HEIST of the century

STEPHEN MERCHANT on the epic conclusion to his popular comedy adventure

- CAREN CLARK

THE OUTLAWS

THU, 9PM (TIMES VARY), BBC1 COMEDY

Danger beckons for the Community Payback offenders in this week’s season finale of BBC1 comedy The Outlaws, as the ragtag gang plan a daring robbery!

Fearing that crime boss The Dean (played by Claes Bang) will get off the drugs charges that they framed him for, awkward lawyer Greg (Stephen Merchant, who also co-writes the show) and his Bristol-based pals plot to break into the gangster’s London house and steal a hard drive, which could expose his criminal network and keep him behind bars.

But with corrupt cop Burgess (Ricky Grover) on their tail, can the group – with help from their super-keen supervisor Diane (Jessica Gunning) – pull off the risky scheme?

‘We did a small heist in the first series, then we dialled it up in the second, and now the show should always have a heist!’ chuckles Stephen, 49, as he joins TV Times for an exclusive interview…