Outlander and more shows that deserve the Lost in Austen treatment

Tara Ward watches the time travel literary hybrid Lost in Austen and drums up some more classic TV tales that could do with a bit of tinkering.  It’s not every day one of the much-loved characters from English literature turns up in your bathroom. All I have in my bathroom are five scratchy towels and some dead … Read more

Droughtlander: Ten simple ways to survive the Outlander drought

Struggling to make it to September without new Outlander episodes? Tara Ward offers some suggestions to see you through. Somebody alert the authorities, because Droughtlander has set upon us like a rampant case of eighteenth-century smallpox. It’s that tortuous time between Outlander seasons, when last year’s Parisian double-agent escapades seem but a distant memory, yet … Read more

Deal with it: Outlander just dropped a season three trailer like a hot haggis

Tara Ward drops her shortbread in fright as a brand new trailer for Outlander season three arrives out of nowhere.  Praise be to all things mythical and bagpipey, for the latest Outlander preview dropped yesterday like a hot bannock onto a dusty floor. The fevered sighs of malnourished Outlander fans reverberated around the world, much … Read more

The greatest Spinoff Golden Globes live blog you are likely to see today

Alex Casey and Madeleine Chapman live blog the highs and lows of the 2017 Golden Globe awards, for all of you poor folk stuck in the office pretending to work.  This content, like all television coverage we do at The Spinoff, is brought to you thanks to the excellent folk at Lightbox. Do us and … Read more

Summer reissue: “I’m proud to be a pseudo-ginger” – Sam Heughan talks Outlander and Loch Ness Monster truths

Sam Heughan is farmer, fugitive and all round Scottish spunkrat Jamie Fraser in fantasy-drama Outlander, the second season of which arrived exclusively to Lightbox on April 10 this year. Longtime fan Tara Ward swallowed her nerves and spoke with Sam ahead of the premiere (please note, contains spoilers from season one). Originally posted March 24, 2016 Last … Read more

Inside the Lightbox: Our picks for the People’s Choice Awards

Lightbox are currently running their grand annual People’s Choice Awards, giving you the chance to win a trip for two to New York. Alex Casey and Madeleine Chapman aren’t allowed to win, but that won’t stop them explaining who they would be voting for and why. Best hero: Captain Flint, Black Sails The pirate market … Read more

‘How can she leave when Jamie’s finally sorted his hair out?’ – thoughts from Outlander S02E13

Our resident Outlander fanatic Tara Ward shares her thoughts from the much-anticipated return of time-travel romance series. Contains spoilers. And smoulders.  Sons and daughters, love and laughter, tears of sadness and happiness. You might recognize that as the theme tune from the timeless Australian soap Sons and Daughters, but to me, it sums up my Outlander … Read more

‘Welcome to Inverness, population: misery’ – Thoughts from Outlander S02E12

Our resident Outlander fanatic Tara Ward shares her thoughts from the much-anticipated return of time-travel romance series. Contains spoilers. And smoulders.  Shakespeare once wrote “war, huh, what is it good for? Absolutely nothing.” That dude knew what he was talking about, because there is NOTHING good about ‘The Hail Mary’. Calm down, Outsplainers: I’m talking about … Read more

Nobody puts Jamie in the corner, and other thoughts from Outlander S02E11

Tara Ward recaps this week’s episode of Outlander, including ye olde seduction, 1000 yard stares, and other frivolities of the well-to-do. Contains spoilers. And smoulders. Oh, Outlander, you were far too good to us this week. Body parts flew all over Scotland in celebration of this glorious hour of television, an episode filled with more action and anticipation than we’ve … Read more

‘Is that a dirk in your hand, or are you just happy to see me?’ – Thoughts from Outlander S02E10

Our resident Outlander fanatic Tara Ward shares her thoughts from the much-anticipated return of time-travel romance series. Contains spoilers. And smoulders.  It’s taken 10 long (LOOOOONG) episodes to get to this epic moment. At last we stand united with our hoes, scythes and assorted garden implements, ready to bayonet ourselves a butcher’s feast of human intestines. … Read more

