So the BBC have got a lavish new sci-fi show with a stellar cast of TV regulars, a big budget and some exciting filters on the cameras, possibly borrowed from the Top Gear production office, to lend an other worldly feeling to whichever backwater quarry was used as the location of planet "Carpathia". It seems that in the future, humanity has forgotten about iPhones, painted their guns orange and thrown out all the flat screen televisions in favour of something from Amstrad, possibly as a condition of Lord Sir Alan of Sugar's continued participation in annual idiotfest "the apprentice".
Throw in some ham fisted exposition as the cast try to engage the viewer in the backstory, and an unconvincing rivalry between the security and exploration factions and you have all the ingredients of a cult TV program. Unfortunately, Outcasts is too po faced, and takes itself too seriously to achieve this status, the time slot doesn't help it's cause either! Scheduling the programme at 9pm on BBC one creates high expectations that the impressive cast can't hope to meet, and no amount of pregnant pauses (it seems that in the future, a pause to add gravitas is an essential requirement of any sentence!) can rescue things.
Episode one of Outcasts was watchable but largely forgettable. It is too early to give up on this bleak post apocalyptic dystopia yet and it remains to be seen if the imminent arrival of Daniel from Ugly Betty can add anything worthwhile to the format.
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