Martin Clunes will star in new ITV thriller Out There - and it's the first time he'll act on the small screen since he left Doc Martin in 2022.

The new series sees him playing against type, as he portrays a farmer "confronted with dark forces seeping into his rural community".

Martin plays Nathan, a man who will stop at nothing to protect his son from county lines drug-dealing. Here's everything you need to know about Out There on ITV, including plot, cast and start date.

What is Out There on ITV1 and ITVX about?

Out There is a brand new thriller on ITV1 and ITVX which tackles the subject matter of the "escalating and insidious crime wave sweeping the British countryside".

We meet Nathan Williams, a farmer who is forced to confront the dark forces seeping into his rural community. He finds his livelihood, home, and family life are threatened by local county lines drugs dealers.

They are essentially urban gangs using the British countryside as a field of operations and moving drugs and money between their inner-city
hubs and provincial areas.

"Out There" is the slang used by urban drug dealers to describe a countryside they hardly know and yet greedily exploit through County Lines.

And Welsh farmer, Nathan will stop at nothing to protect his son and farm. When Nathan's son Johnny reconnects with an old friend called Rhys, he discovers his old pal is now a local drug dealer.

Rhys manages to trick Johnny into running drugs for him. On learning part of this, Nathan tries to sort things out for Johnny the best way he knows how: by threatening Rhys and trying to pay off the debt without involving the police.

Out There is 'full of surprises'

ITV's Head of Drama Polly Hill, who commissioned the series, said: "Out There is a brilliantly compelling drama, from the team behind Manhunt, where county lines become very real for a father and son already dealing with the modern challenges of running a farm."

She added: "Martin Clunes is wonderful as Nathan, in a drama full of surprises, as he tries to navigate the best way to save his son, in a world he doesn't understand."

What's the start date of Out There on ITV1 and ITVX?

Out There is expected to land on ITV1 and ITVX in the winter schedules.

That's sometime between January and March 2025.

Where is ITV series filmed?

The Martin Clunes series Out There is set in the beautiful Welsh countryside. And that's where it was filmed, too.

Filming took place in Wales in late 2023. Welsh director Marc Evans revealed it was filmed in the Black Mountains, saying: "We are thrilled to have the support of Creative Wales to produce Out There in my home country.

"We are able to explore beautiful and rarely seen areas around the Black Mountains and to use local talent for our cast and crew."

Locals also spotted Martin Clunes and camera crews filming in Llandovery.

How many episodes is it?

Out There will be six episodes of one hour each, including ads.

All episodes will be available to watch as a boxset on ITVX after airing.

Who is in the cast of Out There on ITV?

Actor Martin Clunes portrays farmer and father Nathan Williams in the cast of Out There on ITV1 and ITVX. Of course, Martin is known for a multitude of TV roles, including grumpy Doc Martin, Gary in Men Behaving Badly, and DCI Colin Sutton in Manhunt.

He said of his role in the thriller: "I'm very happy to be working with Marc Evans and Ed Whitmore again after the success of Manhunt. Out There couldn't be more different from Doc Martin. It's pretty dark, but definitely a story worth telling."

His son Johnny is played by Louis Ashbourne Serkis. As his name suggests, he's the son of Sherwood actress Lorraine Ashbourne and Lord of the Rings actor Andy Serkis. He's perhaps best known for playing Sheridan Smith's son Noah Powell in No Return.

Amongst the actors also featuring in Out There are Baby Reinderr's Mark Lewis Jones who plays Caleb Williams.

Meanwhile, Fool Me Once actress Natalia Kostrzewa stars as Eva, Midsomer Murders' Carly-Sophia Davies is Sadie, and Ludwig's Gerran Howell plays Rhys.

Out There will air on ITV1 and ITVX in early 2025.