Wild at Heart (TV series)

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Wild at Heart

Genre	Family Drama
Created by	Ashley Pharoah
Starring	Stephen Tompkinson, Lucy-Jo Hudson, Hayley Mills, Jessie Wallace
Country of origin	United Kingdom
No. of series	3
No. of episodes	24
Production
Producer(s)	Company Pictures
Running time	60 mins (inc. commercials)
Broadcast
Original channel	ITV
Picture format	16:9
Original airing	29 January 2006
Chronology
Related shows	Life Is Wild (US version)
External links
IMDb profile

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 will air in 2009.

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

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

After the success of the American pilot, renamed Life Is Wild, the series has been picked up by The CW.

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.^[1] 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."^[1] She finally left in the penultimate episode of the series.

A 4th series has been comisioned by ITV and will air in 2009

1 Cast and characters
2 Storylines/synopsis
3 Location
4 DVD release
5 References
6 External links

[edit] Cast and characters

[edit] Current regulars

The following appear in the opening titles:

Actor	Character	First appeared
Stephen Tompkinson	Danny Trevanion	Series 1
Lucy-Jo Hudson	Rosie Trevanion	Series 1
Luke Ward-Wilkinson	Evan Trevanion	Series 1
Rafaella Hutchinson	Olivia Trevanion	Series 1
Deon Stewardson	Anders Du Plessis	Series 1
Hayley Mills	Caroline	Series 2
Jessie Wallace	Amy Kriel	Series 3

[edit] Past regulars

The following did appear in the opening titles:

Actor	Character	From
Amanda Holden	Sarah Trevanion	Series 1-3

[edit] Supporting cast

Actor	Character	First appeared
Nomsa Xaba	Nomsa Nguni	Series 1
Thapelo Mokoena	Fatani	Series 2
Martinus Van De Berg	Max	Series 2

[edit] Past supporting cast

Actor	Character
Gary Lawson	Alex Tate
Siyabonga Melongisi Shibe	Themba Khumalo
Lurayi Thandi	Thandi
Sean Nieuwoudt	Dieter

[edit] 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 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.

[edit] Location

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