Creative Wales – the Welsh Government agency that promotes the nation’s creative industries – is celebrating an exciting time for the Welsh screen industry, with the production of six new dramas all set in Wales. The dramas include Steeltown Murders, Wolf, Tree on a Hill, Men Up, The Way, and Lost Boys and Fairies.
The latest boom in dramas comes as a result of a partnership between the Welsh Government and BBC Cymru Wales. The two companies have been working closely together to ensure creative talent is offered the opportunities and support needed to produce high-quality content.
Gerwyn Evans, Deputy Director of Creative Wales, said: “The industry-leading resources and talent on offer for the television and film sector is making Wales a popular choice for new productions that take an ambitious approach to storytelling: whether that’s in their creative approach, bold moves toward sustainability or in opening doors for greater diversity in the creative industries.
“The incredible series of dramas coming out of Wales are part of a bigger story: a screen sector that is growing and attracting interest from studios and producers globally and providing exciting career opportunities for people here in Wales. The future of television and film in Wales is bright, and we are focussed on supporting the development of talent from within to support the growing sector.”
As noted above, the six new dramas include Steeltown Murders, Wolf, Tree on a Hill, Men Up, The Way, and Lost Boys and Fairies.
Steeltown
Steeltown Murders is a four-part television series based on Wales’ biggest murder hunt, as police hunt the killer of three teenage girls in Neath and Port Talbot, Wales, in 1973. Jumping between 1973 and the early 2000s, Steeltown Murders looks at the human and community impact of unsolved crime, loss and grief, as the police try to discover who committed the murders – against a backdrop of rugged landscapes and tightly interwoven rural communities.
If you enjoyed Life on Mars, you’ll like Steeltown Murders. The series stars Phillip Glenister, Richard Harrington and Keith Allen.
Where to watch: Steeltown is currently streaming on BBC iPlayer.
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Wolf
Wolf is a captivating six-part series about a family who are held hostage in their own home by a couple of criminals with a nefarious mission. With a message in their dog’s collar being the only clue the family is in danger, police inspector Jack Caffery must work tirelessly to find the truth, all while dealing with his own trauma over the unsolved disappearance of his brother 20 years earlier.
If you enjoyed The Fall, you might like Wolf. The series stars Iwan Rheon, Juliet Stevenson and Owen Teale.
Where to watch: Wolf is currently streaming now on BBC iPlayer.
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Tree On A Hill/Pren Ar Y Bryn
Laced with humour and a touch of the absurd Pren ar y Bryn/Tree on a Hill is a story with Margaret and Clive Lewis at its heart. These unlikely heroes’ quiet lives are changed in an instant when they find themselves on the wrong side of the law.
Written, created and directed by Ed Thomas (Hinterland/Y Gwyll, House of America), this six part series was filmed on location in Ystradgynlais on the River Tawe at the edge of the Brecon Beacons and in Swansea Bay Studios.
If you enjoyed Hinterland/Y Gwyll, you might like Tree On A Hill/Pren Ar Y Bryn. The drama stars Rhodri Meilir, Nia Roberts, Hannah Daniel and Richard Harrington.
Where to watch: Pren ar y Bryn/Tree on a Hill is heading to S4C later this year and on the BBC in early 2024.
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Men Up
Men Up is inspired by the true story of a group of ordinary middle-aged Welsh men who took part in one of the first clinical trials for an unknown drug which later became Viagra. The series combines drama and humour, in a story about how a group of unassuming men rise to the challenge to reclaim their sex lives.
If you enjoyed This is Going to Hurt, you might like Men Up. The drama stars Iwan Rheon, Steffan Rhodri and Paul Rhys.
Where to watch: Men Up is coming to BBC later this year.
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The Way
The Way taps into the social and political chaos of today’s world by imagining a civil uprising which begins in a small industrial town. The series is based around the Driscolls, an ordinary family, in an extraordinary story of life, death and survival who get caught in a chain of events and power struggles that unleash civil unrest. The family are forced to escape the country they have always lived in and the certainties of their old lives.
If you enjoyed Best Interests you might like: The Way. The drama stars Luke Evans, Callum Scott Howells, and Michael Sheen.
Where to watch: The Way is coming to BBC later this year.
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Lost Boys and Fairies
And finally, Lost Boys and Fairies is based on a true story that advocates for the rights of the gay community to parent a child. The series follows main character, Gabriel, a singer and performer who works at the queer nightclub Neverland in Cardiff.
Gabriel adopts a child, Jake, with his partner Andy. However, to truly be able to parent his son Jake, he must first revisit his own painful and traumatic past and repair the delicate relationship he has with his own father.
If you enjoyed Couples Therapy you might like: Lost Boys and Fairies. The drama stars Sion Daniel Young, Fra Fee, and Alexandria Riley.
Where to watch: Lost Boys and Fairies will air on the BBC in 2024.
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