The BBC has unveiled the first trailer and details for its highly anticipated new prison drama, Waiting For The Out, set to premiere in early 2024. The gritty six-part series promises to deliver a powerful and provocative story perfect for viewers who enjoyed hits like Time and Orange Is The New Black.
Premiere Date and Creative Team
The series is scheduled to make its debut on BBC One at 9:30pm on Wednesday, January 3. It has been adapted from Andy West's acclaimed memoir, The Life Inside: A Memoir Of Prison, Family and Learning to be Free. The screenplay is the work of celebrated writers Dennis Kelly and Levi David Addai, with direction from Jeanette Nordahl and Ben Palmer.
Production is led by Louise Sutton for the independent production company Sister. The ensemble cast features Josh Finan in the lead role, supported by a talented lineup including Francis Lovehall, Gerard Kearns, Samantha Spiro, Phil Daniels, and Stephen Wight.
A Story of Identity and Inheritance
The drama centres on Dan, a philosophy teacher who takes a job working in a prison. This new environment forces him into a profound personal crisis. Despite having built a life on the outside, Dan is haunted by his family's history with the penal system; his father, brother, and uncle have all served time behind bars.
As described by the BBC, the synopsis reveals: "Through his work, Dan begins to dig deeper into his own past... 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." His escalating obsession threatens to unravel his future and destabilise his family.
First Look and Cast Reactions
The released trailer introduces Dan as he welcomes a new group of prisoners to his class, prompting them to imagine two worlds: "the just world" and "the lock world." The tense clips hint at the psychological depth of the series, showing fraught interactions between Dan and his incarcerated brother, Lee, who challenges Dan's choice to work within the prison walls.
Lead actor Josh Finan, known for The Responder, expressed his enthusiasm for the project: "Having the chance to work with writing of this quality, inspired by such a rich real-life story, alongside such talented creatives, is a genuine gift... I'm itching to get filming and can't wait for people to get the chance to watch this hugely sensitive, empathic, hilarious and at times deeply emotional story."
With its compelling premise, strong creative pedigree, and complex exploration of freedom and fate, Waiting For The Out is poised to be a standout addition to the BBC's drama slate in the new year.
