Notable Outlander writer / producer leaving before season 4
In a post on Twitter, Anne Kenney confirmed that she will be departing the show following the third season based on Voyager. She is leaving the show with a rather impressive resume, having written such episodes as “The Way Out” (season 1), “The Wedding” (season 1), “Lallybroch” (season 1), “Useful Occupations and Deceptions” (season 2), and “The Fox’s Lair” (season 2). She also co-wrote “The Hail Mary” with Ira Steven Behr. That’s a ton of great episodes, and a lot of words that she’s leaving for people to experience / re-experience after the fact.
On the producing side of things, there is a lot to be missed there, as well. Kenney was a co-executive producer for the first season before being promoted to an executive producer before the second season.
In terms of season 3 episodes, we know that she penned the second installment coming at you this fall. She also promised to discuss a little bit further when said episode airs, so that’s something to look forward to down the road.
It’s always rather sad anytime you see a talented person leave a show, especially one as exceptional as this. With that said, Kenney’s sure to have all sorts of opportunities out there moving forward. This is a tremendous show to work on given that it shows off so many different creative skills — you are adapting complex source material, while also bridging the gap between several different genres at the same time. She’ll obviously be very missed!
Who is coming in for season 4?
We know that there are some new writers jumping aboard, and Kenney notes in a separate post that there are “mostly women” working on the new episodes in the room. That’s tremendous news when it comes to keeping that powerful voice and tone intact. It’s one of the many things that helps this show stand out further in an industry that is still dominated in many places by male writers.
For those who have not heard as of yet, the fourth season will begin filming later this year. Locations have already been scouted in Scotland, and as we recently reported, there are some trainees now being hired to help ensure that pre-production is successful and that sets are properly prepared for what is coming down the road. Casting news will likely be announced in the months to come, but there are clearly some other priorities first! We have to learn the season 3 premiere date, see the Comic-Con panel, and also get a chance to experience a little bit of the press tour. All of this is likely happening long before the show ends up premiering on Starz.
If you missed it…
One other worthy piece we suggest that you check out this weekend is the one here, where we detail what some more of the season 3 ratings expectations are now that we’ve seen some of the performance from Power and other shows.
As always, we welcome your thoughts on this story below. (Photo: Starz.)