Following major success with two series of The Outlaws, Bristolian-born actor and writer Stephen Merchant has received a worthy nomination for his role in the show at this year’s BAFTA awards.
Premiering back in 2021, the BBC series was named the “biggest comedy launch” of the year for the broadcasting giant, with millions flocking to binge-watch the series which stars not only Merchant, but Hollywood legend Christopher Walken. The series was swiftly renewed for a second series, with the whole cast – including Walken – returning for the next adventure.
Merchant, who also wrote and directed the series, is up for best ‘male performance in a comedy programme’ this year, with stiff competition from the likes of Daniel Radcliffe (Weird: The Al Yankovic Story) and Matt Berry (What We Do In The Shadows).
The Outlaws nomination marks one of 81 for the BBC, with the broadcaster raking in the most nominations in comparison to competitors Channel 4, ITV and Netflix.
Set and filmed entirely in Bristol, The Outlaws follows a group of seven strangers who form an unlikely, situational friendship while attending community service. Things go awry, however, when the group discovers a hidden bag of cash at the building they are cleaning up – a bag of cash that just so happens to have dangerous owners.
The acclaimed show was also nominated at last year’s BAFTA awards in the Comedy Writer category, marking Merchant’s second nomination for the show.
Since its premiere, The Outlaws has garnered a commendable 7.7 rating on IMDB, and its first series has been streamed over 11 million times on BBC iPlayer. You can catch up with both series now on BBC iPlayer.
When are this year’s BAFTA TV Awards?
This year’s TV BAFTA’s will take place on 14th May 2023.
Where can I watch it?
The BAFTA’s will be streamed live on BBC and iPlayer at 7pm on 14th May 2023.