ITV series, Out There, has Martin Clunes take on the role of a father trying to protect his son, Johnny, after he gets involved with a drug dealer

Martin Clunes-fronted ITV drama axed after only one series following dire ratings

Martin Clunes’ ITV drama, Out There, is getting the axe after only one series following the debut receiving a lower viewership rating than anticipated. The series has Martin take on the role of a father trying to protect his son, Johnny, after he gets involved with a drug dealer, Rhys.

After a shocking murder, Johnny calls his dad, Nathan, for help to remove the body. At the same time, Nathan is dealing with rich third-party investors trying to take his and his elderly neighbours’ farm. Despite the endless drama and action, the series failed to rake in the viewership it wanted.

The series has Martin take on the role of a father trying to protect his son, who gets involved with drug dealers

The actor said to The Sun: “We were keen on doing a second series, but ITV aren’t, it seems. It didn’t quite pull the numbers they wanted, unfortunately.”

This week, ITV confirmed the news, saying: “We are really proud of Out There and would like to thank Martin and the production team for delivering a brilliant series.

“We do always hope to see our series return and we are sorry we didn’t get this drama to connect with a big enough audience to see that happen.”

There won’t be a second series of Out There(Image: ITV)

Martin previously opened up about the uncertainty of his acting career and the possibility of returning to his role in Doc Martin.

The Men Behaving Badly star shared his thoughts on the precarious nature of the television industry, claiming it is in a “funny state” with a lot of “nervousness” and a lack of “confidence.”

Best known for his portrayal of the grumpy GP in ITV’s hit series Doc Martin, the actor expressed concerns over his future projects due to the challenges of being self-employed in the acting world.

The hit series, which had a successful run from 2007 to 2022, aired its final episode air during Christmas three years ago, leaving fans wanting more.

Speaking to i weekend, Martin revealed: “Television is in a funny state. There’s a lot of nervousness, not much confidence. I’ve been self-employed for so long and there’s always a part of me thinking: ‘What am I going to do next? I don’t have a job coming up. It has ground to a halt’.”

The series was a family affair produced by his wife, Philippa Braithwaite, and their company Buffalo Pictures, but Martin seemed reluctant to return to the charming village of Portwenn.

He went on to say: “I never got sick of it. There was never a negative thought about it, but it ended quite organically and I sort of don’t miss it. It hasn’t felt like having a limb off or anything.”