Channel 5 is home to several incredible dramas, and the network has recently confirmed a new one coming to its roster: Wild.
The show, which is being written by Treason’s Lewis Wren, will follow a group of male friends who reunite for an annual wild camping trip. However, during their latest escapade, egos will flare and relationships will break as the trip turns into a survival mission.
The announcement of the show revealed that it would follow “three old friends clinging to their annual wild camping tradition” and that it would “begin with banter, nostalgia, and amateur vlogging, but soon unravel into a battle of egos, secrets, and survival when they get lost, food runs short, and friendships fracture”.
It adds: “At once funny, poignant, and unsettling, Wild explores the line between adventure and recklessness, and how toxic masculinity has become a huge part of the epidemic decline in men’s mental health.”
Wild doesn’t yet have a release date, but the film is expected to land on Channel 5 later on this year.
Who will star in Wild?
Channel 5 has confirmed that the survival dramedy will be led by Daniel Mays, Joel Fry and Amit Shah, with the trio playing Lou, Alistair and Dev respectively.
Daniel is best known for his role in the third season of Line of Duty, where he played Sergeant Daniel Waldron, who falls under the suspicion of AC-12 following the shooting of a suspect. The 48-year-old also appeared in the likes of The Thursday Murder Club, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Code 404 and A Thousand Blows.
© BBCJoel is known for his roles in Cruella, Plebs, White Van Man, Bank of Dave, Doctor Who and Game of Thrones, playing recurring character Hizdahr zo Loraq in the epic fantasy series.
Meanwhile, Amit is best remembered for his role as Faisal Bhatti in the third season of Happy Valley. The star also has credits in Last Christmas, Paddington in Peru, Black Mirror, Jekyll & Hyde, The Other One and Murder Before Evensong.
What else is coming to Channel 5?
Wild serves as part of the broadcaster’s Play for Today series, which involves standalone films. Alongside Wild, it was confirmed that Channel 5 was working on The Quiet Hour, Village Idiot, Closing Time, The Nine O’Clock Trot and The Castle.
© CREDIT LINE:BBC Studios/Bad Wolf/James PardonOne of the more intriguing films in this series is The Quiet Hour, which will star Doctor Who actress Archie Panjabi and Game of Thrones actor Paul Kaye. The film will follow Riya (Panjabi) an overworked NHS nurse working on a busy night shift, with Paul playing combative amputee Fred who promises to be one of the night’s “most volatile challenges”.
Village Idiot, meanwhile, sees Downton Abbey’s Phyllis Logan play opposite Everybody’s Talking About Jamie’s Max Harwood as they play an estranged grandmother and grandson who clash when Barbara (Logan) refuses to sell her home to allow the construction of HS2.
