While new ITV thriller Out There tells a story centred around fictional characters, father and son Nathan and Johnny, it deals with an issue which is all too real.
Advertisement
The story tackles the issue of county lines drug dealing, which has become a serious problem in rural areas in recent years.
To do this, writer Ed Whitmore and director Marc Evans, who were previously behind ITV's Manhunt, had to look to real-life stories of those affected by the crime - and therefore felt an obligation to honour and faithfully represent their experiences.
Evans revealed as much when speaking at a Q&A for the series, as he was asked what he hoped viewers would take away from the thriller.
"I hope they just enjoy really cracking good drama, first and foremost," he said.
"But, I think that the experience that we had making Manhunt, which is where I first met Buffalo and Ed, who were kind enough to offer me that job, is there's a part of your brain that is wanting to pay due diligence to the real situation and not be too fanciful with it or too genre, and the other half of your brain is wanting to tell a good story."
Gerran Howell as Rhys and Josef Altin as Kenny in Out There. ITV/Buffalo Pictures
Evans continued: "So we had an amazing cast led by Martin [Clunes], and we had a good story that's based on real events. I'm hoping it's both, if this doesn't sound too pretentious - both entertaining and educative at the same time, because this stuff is real."
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
