Mad Dogs

*Mad Dogs* is a British black comedy and psychological thriller television series created by Cris Cole. It premiered on Sky1 on 10 February 2011 and is produced by Left Bank Pictures, with Palma Pictures as co-producer. The series features John Simm, Marc Warren, Max Beesley, and Philip Glenister as four middle-aged friends who reunite in a villa in Majorca to celebrate the early retirement of their friend Alvo. After Alvo is murdered, the group becomes entangled in a world of crime and police corruption. Originally conceived as a story about a rock band, the idea was changed due to a perception that such narratives had been overused. After attracting interest from terrestrial networks, the series was commissioned by British Sky Broadcasting. Filming took place on location across the island of Majorca in May 2010, with a budget of around four million euros and a production schedule of 44 days. The main themes of the series are friendship and aging; Glenister described it as exploring the experience of growing older and "getting closer to death." Photographer David LaChapelle directed three 30-second advertisements for the series. *Mad Dogs* opened with 1.61 million viewers, making it the 17th highest-rated programme in Sky1's history, and received positive critical reception, with comparisons drawn to British gangster films, particularly the 2000 film *Sexy Beast*.