Men Up

Swansea, Wales, 1994. Years before the little blue pill changed the lives for millions across the globe, a group of ordinary middle-aged men underwent the extraordinary, taking part in one of the first clinical trials for an unknown drug which later became Viagra.

Meurig, Colin, Tommy, Peetham 'Pete', and Eddie all have one thing in common—impotency. It’s affecting them in every aspect of their lives, as they are drowning in shame and silence. Left feeling as failures, questioning their manhood, and having attempted their own fixes to no avail, the group is presented with a lifeline: a place on a trial for an unknown drug thought to cure impotence, led by the ambitious Dr. Pearce with support from clinical nurse Moira. As each man grapples with their own insecurities and hides the truth from their loved ones—including their wives and partners who are also fighting their own battles—will this little pill be able to bring back their spark?

Mixing drama with humour, Men Up is a poignant and beautiful story in which a group of unassuming men rise to the challenge to reclaim their sex lives, becoming global pioneers in the process. 

Written by Matthew Barry (Industry, The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Death in Paradise) and directed by Ashley Way (White Lines, Stella, Merlin), Men Up’s stellar cast includes Iwan Rheon (Those About to Die, Wolf, Game of Thrones ) as Meurig, Steffan Rhodri (Fifteen-Love, House of the Dragon) as Colin, Paul Rhys (A Discovery of Witches, Rellick) as Tommy, Phaldut Sharma (Full Circle, Sherwood) as Peethan ‘Pete’, and Mark Lewis Jones (Gangs of London, Chernobyl, Star Wars: Episode VIII ) as Eddie. Also joining the ensemble cast are Aneurin Barnard (1899, Peaky Blinders, Dunkirk, The Pact), Alexandra Roach (Viewpoint, Killing Eve), Joanna Page (Gavin & Stacey, Love Actually, Alexandria Riley (The Pembrokeshire Murders, The Pact), Nathan Sussex (It’s A Sin, Hollyoaks), Lisa Palfrey (Sex Education, COBRA), Dyfan Dwyfor (A Very English Scandal, Requiem), and Katy Wix (Ghosts, Stath Lets Flats).

Awards

RTS Cymru Wales Awards 2024, Drama winner

Rockie Awards 2024, Best Feature Film

Celtic Media Awards 2025, Single Drama Category nominee

Broadcast Awards 2024, Best Single Drama nominee

RTS Programme Awards 2024, Single Drama nominee

C21 International Drama Awards 2024, Best TV Movie nominee