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

Though the original Outlander is ending soon, the BBC’s upcoming time travel show based on a bestselling debut novel from 2024 will be perfect for fans. Based on the book series by Diana Gabaldon, Outlander has been a massive hit, garnering multiple Saturn awards and winning over the hearts of viewers everywhere. Over the course of eight series, the audience has invested in the star-crossed romances and historical drama.

However, all good things must eventually come to an end. The final season of Outlander started on March 6, and the finale will come on May 15. The franchise will continue, though, with the prequel show Outlander: Blood of my Blood, which explores the romance between Jamie’s parents. This will help fill in the hole left by the first series.

Additionally, fans of Outlander can look forward to future projects that capture the same spirit. Romantasies and romantic sci-fis are becoming more popular, and many are getting onscreen adaptations. One such show is The Ministry of Time, a story that feels like it was made just for Outlander fans.

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

After its May 2024 release, the debut book The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley quickly became a hit, landing on the New York Times Bestsellers list and being shortlisted for the Hugo Award for Best Novel.

Before it even released, the BBC and A24 optioned The Ministry of Time for a TV show, with BAFTA and Emmy-nominated screenwriter Alice Birch writing the script. Birch gained recognition for her work on Normal Girls and Dead Ringers. The upcoming TV show will consist of six episodes and debut on the BBC iPlayer and BBC One.

Out-of-time romances are the backbone of Outlander, and they will be the basis of the Ministry of Time TV show, as well.

The story follows an unnamed protagonist who is recruited to serve as a 21st-century liaison, called a “bridge,” at the UK’s newly established Ministry of Time. The department brings figures from across history to the 20th century for a time-travel experiment. In the process, the protagonist meets and falls in love with Commander Graham Gore, a 19th-century captain from a deadly Arctic expedition.

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

Oftentimes, time travel is completely intentional, but that isn’t the case when it comes to the main characters of Outlander and The Ministry of Time. Both of these stories center on characters who involuntarily travel through time to a period they have never experienced before.

Outlander begins with the main character, Claire, being thrown back in time from 1945 to the 18th century after passing through the stones. She might know a little bit about history, but she has never experienced the world she’s sent to. As such, Claire must rapidly adapt.

Similarly, Commander Graham Gore, one of the two main characters in The Ministry of Time, has no control over his movement through time. That was decided for him by the government department conducting the experiment. He is taken from the Victoria Strait in 1847, moments before his death, to modern-day England. As the “bridge,” the narrator is responsible for acclimating Gore to society.

Eventually, both stories include characters who intentionally travel through time to change events, whether in the past or the future.

The Ministry Of Time Blends Together Genres Like Outlander

One of the defining characteristics of Outlander is that it doesn’t fit neatly into any genre box. Rather, the TV show mashes together elements of science fantasy, romance, historical fiction, and occasionally adventure and mystery. Plus, there’s a little bit of domestic drama in later seasons with Claire and Jamie’s family.

Along the same lines, The Ministry of Time stands out among the crowd because it defies genre labels. The two strongest genres of The Ministry of Time are science fiction and romance. The romance is romance across time periods is the heartblood of The Ministry of Time, as the narrator and Gore’s love is star-crossed. At the same time, it’s entertaining to see the time travel and the paradoxes that it can cause.

However, The Ministry of Time also features a major espionage plotline that leans into the spy thriller genre. There’s plenty of workplace comedy banter, blending together British humor and laugh-out-loud moments. Plus, even though the characters come to the 21st century rather than future individuals going into the past, it still embraces historical fiction.

Not many shows would be daring enough to blend five different genres together. In anyone else’s hands, I would be extremely concerned. Even Kaliane Bradley struggled slightly with balancing all the elements. However, Alice Birch’s past work, especially Lady Macbeth and The Wonder, proves that she’s capable of navigating multiple genres in a single movie or TV show.

What Is The Status Of The Ministry Of Time?

After two years of silence, The Ministry Of Time TV show based on the bestselling book is moving forward, finally. BBC drama boss Lindsay Salt stated that she was instrumental in obtaining the rights to the story because she loved the book. She also confirmed that The Ministry of Time team is preparing to start filming later this year.

Unlike Outlander, The Ministry of Time is expected to be a single season. Based on past A24 projects, we estimate that the show will hit screens in mid- to late-2027. That’s perfect timing for Outlander fans. The original show will be done at that point, but Outlander: Blood of My Blood won’t be.

The spinoff will return for a second season around the end of 2026 or the start of 2027. If Blood of my Blood is renewed for a third season, which seems pretty likely based on the franchise’s success, this will place The Ministry of Time between two seasons of the show, giving fans something to watch while waiting.

The production company has used multiple streamers, so there’s no guarantee which company will distribute it outside the UK. Given the book’s popularity, it’s highly likely they will make The Ministry of Time accessible worldwide.