Fans of the Starz series Outlander are in the midst of what some call “Droughtlander,” meaning that there will be a long wait for Season 5 of the time-traveling series. However, there is a potential upside, and that’s an Outlander spinoff — one starring David Berry as Lord John Grey. Lord John Grey has been a loyal friend to the lead characters Jamie, Claire, and Brianna Fraser.
The author of the Outlander s eries of novels, Diana Gabaldon, is quite prolific. She has also written novels and novellas based on the story of Lord John Grey, and these works include elements of mystery, romance, and history. The author calls these her “Lord John” series, for those who want to know more about the fan favorite.
Lord John Grey turns up periodically in Outlander, often just in time to aid a member of clan Fraser. Early on, as an English soldier, Grey is an adversary of Jamie Fraser. Along the way, Grey develops a crush on the Scotsman.
Lord Grey helps Claire when they both end up in the Caribbean, and he even offers to marry Brianna to save her the shame of being pregnant and unmarried in Colonial America. This takes place before her husband, Roger, is found in New York — held captive by a native tribe.
Happy Birthday to none other than David Berry! We couldn’t imagine anyone else as our Lord John Grey. ? #Outlander pic.twitter.com/5MQl7o9zM0
— Outlander (@Outlander_STARZ) January 18, 2019
Like Jamie Fraser, at the core, Lord John Grey is one of the good guys — and the novels based on his story are rich and detailed. When Diana Gabaldon was asked if there was a spinoff in the future for Lord Grey, she admitted that the network had expressed interest, saying, “Who knows? Interest Has Been Expressed, is about all I could tell you.”
If Starz does pull the trigger, Gabaldon has six novellas and three novels worth of tales of the dashing redcoat. Lord John Grey is also interesting as a larger character, one who is struggling with his sexuality at a time when homosexuality could lead to one’s death.
Town & Country confirmed that Gabaldon has been thinking about what a Lord John Grey series would look like, and had posted an article to her Facebook account titled, “6 Reasons Why We Need a Lord John Spinoff.” Along with the article, the author wrote her own note, saying, “Hey, I’m game if David (and possibly Sam) is…”
David Berry got wind of the post, and shared his own thoughts, writing, “Of course, I’m game! Whaddya say @samheughan? Might even let you win a game of chess.”