THE Durrells,
Wednesdays, Channel 7, 8.30pm
FROM the pen of Men Behaving Badly’s Simon Nye and based on “The Corfu Trilogy” by naturalist Gerald Durrell comes the six-part series (from Britain’s ITV).
It’s England, 1935 and widow Louisa Durrell suddenly announces that she and her four children will move from Bournemouth (where the creative family is floundering) to the Greek island of Corfu where there is no electricity and the only house they can afford is falling down around their ears.
If the series seems slightly familiar – it isn’t the first time these books have been filmed – far from it (My Family and Other Animals being one of the most recent renderings). However there is something warm and fun about this telling (as you’d expect from Nye who is also producer). Starring Keeley Hawes (Ashes to Ashes) this is another step back into the past to a simpler time. Billed as the next Downton Abbey this is more a beautifully filmed, shambolic, funny, warm piece of television than the more stiff-upper-lip abbey – more in the vein of Heartbeat meets Mamma Mia.
The series follows the family, mother Louisa, eldest son and author Larry, gun-obsessed middle son Leslie, daughter Margo and youngest son Gerry as they try to adapt to life in Corfu, away from the hustle and bustle of the UK.
This series is charming with a bit of grit thrown in – the sort of thing that the Brits do so well. A second series has been confirmed and will start filming in Corfu around now so we are assured of more adventures of the Durrells if (like me) you find yourself getting hooked to this interesting piece of nostalgia television.
– Tania Phillips
