‘The Outlaws’ Creators Discuss Writing Prime Video Series, Detail Motivation Behind Western Themes

The Outlaws, one of Prime Video’s newest series, was created by the seemingly unlikely pairing of Mayans M.C. co-creator Elgin James and co-creator of The Office (U.K.) Stephen Merchant. The show follows a group of mismatched people all thrown together in a court-ordered community service project. As the story unfolds, their lives grow much more intertwined than any of them could have imagined.

Recently, James and Merchant with a roundtable of journalists — including PopCulture.com — to discuss what it was like writing The Outlaws, including how they crafted the many different personalities of its ensemble cast of characters. They also offered some details on the motivation behind the series’ Western themes, such as the use of country music in strategic scenes. Regarding the “outlaw” vibe of the show, Merchant explained, “We talked a bit about them being like The Magnificent Seven. But the least glamorous, least cool Magnificent Seven ever. Just like provincial, regional English ragtag group.”

He continued, “And the idea of making something epic of some very minor people. And adding this scale of that music, that sort of Sergio Leone music that you think of as, should be great open plains and cowboys in a shimmering heat haze. But instead, it’s just seven weirdos from England and Christopher Walken, hoeing. So I think that was where that idea came from.”

As for the complexity of the characters in the show, James explained that some of them were more challenging to write than others, but that it was an exercise he’s glad to have taken on. “I think they all really were hard. Myrna (played by Clare Perkins) was hard. I remember spending a lot of time with her. John (played by Darren Boyd) was really fun, because he seemed… Something about doing the polar opposite of what you’d think of where you may stand politically. It became actually a really great exercise, because you end up agreeing with a lot of what he says.”

James continued, “But I remember Myrna, to try to navigate this and to do her justice and do to that world, where the people that are put in this work justice. But also knowing what that’s like when you’ve put your whole life for the betterment of the world, but then you have to go home alone. And that became something that was exciting, but also tricky to navigate.” The Outlaws Season 1 is now streaming on Prime Video.