Men Up viewers saying same thing about 'moving' new Viagra drama

May 2024 · 3 minute read

The film tells the story of the first clinical trials of Viagra in 1994

The BBC's new drama, Men Up, made its debut on Friday night, telling the story of the first clinical trials of the drug Viagra, which took place in Swansea back in 1994.

The feature-length programme, which was written and executive produced by Matthew Barry, follows five characters who sign up for the trial in the hopes that the miracle drug can help their impotence and bring romance back into their lives. 

WATCH: Did you enjoy the new drama?

It's safe to say the new drama went down a storm with viewers, with many praising the TV film as "moving", "funny" and a sweet depiction of male bonding and friendship. 

Taking to social media, one person wrote: "I loved #MenUp. Fab story, great acting. An emotional roller-coaster. About time this was talked about," while another added: "What an absolutely brilliant drama. Dealing with sexuality, mental health, relationships & erectile dysfunction with such amazing sensitivity."

A third person penned: "What a great piece of writing an immensely enjoyable 90 minutes on BBC1 #MenUp informative, entertaining and equally moving charting early clinical trials of Viagra. Great to see it networked and shot in Swansea," while another added: "Absolutely loved #MenUp on BBC One tonight. A beautifully written and performed tender human story about the 1994 Swansea Viagra trials that’s funny, warm and moving."

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Many also applauded the impressive cast, which includes the likes of Iwan Rheon, Aneurin Barnard, Steffan Rhodri and Joanna Page. 

One person wrote: "#MenUp on @BBCWales was a phenomenally great piece of television. A stellar cast of the best of the nation's best actors, and a storyline that was so sensitively handled, exploring the complexity of the relationships, all with great humour (and a great dance routine)," while another added: "Enjoying #MenUp the BBC TV film about the first trials of Viagra back in the '90s! Amazing strong Welsh cast led by Iwan Rheon."

Other viewers hoped the drama would return with a series, with one person penning: "Fantastic viewing #MenUp. Would love to see a series come out from it," while another added: "Really enjoyed that show, but it appears its a one-off and should have been at least a mini-series. Hopefully they follow on."

Given the drama has been released as a feature-length film, it's unlikely that we'll see any more episodes. 

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Plus, it seems writer Matthew set out to demonstrate the importance of communication when it comes to mental health – which he certainly achieves by the end of the film. 

Speaking to the BBC about what he wants audiences to take away from the drama, writer Matthew explained: "What I hope people take away is, is that it's OK to talk. This is a drama about the first Viagra trial in the world, but actually it's really a story about mental health and communicating. It's about a group of men who are unable to talk to their partners or to their friends about what's happening to them. And by the end of the film, most of them, if not all of them, are able to do that. And for me, at its heart, that's what it's about."

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