Cast of The Durrells – Keeley Hawes stars in new six-part ITV series based on the autobiographical novels of zookeeper and naturalist Gerald Durrell.
On Thursday the 18th of June 2015, ITV released the news that they’d commissioned a new six-episode drama written by ‘Men Behaving Badly’ creator Simon Nye. Titled ‘The Durrells’, the series is based on the classic Corfu trilogy of books by Gerald Durrell. Making up this autobiographical saga are ‘My Family and Other Animals’, ‘Birds, Beasts and Relatives’ and ‘The Garden of the Gods’.
Pictured above: Lead actress Keeley Hawes.
The ITV drama will focus on Gerald’s mother Louisa, whose family life is on the verge of total breakdown. With her husband having past away years earlier and the money he left almost gone, Louisa struggles to raise their four wayward children Larry, Margo, Leslie and Gerry. While Margo and Leslie remain ill prepared for their fast approaching adult lives, 11-year-old Gerry faces expulsion from school and aspiring novelist Larry works as Bournemouth’s worst estate agent.
With a woman’s options severely limited in 1930’s Britain, in a desperate bid to turn around her children’s lives this single mother makes the radical move of relocating the family to the Greek island of Corfu. Despite the four siblings putting up much resistance, Louisa whisks them off to a cheap, wild and untamed paradise.
Overcoming the obstacles of wealth, culture and language, The Durrells go on to discover friendship where they least expected.
Filming Locations
Getting underway in September of 2015, The Durrells is being filmed where it’s set – on the island of Corfu.
The Durrells ITV Cast List
Character Name – Actor/Actress
Louisa Durrell – Keeley Hawes – Line of Duty, Upstairs Downstairs, Ashes to Ashes, Spooks, The Casual Vacancy, The Hollow Crown, Ambassadors, Identity, Mutual Friends, Doctor Who, Tipping the Velvet, Death at a Funeral, The Bank Job
Larry – Josh O’Connor – Ripper Street, Peaky Blinders
Margo – Daisy Waterstone – Silent Witness, The Crucible, Testament of Youth, Cyberbully
Gerry – Milo Parker – Ghosthunters, Mr Holmes
Leslie – Callum Woodhouse
Spiro Hakaiopulos – Alexis Georgoulis – My Life In Ruins, A Green Story, Eisai to Tairi mou
Countess Mavrodaki – Leslie Caron – An American in Paris, Gigi, Father Goose, Chocolat, Le Divorce
Theodore – Yorgos Karamihos – Matomena homata
Kosti – Christopher Sciueref – Cardinal Burns, Sons of Liberty, 300: Rise of An Empire
Premiere Date
No clues have currently been given regarding when The Durrells will start on ITV, but with filming not beginning until September, 2015, the show will likely reach our TV screens sometime in 2016. More news on that as we get it. The number of episodes has been confirmed as 6.