Gators & haters
A British family think they’ll be living the American Dream when they start over in Florida.
Living The Dream
Season 1 Mondays (from 25 November) ITV Choice (*123) 20:00
After a lifetime of Yorkshire’s mouldy skies, Mal Pemberton (Philip Glenisiter, DCI Gene Hunt in Life On Mars, 2006-2007) sells his tech company and takes his loving wife Jen (Lesley Sharp, DC Janet Scott in Scott & Bailey, 2011-2016), daughter Tina (Rosie Day, Lisa in Good Omens, 2018) and son Freddie (Brenock O’Connor, Olly, 20142016 in Game Of Thrones, 2011-2019) on the adventure of a lifetime in the new six- episode comedy series Living The Dream (2017-now).
Sunshine, mansions, swimming pools, lush vegetation and all those American mod cons await in their new life in Florida, USA – according to Mal. “I do think that’s the problem with the Brits, they think of Florida as being one gigantic Disneyland and obviously the reality, it’s not quite true,” warns Philip.
But Mal’s new luxurious wilderness caravan park business turns out to be a run-down trailer park. And coming from a place where wildlife is no more dangerous than the average hedgehog, the sweet, well-intentioned Pembertons aren’t ready for what Florida will throw at them next…
FLORIDA MAN
Mal’s new long-term tenants at Kissimmee Sunshine RV Park are mostly drunk eccentric trailer park trash, some of whom are decidedly hostile – like wife-stealing, confederate flag T-shirt-wearing ex-wrestler Troy “Dog Tag” Marshall (played by former WWE Wrestler Kevin Nash aka Diesel). “It’s a scam – like the father thinks it’ll be a luxurious, beautiful RV (recreational vehicle) park. It kind of looks like the day before a meth raid, so it’s kind of a let- down,” says Kevin. In episode 4 (9 December), Kevin will flex his wrestling skills when Troy challenges an old rival to a “grudge match” in the park. Philip quips, “Having seen some people over there in real life, if anything, we’ve toned things down.”
THE ALLIGATORS
Troy’s first trick in his efforts to scare off the Pembertons in episode 1 is to cut through the fence surrounding the trailer park’s swimming pool and lob some meat in there to attract alligators. But the huge alligator that chases
Philip in the episode was composited into the scene. “I was so excited to see an alligator in the wild, but my first opportunity was to see an alligator on a barbecue! It’s like a delicacy out there,” laments Rosie. “I avoided trying it. We had been using it all afternoon, so I doubt that it was very edible by the time we’d finished with it.”
MILD, NOT WILD
Tina will find out that far from being the land of wild school parties, Florida is deeply conservative. “She’s watched all of the US teen movies where they have parties every weekend. She has that idea in her head. It’s quite a shock to go to school and find out that purity rings (which symbolise a couple’s commitment to celibacy) are a really big thing and the girls are all modestly dressed,” says Rosie.
POLITICS & SHARKS
And while Mal sees the USA as a land where you can rake in the cash if you work hard, he will find that Florida’s politics make uneasy bed partners with business. “There’s quite a lot of red tape and barriers if you do go and try to start up a business over there, which we’ll see as the series progresses. It’s not all a bed of roses – if you don’t hit your targets, you can end up broke and downtrodden,” says Philip. That really hits home again in episode 6 (23 December) when the Pembertons must pay $50 000 (R740 000) or lose their right to use the entry road to the park. So much for the American Dream!