The fantasy period drama Outlander will conclude after its eighth season on Starz.
Based on the best-selling series of novels by Diana Gabaldon, the show debuted on the premium cable outlet in 2014 and stars Caitrione Balfe as Claire Randall, a former World War 2 military nurse in Scotland, who in 1945, finds herself transported back in time to 1743. Claire meets and falls in love with and marries a Highland warrior, Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan). The first season received mostly positive reviews, with an overall critics’ score of 89% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Starz also announced it has greenlit a prequel series, Outlander: Blood of My Blood, which will center on the lives and relationship of Jamie Fraser’s parents, Brian Fraser and Ellen MacKenzie.
“For nearly a decade Outlander has won the hearts of audiences worldwide and we’re pleased to bring Claire and Jamie’s epic love story to a proper conclusion,” said Kathryn Busby, President, Original Programming for Starz in a statement. “But before we close this chapter there is plenty of their passionate story to tell over the course of 26 new episodes and even more to explore of this dynamic world and its origin story.”
Season 7 will consist of 16 episodes and is currently filming in Scotland, to air later this summer. The eighth and final season will have 10 episodes.