ITV has axed one of its primetime dramas after just one series – and its lead star has been vocal about his disappointment.
Out There, sees Martin Clunes play rural farmer Nathan Williams, who is struggling to save his business as third party investors try to take it over.
Meanwhile, his son, Johnny (Louis Ashbourne Serkies) turns to a drug dealer for help, causing Clunes’ character to become entangled in a series of unsavoury schemes.
However, after hitting TV screens in January this year, the show has been swiftly cancelled due to low ratings.
“We were keen on doing a second series but ITV aren’t, it seems,” Clunes told The Sun. “It didn’t quite pull the numbers they wanted, unfortunately.”
An ITV spokesperson added: “We are really proud of Out There and would like to thank Martin and the production team for delivering a brilliant series.
“We do always hope to see our series return and we are sorry we didn’t get this drama to connect with a big enough audience to see that happen.”
When the show was released, fans hoped it would be renewed saying: “Just binged #OutThere and loved it! They’d better do a second series though as that would be a hugely unfinished drama. Sadly ITV have left other shows unfinished. Love #MartinClunes anyway, think the cast are brilliant and a gripping story.”
However, The Independent’s chief TV critic Nick Hilton wasn’t the biggest fan, writing in his two-star review: “It’s always frustrating to see something in a primetime slot that feels like a first draft. And the raw idea of taking Martin Clunes – a beloved actor known for his grinning affability – and turning him into a hard-bitten working-class hero isn’t a bad one.
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“But the simplicity of that is rapidly swamped by the surfeit of extraneous plots in Out There. Good shows are built off an elevator pitch – a description pithy enough to be recited during a short vertical ride – whereas you’d need to go up and down The Shard half a dozen times to get to grips with what Out There is all about.”
Clunes played Doctor Martin Ellingham in the popular ITV comedy-drama series, Doc Martin, which ran for ten series between 2004 and 2022.
Earlier this month, it was revealed that the programme would be getting a US remake called Best Medicine, starring Josh Charles, best known for his work in Dead Poets Society and The Good Wife.
In a statement to Variety, Fox Television Network president Michael Thorn said: “The story of Doc Martin has resonated worldwide with its humanity, originality and humor, and with Best Medicine coming to Fox, that eccentricity gets a smalltown America spin, complete with idyllic charm and absurdity.”
