Paradise Found: The Durrells in Corfu
When it comes to great television, a show’s setting can be just as important and significant as the characters and stories depicted therein; in fact, many times the setting can itself become a character of sorts, a unique and multi-faceted entity which contributes greatly to a show’s overall tone and the atmosphere of the story. When a show’s setting is fictional, such as the Kingdom’s of Westeros in Game of Thrones, the various landscapes and locations must be unique enough to stand out and heighten the show’s sense of other-worldliness while at the same time contain elements recognizable enough to help ground the show and lend it its air of familiar and gritty realism.
There are other series which, despite taking place in real world settings, evoke a similar feeling of exotic and other worldly wonder. One such show is the fantastic PBS series The Durrells in Corfu, which chronicles the adventures of the real life Durrell family who in 1935 moved from dreary Bournemouth in England to the sun drenched white shores of Corfu, a Greek Island in the Ionian Sea. The show was adapted from a trilogy of books (the first and most influential of which is My family and Other Animals) written by the youngest Durrell, Gerry, a fierce animal lover who went on to become a leading conservationist/naturalist and later founded the famous Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust.
In addition to Gerry, there’s Louisa Durrell, the loving and strong willed matriarch of the Durrell clan who’s been stuck managing her four equally willful children ever since her husband died years back. The oldest child is Larry, an aspiring writer who in real life went on to publish many acclaimed novels and struck up a famous friendship with fellow writer and literary outlaw Henry Miller. Then there’s Leslie, the hot tempered seventeen year old who’s one true love (at least at the start of the series) is his guns. Next is Margo, the quirky fifteen year old daughter searching for love and a nice place to sunbath along the white washed shores of Corfu. Finally we have Gerry who spends his days (and many nights) exploring the forests, fields and streams of Corfu in search of exotic animals to bring back to his makeshift zoo at the Durrell residence, a dilapidated but charming two story house overlooking the dazzling blue ocean.
Upon arriving in Corfu, the Durrells make fast friends with many of the locals, chief among them Spiros, the charming and always helpful chauffeur driver and Theo Stephanides, a doctor, poet and naturalist who became a close friend and mentor to Gerry as well as the rest of the family. The show is bursting with clever humor and sharp wit, often a result of the intense culture clash and the fierce individualism and stubborn determination of the Durrells as they settle into their exotic new setting. All of them are dynamic and fully fleshed out characters with layers of complexity. Despite the 1930’s setting, the Durrell family, complete with all their quirks and eccentricities, their worries, joys and desires, seem immediately familiar to us. Right off the bat, we feel we’ve been let into their wonderfully weird inner circle, one often full of disarray and chaos but always glowing with warmth, love and lust for life.
Adding to this aura of warmth and life is Corfu itself. From the moment the Durrells arrive on the island, they’re surrounded by the glorious and savage beauty of the natural world. Corfu is a paradise, a remote splendor of high, white washed cliffs and rocky shores jutting into the pristine blue waters of the Ionian sea shimmering in the warm sunlight. Just inland lies a veritable Eden of soft green hills and fields teeming with wildflowers of every color and groves of gnarled olive trees stretching out in every direction. Most of the series is shot right on Corfu, allowing the picturesque beauty of the Island to be on near constant display. Much of it is seen during Gerry’s excursions into the wild to seek out the countless species of exotic creatures, but the quaint and rustic beauty is also on full display in the close knit village called Danilia, which is a replica of a 1930’s Corfiot village. From the markets where the merchants peddle their goods to the courtyard cafes and crowded limestone streets crisscrossed by produce carts pulled by donkeys, the village is always bursting with life.
That life extends all the way to the Durrell residence, where Gerry keeps all his beloved animals in a makeshift zoo, often to the chagrin (and sometimes danger) of his family. Although based primarily on Gerry’s chronicle of his family life, each one of the Durrells gets equal attention, a great thing given how uniquely compelling they each are. We watch Louisa struggling to keep her kids fed, sheltered and happy while also trying to carve out her own satisfaction after many lonely years of widowhood. We see Larry struggle to stay inspired and get published whilst stuck among the intellectual barbarians of his family. We watch Leslie searching for purpose and love outside of his guns. We see Margo navigating the vexing complexities of young love and discovering who she is while Gerry disappears into his all consuming love of animals and conservation. All this captivating family drama and comedy is set perfectly against the staggering beauty and wonder of Corfu. Each episode of this marvelous series is like an hour long sight seeing tour of the island, its vibrant culture and people and the natural splendor of its scenery. It’ll make you want to hop a freighter and experience the wonder of Corfu for yourself.