They Came from Somewhere Else (1984) © The VHS Archive / Channel 4
Director: Jim Hill
Starring: Robin Driscoll, Tony Haase, Pete McCarthy, Rebecca Stevens
Production Company: Channel 4 Television Corporation, TVS Films
Kent Locations Used: Allington, Maidstone
They Came from Somewhere Else (1984) was a British sitcom which aired on Channel 4 in 1984. The series takes place in the fictional town of Middleford and follows friends Wendy, Colin and Martin as their dull lives are interrupted by the arrival of an American stranger, whose presence in the town seems to coincide with bizarre phenomena including raining liver, zombies and giant prawns in the sewers.
The six-part series was directed by Jim Hill (Boon, Playing for Real) and stars Robin Driscoll (Bean, Mr. Bean’s Holiday) as the Stranger, Tony Haase (Colin’s Sandwich, Mornin’ Sarge) as Martin, Pete McCarthy (Smith & Jones) as Colin and Rebecca Stevens (Postman Pat, Saturday Live) as Wendy.
Allington in Maidstone features throughout the series, doubling as the fictional town of Middleford. Various roads and green spaces were used for filming, as well as the Mid Kent Shopping Centre. The former Granada Cinema in Maidstone, now the Gala Bingo hall, appears in the final episode of the series in its former glory.
As the county town of Kent and seat of local governance, Maidstone plays an important part in Kent’s history. The River Medway runs through the town’s centre, linking it with other towns such as Rochester and Chatham. The town has many shops, restaurants, bars, churches and a museum. Other productions to have filmed there include Missing (2009-2010), Rustom (2016) and Season 2 of This Time with Alan Partridge (2021).
They Came from Somewhere Else (1984) aired on Channel 4 from Saturday 14th July to Saturday 18th August 1984. It was never released on DVD or on-demand due to copyright issues.
For more information about Kent’s Filming History please visit our Movie Map.
