Wild Cherry: BBC's Latest Guilty Pleasure Arrives
The BBC's newest six-part thriller Wild Cherry immediately establishes its tone through its setting: the conspicuously named Richford Lake. This glossy drama joins the popular 'eat-the-rich' genre, drawing comparisons to The White Lotus and Nicole Kidman's recent projects while establishing its own distinctive identity.
A Wardrobe Department's Dream
From the opening scenes, it's evident that most of the production budget found its way to the costume department. The series presents a world where women over thirty appear biologically incapable of wearing synthetic fabrics, with actors seemingly cast for their ability to carry off luxurious silk and cashmere in warm beige tones. The colour camel features so prominently that viewers might regret not investing in it years earlier.
The show's aesthetic ancestry clearly includes Desperate Housewives and Gossip Girl, creating what amounts to trash with pretensions - though as the review notes, this particular flavour of trash provides perfectly entertaining winter evening viewing for those willing to set their brains aside.
Mothers, Daughters and Bloody Secrets
The series opens with an attention-grabbing prologue featuring four women - two older, two younger - standing in their underwear in a luxurious bathroom, scrubbing blood from their hands. This dramatic opening then flashes back to begin the six-episode journey toward understanding how this disturbing scenario came to pass.
The four women comprise two mother-daughter pairs. Eve Best plays Juliet, described as 'old money' and deeply concerned with reputation and appearances, despite the review's observation that in reality such preoccupations typically belong to new money. Juliet is launching her first book on perfect parenting, ironically titled to raise teenagers who become 'your best friends' - published by Hubris Books, an imprint of Come On Now Publishing.
Her world is disrupted when she and her best friend Lorna (Carmen Ejogo) - a self-made businesswoman rather than aristocratic born - are summoned to their daughters' private girls' school. Fifteen-year-old Allegra (Amelia May) and her best friend Grace (Imogen Faires) have been implicated in a 'lewd video' shown by another pupil to a teacher.
While Lorna reels from the news, Juliet goes on the offensive, warning the headteacher against 'sex shaming' teenage girls while reminding him of her family's substantial donations to the institution. The problem appears resolved - but has it truly disappeared?
Dangerous Apps and Poor Decisions
Unbeknown to their parents, Grace and aspiring influencer Allegra have been developing an app featuring 'the catalogue' - eventually revealed as an array of titillating photos taken by and of themselves and their friends, predominantly female. Paid subscribers can vote on these images, with the desire to top the 'hotness league' inevitably leading to questionable decisions by all involved.
The adult world proves equally lacking in sound judgment. Juliet's affair with a young sound man enables Allegra and Grace to sneak out to a party hosted by an older male content creator with whom Allegra imagines a burgeoning business relationship.
Meanwhile, newcomer Gigi (Nicôle Lecky, who also serves as showrunner) struggles to befriend the neighbourhood's hostile women, who dismiss her as either a gold digger (she's the second wife of a recently divorced wealthy man) or vulgar entrepreneur. Her despair becomes palpable in a scene where she stands motionless in her indoor swimming pool.
Ambition Versus Execution
The series clearly signals that nothing will conclude well for these characters, though the journey proves entertaining enough to warrant viewing. Wild Cherry attempts to tackle substantial themes - including the intersection of race and class prejudice, and criticism of privilege while simultaneously drooling over material wealth - but would benefit from either fully committing to these explorations or embracing pure, rich froth for proper escapist nonsense.
As it stands, the series remains just fun enough to sustain viewer interest throughout its run. Wild Cherry has aired on BBC One and is now available on iPlayer for those seeking glossy, fashion-forward drama with soapy undertones.
