The star of ITV's drama The Durrells says family dramas are becoming a rarity because they're so difficult to make.
TV dramas which the whole family can watch are a rarity these days, according to Keeley Hawes.
The Durrells, in which the star plays a widowed mother who has uprooted her boisterous family from Britain to Corfu, has been a hit on ITV.
Keeley, 41, said that one reason for the success of the drama, which is set in the 1930s, is that it appeals to everyone.
“It’s one of those feel-good nostalgia shows that people want to watch on the Sunday night before getting ready for the week ahead,” she said.
“It’s something that the whole family can watch together. That’s very rare these days because it’s very difficult to make it work.”
She added: “From the age of nine to 94, all these generations sit together to watch this show. I can’t think of anything else that does that.”
Hawes said the programme, based on Gerald Durrell’s memoirs including the autobiographical novel My Family And Other Animals, differed to other period dramas.
“Usually in costume dramas, everyone is very well-behaved and incredibly polite. But in The Durrells, the family are always scrapping and fighting, but still loving each other,” The Missing actress said.
She said filming the drama was a 'perfect job' which she did not want to end, adding: “I’d like to go back to Corfu every year.”
