TV shows portray countryside as idyllic
Drama series appear to be bent on promoting regional development in Greece, especially since living outside the big city is portrayed as more idyllic. More and more TV heroes are moving out of the cities to find a more high-quality way of life in the country. This year it’s Karditsa («Wedding Ring»), the island of Symi («Joanna of the Heart»), Hania on the island of Crete («For Anna» and «Knives of Love»). Other popular locations are Nafplion, Metsovo, Gytheion, Syros, Arachova, Mytilene and other tourist destinations. Thebes, Amaliada, Agrinion and the Thriassio Plain have been ignored, as they have no spas, castles or listed houses. The countryside lends itself to action and the use of SUVs, apparently the de rigeur means of transportation for every Greek family. Lovely landscapes, forested hillsides, picturesque ports and the wide blue yonder are all fodder for the camera. After all, it’s one thing for our hero to pace up and down on a narrow balcony in Kypseli, but quite something else to do the same in a forest or lonely stretch of beach.
