The Durrells season one and two recap

Spring must finally be in the air: season three of the charming ITV drama The Durrells is returning to our TV screens this Sunday.

We've seen the first episode of the latest series, which is just as glorious, silly and sun-dappled as the series before (so watch out for our review coming out on Sunday night). Here's everything you need to know in preparation for the return of our favourite eccentric family:

Based (loosely) on the real-life eccentric family of author Gerald Durrell, seasons one and two of The Durrells followed Gerald's mother Louisa (played by the bouncing Keeley Hawes) and her family after they decided to flee dreary, punitive, suffocating England for the sunny, happy-go-lucky island of Corfu in 1935.

Surrounded by sparklingly clear skies, dusty blue shutters and warm, gently rustling olive trees, The Durrells saw Louisa and her four unruly children attempt (and normally fail) to get along in a foreign clime. Among Louisa's children, we have the empty-headed Margo (Daisy Waterstone); the effortlessly cute young Gerald Durrell (Milo Parker) and his burgeoning obsession with animals that would come to define his career; the gun-toting middle child Leslie (Callum Woodhouse) and Lawrence (Josh O'Connor), the eldest child, the real-life intellectual and author.

Written by BAFTA award nominee, Simon Nye (Men Behaving Badly, Reggie Perrin), and based on Gerald Durrell’s trilogy of books, this season of The Durrells saw Louisa swear she'll stop searching for love (following a few very unsuccessful attempts in seasons past) and instead put an instrument between her legs... Larry (Lawrence) is struggling to write his third novel, Margo is searching for something to do, Leslie has three different girls on his arm he can't choose between – which is obviously an invitation for his mother to intervene.

With each series, the family gets closer to the Second World War, when Louisa Durrell had to return to England for safety. Up until that moment, expect to see the family struggle with the arrival of their aunt who sets a cat among the pigeons, an appearance by comedian Miles Jupp and keep an eye out for Josh O'Connor's performance – he's on his way to Hollywood stardom following his lead role in God's Own Country last year. And don't forget to come back on Sunday to read our review!