"Outlander," a slow-starting, time-traveling and very pretty TV adaptation of the Diana Gabaldon novels, already is a hit. Its premiere episode, which otherwise debuts Saturday (Aug. 9) at 8 p.m. on Starz, has been streaming for several days in multiple places. Philiana Ng @ HollywoodReporter.com reported Friday (Aug. 8) that the streams already have been viewed almost 900,000 times.
Further reading about "Outlander":Joanne Ostrow @ DenverPost.com:
After a very slow start, "Outlander," from the book series by Diana Gabaldon, is a bodice-ripper with a sprinkling of science fiction, a fantasy drama with a bit of action-adventure.
Executive-produced by Ronald D. Moore of "Battlestar Galactica," "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" and "Star Trek: The Next Generation," it's a pretty tale with the even prettier Irish actress Caitriona Balfe in the role of Claire Randall, the time traveler at the heart of the action.
Todd VanDerWerff @ Vox.com:
The best word to describe "Outlander," Starz's new TV series adaptation of the popular books by Diana Gabaldon, is "seductive." Because the books are famous for their intense central romance, "seductive" might suggest that this is a story about sex, first and foremost, but that would be wrong. No, "Outlander" is seductive in the way so many good TV shows are seductive: It lures you slowly but surely into its world, then leaves you there long after that week's hour has ended.
It's a nifty trick for a show whose main setting is Scotland in the 18th century. What's even more impressive is how "Outlander" simultaneously presents a romanticized version of the location, while still dealing with its grim realities (particularly for its female protagonist). Everything about this series is a tricky balancing act, and that necessarily means that it occasionally stumbles. But it works more often than not in the six episodes Starz sent to critics. And even when it's struggling, it's still beautiful to look at.
Alan Sepinwall @ HitFix.com:
Starz's new drama series "Outlander" tells the story of a World War II combat nurse from England who finds herself flung back in time to the Scottish highlands in the 1740s, struggling to adjust to the customs of this strange place and period, trying to figure out a way to return home, and torn between her love for her academic husband in the 20th century and her growing feelings for the rugged, kilted Scotsman who becomes her friend and chief protector.
These are all elements and overlapping genres that, on paper, I usually have little use for. But "Outlander," adapted by "Battlestar Galactica" showrunner Ronald D. Moore from the popular novels by Diana Gabaldon, is a classic example of the old Roger Ebert axiom that what a story is about is ultimately less important than how it's about it. That outline above suggests a formulaic mash-up of fantasy and romance novels, but "Outlander" in practice (it debuts Saturday night at 9, though the first episode has been available online for a while) is exceedingly watchable and has far more on its mind than counting down to the ripping of bodices.
