The Land Gone Wild (Czech: Zdivočelá země) is a Czech adventure historical television series. It was produced by Czech Television and filmed in four seasons in 1997, 2001, 2007 and 2012. Story is based on Jiří Stránský's novels Zdivočelá země and Aukce.
Tropes of the Zdivočelá země:
- Absence Makes the Heart Go Yonder: Ilona cheats on Maděra during season 3 with his friend but quickly regrets it.
- Action Hero: Maděra in first (and partially second) season. He returns to it during final season.
- Anyone Can Die: During the course of the series plenty of major characters die. Even Maděra himself at the end.
- Blaming the Cuckold: Happens to Kérly. When his wife cheats on him he is actually blamed by her and her family.
- The Bad Guy Wins: Season 1 ending.
- Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Žabák in season 2 seems as a friendly prison guard but it turns out it was to just earn trust from prisoners to screw them up. He turns out to be one of most cruel guards in the camp.
- Eda Hartmann qualifies too. He joins Maděra family in season 3 after he supposedly saves Ivana from being raped by Soviet soldiers but he turns out to be working with Secret Police.
- Bittersweet Ending: Most seasons end with this.
- Season 2 has Maděra returning home from labor camp but with some serious health issues. Also Cassidy dies while saving a kid.
- Season 4 ends with fall of Communist but Maděra and Harry die while Žabák successfully destroys files he kept on Maděra.
- Bully Turned Buddy: Cassidy and other cowboys might qualify. When Maděra arrives cowboys capture him up and lead him tied to the village. They are forced to release him. Maděra eventually grows fond of them all.
- Commie Land: The series is set primarily in communist Czechoslovakia.
- Crusading Lawyer: Kérly is a lawyer who is stripped of his practice but he still helps others with their legal problems.
- Determinator: Maděra often shows this.
- Deuteragonist: Kanda to Maděra's protagonist
- Dirty Coward: Hejl is the most notable example.
- Disc-One Final Boss: Kučera seems to be the main antagonist of season 1 but gets killed in the middle of season.True main antagonists show up afterwards.
- Downer Ending: First season ends with Maděra imprisoned in labor camp while his wife and children are evicted from the farm. It should be noted that it was unknown in 1997 if the series will get second season.
- Evil Counterpart: Kučera to Maděra is this.
- Friend to All Children: Cassidy evolves into this.
- Genre Shift: First season is very action-packed western but eventually evolves into historical drama and action decreases in other seasons. Season 2 can be considered a prison drama as Maděra spends most of it in prison.
- Greater-Scope Villain: Communist Party.
- Heel–Face Turn: Jana Štětková is a loyal Communist but changes her views and becomes opponet of the regime. She also gets to argument with Jerry, her husband, who cooperates with regime.
- The Hero Dies: The series ends with Maděra's death.
- Hidden Depths: Bill is intially Butt-Monkey of the cowboy group but eventually becomes a Doctor and it is often stated that he is smartest of them.
- Honor Before Reason: Maděra shows this repeatedly throughout the series.
- Jerkass Has a Point: Jerry works with Communist which angers others but he is correct that the farm will be closed if they won't cooperate.
- Nice Guy: Several character qualify:
- Brabenec despite being a loyal Communist is personally a very nice guy who always tries to help others but also is very naive.
- Putna is one of nicest people you will meet throughout the series.
- Radek Nerad is also shown as a very nice person.
- Police Brutality: Happens quite often especially when Žabák shows up again.
- Regretful Traitor: Eda joins Maděra's farm during season 3 and falls in love with Maděra's daughter Ivana. He is revealed as a traitor woking for Secret Police and forced to leave. He is later shown to feel remorseful and tries to get back with Ivana but she rejects him. At the end of the series he commits suicide.
- Single Woman Seeks Good Man: Ivana eventually settles for Nice Guy Radek Nerad instead of Eda who betrayed her family.
