The White Lotus meets The Four Seasons? Two Weeks in August writer addresses comparisons

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TV shows like The White Lotus and The Four Seasons have recently popularized the idea of vacation trips with complex group dynamics.

The new drama, Two Weeks in August, features Jessica Raine, Damien Molony, Antonia Thomas, Nicholas Pinnock, Leila Farzad, and Hugh Skinner. It tells the story of a group of friends whose Greek vacation turns sour when a secret kiss causes trouble.

The show was created by writer Catherine Shepherd, and she recently spoke with TopMob about how it differs from other popular series.

While there are some shared ideas, this show has a distinctly British feel and focuses on everyday people, not the ultra-wealthy. Those other shows center on very rich Americans, and although we have a lot in common with Americans, I believe there are some fundamental differences between us.

It’s surprisingly easy to connect with people who share your language. We tend to think we have a lot in common right away, but in reality, we’re often more similar to cultures like those in Sweden or Germany than we realize.

Shepherd explained she felt the show needed a financial component, something she hadn’t often seen in television series.

She noted that money is often ignored in TV shows and movies, with characters unrealistically living in luxury. She feels this is a problem because finances are a major part of most people’s lives.

What really draws me in is when characters feel like real people, and that includes showing their everyday struggles – like not being able to easily afford a vacation. I love it when those details aren’t glossed over, but are actually woven into the story, making it feel so much more authentic and relatable. It’s important to me that their lives, with all their realities, are genuinely part of what happens.

Zoe and Dan, the characters played by Raine and Molony, face challenges due to the financial expectations of their friends. Raine explained that this focus on money sets ‘Two Weeks in August’ apart from typical holiday-based shows.

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She pointed out that everyone’s financial circumstances are really different, which makes the situation very easy to understand. The group seems to take for granted that they can all contribute £200, and you can tell Zoe and Dan are feeling overwhelmed by that.

Whenever we took a taxi, we’d immediately start worrying about how much money we had left, constantly checking and seeing it dwindle. That underlying feeling of anxiety really hangs over the entire show.

“Two Weeks in August” is a series set in Greece, following a woman on vacation with loved ones, hoping to find happiness again. However, a single impulsive kiss throws the entire trip into chaos and turns her dream getaway into a stressful experience.

Zoe finally follows her heart, and the vacation she dreamed of forces a group of immature adults to confront their issues.

Stranded on the island and facing dangerous circumstances, the group quickly begins to fracture, each member searching for someone to blame. Is Zoe the cause of all the trouble, or are more powerful, perhaps even supernatural, forces at work? After all, they are in Greece, a land steeped in the legends of ancient gods…

Two Weeks in August will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer from 9pm on Saturday 23 May 2026.

Don’t miss ‘Add Two Weeks in August’! Watch it on the TopMob app – download now to get daily TV recommendations and the latest features.

Authors

James HibbsDrama Writer

James Hibbs writes about TV dramas for TopMob, covering shows on streaming services and traditional channels. Before becoming a writer, he worked in public relations, first at a business-to-business agency and then at the international production company Fremantle. He has a BA in English and Theatre Studies, as well as a journalism diploma.

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2026-05-20 10:41