Production
BBC Three commissioned Wrecked from Euston Films in March 2021. Written by Ryan J. Brown and directed by Chris Baugh, the six 45-minute episode series is executive produced by Noemi Spanos for Euston Films and Tommy Bulfin for the BBC. [8]
While writing the show, Brown purposefully included explicit LGBT themes (both Jamie and Vivian are gay), explaining that "as a gay man and horror fan, I think horror has always been queer but it's always coded, and subtext. I thought, 'let's do away with the subtext. Let's have explicit representation" and adding that he was used to LGBT characters always being the sidekicks in horror content. Simultaneously, Brown was careful to ensure that Jamie and Vivian's sexuality did not define them as characters but that he did not dismiss this either, noting that "growing up gay has equipped them to be the perfect heroes but the story doesn't need to be about their trauma". [9]
The cast was confirmed in March 2022, with Oscar Kennedy set to star as the lead Jamie. Also part of the cast were Thaddea Graham, Jack Rowan, and Jodie Tyack as well as Louis Boyer, Anthony Rickman, Amber Grappy, Diego Andres, Peter Claffey, Miya Ocego, Warren James Dunning, Ramanique Ahluwalia, and Alice Nokes. [10] In a video posted to Instagram , Brown explained that Jamie is named after Jamie Lee Curtis, best known for playing Laurie Strode in the Halloween film franchise, and Jesse Walsh, the character played by Mark Patton in A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge , whom he dubbed the "first male scream queen". [11]
Principal photography took place in Northern Ireland. [12]
In October 2022, prior to the first series' broadcast, it was announced that a second series of the show has been in development, and that the show was designed to run for at least three. [13]
Principal photography for the second series returned to Northern Ireland and lasted for four months between May 11 [14] and September 1, 2023. [15] Director Chris Baugh explained that the challenges of creating a realistic cruise ship in a warehouse was particularly challenging during production of series one, in contrast of the filming of the second series which was largely outdoors and more dependent on the weather. He cited The Wicker Man , Friday the 13th , The Final Girls , and The Evil Dead as particular influences on the second series. [16]
The release date for the second series was announced on 8 March 2024, alongside the news that Bradley Riches, Alan Dale, Shaheen Jafargholi, Phil Martin, Orlando Norman, Sam Buttery, Greg Austin, Carolyn Bracken, Niamh Walsh, and Buck Braithwaite were joining the cast. [17]
Critical reception
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the first season of Wreck holds a 69% approval rating, based on 13 critic reviews, with an average rating of 6.4/10. It has an average audience score of 98%. [21] Metacritic reported a score of 57 out of 100 based on 6 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews", and received an audience score of 7.2 out of 10 based on 13 user reviews, indicating a "generally favorable" response. [22]
Both Attitude and Gay Times featured Wreck on their list of Top LGBT TV Shows of 2022. [23] [24]
In a four-star review, Benji Wilson of The Telegraph praised the premise and Chris Baugh's directing and described the series as being like a punk band at their first gig stating, "Wreck’s energy is infectious. Everyone on the ship is a suspect and no-one can get off. If that’s just Death on the Nile with ADHD, fine: I still want to know whodunit. And why they’re wearing a duck mask." [25] Similarly, Neil Baker from Cinerama lauded BBC Three for commissioning the show, and referred to Wreck's killer duck as a "slasher icon". He called Brown's screenplay "as sharp as the knife our devilish duck wields", noting his ability to reference classic horror properties such as Scream , I Know What You Did Last Summer and Friday the 13th while still allowing Wreck to feel "fresh and different to anything else we have seen", and praised the series' humour, pacing, cinematography and queer representation. [26] The show also received four-star reviews from Heat , which declared it a "stylish" and "fresh, vibrant, chilling horror treat", and TVTimes , who noted that the show "delivers jump-scares and witty one-liners with equal aplomb". [27] In their round-up of new shows, NME referred to Wreck as a "comic-horror delight" and a "mischievous slasher in the vein of Scream". [28]
In a wider article praising the series' queer and Asian representation, Alistair James of Attitude stated "the inclusion of LGBTQ characters doesn’t feel tokenistic or as if it’s been done to check a box. Therefore it’s more rewarding to watch as an audience. It feels sincere and heartfelt." [29]
In a review for Autostraddle, Editor Kayla Kumari Upadhyaya praised the central relationship in the show stating, “It’s a series that surprised me and not in the expected avenues of plot twists but rather in its humor and its characters and relationship dynamics. Vivian and Jamie make for one of the best queer friendships I’ve seen on television in a while”. [30]
In a mixed three-star review, Rachel Sigee of iNews praised the "refreshing" queer representation but criticised the show's merging of comedy and horror, stating that "with its original premise, game approach to genre-bending and admirable sense of silliness, Wreck certainly stands out, if not always for the right reasons." [31]
Among more negative reviews from critics, the series received two stars from The Times , The Evening Standard and the Daily Mail , who said "there’s not a great deal to recommend this barking mad drama, which is a cross between a high-school comedy movie and a slasher flick with the killer being Orville the Duck," and described it as “more convoluted with each episode, taking viewers from one daft plot to another like a marble in a pinball machine” and “This camp horror thriller is a bit confused about its identity." [32] [33] [34] Brown hit back at the negative reviews, stating on his Twitter, "Nearly all of the “critics” only watched the first episode and have no idea what the show is about." [35]
The second season received positive reviews, with Alastair James of Yahoo declaring it "bigger, badder, bloodier, and funnier than before", praising the increased stakes and scope of the series and the greater emphasis on the slasher and thriller elements alongside the comedy. He lauded Brown's writing and the continued depiction of queer characters whose identity is not the sole focus of their storyline, and highlighted the performances of the main cast, particularly Kennedy, Graham, and Ocego, as well as new cast members Walsh and Buttery. James summarised that "overall Wreck series two is a step up from series one, which was pretty good to begin with. Brown has stated in the past he had a three-series plan for Wreck from the out-set. After a gripping second series that seems to perfectly cue up a third, we certainly feel like we need another to bring this story to a truly satisfying conclusion". [36]
