WAITING FOR THE OUT: FIRST LOOK IMAGES FROM NEW BBC DRAMA BASED ON ANDY WEST MEMOIR

The BBC has released first look pictures for Waiting For The Out (w/t), a new six-part series based on Andy West’s acclaimed memoir The Life Inside, from the multi-award-winning writer Dennis Kelly (Together, Utopia, Matilda The Musical). The series is produced by award-winning SISTER (Black Doves, This Is Going to Hurt, Chernobyl) with filming in and around Liverpool wrapping earlier this year.  

BAFTA nominated Josh Finan (The Responder) leads the cast as Dan, a philosopher who begins teaching a class of men in prison. The first look pictures introduce Dan’s classes, which see him lead philosophical discussions about dominance, freedom, luck and other topics that gain new meaning when seen through the prisoners’ eyes.  

Through his work, Dan begins to dig deeper into his own past - growing up with an abusive father (Gerard Kearns) who ended up in prison, as did his brother Lee (Stephen Wight) and uncle Frank (Phil Daniels), who are each seen in the first look pictures alongside Samantha Spiro who stars as Dan’s mother.

Dan’s life has taken him down a different path, but his time working in prison begins to make him worry, obsessively, that he belongs behind bars just like his father. As Dan’s personal crisis deepens his actions begin to threaten both his own future and his family’s. 

Also seen in the newly released pictures are prisoners Dris (Francis Lovehall), Greg (Josef Altin), Macca (Steven Meo), Wallace (Ric Renton), Junior (Tom Moutchi), Samson (Sule Rimi) and Zach (Charlie Rix), who each attend Dan’s classes. Rounding out the cast is Alex Ferns (Andor), Ronkẹ Adékoluẹjo (Rain Dogs), Nima Taleghani (Heartstopper), Sophia Brown (Witcher: Blood Origin), Neal Barry (Rain Dogs), and Jude Mack (Such Brave Girls). 

Andy West, executive producer and author of The Life Inside, says: “I’m so thankful to the writers, directors, producers and everyone involved in adapting The Life Inside. They have brought extraordinary creative and moral imagination to the stories in the book. We all hope to make a series that goes beyond the cliches about prisons and the families inside them and that touches people either side of the wall.”

Josh Finan says: “Having the chance to work with writing of this quality, inspired by such a rich real-life story, alongside such talented creatives is a genuine gift. A real pinch me moment. Every stage of the process so far has been both a joy and a welcome creative challenge. I’m itching to get filming and can’t wait for people to get the chance to watch this hugely sensitive, empathic, hilarious and at times deeply emotional story.”

Executive producers for SISTER, Chris Fry and Katie Carpenter add: “Andy West’s brilliant memoir offers a compelling, thought-provoking, exploration of masculinity, guilt, and freedom. We feel so lucky to be working with Dennis Kelly on the adaptation; from the first draft we knew he had something urgent and profoundly moving on our hands...

"The quality of his writing has rightly attracted a remarkable cast, led by the brilliant Josh Finan, and directors, Jeanette Nordahl and Ben Palmer. Waiting For The Out is a story that asks big questions but resists easy answers. We hope it will resonate deeply with audiences. We’re delighted to partner with the BBC on a project that quietly challenges the way we think about our justice system and the lives lived both on the inside and the out.”

Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama, adds: “Waiting For The Out offers an inspiring and nuanced new take on male identity, forgiveness and self-discovery from one of the UK’s greatest writers. It’s a joy to have Dennis back on the BBC and to be working with the SISTER team to bring his thoughtful, funny and moving scripts to life.”

Waiting For The Out (w/t) will air in early 2026 on BBC iPlayer and BBC One in the UK. The project is backed by BBC Studios, who will handle global sales.