‘You got shite in yer ear?’ – Special early edition of thoughts from Outlander S02E09

Our resident Outlander fanatic Tara Ward shares her thoughts from the much-anticipated return of time-travel romance series. Contains spoilers. And smoulders.  Christmas came early yesterday when Lightbox announced that they’d treat us to an early episode of Outlander, since we’d been such well behaved children. The skies cleared, the sun came out, and the world rejoiced as we marched … Read more

Sing me a song of a mash that is gone – Thoughts from Outlander S02E08

Our resident Outlander fanatic Tara Ward shares her thoughts from the much-anticipated return of time-travel romance series. Contains spoilers. And smoulders.  Oh, Scotland. It’s you, it’s really you! How we’ve missed your honest green hills and your giardia-free waterways. Even Outlander show-runner Ron D. Moore was relieved to say adieu to miserable old France, replacing King Louis’ sauntering … Read more

You had me at Vitamin C, and other thoughts on Outlander S02E07

Our resident Outlander fanatic Tara Ward shares her thoughts from the much-anticipated return of time-travel romance series. Contains spoilers. And smoulders.  This week’s Outlander offering had more tragedy than a Bee-Gees tribute karaoke party. It was a raw, emotional watch: Claire gave birth to a stillborn daughter, Fergus revealed he was abused by Black Jack Randall, and … Read more

Adventures with Schemey MacSchemeface, and other thoughts on Outlander S02E06

Our resident Outlander fanatic Tara Ward shares her thoughts from the much-anticipated return of time-travel romance series. Contains spoilers. And smoulders.  There was so much plotting and conspiracy in this week’s episode of Outlander that Jamie Fraser officially changed his name by deed poll to ‘Schemey MacSchemeface’. Charles Stuart schemed with Jamie, Jamie schemed against the … Read more

Spoon me and think of Scotland – Thoughts from Outlander S02E05

Our resident Outlander fanatic Tara Ward shares her thoughts from the much-anticipated return of time-travel romance series. Contains spoilers. And smoulders.  Episode five was titled ‘Untimely Ressurection’ or ‘Claire Screws Everyone Over To Suit Herself’. Like a runaway steamroller bedecked in beautiful botanical silks, Claire rampaged her way through the cobbled Parisian streets and pummeled anyone … Read more

‘Never trust a man who plays Yahtzee with sheep knuckles’ – Thoughts from Outlander S02E04

Our resident Outlander fanatic Tara Ward shares her thoughts from the much-anticipated return of time-travel romance series. Contains spoilers. And smoulders.  This week’s Outlander episode covered more ground than Rupert and Angus when Mrs Fitz hits the dinner gong. There was a poisoning, greasy convict juices, bedroom intruders, perfect Jamie hair, a monkey bite, a joke about … Read more

‘How will tasting urine help us to save Scotland?’ – The great mysteries of Outlander S02E03

Our resident Outlander fanatic Tara Ward shares her thoughts from the much-anticipated return of time-travel romance series. Contains spoilers. And smoulders.  Life in Paris is one giant mystery. Which knife does Murtagh use first at dinner? Which carriage should Claire take to visit the poor? Which is hotter, brunette or auburn? This week Jamie and Claire are up … Read more

“Forecast for Jamie’s hair: sultry, but changeable” – Thoughts from Outlander S02E02

Our resident Outlander fanatic Tara Ward shares her thoughts from the much-anticipated return of time-travel romance series. Contains spoilers. And smoulders.  This week, Claire and Jamie head for Paris, where their ‘to do’ list consisted of: 1) infiltrating the French royal court 2) drinking all the profits from their new business 3) living a life of … Read more

“What’s with the hot mess of a hairdo, Fraser?” – Thoughts from the premiere of Outlander S2

Our resident Outlander fanatic Tara Ward shares her thoughts from the much-anticipated premiere of time-travel romance series. Contains spoilers. And smoulders.  All good things come to those who wait: a Briscoes sale, a Monday-ised stat holiday, and the season two premiere of Outlander. It’s been ten long months since Claire and Jamie Fraser sailed for France, … Read more

