Upcoming Time Travel Show Based On Bestselling Book Will Be Perfect For Outlander Fans

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With the popular show Outlander coming to an end, a new time travel series from the BBC promises to fill the void for fans. Based on a bestselling novel released in 2024 and inspired by Diana Gabaldon’s book series, Outlander has been a huge success, winning awards and captivating audiences for eight seasons with its compelling love stories and historical setting.

While it’s sad to see it finish, the last season of Outlander is currently airing, having begun on March 6th and concluding on May 15th. Luckily, the story isn’t over! A prequel series, Outlander: Blood of My Blood, is planned, focusing on the love story of Jamie’s parents and expanding the Outlander universe.

Good news for Outlander fans: more shows with a similar feel are on the way! Romantic fantasy and science fiction are gaining popularity, and several are being adapted for television. One example is The Ministry of Time, which shares many of the qualities that Outlander viewers enjoy.

The Ministry Of Time By Kaliane Bradley Is Becoming A TV Show

Kaliane Bradley’s first novel, The Ministry of Time, released in May 2024, was an instant success. It became a New York Times bestseller and was also a finalist for the Hugo Award for Best Novel.

Even before its release, the BBC and A24 secured the rights to adapt The Ministry of Time into a TV series. The script is being written by Alice Birch, a screenwriter known for her work on critically acclaimed shows like Normal People and Dead Ringers. The series will have six episodes and will be available to stream on BBC iPlayer and broadcast on BBC One.

Both Outlander and the upcoming TV show, Ministry of Time, center around love stories that transcend time periods.

The novel centers on a nameless character who takes a job as a “bridge” – a modern-day contact – at the newly formed UK Ministry of Time. This department brings people from different points in history to the 20th century as part of a time travel project. During this work, the protagonist develops a romantic relationship with Commander Graham Gore, a captain who led a dangerous Arctic expedition in the 1800s.

Outlander & The Ministry Of Time Feature Time Travelers Involuntarily Thrown Into A Different Time

Time travel is usually something people choose to do, but in the stories of Outlander and The Ministry of Time, the main characters aren’t in control. Both shows follow characters who unexpectedly find themselves transported to a different time period, one they’ve never known.

The story of Outlander starts with Claire, a woman who unexpectedly travels from 1945 back to the 1700s through a mysterious stone circle. While she has some historical knowledge, she’s completely unprepared for actually living in that era and quickly needs to learn how to survive.

Like the other main character, Commander Graham Gore in The Ministry of Time doesn’t choose when or where he travels through time. The government agency running the experiment controls his journeys. He’s unexpectedly pulled from the Victoria Strait in 1847, just before he was about to die, and brought to present-day England. As the story’s narrator, it’s my job to help Commander Gore adjust to modern life.

Both stories ultimately feature characters who deliberately travel through time, attempting to alter things that have already happened or are yet to happen.

The Ministry Of Time Blends Together Genres Like Outlander

Outlander is unique because it blends several genres together. It’s not just science fiction, romance, or historical drama – it combines elements of all those, and even throws in adventure and mystery at times. As the show goes on, it also includes storylines about family life and the challenges Claire and Jamie face with their loved ones.

As a film buff, I really appreciate how The Ministry of Time doesn’t fit neatly into any one genre. It’s a fantastic blend, but if I had to pick two main elements, I’d say it’s science fiction and romance. Honestly, the romance – a truly epic love story spanning different eras between the narrator and Gore – is what really drives the whole thing. But it’s also just plain fun watching the time travel aspects and all the mind-bending paradoxes that come with it.

Beyond its time-travel premise, The Ministry of Time includes a significant spy plot that feels like a classic thriller. It also offers a lot of funny workplace interactions, combining British wit with genuinely hilarious moments. And while the characters travel from the past to the present day rather than the other way around, the show still tells a compelling historical fiction story.

It’s rare to see a show that attempts to combine five different genres, and I’d be worried about how it would turn out in the hands of most creators. Even the director, Kaliane Bradley, found it a bit challenging to juggle everything. But Alice Birch has a history of successfully mixing genres, as demonstrated in her previous work like Lady Macbeth and The Wonder, so I had confidence she could pull it off.

What Is The Status Of The Ministry Of Time?

After a two-year wait, the TV adaptation of the popular book, The Ministry of Time, is officially happening. Lindsay Salt, head of drama at the BBC, revealed she secured the rights because she was a big fan of the novel. Filming is now scheduled to begin later this year.

Unlike Outlander, which is planned to have multiple seasons, The Ministry of Time will likely be a limited series with just one season. Considering A24’s typical production schedule, we anticipate it will premiere between mid- and late-2027. This timing works well for Outlander fans, as the original series will have finished airing, but the spin-off, Outlander: Blood of My Blood, will still be in production.

The popular spinoff is expected to return for another season around late 2026 or early 2027. Given the strong performance of the overall franchise, a third season of Blood of My Blood is highly probable. This would mean fans have The Ministry of Time to enjoy in between seasons, bridging the gap while they wait.

The production company has worked with several streaming services, so it’s unclear which one will handle international distribution. However, because the original book is so popular, it’s very likely that The Ministry of Time will be available globally.

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2026-04-02 02:49