Anne Boleyn (Tara Breathnach) – © Oxford Film & Television

Kent Locations: Penshurst Place

 As part of the Tudor Season, BBC Two have a special hour long special “The Last Days of Anne Boleyn” which looks at one of the most famous and controversial women in British history who became the first British Queen to be executed in 1536. This documentary-drama re-enacts Anne Boleyn’s final days and also sees writers and historians give their own unique interpretations on her downfall.

Anne Boleyn was the second wife of Henry VIII and faced charges such as treason, adultery and incest and although it is well documented how she died, it is not clear if the charges were true and who authorised her execution. 

Dr. David Starkey – © Oxford Film & Television

With famous names such as Hilary Mantel, David Starkey and Philippa Gregory putting forth suggestions about the circumstances around her death, this documentary-drama will bring new perspectives to her tragic story. 

The Last Days of Anne Boleyn production team visited Penshurst Place to use the crypt, Baron’s Hall, courtyard and gardens to film reenactments of Anne Boleyn’s last days.  

Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII (Daniel Flynn) and Thomas Cromwell (Brian Shelley) – Dr. David Starkey – © Oxford Film & Television

Penshurst Place is a beautifully preserved Medieval and Tudor fortified style manor house in West Kent which boasts a unique Baron’s Hall, several staterooms and is set in gorgeous parkland with Elizabethan formal gardens. Penshurst Place has been seen many times on the big and small screen with productions such as The Hollow Crown –  Henry V (2012), Merlin (2008) and The Other Boleyn Girl (2007) all having previously shot there.

Don’t miss The Last Days of Anne Boleyn which will be shown on Thursday 23^rd May 2013 at 21:00 on BBC Two.

Links

For more information about filming in Kent please contact: filmoffice@kent.gov.uk

For more information about the programme: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p015vhp1

For more information on Penshurst Place: http://www.penshurstplace.com/       

Mary Portas © Channel 4

Kent Locations: Margate

Mary Queen of the High Street is a new Channel 4 series that sees retail expert Mary Portas attempt to save Britain’s declining high streets. Having developed the 28-plan “The Portas Review”, Mary tries to put it into place with the help of Town Teams and locals to breathe some much needed life into our high streets.

In the second episode of the series, Mary Portas visits Margate where the main shopping thoroughfare has been declining in recent years, with 1 in 4 shops closing down. However, the highly successful Turner Contemporary gallery which is on the door step of the high street brings up to 10,000 visitors a week so Mary tries to encourage these visitors to venture on to the high street.

Mary’s plan of action to change the existing facilities in Margate includes an inland pier and cut price rail tickets from London. The team also visit a struggling sweet shop and with the help of Margate artist Tracy Emin, try to rebrand the shop and turn things around.

Margate is a delightful seaside town with a sandy beach, harbour, arcades, and period housing. The Old Town has lots to offer including galleries, quirky shops and trendy cafes. Margate is a popular location having previously welcomed productions such as BBC One’s improvised drama True Love (2012), The Apprentice (2009) and feature film Last Orders (2009).

The Margate episode of Mary Queen Of The High Street will be shown on Channel 4, Tuesday 14^th May 2013 at 21:00.

Links:

For more information about filming in Kent please contact: filmoffice@kent.gov.uk

For more information about the programme: http://www.channel4.com/programmes/mary-queen-of-the-high-street/episode-guide/series-1

For more information about Margate visit: http://www.visitthanet.co.uk/come-explore/Come-and-Explore-Margate.aspx

Murder on the Home Front © ITV

Starring: Patrick Kennedy, Tamzin Merchant, James Fleet, Emerald Fennell

Kent Locations:  The Historic Dockyard Chatham

Murder on the Home Front is a new two part ITV drama set  in London during the Blitz and is loosely based on the memoirs of Molly Lefebure, a secretary to Home Office Pathologist Keith Simpson. It documents the different crimes committed in London at the time by individuals who used the distractions and devastation of the war to conceal their actionsr.

Murder on the Home Front features many familiar faces, including Patrick Kennedy (Boardwalk Empire, Parade’s End) and Tamzin Merchant (Jane Eyre, The Tudors) as well as James Fleet (Four Weddings and a Funeral, The Vicar of Dibley) and Emerald Fennell (Any Human Heart, Anna Karenina).