The Claire Randall guide to surviving in 18th century Outlander times

With daylight saving coming through an end, fall even further back than one hour with Tara Ward’s Outlander-inspired survival guide to the 18th century.  It’s the end of daylight saving this weekend, and you know what that means – one more hour of sleep! Be still, my beating heart. A word of warning: take care … Read more

The Best of The Spinoff this week: Sunday 27 March edition

Compiling the best reading of the week from your friendly local website. Gareth Morgan: Why is a Right-to-Life campaigner leading the inquiry in the right to assisted death? “To have the Chair of our Health Select Committee not open to evidence and reasoning is a travesty of natural justice, indefensible anywhere apart from a theological state … Read more

“I’m proud to be a pseudo-ginger” – Sam Heughan talks Outlander and Loch Ness Monster truths

Sam Heughan is farmer, fugitive and all round Scottish spunkrat Jamie Fraser in fantasy-drama Outlander, the second season of which arrives exclusively to Lightbox on April 10. Longtime fan Tara Ward swallowed her nerves and spoke with Sam ahead of the premiere (please note, contains spoilers from season one). Last week my social media overflowed with the … Read more

“We’re not in Inverness anymore, Toto” – What we know about the second season of Outlander

Season two of Outlander is coming to Lightbox at 5pm on April 10, and fans can hardly breathe. The Spinoff’s resident Outlander fanatic Tara Ward has been hard at work assembling clues. Please note: contains spoilers. Do you hear that noise? It’s the sound of dehydrated Outlander fans, deliriously lapping up the slow trickle of … Read more

A selection box of the most romantic television to watch this Valentine’s Day

Inside the Lightbox is a sponsored feature where we mine the extensive Lightbox category for shows you might want to watch. This week, we queue up some of the most romantic episodes of television for you to enjoy this Valentine’s Day (no matter what your relationship status is). Warning: contains very sappy spoilers. Outlander – … Read more

Inside the Lightbox: Our Picks For the People’s Choice Awards

Voting in the Lightbox People’s Choice Awards has started this week. Alex Casey and Duncan Greive argue the case for their favourite TV villains, heroes, sex symbols and so much more. Lightbox have kicked off their first People’s Choice Awards this week, inviting you to vote for your favourite villains, heroes and sex symbols to … Read more

Outlander Recap: Jamie and Claire Have the Last Huzzah in ‘To Ransom a Man’s Soul’

Tara Ward recaps the final episode of Outlander season one, wherein the coos save the day and Jamie and Claire look towards rebuilding and smouldering.  At last glance, Jamie Fraser was trapped in the living hell that was Wentworth Prison – with Black Jack Randall using his tongue to sign his name across Jamie’s back. Thankfully, … Read more

Outlander: From Shifty Eyes to Sharpened Six Packs – Outlander’s Top Ten Moments

With Outlander on hiatus this week before the finale, Tara Ward recaps her top ten favourite moments from the series so far from perverse back-licking to the angriest of chins. This series of Outlander has been a cracking adventure, filled with battles, blood, bigamy and bow-chicka-wow-wow – and we’ve still one episode to go! Before … Read more

Outlander Recap: Cheese Rolls, Gimp Masks and Toe-Curling Torture in ‘Wentworth Prison’

Tara Ward recaps the gruelling episode 15 of Outlander, wherein Jamie is relegated to the horrific torture house know as Wentworth Prison. Word on the street was that this Outlander episode would be a harrowing and disturbing trip to Bleaksville. To ease the journey I prepared some fine comfort food – Southland Cheese Rolls, made from … Read more

Outlander recap: Puppets, skinny jeans and gypsy Colin Farrell

Tara Ward recaps episode 13 of Outlander, including 18th century skinny jeans, creepy puppets and Colin Farrell’s grubby doppelganger.  ‘The Search’ begins with a marionette show. Puppet Claire sits at Craigh Na Dun, chilling in her 1940s white frock, when there’s a sudden explosion of light and flames. That escalated quickly. Is this a metaphor for … Read more