Wild at Heart (TV series)

Infobox Television
show_name = Wild at Heart


caption =
genre = Family Drama
picture_format = 16:9
runtime = 60 mins
(inc. commercials)
creator = Ashley Pharoah
starring = Stephen Tompkinson,
Lucy-Jo Hudson,
Hayley Mills,
Jessie Wallace
network = ITV
country = United Kingdom
first_aired = 29 January 2006
last_aired =
present
num_series = 3
num_episodes = 24
producer = Company Pictures
related = "Life Is Wild"
(US version)
imdb_id = 0757127
tv_com_id =

"Wild at Heart" is an ITV television drama series about a Bristol-based vet and his family relocating to start a game park in South Africa. The first series was shown in early 2006, and a second series began airing on Sunday 14 January 2007. The third series followed a year later. A fourth series is currently in production and will air in 2009 with another 8 episodes.

It stars Stephen Tompkinson, Lucy-Jo Hudson, Jessie Wallace and Hayley Mills alongside Luke Ward-Wilkinson of the Whizz Kids Theatre Company and Rafaella Hutchinson.

The series achieved good ratings in its prime-time 8 p.m. Sunday night slot, although the reality of some of the situations portrayed were criticised.

After the success of the American pilot, renamed "Life Is Wild", the series has been picked up by The CW however the show was cancelled in February 2008 due to low ratings. "Life Is Wild" has been picked up by the Hallmark UK TV channel.

On "Richard & Judy" on Monday 26 February 2007, Stephen Tompkinson confirmed that he was going to fly out to South Africa to begin filming the third series. The series began airing on the 20 January 2008.

It was announced on Thursday 3 May 2007 that Amanda Holden had quit "Wild at Heart" and would exit mid-way series 3.cite web|url=http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/topstories/tm_method=full%26objectid=19036462%26siteid=89520-name_page.html|title=Amanda bows out|publisher=Mirror.co.uk|accessdate=2007-05-03] Holden stated her decision was due to the age of her daughter, stating, "Lexi is growing fast. It's easy to take a baby out, it's more tricky with an older child. Toddlers aren't that easy." She finally left in the penultimate episode of the series.

A 4th series has been commissioned by ITV and will air with another 8 episodes in 2009, filming has begun and they are filming until November 2008, with Scottish actress Dawn Steele replacing Holden as female vet and love interest, "Alice Collins".

Cast and characters

The following appear in the opening titles:

Storylines/synopsis

Wild at Heart focuses on the tasks and challenges an English family face whilst opening a wild life park in Africa. The first series mainly focuses on actually beginning to open the wild life park and getting it up to scratch as well as facing a deadly strain of anthrax in the series finale.

The second series focuses on their first customers at the game park and also facing new rivals at a game park next door called Mara. In the final few episodes, the owner of Mara offer to buy the Trevanions' park but they refuse at the end of the series. Other highlights from the second series include Danny shooting himself and Du Plessis being attacked by a lion.

Series three mainly focuses on opening an animal hospital, which in the penultimate episode of the series is almost achieved until fire strikes and burns it down. The fire nearly spreads to the house but luckily changes direction towards Mara. As the Trevanions rush to help the animals out Sarah walks into the fire after one of them and it is revealed in the next episode that she died in it. The final episode concentrates on the effect of her passing on the family, and the family's future.

Location

The show is filmed at a lodge called Glen Afric, Pilanesburg game reserve, Hartebeespoort area (Magaliesberg) about 40 minutes outside Johannesburg, South Africa. The Trevanions' house is actually a museum.

DVD release

References

External links

*itv.com|id=wildatheart|title="Wild at Heart"
*imdb title|id=0757127|title=Wild at Heart