Wild at Heart (British TV series)

Wild at Heart
Genre	Family Drama
Created by	Ashley Pharoah
Starring	Present cast Former cast
Country of origin	United Kingdom
No. of series	7
No. of episodes	63 (List of episodes)
Production
Running time	43-48 minutes
Production company	Company Pictures
Original release
Network	ITV (ITV1/STV/UTV) (also ITV1 HD/STV HD/UTV HD)
Release	29 January 2006 – present
Related
Life Is Wild (US version)

Wild at Heart is a current ITV television drama series about a Bristol-based vet and his family emigrating to start a game park in South Africa. The show premiered in January 2006 and is currently in its seventh series.

It stars Stephen Tompkinson, Lucy-Jo Hudson, Olivia Scott-Taylor, Hayley Mills, Deon Stewardson, Nomsa Xaba, Thapelo Mokoena, Atandwa Kani, Tarryn Faye Brummage, Robert Bathurst and Jill Halfpenny, and is shot on location at Glen Afric reserve in Gauteng Province, South Africa. Dawn Steele who regularly stars as Alice Trevanion, in on maternity leave and only appears in episode one of the current seventh series.

The show airs as a simulcast from the ITV Network on TV3 Ireland. Series 1-6 of 'Wild at Heart' have been released on DVD, each released around the time the following series is airing on TV. Series 7 will be released on DVD in early 2013.

After the success of the American pilot, renamed Life Is Wild, the series was picked up by The CW TV network in the USA; however the show was cancelled in February 2008 due to low ratings. Life Is Wild has been picked up by the Hallmark TV channels in UK & South Africa.

ITV have yet to confirm whether or not Wild At Heart will enter production for an eighth series to air in early 2013. If an eighth series is confirmed, cast and crew will begin production in the summer of 2012.

Cast and characters

Actor	Character	Previous actor	Duration	Notes
Stephen Tompkinson	Danny Trevanion		2006—
Deon Stewardson	Anders Du Plessis		2006—
Nomsa Xaba	Nomsa Nguni		2006—
Olivia Scott-Taylor	Olivia Adams Trevanion	Rafaella Hutchinson	2006–08, 2010—
Thapelo Mokoena	Cedric Fatani		2007—
Hayley Mills	Caroline Du Plessis		2007—08, 2009-
Dawn Steele	Alice Trevanion		2009—	On Maternity Leave
Tarryn Faye Brummage	Charlotte Collins Trevanion	Megan Martell	2009—
Atandwa Kani	Thabo		2010—	(Also starred in Life is Wild)
Robert Bathurst	Ed Lynch		2012—
Jill Halfpenny	Fiona Lynch		2012—
Elvis the meerkat	Elvis the meerkat		2012 -

Past characters

Actor	Character	Duration	Notes
David Butler	Christian Peeters Luke Peeters	2011–12 2012	(Also starred in Life is Wild)
Niama McLean	Buhle	2010–11
Kagiso Legoadi	Cashile	2010–11
Sithokomele Majola	Junior Fatani	2011
Bovril	Jana the Cheetah	2006–11
Mary Anne Barlow	Vanessa	2009–11
Hamley	Hamley the Giraffe	2006–11
Cal MacAninch	Rowan Collins	2009–10
Fana Mokoena	Mr Ekotto	2007–10	Recurring Character
Luke Ward-Wilkinson	Evan Adams/Trevanion	2006–09
Juliet Mills	Georgina Black	2009
Shana Burton	Grace	2009
Martinus Van Der Berg	Max Gifthold	2007–09
Wayne Van Rooyen	Kirk Du Plessis	2007–09
Kim Cloete	Neema Du Plessis	2008–09
Unknown actor/actress	Amber Du Plessis	2009
Amanda Holden	Sarah Trevanion	2006–08
Mbongeni Nhlapo	Regal	2006–08
Jessie Wallace	Amy Kriel	2008
Craig Gardner	Elliot Kriel	2008
Busi Lurayi	Thandi Nguni	2007–08
Gary Lawson	Alex Tate	2006–07
Siyabonga Melongisi Shibe	Themba Khumalo	2006

