The creator of ‘Wanderlust’ has admitted he feels “a bit sad” the show has been reduced to its sexual content in the mainstream media.
Last week, the marital drama debuted on BBC One, with much discussion about its raunchier scenes, particularly an oft-cited quote from lead actress Toni Collette about how the show features the corporation’s first ever female orgasm.
The show tells the story of Joy (Toni Collette), who tries to resuscitate her marriage after a cycling accident, leading her and her husband to consider the possibility of an open marriage.
However, the show’s creator and writer Nick Payne has admitted he’s concerned people may have got the wrong end of the stick when it comes to ‘Wanderlust’.
“My concern is that the show is being contextualised as one thing, as one really particular thing, and I’m not necessarily sure that is what the show is,” he told Radio Times. “A narrative is emerging that the show should be raunchy, or it should be edgy, or it should be controversial, and it just is not that.”
Admitting he’s worried the show’s “warmth”, humour and the quality of its performers are being overlooked, he added: “No one is commenting on that. It’s just about the sex. And spoiler alert: there’s no sex beyond episode three.
“I understand that it’s going to get talked about however people wish to talk about it, but the bit I’m a bit sad about – or worry about – is that a set of expectations get set for the viewer, who doesn’t yet know anything about it, and when they read all that stuff they bring it to the experience – and ultimately it just isn’t really about that. And we only get one chance to get people to watch it.”
Nick went on to say he thinks much of the furore stems from the fact the show debuted on the BBC, while internationally it will be made available on Netflix, saying: “Because it’s BBC One and it’s the most mainstream channel, and of course it’s publicly subsidised, that for whatever reason we’re being exposed to a level of bizarre scrutiny.
“If we were on a different platform, I just think no one would care about that stuff and they’d see through it and maybe they’d see the show for what it is.”
Read our initial review here, and watch the trailer below: