There probably won't be any more shows like Outlander on STARZ again

We will see Outlander come to an end soon. It’s set to end with its upcoming eighth season, which will air in 2025 at the earliest. Don’t expect other STARZ shows to run for eight seasons.

This isn’t to say there’s nothing on the scale of Outlander in terms of quality. There are some fun shows coming up, such as Mary & George, and we have seen some great content on the network in the past. Sadly, they just didn’t all get the attention they deserved arguably due to promotion on the network or they were limited series.

The idea that most shows won’t get to eight seasons on the network is speculation based on CEO Jeff Hirsch’s comments about the cost of production. As STARZ becomes a streaming platform, it’s following the contract model that Netflix started.

The need for newer and cheaper shows prevents another Outlander

Hirsch shared that there is a push for more fresh content. This is due to the model in which the costs of production go up exponentially after the first two seasons. Around the third and fourth seasons, the costs for the cast go up considerably.

If you remember back to Outlander around Season 5, this came up. Sam Heughan and Caitriona Balfe gained producer credits due to the contract model.

This is leading to spin-offs, though. Hirsch commented more on Power than Outlander, but the idea will still stand. As the cost of Power went up, there was a look at spin-off ideas. It makes sense then that there’s an Outlander spin-off—there is already an audience due to the parent series.

Could there be more Outlander spin-offs in the future?

With this in mind, it could potentially mean that we see other Outlander spin-offs in the future. There is a lot of interest in a Lord John Grey spin-off series based on the novellas by Diana Gabaldon. There is also an interest in a Fergus and Marsali spin-off or even a Master Raymond spin-off series. There are plenty of characters from the flagship series that could potentially lead to new shows.

For now, the focus is on the prequel series Blood of My Blood. This is partly based on the prequel novel Gabaldon is working on, but it will also include two characters many book fans have been intrigued about: Claire’s parents.

Hirsch's comments seem to make it clear that we shouldn't expect another eight-season series like Outlander, though.

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