Guest Characters

Actor	Character	Duration	Notes
Dominika Jablonska	Beth	2012
Bryan Van Niekerk	Jonas Rittman	2011
Warren Clarke	Robert Trevanion	2011
Camilla Waldman	Hannah	2010
Nicholas Le Prevost	Gene	2010
Susie Blake	Judith	2008
Maggie O'Neill	Elaine	2008
Samantha Womack	Tessa	2007
Geoffrey Hutchings	Bill	2007
Vincent Regan	Simon Adams	2006, 2007

Ratings

Series	Episodes	Aired	Average Viewers (million)
1	6	29 January 2006 - 5 March 2006	9.67
2	10	14 January 2007 - 25 March 2007	7.94
3	8	13 January 2008 - 9 March 2008	8.16
4	10	11 January 2009 - 15 March 2009	7.99
5	10	10 January 2010 - 14 March 2010	7.71
6	10	9 January 2011 - 13 March 2011	8.09
7	10	8 January 2012 - 11 March 2012	7.72 As of Episode 6

All ratings have been retrieved from www.barb.co.uk and include ITV1 HD & ITV1 +1 for series 6 onwards.

Storylines/synopsis

Series 1 (2006)

Wild at Heart begins with the Trevanion family going about their lives in Bristol. Everything changes drastically when an abandoned vervet monkey is brought into Danny's surgery. His wife Sarah suggests they go to Africa to rehabilitate the monkey in hopes that a holiday will bring the troop closer together. The business trip becomes a permanent adventure and throughout the series we see the Trevanions settle into life in the bush and work to start up a game park. They're faced with plenty of challenges along the way including lethal snake bites, a deadly strain of anthrax, darting lionesses, missing children, uninvited guests, and a rival game park whose manager causes plenty of trouble when he can.

Series 2 (2007)

The second series is even more eventful than the first. The Trevanions struggle with finances whilst trying to satisfy their first proper guests with luxury accommodations and game drives. They face a new owner of Mara, the neighbouring game park, after the original one is killed whilst illegally hunting. The new owner seems even more intent on causing mayhem as he takes water from Leopard's Den's watering hole and more. This series introduces more characters and more complications that are thrown at the Trevanions, including a bitter inspector who nearly shuts them down, the arrival of Sarah's difficult mother Caroline, plane crashes, releasing vultures, family revelations, marriage proposals, and worst of all, to nearly end the family's time in Africa, a fatal lion attack.

Series 3 (2008)

The series focuses on opening an animal hospital, which in the penultimate episode is nearly achieved when a fire strikes the luxury guest lodge. Series 3 features a new American owner of Mara who at first appears friendly enough, but following a betrayal, turns nasty. Sarah goes back to her teaching roots when the local school is missing a teacher, tiger cubs go missing, Du Plessis goes out of his way to find love, Caroline's sister Judith visits, and Rosie and Max get engaged. The penultimate and final episodes of the series feature tragedy when the fire ruins the wedding day and the family is left grieving the loss of Sarah as she dies whilst trying to save Jana the cheetah. The series also features former EastEnders star Jessie Wallace as Amy Kriel, the dimwitted, self-absorbed wife of Mara's American owner, Elliot Kriel.

Series 4 (2009)

