New drama for Durrell

Saturday 27 June 2015

A drama about the early life of Jersey’s world famous conservationist will hit our screens next year.

ITV has commissioned the new six part series ‘The Durrells’ based on Gerald Durrell's famous trilogy - memoirs of his time growing up in Corfu.

'My Family and Other Animals’, ‘Birds, Beasts and Relatives’ and ‘The Garden of the Gods’ are all being brought to life by Simon Nye - the man who wrote 'Men Behaving Badly' and is set in 1935 - when the Durrell family left the UK to start a new life on the Greek Island.

ITV’s Director of Drama Steve November said: “The Durrells is a rollercoaster, adventure drama.” 

“The characters are struggling with the eternal dilemmas of family life when Louisa sets her heart on moving to Corfu. It’s a unique and engaging drama and we’re delighted to be working with Simon Nye and Sally Woodward Gentle once again.”

The drama’s executive producer, BAFTA award winning filmmaker Sally Woodward Gentle said: “Gerald Durrell’s novels are some of the warmest, wittiest, books of the last century.  It is no wonder they are so well loved.  It is a real treat to be working on them with the brilliant Simon Nye.  I hope that his obvious love of the characters and the material will be hugely infectious.” 

“It was those formative years discovering the wildlife around surrounding him in Corfu that really cemented Gerald's passion for nature, and led to the creation of what is now 'Durrell'. We're really happy that the story is to be refreshed, and relayed to another generation of family viewers.”

Rick says everyone at Durrell is looking forward to finding out who will get to play the young Gerry before filming starts in Corfu in September.