The BBC announced a new feature-length drama series, ‘Men Up’, that looks at the medical trials that helped bring the world Viagra, featuring the stories of some the participants.
Matthew Berry (Industry, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina) wrote the series based on “the remarkable true story of one of the world’s first medical trials for the drug that became Viagra, held in Swansea’s Morriston Hospital in 1994”.
Phaldut Sharma, Iwan Rheon, Mark Lewis Jones and Steffan Rhodri (Source: BBC)
Synopsis: Meurig Jenkins (Rheon), Colin White (Rhodri), Tommy Cadogan (Rhys), Peetham ‘Pete’ Shah (Sharma) and Eddie O’Connor (Jones) all have one thing in common. Impotency. It’s affecting them in every aspect of their lives, as they are drowning in shame and silence. Left feeling as failures as men, questioning their manhood, and having attempted their own fixes to no avail, the group is presented with a lifeline: a place on a trial for an unknown drug thought to cure impotence led by the ambitious Dr Dylan Pearce (Barnard) with support from clinical nurse Moira Davies (Page). As each man grapples with their own insecurities and hiding the truth from their loved ones – including their wives and partners Ffion Jenkins (Roach) and Teresa Rigby (Palfrey) who are also fighting their own battles – will this little pill be able to bring back their spark?
Men’s Up cast includes: Iwan Rheon (Game of Thrones, Misfits, Riviera), Aneurin Barnard (Dunkirk, The Pact), Alexandra Roach (Killing Eve, Sanditon, No Offence), Phaldut Sharma (Sherwood, Romantic Getaway), Paul Rhys (A Discovery of Witches, Rellick), Steffan Rhodri (House of the Dragon, Temple), Mark Lewis Jones (Gangs of London, The Phantom of the Open), Joanna Page (Gavin & Stacey, Dolittle), Alexandria Riley (The Pembrokeshire Murders, The Pact), Nathan Sussex (It’s A Sin, Hollyoaks), Lisa Palfrey (Sex Education, COBRA), Dyfan Dwyfor (A Very English Scandal, Requiem) and Katy Wix (Ghosts, Stath Lets Flats).
‘Men Up’ is directed by Ashley Way (White Lines, Stella, Merlin), and produced by Karen Lewis (The Salisbury Poisonings, Years and Years, Happy Valley). The executive producers are Nicola Shindler (Nolly, It’s A Sin, Happy Valley) and Davina Earl (Safe, Come Home) for Quay Street Productions, Rachel Evans (35 Diwrnod/35 Days, How This Blind Girl…) for Boom, Matthew Barry and Russell T Davies (Nolly, It’s A Sin, Doctor Who) and Rebecca Ferguson for the BBC.