The Historic Dockyard in Chatham was used to re-create the London streets of World War II. Thanks to its authentic and historic exterior, the The Historic Dockyard in Chatham has often used as a location for productions such as Call the Midwife (2012-2013), Les Misérables (2012) and Sherlock Holmes (2009).

Don’t miss the first episode of Murder on the Home Front which airs on Thursday 9^th May 2013 on ITV1 at 21:00.

Links:

For more information about filming in Kent please contact: filmoffice@kent.gov.uk

For more information about the programme: http://www.itv.com/presscentre/press-packs/murder-home-front#

For more information about The Historic Dockyard visit: http://www.thedockyard.co.uk/

James May’s Man Lab © BBC/Plum Pictures/Guy Levy

Kent Locations:  Whitstable

James May’s Man Lab is a BBC Two television series which sees James and his team explore traditional skills that are being lost on modern men, showing them why they are valuable and how not to lose these skills forever. Throughout the series he has taken part in a variety of activities including making his own pizza oven, competing in the Rock Paper Scissors World Championships, and with the assistance of a memory champion James has commentated on the Grand National.

In the fifth and final episode of the third series, Top Gear presenter James May challenges his hapless sidekick Rory to run a whelk (sea snail) stall at Whitstable Harbour, with the help of a renowned seafood company based in Whitstable – West Whelks.

Also featured in the episode: James attempts a stunt involving a monster, invents a new type of table football and ensures a cup of tea is never wasted by creating the Cup Of Tea Alarm.

Whitstable is a charming seaside town near Canterbury and boasts a harbour, shingle beach, busy high street and a strong arts and culture scene, and is also the home of the popular Oyster Festival every July. Whitstable has previously been used in television and film projects alike, for Cook Me The Money (2013) Tipping the Velvet (2002), and Venus (2007).

Catch the Whitstable episode of James May’s Man Lab on BBC Two at 20:00 on Thursday 25^th April 2013.

Links:

For more information about filming in Kent please contact: filmoffice@kent.gov.uk

For more information about the programme: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0105yvp 

For more information about Whitstable: http://www.canterbury.co.uk/canterbury-district/Whitstable.aspx

For more information about West Whelks: http://www.westwhelks.com/home/4575108368

Lucy Worsley Fit To Rule: How Royal Illness Changed History © BBC Silver River TV

Kent Locations:  Ramsgate, Albion House

Fit To Rule: How Royal Illness Changed History is a new three part BBC Two series presented by Lucy Worsley and explores how illnesses of our present and past royal families have changed the history of the nation.

In the third episode, entitled “Happy Families: Hanoverians to Windsors”, presenter and historian Lucy Worsley investigates the interesting medical history of our more recent monarchs. The team visited Ramsgate Beach, and Albion House to look at their connections with previous royal families.

Albion House is a Grade II-listed property in Ramsgate and was built in 1789. The building has a rich royal heritage and was used as a holiday home by the Duchess of Kent and in the 19th century, Princess Victoria . The building is currently empty.

Ramsgate is a beautiful coastal town which boasts visually stunning Victorian architecture and is home to the only “Royal” Harbour in the country.  The area has been used as a filming location for productions such as True Love (2012), Songs of Praise: Pugin God’s Architect (2012) and Van Gogh: Painted with Words (2010)

Fit To Rule: How Royal Illness Changed History “Happy Families: Hanoverians to Windsors” will be shown on BBC Two on Monday 22^nd April 2013 at 21:00.

Links:

For more information about filming in Kent please contact: filmoffice@kent.gov.uk

For more information about the programme: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01rxzft

For more information about Ramsgate: http://www.visitthanet.co.uk/come-explore/Come-and-Explore-Ramsgate.aspx

Paul O’Grady © ITV

Kent Locations: Tunbridge Wells, The Pantiles

The British Animal Honours 2013 is the first televised award ceremony celebrating the country’s most extraordinary animals and the people who dedicate their lives to them. Hosted by Paul O’Grady (The Paul O’Grady Show), animals are nominated for honours by members of the public and the winners are chosen by a panel of experts. 

