‘The Durrells in Corfu’ to End After Season 4

The cast of "The Durrells of Corfu" (Photo: Courtesy of Joss Barratt for Sid Gentle Films & MASTERPIECE)

MASTERPIECE “The Durrells in Corfu” Season 3 Sundays, September 30 - November 18, 2018; 8-9pm ET Hailed by The Wall Street Journal as “an island of charm,” The Durrells in Corfu returns for a third season of eccentric family adventures on a Greek isle in the 1930s. Based on the memoirs of Gerald Durrell, the animal-loving youngest member of the clan, the series stars Keeley Hawes as the plucky widowed mother, Louisa Durrell; Josh O'Connor as her eldest son, Lawrence, who is destined to become a famous novelist; Callum Woodhouse as the hapless sportsman, Leslie; Daisy Waterstone as the lovelorn teen, Margo; and Milo Parker as Gerald. The bohemian Durrells fit right in with the light-hearted Greeks — except when they disastrously don’t. Shown: Leslie Durrell (CALLUM WOODHOUSE), Theo Stephanides (YORGOS KARAMIHOS), Lawrence Durrell (JOSH O’CONNOR), Louisa Durrell (KEELEY HAWES), Margo Durrell (DAISY WATERSTONE) & Gerald Durrell (MILO PARKER) For editorial use only. Credit: Joss Barratt for Sid Gentle Films & MASTERPIECE

Copyright Sid Gentle Films 2018

Sad news for fans of family drama The Durrells in Corfu: ITV has confirmed that the series’ upcoming fourth season will be its last.

The series was renewed for a six-episode Season 4 back in May of 2018.

Keeley Hawes will return as family matriarch Louisa, with Josh O’Connor, Callum Woodhouse, Daisy Waterstone and Milo Parker as her high-spirited and unruly brood of children. But the outing will mark the end of the series' run. 

The Durrells in Corfu is based on conservationist and author Gerald Durrell’s trilogy of books about his family’s time in Corfu during the 1930s. And by the time Season 4 concludes, most of the stories in the books will have been told. It’s not entirely clear where the series might have gone from that point, and perhaps it’s for the best that we don’t have to find out.

Furthermore, the series’ cast has become increasingly in demand in recent years – Hawes is slated to star in the BBC’s new series Bodyguard and O’Connor has landed the plum role of an aged up Prince Charles in the third series of hit period drama The Crown.

It’s not all bad news, however: U.S. fans still have Season 3 to look forward to – it starts September 30 on Masterpiece. (It aired in the U.K. earlier this year.) Filming has just begun on the drama’s fourth season, which is set to air in 2019.  

ITV confirmed the news of the series' end alongside the annoucement of beginning of filming on Season 4. (Networks giveth and networks taketh away, I guess...)

The Durrells return to Corfu.

ITV returns to the blue skies of Corfu for more animal antics next month as filming begins on what has been confirmed to be the final series of much-loved drama, The Durrells. https://t.co/W0lUjAmCYh pic.twitter.com/z876CcInjN

— ITV Press Centre (@itvpresscentre) August 20, 2018

“We’re going back to Corfu for one last firefly fuelled adventure of love and mishap,” said Executive Producer Sally Woodward Gentle in a statement, reflecting on Season 4 as the final series of the drama. “It has been such an incredible journey following this warm and enchanting family come of age, but their adventures on the island have reached a natural conclusion. I can't think about it without crying though...”

To be honest, for once it pays off a bit to be Americans – we still have two full seasons of Durrell family adventures left to see!

What do you think about The Durrells in Corfu coming to an end after Season 4? Let’s didscuss in the comments.


Lacy Baugher

Lacy's love of British TV is embarrassingly extensive, but primarily centers around evangelizing all things Doctor Who, and watching as many period dramas as possible.

Digital media type by day, she also has a fairly useless degree in British medieval literature, and dearly loves to talk about dream poetry, liminality, and the medieval religious vision. (Sadly, that opportunity presents itself very infrequently.) York apologist, Ninth Doctor enthusiast, and unabashed Ravenclaw. Say hi on Threads or Blue Sky at @LacyMB. 

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