Author: Kent Film Office

Escape to the Perfect Town – Series 1 (2019)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
Images of a row of colourful houses on a street with blue sky.

Series poster for Escape to the Perfect Town ©BBC

Starring: Jonnie Irwin
Production Company: Boundless Productions
Kent Locations Used: Sevenoaks Town Centre

Escape to the Perfect Town (2019-), commissioned by the BBC, is a brand-new daytime television programme which seeks to help prospective property buyers find their dream homes in Britain’s top market towns.

Presented by Jonnie Irwin, known for hosting similar property programmes Escape to the Country and A Place in the Sun, the show will follow the journey of individuals looking for a fresh start; whether it be to escape city life, set up their family home, relocate for work or perhaps, find more space and a better quality of life.

In this series, traditional market towns from all over the country will be explored, including Sevenoaks in western Kent, where filming took partly in the town centre.

The town centre of Sevenoaks is comprised of small, picturesque alleyways that are abundant with specialist and independent shops alongside popular high street and designer brands. It is also home to Nevill Ground, one of the oldest cricket grounds in the country. That said, the district in its entirety has the added advantage of being just a stone’s throw from London. An area nestled in the heart of the Kentish countryside; it is steeped in history with numerous attractions for visitors. Sevenoaks has been previously used as a filming location by production companies such as Four in a Bed (2018) and Antiques Road Show – Ightham Mote (2017).

Further filming for the series also took place in Tunbridge Wells, a popular filming location which has previously featured on Celebrity Antiques Road Show (2018).

The series aired on BBC One in October 2019.

For more information about Kent’s Filming History please visit our Movie Map.

Farming (2019)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
Image of young Nigerian man (leader) standing outside, with his white skinhead gang standing behind him.

Movie Poster for Farming ©IMDb

Writer: Adewale Akinnuage – Agbaje
Director: Adewale Akinnuage – Agbaje
Starring: Kate Beckinsdale, Gugu Mbath-lraw and Adewale Akinnuage- Agbaje
Production Company: Groundswell Production
Kent Locations Used: The Historic Dockyard Chatham, Gillingham

Farming (2019) takes the audience on a journey through childhood memories of the film’s director Adewale Akinnuage-Agbaje, who, as a young Nigerian boy, was given to a white British family by his own parents in the hope of a better future. However, tables turn as he goes on to become the feared leader of a white skinhead gang.

Farming stars actor turned director Adewale Akinnuage – Agbaje (Suicide Squad, Watership Down) as Femi, Kate Beckinsale (Pearl Harbor, Underworld: Blood Wars) as Ingrid Carpenter, Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Black Mirror, Belle) as Ms. Dapo, and Jaime Winstone (Love, Rosie, Tomb Raider) as Lynn.

There were two Kent locations used in Farming. At the first, The Historic Dockyard Chatham, various areas such as at The Joiner’s Shop, House Carpenters Shop, and the rear of The Smithery, Ropery and Anchor Wharf were used.

Production also visited a jewellery shop in Gillingham for some further scenes.

The Historic Dockyard Chatham, spans over 80 Acres, with over 100 buildings and structures dating back to the Georgian and Victorian era. The dockyard has previously featured in productions such as Yardie (2018) and Level Up (2016).

Gillingham is also located in the district of Medway.

The film will be released in UK cinemas on Friday 11th October 2019.

For more information about Kent’s Filming History please visit our Movie Map.

Born a King (2019)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
Film poster depicting Abdullah Ali as the young Faisal, Hermione Corfield as a young Princess Mary and Ed Skrein as Philby above a reflection of the Houses of Parliament in the Thames

Born a King poster © Celtic Films Entertainment

Writer: Henry Fitzherbert, Bader Al Samari, Ray Loriga
Director: Agusti Villaronga
Starring: Abdullah Ali, Ed Skrein, Hermione Corfield, Kenneth Cranham
Production Company: Arena Audiovisual, Celtic Films Entertainment
Kent Locations Used: The Historic Dockyard Chatham

Born a King (2019) is the real life, coming-of-age story of Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud who was sent to London in 1919 by his father to gather support for Saudi Arabia as a sovereign country. He was the first Saudi Prince to visit the UK and at 14 was entrusted to negotiate with some of the pre-eminent figures of the age; Lord Curzon (Kenneth Cranham) and Winston Churchill (Celyn Jones). He befriends Princess Mary (Hermione Corfield) who helps guide him through the corridors of power.

Born a King was directed by Agusti Villaronga (Black Bread, Uncertain Glory) and written by Henry Fitzherbert (Love & Friendship, Slaughterhouse Rulez), Bader Al Samari and Ray Loriga (Theresa: The Body of Christ, Ausentes). The film introduces Abdullah Ali as Faisal, and stars Ed Skrein (Deadpool, The Model) as Philby, Hermione Corfield (The Halcyon, Rust Creek) as Princess Mary and Kenneth Cranham (Maleficent, The White Princess) as Lord Curzon.

