For those who aren’t in the know, Outlander is a massive show that people can’t get enough of. The writing is sharp, the artists are perfect for their characters, and it all comes together brilliantly each week. Like other shows, some stories are lackluster compared to others, but Outlander is pretty consistent with its quality.
Fans know a lot of details about the show, including behind-the-scenes facts and even little-known information about the cast. As much as they know, there are still some questions they have. In 2014, Outlander made its official debut on Starz, and before long the series took off with fans. Having a built-in audience from the novels was a boost, no doubt, but the show has been able to stand on its own and attract legions of new viewers.
Starring Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan, Outlander has been a huge hit for Starz. People really love what the show brings to the table, and its clever story and use of story has kept people hooked for years. Outlander has had 5 successful seasons, and while some shows are coming to an end, this is ramping up with the premiere of its 6th season. Needless to say, excitement is running high for what the show has on the horizon.
So is Outlander really based on a true story? In short, no, the show is not based on a true story. However, this does not mean that a number of factual elements have not been included in the story. Diana Gabaldon, who wrote the book series, opened up in an interview about her process of researching and including true historical facts.
“It seems easier to look for things than to invent them, so if I turn off my imagination I can steal things from the historical record. So I immediately went to the university library and started looking for books on 18th century Scotland: culture, language, geography, customs, etc.”
“I kept putting out anything that looked interesting. I was on staff, so I was able to put out as many books as I wanted and keep them as long as I wanted, which was a wonderful bonus. And anyway, that’s where it started with Scotland and everything.” the rest followed from there,” he continued.
It’s pretty amazing to learn about the work that Gabaldon put into the series, and it was all done while she was gainfully employed. Fortunately, the hours she devoted to research played a critical role in crafting the story. Although Outlander itself is not based on a true story, Diana Gabaldon’s research and the inclusion of historical facts added a rich level of depth to the story. This is one of the main reasons why it has been such a phenomenon.