Twelve honours will be awarded across the two-hour prime time entertainment slot , including Brave Animal, Loyal Animal, Inspirational Animal, Animal Charity of the year and many more.

One of the show’s contributors is a local mum from Tunbridge Wells who, as well as having epilepsy, has recently become blind. Despite this, with the help of her guide dog, she can continue to live a fulfilled life. The British Animal Honours crew visited Tunbridge Wells and shopping area the The Pantiles to see how her dog helps her in every day life.

Tunbridge Wells is a large historic town situated in West Kent which has a busy town centre and a period shopping area, The Pantiles, which offers a fascinating variety of small specialist shops, antique shops, open-air cafés, restaurants and bars. Previous productions that have been filmed in Tunbridge Wells include Sarah Beeny’s Selling Houses (2013), Britain’s Best Bakery (2012), and How to Look Good Naked (2009).

Don’t miss The British Animal Honours 2013 which will be shown on ITV on Thursday 18^th April 2013 at 20:00.

Links

For more information about filming in Kent please contact: filmoffice@kent.gov.uk  

For more information about the programme: http://www.itv.com/britishanimalhonours/

For more information on Tunbridge Wells: http://www.visittunbridgewells.com/

For more information on The Pantiles: http://www.pantilestraders.co.uk/

Tony Robinson © Channel 4 and Richard Cannon

Kent Locations: Penshurst Place, Hever Castle, Chiddingstone, Kent’s public footpaths

Walking Through History is a new Channel 4 series presented by Tony Robinson who embarks on spectacular walks through some of Britain’s most historic and picturesque landscapes.

In the third episode, entitled “The Tudor Way”, actor and presenter Tony Robinson (Blackadder, Time Team) takes us on a 45 mile hike through the beautiful countryside of the Weald in Kent and across to East Sussex using some of Kent’s 4,400 miles of public footpaths.

Along the way, Tony stops at Penshurst Place on a quest to find out more about the Tudors. There he seeks help from best selling author Philippa Gregory (The Other Boleyn Girl). He continues to walk along what used to be secret footpaths to Hever Castle to explore the connections between Henry VIII and the Boleyn sisters.

Penshurst Place is in West Kent and a beautifully preserved Medieval and Tudor fortified style manor house with a unique Baron’s Hall and several staterooms. It is set in parkland and has Elizabethan formal gardens. Penshurst Place is a favourite with TV and film productions, having been previously seen on screen in  The Hollow Crown –  Henry V (2012) Merlin (2008) and The Other Boleyn Girl (2007).

Hever Castle is a thirteenth century castle which was once the childhood home of Anne Boleyn and boasts formal Italian Gardens and an ornamental lake. Hever Castle has been used on film by various productions including Inkheart (2008) and Anne of a Thousand Days (1969).

Don’t miss Walking through History “The Tudor Way” which will be shown on Saturday 13^th of April 2013 at 20:30 on Channel 4.

Links

For more information about filming in Kent please contact: filmoffice@kent.gov.uk

For more information about the programme: http://www.channel4.com/programmes/walking-through-history

For more information on Penshurst Place: http://www.penshurstplace.com/

For more information on Hever Castle: http://www.hevercastle.co.uk/

For more information on Kent’s Public Rights of Way: http://www.kent.gov.uk/environment_and_planning/countryside_access/about_public_rights_of_way.aspx

Later… with Jools Holland © BBC/ Andre Csillag/Relay Photos

Kent Locations Used: The Maidstone Studios

Later…with Jools Holland is the popular BBC2 music show which features a mix of up-coming artists as well as music legends performing live in the studio. The show is in its staggering 42 series and will be filmed at its new home – The Maidstone Studios.

The show first aired in 1992 and has been a success ever since. It is hosted by musician and television presenter Jools Holland and sees a whole range of musical guests from different genres and styles. Each show includes several performances, exclusive interviews, and a short jam session with Holland on piano to open each episode.

Although an entirely British show, Later…with Jools Holland has made it big in many other European countries as well as America.

The first episode of the new series will have performances from Suede, Laura Mvula, Cat Power, and The Strypes.

