HUMANITY'S LAST HOPE: "OUTCASTS"

A brave new world for Ashley Walters and Hermione Norris in the new sci-fi drama series OUTCASTS. Image: BBC TV/KUDOS.

The evocative idea of colonising a new world- and all the struggles to survive and civilisation building that accompany it-has long been the brilliant stuff of classic sci-fi novels, but now the UK's BBC and production company KUDOS are creating a live action event TV series of this fascinating high concept idea: OUTCASTS, starting an eight part season run from next week on the BBC 1 and HD channels, with the opening two episodes being shown over two nights next Monday and Tuesday. In this new series, our worst nightmare prediction has come true: planet Earth has finally been devastated by a nuclear holocaust and humanity, in the best STAR TREK-like tradition (but without the feel good characters and incredible technology-this series is more like ALIEN and STAR WARS in its used universe like visual feel), have journeyed into the stars to find their new home. Home being Carpathia, where Earth's often unlikely first pioneers will tread their first delicate, though bold, steps of living and adapting to the brave new world around them. And despite Carpathia's intriguing beauty and its distinctive two moon sky, life will still not be easy, as man, as ever, lives or dies by its emotions in this new world, as power struggles emerge and human decency finds itself at odds with corruption, greed and murder. Can mankind ultimately overcome its petty vices to survive and prosper alongside its weighty idealism?

Filmed totally on location in the hot and beautiful climes of the wilderness of South Africa, and with a varied international cast including SPOOKS Hermione Norris, BATTLESTAR GALACTICA's Jamie Bamber, ASHES TO ASHES Daniel Mays, UGLY BETTY's Eric Mabius and HUSTLE's Ashley Walters, this series is a big and expensive gamble for its makers, but it has potential and certainly looks visually splendid from the trailers so far. But beyond the marvellous concept, what about the characters and storylines themselves? How good they prove to be will surely, ultimately determine its longevity. Hopefully by no means a dud like the BBC/KUDOS previous co-production, the James Nesbitt starrer THE DEEP, early UK press reviews have indicated that the first episode of OUTCASTS is pretty heavy going and gloomy in places, and KUDOS itself has on several occasions allegedly tried to play down any notions that the series is sci-fi (a bad sign of insecurity), instead strengthening its publicity more towards the name stars and the character aspects of the series. Let's hope that OUTCASTS can spread its wing pasts its opening installments and indeed become an interesting, possibly memorable, and exciting series long term, with aforementioned characters that we'll hopefully find intriguing and respond to. If not, the men and women of the planets Forthaven settlement may find life even more lonelier and hostile if no ones tunning in for the next seven weeks!

Look out for KOOL TV's review of OUTCASTS in the near future...