Last updated at 11:05, Saturday, 22 January 2011

Wild At Heart (ITV1) may not have much to its credit but it does at least show how a TV soapy drama doesn’t have to be any good to secure a long run.

Unbelievable, to be sure, but this is series six.

Six whole seasons of silly bush tales of African adventure. Or to be more accurate, six whole seasons of spinning rotated variations on the same old bush story of African vet adventure.

What on earth did we do to deserve it?

This week Danny (Stephen Tompkinson) was seen throwing himself into work after the death of his father and applying for the role of state vet – an important government job he got remarkably easily. Was there no local competition?

Attempts to involve Thabo in the first phase of the Lion Breeding Project led to hard-drinking Du Plessis feeling like an outsider in his own home. He hit the bottle again. So did I.

When Du Plessis was held responsible for a baboon biting Alice on the hand, he took it that he was no longer welcome at Leopard’s Den.

Cue more drinking – him and me both. At the return of the baboon to wreak havoc on the animal hospital, injured Alice had to turn to Du Plessis for help, he had to help operate on a lion cub, turned hero of the hour, sobered up and was fully redeemed.

Wish I could have said the same. I can’t take much more of this – my liver won’t stand it.

As Danny, state vet and complaining control freak, released his new pride of lions onto Leopard’s Den land, we knew to expect more big cat traumas next week.

Same old, same old – forgive me if I give it a miss. I’m going teetotal.

First published at 09:15, Saturday, 22 January 2011
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk