We’re only a few days into 2026 and we’ve already got a drama that might go down as one of the year’s best. Waiting for the Out premiered last week on BBC One, and all six episodes are available to stream now on iPlayer.
Based on Andy West’s memoir A Life Inside, the show follows a man named Dan whose brother, uncle and father are all in prison.
Due to a mix of fascination and worry that he will suffer the same fate, Dan decides to take a job teaching philosophy to inmates.
The show explores the themes of masculinity, justice and the prison system, as well as diving into Dan’s memories and his own neuroses as he becomes consumed by the job and his personal life falls apart. He’s meant to be the one teaching, but can he learn something about himself along the way?
The show stars Baby Reindeer’s Josh Finan, Shameless’ Gerard Kearns, High Hopes’ Steve Meo, Screw’s Stephen Wight, Game of Thrones’ Josef Altin, Grandma’s House’s Samantha Spiro, and I Hate Suzie’s Phil Daniels.
BBC
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The Guardian gave the show full marks, calling it “totally magnificent… moving, gripping and almost painfully vulnerable”.
The review notes that “at certain points, Waiting for the Out could lapse into patronising clichés”, but it praises the show for sidestepping the pitfalls that other prison dramas fall into.
BBC
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Radio Times also gave the “sensational” drama a full five stars, praising it for its nuanced portrayal of its subject matter.
“Waiting for the Out is a fascinating, informative, funny, poignant, piece of work, one which stands out amongst the overwhelming crowd of scripted series viewers now face choosing between,” reads the review.
Waiting for the Out airs Saturday nights on BBC One, with all episodes available now on iPlayer.
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Joe Anderton is a freelance news writer at Digital Spy, having worked there since 2016. In his time, he’s covered a host of live events and interviewed celebrities big and small. A big fan of TV and movies both mainstream and obscure, Joe also enjoys video games and in particular PlayStation. Joe currently does not use Twitter, but he only ever used it to tell people to watch the film Help! I’m a Fish.