to stick with them for the long haul, to invite them in, to say ‘Come along for the ride, see through our eyes, hear through our ears. Enjoy the whole process instead of just the big pay-off in the finale.’ And so, filling in to what I like to call the ‘Silent Witness slot’ in BBC1’s schedule, we have Outcasts.

One of the reasons it is so good is because not only is it a brilliant sci-fi, but it is a brilliant drama too. It’s this fundamental element that stands at the heart of the show, driven forward by the excellent cast, ensuring that while there is a whole host of mysterious, futuristic goings on, there is always a core theme of great dialogue and character interplay.

This is a serious show, and as such, probably bears far more in kin to the likes of Star Trek than that holy grail of BBC sci-fi, Doctor Who. Now, I’m a massive Doctor Who fan, but I’m sure as many other fans will testify, there will be days when you want your sci-fi without all the comedy trappings and ‘funkiness’ that are a fundamental part of Doctor Who. And in terms of sci-fi that is ‘serious’, Outcasts has it in bucketloads. It’s not even so much that it’s gritty – that all time favourite word for describing drama’s – because it isn’t. Instead it depicts a world that seems to be hanging on by the finger-tips; the average citizen kept in relative bliss while the inner workings of society revolve around the truth that they still really know so little about the world they’ve chosen to call home.

One of my favourite moments from the first two episodes is when President Tate addresses the captain of the space-ship in orbit around Carpathia. Those high-above the planet, floating in the vast expanse of space have travelled for five years from Earth – and as it slowly dawns on us that most of them are not going to make it... well, it was one of the most deeply moving moments I’ve seen in a TV show in a long time. And as the captain made his Titanic-esque ‘going down with the ship’ speech, you felt like you were there with the President, hoping and praying that at least some of those poor souls would survive.

But what about the cast? President Richard Tate is perfect, encompassing all the gravitas and order needed for such a role, but maintaining those rough edges of unsurity at times that tell the story of a man who has had his role thrust open him.

It’s a delight to see Daniel Mays in the role of Cass. He was absolutely brilliant in Ashes to Ashes, and in many ways plays a similar role here. He’s essentially a police-man again, unpredictable, head-strong and with a biting wit. Some of the shows best one-liners come from him, especially his banter with Jack. He’s got that rogue-ish charm going on, the classic blokey every-man, but with deeper layers of secrets hidden deep, deep down.

And then we have Fleur, playing a brilliant counterpoint to Cass. In many ways she’s very similar to him; strong, intelligent, with an almost tomboyish streak. But whereas Cass has a dark side to him, Fleur has a vulnerability, that softens her and transforms her into perhaps the shows central heroine.

This is the great wild-west, playing out in the future. A lone fortress of sanctuary amidst a barren desert of unknowns. But what a beautiful desert it is though. Filmed in South Africa, the show has pulled a pure winner here, everything is absolutely breathtakingly stunning. The cinematography is simply wonderful, almost painting-like. It feels at once arty, but hyper-futuristic. Earth-like, but also inherently alien. I’m glad the show has decided to keep the CGI shots to a minimum, because quite-frankly it doesn’t need them.  Aside from obvious cases like shots of the space-ship and the wide shots of Forthaven in its entirety, there’s an organic natural-ness to the rest of the visuals that at times is bewitching and enchanting, and at others, highly unsettling.

Two episodes in, the plot is still cloaked in shadows and mystery. But already the characters have more than come into their own. You feel for this ragged band of survivors, these outcasts, you want them to succeed. One of the reasons I’ve always loved sci-fi so much is because of its capacity to conjure up vivid new worlds, provide an escape from the normal rules and confines of our world. And in terms of Outcasts, the show has done this admirably. There’s still a lot for us to learn about Carpathia, and I’m right there with the characters, eager to experience more.