The series begins 12 months after the fire and features Danny battling for custody of Evan, yet losing. However, Evan finally is allowed to return to the game reserve. Meanwhile Caroline has returned to England, so her sister Georgina comes to stay, yet fails to make friends with Du Plessis, revealing to him that Caroline does not love him anymore and will not be returning to Africa. A new vet, Alice Collins, joins Leopards Den. She and Danny get off at a bad start, but in the end Danny asks Alice to stay at Leopards Den. Rosie marries Max but suffers a miscarriage; then leaves with Max to study veterinary medicine in Cape Town. After a few episodes, and Alice nearly leaving, it becomes clear that she has feelings for Danny, about which she confides to Du Plessis. In the penultimate episode, a storm hits Leopard's Den and Alice seeks help for an injured Danny whilst the others try to find her daughter Charlotte among the rubble of the old hut. Alice finds help, and is taken to Mara. She manages to tell the owner, Vanessa, that Danny is still out in the storm, bleeding and unconscious. There is much confusion while searching for Danny, but he is eventually found. Afterward, Vanessa, the owner of Mara, tells Alice that she and Danny are an item, which is untrue. She says this because she knows Alice has feelings for Danny, too. Alice gets back to Leopards Den and packs her bags, planning to leave. Danny tells Vanessa that he does not return her feelings. When Danny finds Alice's suitcase, he goes after Alice, who is releasing a giraffe prior to her departure. Danny and Alice finally admit their love for each other in a passionate embrace. They tell no one, although everyone learns the truth. Alice and Danny's relationship is branded, "The worst kept secret in Africa!" Caroline returns in the final moments of the series 4 finale.

Series 5 (2010)

The fifth series begins with Du Plessis and Caroline's wedding, but someone from Caroline's past is set to ruin it before their marriage even starts. Elsewhere, Alice's brother Rowan moves in to Mara, while Alice tries to repair their sibling relationship. Evan has moved to England to live with his sister and Dad. Vanessa has got over her feelings for Danny and they remain friends, and starts a relationship with Rowan which ends after he gives a black leopard a drug which kills it but he lets Danny take the blame, meaning Danny has his license taken away until Rowan fixes his mistake. Rowan is thrown out by Vanessa, and Alice persuades Danny to let him stay at Leopard's Den. Olivia, Danny's step daughter, returns, and is not happy Danny is with Alice and has got over her mother so quickly. Danny proposes to Alice, but she refuses, telling him he needs to make up with his step daughter first. Fatani takes over Max's Bar, hires Buhle and they quickly fall in love. On the 2nd anniversary of Sarah's death, Danny, Olivia, Nomsa, Alice and Charlotte have a little ceremony at Sarah's favourite hut, where Olivia makes up with Alice by telling her that Sarah would have liked her. Du Plessis and Caroline could not make it because Dup is in hospital because of a heart condition and is awaiting surgery. In the finale, Fatani proposes to Buhle using Danny's ring accidentally, Du Plessis reveals he has no money as he gave it all to his son, which Caroline is not pleased about as she wanted to buy Mr Ekotto's land. Rowan is doing Du Plessis job while he rests from his Heart condition, which Du Plessis is not happy about. Vanessa's dad buys the land, but Du Plessis releases a rare animal, sets fake tracks and an environmental specialist claims it is a conservation zone which cannot be built on. Vanessa, using the money Rowan has given her for this purpose, buys out her father's share of Mara, confronting her father which she has been persuaded to do by Rowan, gets back together with Rowan and allows him to move back in. Danny proposes to Alice again, with help from Olivia, and this time she agrees.

Series 6 (2011)

It's months since Danny got engaged to Alice and the series kicks off in London where Danny and Alice are on their honeymoon and Danny arranges to meet up with his estranged father Robert Trevanion (Warren Clarke). They all return to Leopard's Den to help try to save the lions. Robert then drops a bombshell on Danny, that he is dying. having made up with his son, Robert goes off into the bush to die, having first bought the Travanions a new pride of Lions. Meanwhile, Olivia spots Thabo, a young offender who appeared in Series 5, doing community service out in town, and Danny agrees to take him on as an employee as part of his community service. Buhle has Fatani's baby boy, which they name Junior. Grieving Danny throws himself into his work and applies for the prestigious role of state vet, but his attempts to involve Thabo in the lion-breeding project leave Du Plessis feeling like an outsider in his own home. Other problems they face include a geologist who arouses suspicion when he arrives to survey the area, and a rogue baboon causes problems at Leopards' Den, their struggles with the Lion breeding program, the arrival of Thabo's delinquent older brother, and a plane full of illegally imported animals heading for Mara. Danny soon learns that Vanessa is struggling to keep hold of Mara's finances. That is not the last of their problems though. A new mining company Afrispec, starts blasting, which affects many of the animals behaviour, killing many and injuring Danny as a result. Meanwhile, the Travanions learn that Alice is pregnant with Danny's child. Afrispec have far worse planned for the Travanions than just a mine though, and attempt to buy Mara to use as a conference centre, and Leopard's Den to use as a motorway from the mine to the centre. The Travanions and Vanessa attempt to stand strong against the company, but Vanessa's financial crisis means she has no choice but to give in. Afrispec then force legal action onto Leopard's Den, and takes them to the High Court to force the sale of Leopard's Den. They are forced out, but Peeters agrees to let them to set up a field hospital in the Leopard's Den property. Du Plessis turns it into a protest site, until Caroline is attacked by a lion after one of Peeters' men cuts the generator wire. With his spirit lost, Du Plessis looks at retirement, until Danny and the rest of the family persuades him they need to keep fighting. However, the peaceful protest backfires when Jana is shot. Defeated, the Travanions decide to accept Georgina's offer for them to stay with her in England. But Du Plessis is determined to get Danny to stay, which results in the family being split apart. However, Du Plessis and Danny discover a secret: that Afrispec employees have been poaching Rhino horns. The pair agree not to tell the press, in return that Peeters stops work on Leopard's Den. In the final moments, Du Plessis and Danny are looking down at Leopard's Den from a hill, noticing the work has stopped, and plan their next move.

