Outcasts Cast Out To Late Night Sunday Slot

After last night’s episode pulled in just 2.6 million viewers

The Guardian has confirmed that the BBC’s new sci-fi show, which only began airing last Monday, is to be moved to a late night Sunday slot after “disappointing” ratings. There will one more episode shown next Monday on BBC 1 at 9pm, then the next episode after that will be on at 10.25pm on Sunday 27 February. The final two episodes will then follow at a similar time on the next two Sundays.

Last night the show, which launched with 4.4 million viewers, fell to a new ratings low against tough competition from Channel 4’s ratings juggernaut My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding – just 2.63 million viewers.

BBC drama controller, Ben Stephenson, said the move did not signal that the BBC does not want to take risks and said the show had attracted a “loyal, core audience… BBC1 and BBC Drama support creative risk. Sometimes this means that talented people make shows that don't engage enough of the audience. I have so much respect for any writer who has the nerve and confidence to create their own original world and serve it up to an audience. It’s highly important to me to support them no matter how the project is received, whilst primarily always trying to engage the widest possible audience.”

Let’s just hope the BBC realise that the reason Outcasts failed to find a wide audience was because it was a little bit dull, and not because there isn’t a big audience out there for adult sci-fi.

Dave is a TV and film journalist who specializes in the science fiction and fantasy genres. He's written books about film posters and post-apocalypses, alongside writing for SFX Magazine for many years.