It turns out that it’s not just the famous Outlander fan base that has generated interest in Scotland, the key setting for Diana Gabaldon’s beloved novels and her adaptation to the Starz TV series. In fact, cast members and Scots Sam Heughan and Graham McTavish became so obsessed with the history, landscape and culture of their homeland that the pair co-created and produced a new series for the network that takes them around the country in a camping van.
Heughan, who stars alongside Caitriona Balfe as the 18th-century heartthrob Jamie Fraser in “Outlander”, originally conceived “Men in Kilts: A Roadtrip with Sam and Graham”, which opens on Starz on Sunday as a podcast. (McTavish says he pretended to know what it was.) But it quickly became clear that the project needed a visual component.
“I was looking to develop something around the Scottish highlanders and the clans and tartans,” says Heughan, who started talking to McTavish, his co-owner in seasons 1, 2 and 5 of Outlander, in early 2019, while both were in Los Angeles. Angeles. “Obviously, when working on ‘Outlander’, I saw that people were interested in Scotland and the history of Scotland. And I love that part of ‘Outlander’ too. As soon as I returned to Scotland, I realized: ‘I work with some of the best teams in Scotland and I know the best locations. What is preventing us? ‘I put together a team and financed and took Graham on a plane and we just went for it. “
Initial filming took place in September 2019, with the actors and their small team working on the weekends around Heughan’s “Outlander” schedule. They used this video to create a pilot, which they introduced to various networks, including Starz, who connected McTavish, Heughan and their production partner Alex Norouzi with Boardwalk Pictures.
“We were very aware that we didn’t want to be just an ‘Outlander’ spin-off. Obviously, it has to provide context – that’s why Graham and I met and it’s the reason I’m here, ”says Heughan. “But we decided to do our own show.”
Sam Heughan as Jamie Fraser, with Caitriona Balfe, in an “Outlander” scene.
(Aimee Spinks)
Most of the series’ eight themed episodes were filmed in August over three weeks amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The production managed to reach an ideal point after the first blockade in the United Kingdom, where domestic trips were allowed, and “Men in Kilts” was one of the first productions to come into operation under the new COVID-19 filming protocols. It helped that the series was structured like a car trip, with the two actors traveling through Scotland in a funky van that Heughan actually drove during most of the filming. Although the venues and guests have been arranged in advance, most of the action is improvised.
“We knew where we were going, who we were going to meet, what we were going to see and why it interested us,” explains Kevin Johnston, who directed the episodes. “But it has a documentary tone and I didn’t want to produce the guys much. They are really charming, they are very good, and I think if we were telling them what to do too much, it just wouldn’t be so interesting. Other people went to Scotland, other people did travel programs, but no one has these two and their chemistry. “
“Men in Kilts” acts as a companion to McTavish and Heughan’s 2020 book “Clanlands: Whiskey, Warfare and a Scottish adventure like no other”, which goes in more depth on the history and culture presented on the show. Both intend to present a different version of Scotland, highlighting what makes the country and its people unique.
“I wanted to demystify the Scottish romance a little bit,” explains McTavish. “Modern Scotland is very forward looking. I think the story is great and I’m particularly interested in it, but when I look at Scotland now I see a really vibrant European nation. A nation that is connected to the world. “
Although “Men in Kilts” is not expressly political, the mention of Scotland’s European character highlights the series’ underlying connection with issues such as Brexit, the UK’s departure from the European Union, which took place on January 1, and Scotland’s independence . Both actors were vocal activists for Scotland’s 2014 independence referendum, and they are looking forward to their country having its own voice and identity in the modern world.
Sam Heughan, left, and Graham McTavish on a motorcycle in Balquhidder, Scotland.
(Peter Sandground)
“I think, hopefully, the stories we tell and the love letter we give Scotland with the show talk about our own views on independence without beating the drum on it,” McTavish says. “Scotland is a place to be celebrated whether you are Scottish or not, and a place to be proud of. I am not a nationalist in the sense that I think we are better than anyone else. I just think it’s about being proud of your own country and where you come from, and having a sense of connection with that. This was really what Sam and I wanted to convey, our own personal feelings of pride and desire to share Scotland’s history and what it has to offer. “
“I’m not a politician,” adds Heughan. “I am afraid that the actors will be asked about their politics or their stance – but also, why not? Especially when we’re doing a show about Scotland and Scottish heritage and culture. It is something to be proud of … Nationalism, I think, is not a good thing and we have seen its rise in America. But in fact, Scottish nationalism is a little different. It is not about closing borders, but about being open to the rest of the world and not being isolated. “
McTavish sees recent calls for a second independence referendum, as Scotland “has been given a chance to shape its own destiny as a nation”. Heughan was more direct on Twitter in December, responding to news that Scottish Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon would push for independence again by writing: “It is time to escape from buffoon warrants” Despite very real political differences in Scotland, however – the percentage of Scottish voters who opposed Brexit was 62%, compared to 48% in the UK as a whole, and research shows support for independence is stable at around 54% – “Men in Kilts” is gay and vicarious fun. Although some makeshift travel programs look like parachute journalism, this is like two guys bringing you home with them for a few laughs.
“A lot of people can’t travel now and in a way I’m like, ‘Should we show people a travel program when they can’t travel? It’s only getting worse, ”admits Heughan. “But the essence of this is that it is about the journey and what is right at your door. Instead of having to go to a distant place, you can literally find a travel companion and take a trip and look at the history around you. “
“It was a huge laugh,” adds McTavish, who confirms that there have already been discussions about a second season. “This is one of the things we both wanted – that feeling of two people genuinely traveling together because they want to have fun. It turns out that we brought a film crew with us. We would have done it anyway, to be honest. “