Outsiders (British TV series)

Lore & Background

Outsiders was announced alongside other Dave productions on 5 May 2021. The show consists of six hour-long episodes per series, with Mitchell judging three pairs of comedians. The first series began on 29 September 2021. Mitchell was approached by the producers with a Scouting-based theme; he suggested the programme should be about the survival of humans in the wild, with specific reference to the COVID-19 pandemic, and it was filmed entirely outdoors. Filming lasted a week and saw good weather. Mitchell resided in a tent designed after his personality, with old-style furniture and military paraphernalia, while contestants slept in tents overnight and Mitchell returned to his home.

In the first series, each pairing had tension within it but not nastiness. Kerry Godliman positioned herself as a keen camper but her teammate Toussaint Douglass felt he was doing most of the work; Ed Gamble was competitive but his partner Lou Sanders did not care about the results; and Jessica Knappett acted as a sort of adoring pretend-wife to Jamali Maddix, who had a real survival streak. Mitchell described his role as a slightly befuddled, irascible and indecisive leader. The series drew comparisons to Taskmaster, where contestants compete individually in tasks judged in a studio show. All first-series contestants except Douglass had appeared on Taskmaster; three had won their series. Mitchell said he drew on his chairing of the radio show The Unbelievable Truth rather than modelling his style on Greg Davies.

Reader's Guide

Outsiders occupies a notable place in British comedy panel show history as a Dave original that attempted to blend outdoor survival challenges with the competitive task format popularized by Taskmaster. The show's cancellation in August 2025 marked the end of a short run of three series. Its significance lies partly in its cast: many contestants were established comedians who had previously appeared on Taskmaster, creating a direct lineage between the two programmes. The show was filmed entirely outdoors, a production choice driven by the COVID-19 pandemic, and featured David Mitchell in a hosting role that he described as befuddled and irascible. Critical reception was mixed: Steve Bennett of Chortle rated it 3.5 out of five stars, praising contestant relationships and Douglass's dry wit, while Stuart Heritage of The Guardian found the tasks uninspired compared to Taskmaster's inventive challenges. Bruce Dessau of Beyond the Joke gave a positive review, calling it a lot of fun and praising Mitchell as a great host. The show was repeated on BBC Two and added to BBC iPlayer beginning on 30 January 2024, extending its reach beyond its original Dave broadcast.

Did You Know?

• Outsiders was announced alongside other Dave productions on 5 May 2021.
• The show was filmed entirely outdoors, with specific reference to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• All first-series contestants except Toussaint Douglass had previously appeared on Taskmaster.
• Outsiders was repeated on BBC Two and added to BBC iPlayer beginning on 30 January 2024.