Waiting for the Out
2026 · BBC iPlayer · 46 min · 1 season
S01E06 · Escape
Sat, 3 Jan, 5:00 pm
Dan escapes to Berlin and catches a rare glimpse of freedom from the noise inside his head. With his future hanging by a thread, Dan returns home determined to change and make amends. That is, until he meets a man who knew his father and old questions resurface... Faced with a chance to reconnect, Dan is forced to make a decision – will he break the cycle, or is he doomed to repeat the past?
About
Dan, a philosopher, begins teaching a class of men in prison. Each week, Dan leads discussions about dominance, freedom, luck and other topics that have troubled philosophers for thousands of years – topics that gain a new meaning when seen through the prisoners' eyes - both igniting passions and creating tension.
Through his work, Dan begins to dig deeper into his own past – growing up with a violent father who ended up in prison, as did his brother Lee and uncle Frank. Dan took a different path, but his time working in a prison begins to make him worry, obsessively, that he belongs behind bars just like his father. As Dan's personal crisis deepens, his actions begin to threaten both his own future, and his family's.
Episodes
- E01
Men
Sat, 3 Jan· 45 minIt is Dan's first day teaching philosophy in a men's prison. The lesson soon unravels as he realises he has underestimated his audience – and the weight of his own past. Fixating on small details, Dan loses control of the class, risks his chance of becoming a father and breaks an important promise to Jess. When a familiar face resurfaces, Dan is forced to confront someone he thought he had left behind.
- E02
Luck
Sat, 3 Jan· 45 minDan finds himself drawn into Samson's story – a prisoner consumed by grief over the life he took. As Samson struggles with guilt, Dan's own compulsions resurface. A rare night out is cut short when the brothers are plunged into a tense search through Lee's old haunts. Amid the chaos, Dan discovers a way to give Samson closure, but it's clear his own past is closing in.
- E03
Dominance
Sat, 3 Jan· 56 minHaunted by memories of his absent father, Dan pushes his mother for answers she won't give. When Keith presents a lead, Dan spirals into obsession, straining family ties as he unravels at a dinner party.
- E04
Cursed
Sat, 3 Jan· 44 minDan's life begins to move forward as he finds real happiness with Natasha and her son Tristan – until Frank reveals the whereabouts of his father. Curiosity gets the better of him, and Dan chooses to risk everything, hurting those closest to him. Is Dan just as destructive as the man he tried so hard to forget?
- E05
Destiny
Sat, 3 Jan· 44 minAs Dan's anxieties spiral, the only thing grounding him is a live feed from his stove – until it cuts out. Painful memories of his father return, while a tense encounter with Keith derails the class. As Dan's crisis deepens, his actions threaten his entire future, and a confrontation with his past leaves Dan more alone than ever – caught between who he was and who he fears he is destined to be.
- E06
Escape
Sat, 3 Jan· 44 minDan escapes to Berlin and catches a rare glimpse of freedom from the noise inside his head. With his future hanging by a thread, Dan returns home determined to change and make amends. That is, until he meets a man who knew his father and old questions resurface... Faced with a chance to reconnect, Dan is forced to make a decision – will he break the cycle, or is he doomed to repeat the past?
Cast
Josh Finan
Dan Stewer