Since being adapted for the small screen from Diana Gabaldon’s book series, Outlander has become one of the world’s most renowned TV shows. However, things could have been very different had earlier plans been executed.

It is more than three decades since Diana’s first book Outlander, also known as Cross Stitch, was published. The author has joked she wrote the now-classing 1991 story as “practice” for a “real novel”.

Perhaps as a hint of things to come, inspiration from the book came from one of the most beloved and iconic TV shows ever produced in the UK.

Diana revealed: “I happened to see a really old Doctor Who re-run. Jamie [The Second Doctor’s Scottish companion, played by Frazer Hines] struck me with his attitude and male gallantry and I thought the kilt was rather fetching.”

Some might also think the success of Outlander as a Starz show was preordained, but it seemed for a time it was destined for the big screen.

In an article on her own website, published before the award-winning TV series had been considered, Diana admitted the idea of an Outlander film had been floating around for some time.

When asked about the possibility of a live-action movie, she said: “Yes, the books have been optioned several times for their film rights, and Outlander is currently under option. It’s the sort of situation where you don’t hold your breath, but just wait and see what happens.”

When asked if she had an idea of who should be cast in the lead roles of Jamie and Claire Fraser, she revealed although she was aware of what the couple looked like, she had not yet seen any actors who look “strikingly like them”.

However, she did suggest a relatively unknown Scottish actor would have been a good choice to play Jamie, and pointed to Allan Scott-Douglas, who sung Jamie’s part in Outlander the Musical.

It has since been revealed Hollywood action hero Liam Neeson had been considered for the lead role. His portrayal as the tiltular kilted protagonist in 1995 blockbuster Rob Roy may have lent some credence to the suggestion.

Another star mooted for the role – and one wouldn’t have had to fake a Scottish accent – was Sean Connery. Though given the James Bond hero would have been in his 60s in the 1990s, while Jamie is just 23 when we first meet him in Outlander, it might have been a bit of a stretch, even for someone like him.

In an interview with eonline, Diana said: “This was years ago when I was first approached about adapting Outlander, when it was a feature film. But Liam Neeson and Sean Connery were the first contenders for Jamie.”

It is now impossible to picture Jamie and Claire without seeing Sam Heughan and Caitriona Balfe, who have truly made the characters their own. But before the Irish actress nailed the part of Claire, a rom-com favourite was in the mix.

When the film was being mooted, Knocked Up star Katherine Heigl was apparently in the running. Katherine, who also starred in 27 Dresses and Grey’s Anatomy, hinted in a New York Times article in 2010 she could have been heading to Scotland in 2012 for a possible film adaptation, which is around the time the rumours were strongest.

And Claire’s was a role that proved tricky to fill. Showrunner Ronald D. Moore has revealed casting Claire was a major challenge after Starz decided to adapt the series for TV in 2012.

The Battlestar Galactica producer confessed they struck gold with Sam early on, but finding Caitriona for Claire involved sifting through numerous auditions and tapes. Speaking to eonline, he recalled the defining moment when Caitriona delivered the line: “Help, stop, he’s going over”, as Jamie tumbles from the horse in an early scene, sealing her role.

Diana has also hinted a movie adaptation could still be on the cards, ideally starring the now-familiar faces of the TV series cast.

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