Wanderlust - BBC1

Wanderlust starring Toni Colletteand Steven Mackintosh
(Image credit: BBC / Drama Republic)

As ranchy drama Wanderlust continues on BBC1 Joy and Alan put their daring new lifestyle into action - with surprising results

After the bombshell of the opening episode, Joy (Toni Collette) and Alan (Steven Mackintosh) are set to take their marriage down an unconventional path, and the ripples of that decision begin to spread tonight.

However, the couple are soon distracted by the arrival of their eldest daughter Laura (Celeste Dring, The Windsors, This Country), who’s drunk and upset after hearing that her ex has announced his engagement to someone else.

Wanderlust shows Joy and Alan with daughter Laura

Joy and Alan's daughter Laura unexpectedly turns up on the doorstep...

The creator of this irreverent series, Nick Payne, has a real knack for drawing authentic characters and Laura looks set to be a fine addition.

What’s more, Laura's memorable entrance sets off a chain of events that could blow this slow-burning drama wide open!

Not one for the prudish. One critic who reviewed the stage version of Payne’s Wanderlust wrote: 'In an age when sex is constantly commodified, he unfashionably argues that it is best when the heart and the genitalia are working in synch.'

TV Times rating: *****

Mandy Cooper
TV Times Highlights Editor

As TV Times Highlights Editor I get to hear about all the latest TV shows coming soon. Here at TVT HQ we are in the privileged position of selecting the best programmes from across all the channels and streaming platforms. Our mission is to make it easier for our readers to decide what to watch - and give them lots of choice of genres - all the latest shows, plus some nostalgic choices we call hidden gems, too. My career began with a postgraduate degree in periodical journalism (ahem, yes old school!) in 1991 and I’ve worked in TV media since 2000.