Series 7 (2012)

The seventh series begins with Danny and Dup working at the Big Five. Danny has led Alice to believe that he runs the place, when it is actually owned by Ed Lynch, but when Alice unexpectedly arrives from the UK, Danny is forced to tell her the truth. They are called to Clearwater Farm where they must collect a unwanted pet, that actually turns out to be a Tiger. Later that night Dup realises that Danny is missing, he assumes that he is at Leopards Den, but when he arrives there he finds a dead body in the swimming pool and it turns out to be the body of Christian Peeters and Dup believes Danny to have killed Peeters, but it could have been anyone. He buries the body in panic. A week later the family return to Africa and to their new home, Clearwater Farm, but on arrival Danny is horrified to find that Dup hasnt lifted a finger since he and Alice left to look after Alice's brother, Rowan (feature of series 4) who has been involved in a car crash, and that the place still is a complete tip. Later that day a Afrispec employee questions Danny and Dup to the disappearance of Christian Peeters and Dup is shocked at how calmly Danny is taking it, meanwhile Thabo announces to Liv that while they were away he took up a job at Afrispec, and Liv is horrified, but he later makes it up to the family by announcing that Afrispec is dropping out of the mine and Leopards Den is back on the market, however when the family try to buy back their old home they are shocked to find that Leopards Den and Mara are to be sold as a joint lot, the family unfortunately can't afford both. The family is then offered a partnership in Leopard's Den with Lynch, who isn't keen on the idea as is Danny. Ed and Danny are then informed of Dup's actions of releasing wild lions into Mara to deter potential buyers, the two go into Mara armed with tranquilliser guns to calmly take down the lions. Whilst in Mara, Danny and Ed discover that the pair aren't that different after all then end up working together in saving a lion the two accidentally darted twice! Afterwards Ed offers Danny to go into the partnership if he excludes Dup from the deal, Danny immediately declines which loses him Leopard's Den and Mara, but with some talking with Caroline and Dup, Danny decides to go into the deal with Ed but an extremely sceptical Caroline warns Dup that she believes no good will come from the new found partnership. Danny's eldest daughter Rosie returns from vet school in Cape Town to help the family settle back into life at Leopards Den. Caroline and Du Plessis move back to Clearwater Farm after falling out with Ed and Danny. Dup starts to think he's going mad when he sees Peeters' ghost, but the 'ghost' turns out to be the deceased man's brother, Luke Peeters. Dup realises that he has to confess to burying the body but once he does so, Luke turns the tables on him by getting Danny arrested. Danny is in prison when Du Plessis sets out to prove his innocence and with Alice in England and the birth of the baby just around the corner things are not looking too good. Du'p gets Fatanis assistance and they look at CCTV footage at the Big 5 from the night of Peeters murder and see Ed Lynch suspiciously driving of in the middle of the night, so Anders questions Ed and he claims he was 'fast asleep'. Later on Fatani breaks into Eds office at Mara and Dup follows Lynch and he catches him with a man and he gets suspicious, in the office Fatani finds a letter of termination to Lynch from Peeters meanwhile the cheetah from Leopards Den runs of and Rosie goes after it and gets bit by its brother so with Danny still in prison he is worried about his daughter. In the morning Dup and Ed find Rosie and later that day Danny has been given bail but unfortunately is not allowed his passport so that means he can't fly home for the birth of the baby. Dup is still adamant to prove his friend's innocence, so he and Fatani break into Eds office and find out that he