For three lovely seasons, PBS MASTERPIECE audiences have been charmed by the period drama “The Durrells in Corfu,” the story of a hilariously quirky family who decamps from dreary England to a sun-dappled Greek island.
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In the fourth and final season, the Durrells’ idyllic island life is cut short by the outbreak of World War II — but that’s not where the story ends.
Hosted by “The Durrells in Corfu’s” leading lady, Keeley Hawes, the one-hour documentary “What the Durrells Did Next” is the definitive true story behind one of the best-loved families in TV drama.
Lifting the lid on every family secret, heartbreak and triumph, it reveals how Corfu shaped the personalities and ambitions of each family member. It’s an outlandish story of African expeditions, global fame, heartbreak and the establishment of a zoo dedicated to saving endangered species.
The TV special describes how young Gerry Durrell grew up to be a world-famous zoologist whose ideas on conservation revolutionized the roles of zoos forever, how Larry Durrell nearly won the Nobel Prize for literature–but was deemed to have too much sex in his books–and how flirtatious Margo stayed forever young on cruise ships across the world. (Read more about Gerald Durrell’s books here.)
With exclusive testimony from HRH Princess Anne, family members, experts, and the actors who brought these beloved characters to life, the show is packed with revelations and personal insights.
When is What the Durrells Did Next on PBS?
Watch “What the Durrells Did Next,” a PBS MASTERPIECE Special, on Sunday, November 10, 2019 at 8pm ET. Watch the trailer below.
If you enjoyed this post, be sure to see The Period Films List, with the best historical and costume dramas sorted by era. You’ll also want to see the 2019-2020 PBS Masterpiece Period Drama Schedule.