To Sam Heughan and Graham McTavish, Men In Kilts: A Roadtrip With Sam and Graham feels like “a happy accident.”
Debuting in February, the Starz unscripted series sent the Outlander co-stars on a journey through their native Scotland to spotlight its culture and history. Breaking new ground as the network’s first travel docuseries, it also allowed the pair to branch out creatively, taking on new roles as creators, executive producers and hosts.
As the collaborators explained at Deadline’s virtual Contenders Television: Documentary + Unscripted awards-season event, a celebration and love letter to their country felt like a natural first series to make. “We’re both passionate about Scotland,” said McTavish, “and wanted to showcase it to the world.”
While Heughan and McTavish launched into production on Season 1 in 2019, they would be forced to complete the shoot amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Nonetheless, things went swimmingly—so much so, that the pair are already in talks with Starz about making another season.
“It’s their highest viewed non-scripted show, I think, and has done very well against their bigger dramas,” Heughan said. “I think we produced something that we’re really proud of. … It has a strong identity.”
Check back Monday for the video of the panel.