Brown and directed by Chris Baugh, the six 45-minute episode series is executive produced by Noemi Spanos for Euston Films and Tommy Bulfin for the BBC.
Simultaneously, Brown was careful to ensure that Jamie and Vivian's sexuality did not define them as characters but that he did not dismiss this either, noting that "growing up gay has equipped them to be the perfect heroes but the story doesn't need to be about their trauma".
Also part of the cast were Thaddea Graham, Jack Rowan, and Jodie Tyack as well as Louis Boyer, Anthony Rickman, Amber Grappy, Diego Andres, Peter Claffey, Miya Ocego, Warren James Dunning, Ramanique Ahluwalia, and Alice Nokes.
[16] The release date for the second series was announced on 8 March 2024, alongside the news that Bradley Riches, Alan Dale, Shaheen Jafargholi, Phil Martin, Orlando Norman, Sam Buttery, Greg Austin, Carolyn Bracken, Niamh Walsh, and Buck Braithwaite were joining the cast.
[23][24] In a four-star review, Benji Wilson of The Telegraph praised the premise and Chris Baugh's directing and described the series as being like a punk band at their first gig stating, "Wreck’s energy is infectious.
He called Brown's screenplay "as sharp as the knife our devilish duck wields", noting his ability to reference classic horror properties such as Scream, I Know What You Did Last Summer and Friday the 13th while still allowing Wreck to feel "fresh and different to anything else we have seen", and praised the series' humour, pacing, cinematography and queer representation.
[28] In a wider article praising the series' queer and Asian representation, Alistair James of Attitude stated "the inclusion of LGBTQ characters doesn’t feel tokenistic or as if it’s been done to check a box.
[30] In a mixed three-star review, Rachel Sigee of iNews praised the "refreshing" queer representation but criticised the show's merging of comedy and horror, stating that "with its original premise, game approach to genre-bending and admirable sense of silliness, Wreck certainly stands out, if not always for the right reasons.
"[31] Among more negative reviews from critics, the series received two stars from The Times, The Evening Standard and the Daily Mail, who said "there’s not a great deal to recommend this barking mad drama, which is a cross between a high-school comedy movie and a slasher flick with the killer being Orville the Duck," and described it as “more convoluted with each episode, taking viewers from one daft plot to another like a marble in a pinball machine” and “This camp horror thriller is a bit confused about its identity.
"[35] The second season received positive reviews, with Alastair James of Attitude declaring it "bigger, badder, bloodier, and funnier than before", praising the increased stakes and scope of the series and the greater emphasis on the slasher and thriller elements alongside the comedy.