Diana Gabaldon reveals what she wanted on the show that didn’t make the cut
By Amy Kaplan
Outlander author Diana Gabaldon reveals what she wanted on the show from the books that didn’t make the cut for TV.
Outlander fans who have read the books prior to watching the Starz TV show have noticed a few things that the TV program has changed (for better or for worse) and now author Diana Gabaldon is admitting what things she wanted to see on the show that never made it to your TV screen.
“There were a number of things from the prison, from Ardsmuir, that I would have liked to have seen, but there just wasn’t room,” Gabaldon said to Parade.
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In the book “Voyager,” which is what Outlander Season 3 is based on, there was a considerable section of Jamie in Ardsmuir that had to be cut due to time constraints.
“There was just a few places where we went a little bit, slightly different because in writing the books, Diana doesn’t have to think in 60-minute segments, but in the TV show, which is chopping up the book into 13 pieces, each episode needs to be it’s own little thing and needs to have self-contained conflict,” said Outlander co-showrunner/executive producer Toni Graphia.
Many fans may have noticed that the relationship between Willy’s mom and Jamie was different in the book, but Gabaldon appears to have approved the way that the TV show altered that relationship.
“[Toni] did a fabulous job and you made the right call in that instance,” Gabaldon said.
Another major difference between the book and season three was that Murtagh did not die (as he had in the book).
“I know because I’ve seen most of Season 4 so far… It’ll be all right,” Gabaldon said. “That’s all I can tell you about it. As far as I’m concerned, this character is dead. But the show is the show, and the book is the book, so they have latitude. They can do things, and by and large, I enjoy the novel things that they do.”
Next: Diana Gabaldon shares her favorite Outlander episode and it may surprise you
Outlander Season 4 is in production now, but no official air date has been released yet. Outlander Season 3 is available on Blu-ray™, DVD and Digital on now from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.
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