wrote a testimonial for Danny to get bail.... they are then wandering around the veranda at Leopards Den and find a very poisonous snake so Dup thinks that this was Peeters' killer and it turned out it was. They found other info about Ed like a one way ticket to Namibia and money but it turns out Ed is wanting to start a Rhino breeding programme at Leopards den and that explains alot. When Danny and Ed take one of the Rhinos which is not coming back from Namibia to Leopards Den they come home to find out that the police said that the following day it would be finalised whether the snake killed Peeters or not it turned out it was and at the end of the episode Danny is leaving to go to England for the big arrival and believe it or not Ed, Anders and Danny decide to put their differences aside and everything just seems to be getting better for the family:absence, and while Dup is doing community service, Ed encounters a woman called Kim who is actually a con-artist. After she tricks him into an expensive transaction for a lion that supposedly carries the Barbary gene, Dup helps him plan an attempt to catch her out. Together (and with the help of Danny, who returns and alerts the police), they manage to get Kim and her associates arrested. The residents of Leopards Den discover that a drug they are using, supplied by JLW is affecting the wellbeing of their pregnant animals, this affects their funding and doubts are cast over the partnership between the two. Meanwhile Rosie is forced to announce that she failed a pathology exam and is also getting divorced from her husband Max, Ed's estranged wife Fiona turns up unexpectedly, aiming to try and win him back after she left him 5 years previously. Ed is determined that he wants Fiona to leave and she is trying her best to win him over. Danny gets a phone call from Alice and it turns out she does not want to return to Leopards Den or Africa and wants Danny to live in the UK just for 1 year to see how things go. WIth the loss of funding Ed secures a contract with a local stables and Rosie and Dup purchase a zebra with an infected shoulder. Ed and Danny take a horse from the stables back to the animal hospital and places it in the pen beside the zebra and when they return it to the stables they think it has African Horse Sickness and they are threatened to be shut down. Rosie puts the project into quarantine and her and Fiona work together to get to the bottom of the mystery and it turns out that the project is safe. But Danny sees how capable Rosie is, knows that he can leave Leopards Den in safe hands for a year, and makes a definite decision to return to the UK, but Rosie still does not trust Fiona. She and Ed decide to give it another go, and she moves in to Mara, giving the project some profitable funding she had put away.

Soundtrack release

The music is all composed by Tristin Norwell and Nick Green exclusively for the show. The soundtrack is available for purchase currently as a download only.

"Coming Home - Soundtrack to the TV Series Wild At Heart" (download)

1 February 2010

This is distributed by AWAL.

Offscreen

On 9 November 2010, cast and crew returned to the Glen Afric reserve to find that Hamley, a giraffe appearing regularly in the drama, had been struck and killed by lightning during a thunderstorm. He was known to be a very friendly animal and his death was felt by many members of the cast, crew and fans.

DVD release

These are all distributed by Acorn Media UK.

See also

• List of Episodes

External links

DVD	Release date
The Complete First Series (2 discs)	3 April 2006
The Complete Second Series (3 discs)	18 February 2008
The Complete Third Series (3 discs)	2 February 2009
The Complete Fourth Series (3 discs)	1 February 2010
The Complete Fifth Series (3 discs)	7 February 2011
The Complete Sixth Series (3 discs)	6 February 2012 (Amazon.co.uk)

• Wild at Heart at itv.com
• Wild at Heart at stv.tv

• Wild at Heart at IMDb
• Wild at Heart at TV.com