Louise Durrell, still missing her late husband and in financial straits, moves her family from dismal Bournemouth to the Greek island of Corfu. It is 1935, the world unaware of the calamity over the horizon, Corfu is sunny, easygoing, and cheap. The oldest son is Larry, an as yet unpublished writer. He is tall, clever, and witty, rather like a young Jonathan Miller. The next is Leslie, a bit dim and with a fetish for firearms. Margo is a tempestuous girl impatient to grow up. The youngest is Jerry, fascinated by wildlife and liable to bring it home with him. Add to the mix Spiros, taxi driver, protector, and general fixer, Dr Theo, also a naturalist, the enigmatic Sven, and Lugaretzia the housekeeper. These contrasting characters are well drawn, and well cast, the acting is fluid and convincing. Although this is essentially a comedy, nothing is played for laughs, the viewer must pay attention to get the full flavour of events. The standout performance is that of Milo Parker as Jerry. Milo oozes character, convincing as the intense and focused future renowned naturalist and author. The episodes follow on from each other, but are mostly self-contained. While certain themes recur, each story is unique. With only the years 1935 to 1939 available, The Durrells will never become a franchise, though a second series is on the way. Many years later Gerald Durrell described these years in My Family and Other Animals and two sequels. As the foreword admits, his brothers and sister remembered things differently, and the books are not historically accurate. My Family has been twice adapted for television, under that title, but The Durrells is not a third, though obviously it borrows the characters and situation. It is many years since I read My Family, some of the stories look familiar, but the writers have mined, rather than adapted, the material. It is probable that they have referred to Lawrence and Margo's writings. What we see on the screen is not an accurate account. For instance Larry was already married to Nancy and they lived in a separate house, Margo was eighteen, here she seems much younger. Lawrence was actually noticeably short. But I'm not complaining, this is a fictional evocation, not a dramatised documentary. Lawrence is portrayed much, I suspect, as he would have liked to see himself, and Keeley Hawes does a lovely job as the harassed, hopeful, scatty Louise. Gerald went on to fame and fortune, his books must have outsold those of his upmarket big brother many times over. Leslie, I read once, became a professional big game hunter in Africa. Margo lead a more interesting life than most of us. Louise never did re-marry. But who knows what the scriptwriters have in store for her? Many of the disappointed reviewers here are fans of Gerald's books who wanted a straight dramatisation of them. I am a long time fan of Lawrence's books, if not of the man, so I don't come to the series with the same preoccupations. So forget for the moment everything you've read, and enjoy the ride. Then if you haven't already, go out and read both Gerald and Lawrence.
The real story of the Durrells and Corfu is told by Michael Haag in "The Durrells of Corfu". Haag is a writer specialising in the Mediterranean and the Middle East, and knew Larry. The series does reflect the reality, even if romanticised and simplified. The book also follows the lives of the Durrells and their friends after the departure from Corfu. As of publication in 2017, Haag was working on a biography of Larry, which is yet to appear.
The real story of the Durrells and Corfu is told by Michael Haag in "The Durrells of Corfu". Haag is a writer specialising in the Mediterranean and the Middle East, and knew Larry. The series does reflect the reality, even if romanticised and simplified. The book also follows the lives of the Durrells and their friends after the departure from Corfu. As of publication in 2017, Haag was working on a biography of Larry, which is yet to appear.