The Maidstone Studios is set over an 11 acre site and boasts 5 studios, a sound stage, post production facilities, storage and over 400 free parking spaces. Hit shows such as Take Me Out,  The Biggest Loser (2012) and Got to Dance (2010)  have previously been recorded at The Maidstone Studios.

Don’t miss the new series of Later…with Jools Holland which will be airing live for eight weeks on Tuesday nights from 9^th April 2013 on BBC2 at 22:00.

Links:

For more information about filming in Kent please contact: filmoffice@kent.gov.uk

For more information about the programme: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006ml0l

For  more information about The Maidstone Studios: http://www.maidstonestudios.com/ 

Sarah Beeny Selling Houses © John Carey Channel 4 Television

Kent locations used: Maidstone, Tunbridge Wells

Property developer, Sarah Beeny returns to Channel 4 with Sarah Beeny’s Selling Houses which gives competing home owners looking to sell their properties the chance to check out their rivals by giving them the unique chance to look around each other’s homes. After one week and with £1,000 to make improvements, Sarah brings in the buyers to hear the final verdict.

The Sarah Beeny’s Selling Houses team visited families selling their houses in Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells back in October 2012 where they met Paul and Kerry, in their colourful family home, Phillip in his modern minimalist detached and Paul and Adie in their country detached house. Will Sarah convince the homeowners to make changes to their houses to make them more appealing to prospective homebuyers? 

Maidstone is the county town of Kent and has plenty to offer, including thriving shopping areas, parks, nearby attractions include Leeds Castle and the Hop Farm. It is also home to the Maidstone Studios the UK’s largest independent High Definition TV studio facility which has hosted filming for TV productions such as Take Me Out (2012), The Biggest Loser  (2012) and Got To Dance (2010).

Tunbridge Wells is a large historic town situated in West Kent which has a busy town centre and period shopping, gardens, castles, historic houses, ancient churches and delightful Kent countryside. Previous productions that have filmed in the area include Britain’s Best Bakery (2012), How to Look Good Naked (2009) while BBC drama Hunted (2012) filmed at Scotney Castle in Tunbridge Wells..

Don’t miss the Kent episode of Sarah Beeny’s Selling Houses which will be shown on Saturday 6^th April 2013 at 19:00 on Channel 4.

Links

For more information about filming in Kent please contact: filmoffice@kent.gov.uk

For more information about the programme: http://www.channel4.com/programmes/sarah-beenys-selling-houses

For more information on Maidstone: http://www.visitmaidstone.com/

For more information on Tunbridge Wells: http://www.visittunbridgewells.com/

Cook Me The Money logo © ITV

Kent locations used: Whitstable Harbour, Faversham

Cook Me The Money is a new daytime ITV series presented by Adam Shaw and sees three teams of amateur chefs competing to sell their dish during a days trading. The team that takes the biggest profit keeps their winnings as well as the takings that the other couples made – let the battle commence!

Cook Me The Money at Whitstable Harbour © Mike Wier

The Cook Me The Money team visited Whitstable and Faversham in September 2012. The three teams set up catering vans in Whitstable harbour and sold burritos, tagine and a concoction called Love Puffs and in Faversham the teams offered locals chocolate cake made from vegetables, pancakes and tiramisu – but which dishes did the locals enjoy most? 

Whitstable is a quaint seaside town in East Kent and boasts a shingle beach and harbour as well as modern art galleries, shops, cafes, pubs and restaurants and has previously been seen on screen on Double the House for Half the Money (2012) Our Food (2012) and Coast (2009).

Faversham is a beautiful, historic market town which boasts nearly 500 listed buildings and is set on the picturesque Faversham Creek. It has many restaurants, shops, attractions and beautiful walks and has been used for various productions including upcoming Channel 4 drama Southcliffe, Great British Story: A People’s History (2012) and the nearby Oare Marshes were used in Great Expectations (2012).

The Whitstable episode of Cook Me The Money will be shown on Tuesday 2^nd April 2013 at 14:00 on ITV1 and the Faversham episode will be shown on Tuesday 9th April 2013 at 14:00 on ITV1.

Links:

For more information about filming in Kent please contact: filmoffice@kent.gov.uk

For more information about Whitstable: http://www.canterbury.co.uk/canterbury-district/whitstable.aspx

For more information about Faversham: http://www.faversham.org/