ianlouisiana Review of Wild at Heart

Wild at Heart (2006–2012)

Good family fare,doing exactly what it says on the tin.

[7/10 · 28 February 2013]

Mr D.Stewardstone and Miss H.Mills pull "Wild at heart" from unacceptable sentimentality to perfectly acceptable sentiment.It is not - nor does it set out to be - cutting edge drama.Most of the performers are - to put it kindly - of the journeyman level,standard Weekend TV material,happily earning their corn then moving on. Since "Daktari!",Africa has been a happy hunting ground for programme makers wishing to top up their tans and keep their ratings nice and high. Picturesque landscape,exotic animals and careful post - colonial attitudes,beautiful sunsets,rainbow nations...what's not to like? Perhaps it bears little relation to real life,but many people have had it up to here with real life and want a break from it now and then. "Wild at heart" is ideal for them and for me. Vet Danny Trevanion(Mr S.Tompkinson,lugubrious and fey for the most part,takes his family to South Africa for a new life on a Game Reserve owned by Anders Duplessis (Mr D.Stewardstone,hugely enjoyable whilst chewing the scenery). Er,that's about it really. Visited by those two impostors triumph and disaster most weeks,a 60 minute episode gets enough animal action to satisfy even a picky viewer,although the story lines are often a little banal it is usually good natured enough to retain interest. With the arrival of the marvellous Miss H.Mills it all moves up a gear as she effortlessly sneaks away with every episode she graces. Good family entertainment doing exactly what it says on the tin.