Hotel Portofino

The Durrells meets Downton (but not quite on a par with either of those just yet) in this new Britbox series following a British family who open the Hotel Portofino on the Italian Riviera in the 1920's, starring Natascha McElhone.

It's very watchable, helped by the beautiful setting with Croatia doubling for Italy. Production values were OK and the large cast were good, everyone seemed to be 'rather attractive'. Its definitely a traditional period show pitched at an older audience but there's no harm in that, though critics will probably disagree.

I rather liked it. The opening episode had an awful lot of characters to introduce and consequently was a bit too slow moving but the pace picked up as the series developed and there were some interesting plots and themes.

Not an instant classic, but as a light drama in a beautiful setting it does what is says on the tin. A diverting watch for cold Winter evenings.

If a high school theater ensemble made a Riviera rehash of "Downton Abbey", with a reverential scent of Jane Austen on everything, this is probably very close to what the finished product would look like.

It's not completely bad, but everything feels slightly campy and counterfeit all the time. The "bad guys" are almost all cartoonishly shady, bordering on old-school mustache-twirling villains - even the women, constantly displeased and scheming.

And the many anachronisms surely don't help either. Back in the 1920's, Italians didn't speak English: it was not taught in school, it was not heard on the radio and was not read anywhere. So it's utterly lazy writing to have them magically understand the show's English characters. Even worse, this was when religion and fascism ruled unopposed: the show's young black woman wouldn't have been allowed to sashay around like she owned Portofino. In reality, she would've been arrested, or even publicly beaten by Mussolini's Black Shirts. Simply put, several of the characters don't make much sense.

Enjoyed watching Hotel Portofino. Beautiful setting and when relaxing down having time to oneself with a lovely cup of tea this is just right to watch.

This series didn't have a great start. After E1 I was close to dismissing it as a rather inferior cross between Downton and The Durrells. I still wasn't convinced after E2. I was finding the short snappy clips rather annoying, the dialogue sometimes excruciating.

But then it got better. Or perhaps I just got used to it. Whatever it was, by the end I was very happy with it, and I'd definitely watch S2 if it is being planned.

Natascha McElhone was outstanding as Bella. Apart from her my favourite character was Imogen King who played Melissa. A caricature, as were many of the others, but this was really amusing.

My Review - Hotel Portofino - Streaming on Foxtel

My Rating 6.5 /10

Wonderful scenery filmed on location in Portofino, Italy as well as Rijeka, Lovran, and Rovinj, Croatia and some impressive performances in my opinion are spoiled by a muddy and lack lustre script.

Just when you think it may take off it crash lands on some odd unexplained plot line that centres around one of the many characters to include the seemingly necessary forbidden subjects of the time illegitimacy, homosexuality, infidelity and domestic violence plus the usual class snobbery and romantic trysts .

I can't fathom why this series has already been picked up for an encore season while Julian Fellowes fine period series Belgravia looks like it won't have an encore?

The quality and detail that Julian Fellowes the creator of Downton Abbey , Belgravia and The Gilded Age are missing in Hotel Portofino . The creator and script writer Matt Baker and Director Adam Wimpenny have missed the opportunity to develop a storyline that is worthy of the fine cast .

This period drama series set in the era of Mussolini's Italian riviera in 1926, Hotel Portofino tells the story of matriarch Bella Ainsworth, who has relocated to Italy . Bella has opened a fine hotel that she wishes to be a home from home for wealthy English travellers.

As well as demanding guests, she struggles to contend with an errant husband, and being blackmailed by the local fascist politician.

Natascha McElhone is delightful as Bella Ainsworth the hotel proprietress who struggles with a boorish and domineering husband while trying to keep the Hotel Portofino operating .

The delightful talents of Anna Chancellor as Lady Latchmere are wasted as she could have been used as effectively as Dame Maggie Smith was in her role as Violet Crawley Dowager Countess of Grantham . Her character has a few eccentric one liners and only features in a brief plot twist at the end.

I did enjoy Oliver Dench as Lucian Ainsworth looks like he is following in his Aunt Judi's thespian footsteps.

His character role as the son of Bella and totally unpleasant father Cecil who taunts him about his artistic temperament I thought was the best developed but even it fizzled out at the end .

I'll follow Oliver Dench's career with interest at only 27 years old I think we will see more of this fine actor.

If you want some light entertainment in beautiful settings I'm sure you'll enjoy Hotel Portofino .

I enjoyed the more contemporary sensational trashier thriller series Riviera much more because even though it was high dynasty melodrama the characters interested me and until it got silly and off the rails in Season 3.