‘The Durrells’ writer Simon Nye has pleaded for there to be less violence on television.
The comedy scribe – who has also penned ‘Men Behaving Badly’ – thinks there should be more family- friendly shows pre-watershed, and has hit out at the "murder, rape and pillage" that can often be seen before 9pm.
Simon issued a "plea to have more, for want of a better term, family drama on our televisions".
In a set of official production notes about the return of ‘The Durrells’, he said: "It doesn’t have to be folksy or anodyne, it just has to not have a succession of actors looking grim, suicidal or simply furious as they murder, rape and pillage before our bedtime.
"That said, if the few pre-watershed slots are all taken I am available to write the latter."
The final series of the mellow ITV show will air on April 7, because Simon decided it was "the right time to stop" the 1980s period drama.
The 60-year-old writer’s call for more light-hearted shows on the small screen comes after dramas such as ‘Luther’ and ‘Killing Eve’ have sparked controversy for their violence.
Meanwhile, ‘Durrells’ star Keeley Hawes (Louisa Durrell) and her co-stars – including Milo Parker, Josh O’Connor, Daisy Waterstone and Callum Woodhouse – feel "lucky" to have been able to tell the complete story of the family and the ‘Bodyguard’ actress believes they are bowing out on a high.
She previously said: "We had an amazing time and we were so lucky that we were able to tell their story and to finish it off and to round it off in the way that we did, and it feels very complete, and we loved it.
"And I think this series – I really think it’s the best yet. Everything was thrown at it because we knew it would be the last, so I’m really excited for everyone to see it."
The Durrells writer Simon Nye pleads for less violence on television
