The BBC has released first-look images for 'Waiting For The Out' (working title), a new six-part drama from multi-award-winning writer Dennis Kelly, based on Andy West's memoir 'The Life Inside'. The series, set to air in early 2026 on BBC iPlayer and BBC One, is produced by SISTER and filmed in and around Liverpool.
BAFTA-nominated Josh Finan stars as Dan, a philosopher who teaches a class of men in prison. The first-look pictures show Dan leading discussions on dominance, freedom, and luck—topics that take on new meaning through the prisoners' perspectives. As Dan delves into his work, he confronts his own past: an abusive father (Gerard Kearns) who was imprisoned, alongside his brother Lee (Stephen Wight) and uncle Frank (Phil Daniels). Samantha Spiro plays Dan's mother.
Dan's life has taken a different path, but his time in prison triggers an obsessive fear that he belongs behind bars like his father. As his personal crisis deepens, his actions threaten his future and his family. The cast also includes prisoners Dris (Francis Lovehall), Greg (Josef Altin), Macca (Steven Meo), Wallace (Ric Renton), Junior (Tom Moutchi), Samson (Sule Rimi), and Zach (Charlie Rix). Additional cast members include Alex Ferns, Ronkẹ Adékoluẹjo, Nima Taleghani, Sophia Brown, Neal Barry, and Jude Mack.
The series was commissioned by Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama, and written by Dennis Kelly, with Levi David Addai and Ric Renton joining the writing team. Directors are Jeanette Nordahl and Ben Palmer, with producers Louise Sutton and Ken Horn. Executive producers include Dennis Kelly, Jane Featherstone, Chris Fry, Katie Carpenter, and Andy West for SISTER, and Tanya Qureshi for the BBC. BBC Studios will handle global sales.
