You wouldn’t expect time-travelling romance to be tear-jerking, but that was exactly the case with Outlander. The series, first released in 2014, followed the fated relationship between WW1 nurse Claire and 18th century Highland warrior Jamie, as the pair found themselves in the most unexpected situations… but deeply in love.
Now, MGM+ is taking us even further back in time with Outlander: Blood of My Blood, the prequel to the main series. With a new cast of characters, but some very familiar settings, we’ll fall for two new couples tested by time.
Excited? We don’t have long to wait – the show is set to air this summer, and we’ve just got our first look at the action. Read on for everything we know so far about Outlander: Blood of My Blood, including the exciting cast, action-packed trailer and the official release date.
What’s Outlander about?
Outlander is a time-travelling love story, following World War II nurse Claire Randall as she’s mysteriously transported to 18th century Scotland. When she meets Jamie Fraser, a Highland warrior, she finds herself drawn to this brooding man and the pair start a passionate relationship. Unfortunately for Claire, she becomes entangled in the Jacobite rebellion, with the show exploring themes of love, war and, yes, time-travel.
The series is adapted from the novel by Diana Gabaldon, which is now a 10-book series. That’s enough to keep your bedside shelf stocked for a while.
Outlander: Blood of My Blood: Plot
A prequel to the hugely popular Outlander, Blood of My Blood spans from 18th Century Scotland to World War 1 England, from the Highlands to war-torn battlefields. Propelled by two new love stories, the timeless romantic drama explores loyalty, passion, desire, legacy and longing, as the young couples defy the forces that seek to tear them apart.
These new episodes show how Outlander’s Jamie Fraser’s parents met in Scotland, and Claire Beauchamp’s parents in England. And although this is a standalone series, featuring a brand new cast of characters, we’ll also get an insight into the origin stories of fan-favourite faces from the main show.
Don’t worry – whether you’ve watched every single episode or are new to the Outlander universe, you’ll get something out of Blood of My Blood, including new perspectives that could change your perspective of the original show.
Outlander: Blood of My Blood: Cast
After the swoon-worthy romance between military nurse Claire and Highland warrior Jamie, Blood of My Blood will introduce us to two new pairings: Julia Moriston (played by The Misfits’ Hermione Corfield) and Henry Beauchamp (Jeremy Irvine, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again) and Ellen MacKenzie (Harriet Slater, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny) and Brian Fraser (Jamie Roy, Condor’s Nest.) We know that these couples eventually become the parents of Jamie and Claire, giving us an exciting insight into their backgrounds.
Alongside Corfield, Irvine, Slater and Roy, the show will feature Tony Curran (Mary & George) as Simon Fraser, Lord Lovat, Séamus McLean Ross (Rebus) as Colum MacKenzie, Sam Retford (Grace) as Dougal MacKenzie, Rory Alexander (Then You Run) as Murtagh Fitzgibbons Fraser and Conor MacNeill (The Tourist) as Ned Gowan.
Outlander: Blood of My Blood: Trailer
It’s no surprise that the trailer for Outlander: Blood of My Blood hits many of the same notes as the original Outlander. Lush scenery, sweep-you-off-your-feet romance and intense action… count us in. Watch the teaser for the new series below.
Outlander: Blood of My Blood: Release date
If you’ve been waiting for the release date for this eagerly anticipated series, we have some good news. MGM+ have just announced when we can expect to see the first episodes. The show will be premiering on Saturday 9 August. New episodes will then air weekly on Saturdays through MGM+, for which you can buy a monthly subscription through Prime Video.