Anchor Wharf at The Historic Dockyard Chatham doubles as Plymouth Docks in the film, in a scene where Prince Faisal arrives in England and is greeted by the press and government officials.

Set over 80 acres on the River Medway and with more than 100 Victorian and Georgian buildings, The Historic Dockyard Chatham is one of Kent’s most popular film locations. The site has previously featured in Mr Turner (2014), Victoria and Abdul (2017) and The Mercy (2018).

Born a King (2019) was released in Saudi Arabia on Thursday 26th September 2019 and is available to watch on Amazon in the UK.

For more information about Kent’s Filming History please visit our Movie Map. 

World On Fire – Series 1 (2019)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
Actor Jonah Hauer wearing a grey suit riding a bike with Zofia Wichlacz wearing a pink top and skirt sat in front of him. Cycling along a cobbled street with an army parade with horses behind them.

Zofia Wichlacz and Jonah Hauer-King in World On Fire ©BBC

Writer: Peter Bowker
Directors: Chanya Button, Adam Smith, Andy Wilson, Thomas Napper
Starring: Jonah Hauer-King, Zofia Wichlacz, Yrsa Daley-Ward, Helen Hunt, Sean Bean and Arthur Darvill
Production Company: BBC One, Mammoth Screen
Kent Locations Used: Historic Dockyard Chatham

Upcoming BBC seven-part drama series World On Fire (2019-), is a coming of age story set against the harsh conditions of World War II.

Written by Peter Bowker (Occupation, Eric & Ernie) directed by Chanya Button (Vita & Virginia), Adam Smith (Trespass Against Us), Andy Wilson (Cracker) and Thomas Napper (Jawbone). The drama series centers around the lives of ordinary people affected by the war starring Jonah Hauer-King (Postcards from London, Little Women) as Army soldier Harry Chase, Zofia Wichlacz (Warsaw ’44, Amok) as Kasia Tomaszeski and Yrsa Daley-Ward (White Colour Black, Der Koch) as Connie. Helen Hunt (As Good as It Gets, Mad About You) plays the role of an American news reporter Nancy Campbell based in Berlin, while Sean Bean (The Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones) is bus conductor and peace activist Douglas Bennett.

HMS Cavalier at The Historic Dockyard in Chatham was used as a major filming location in Episode 3 of the series playing the role of HMS Exeter during the first Naval battle of World War Two: Battle of River Plate.

Set on the River Medway, The Historic Dockyard Chatham has become a popular film location due to its unique Georgian and Victorian architecture, maritime environment, dry dock, cobbled streets, industrial buildings and collection of preserved naval vessels from different periods of the Royal Navy. The Dockyard has previously featured as a filming location set around the 1940s and 50s in a number of both British and international productions including Summer of Rockets (2019), The Halcyon (2018) and The Crown (2016).

The first episode of World on Fire aired on BBC One on Sunday 29th September 2019 and will also be available on Amazon Prime after the series has aired.

For more information about Kent’s Filming History please visit our Movie Map.

Britain at Low Tide – Series 3 (2019)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
Dr Tori Herridge and his team of three smiling at the camera standing on the beach with the sea in the background.

Dr Tori Herridge and the team at Tankerton ©Channel 4

Director: Michael Waterhouse
Starring: Dr Tori Herridge, Dr Alex Langlands
Production Company: Tern Television Productions Ltd
Kent Locations Used: Tankerton, Whitstable, Port of Ramsgate, Port

The third series of Britain at Low Tide (2016-) will return to our screens this week. The show features archaeologists Dr Tori Herridge and Dr Alex Langlands as they explore coastal areas and their historical treasures as the tide goes out.

The first episode of the series starts off on the north Kent coast, as Dr Tori Herridge and the team explore the mystery of the shingle bank called The Street in Whitstable, explore a shipwreck in Tankerton, which can only be accessed once every year at very low tides. These areas have previously hosted productions such as The Thames: Britain’s Great River With Tony Robinson (2019) and Celebrity Antiques Road Show (2018).

The programme also explores the remains of  Richborough Port in Pegwell Bay near Sandwich, which played a crucial part in supporting the Western Front in WWI. Sandwich is a medieval town situated on the River Stour and boasts golf clubs, eateries and B&B’s as well as a museum, windmill and Roman Fort. Productions which have previously visited the town include Celebrity Antiques Road Show (2018) and Countryfile (2020). 

Production also paid a quick visit to the Port of Ramsgate, adjacent to the popular seaside town in Kent, that has been used in previous productions such as Ross Edgley’s Great British Swim (2018) and Britain’s Favourite Walks: Top 100 (2018).

Britain at Low Tide will air on Saturday 14th September 2019 on Channel 4 at 8pm. The series will then air each Saturday.

For more information about Kent’s Filming History please visit our Movie Map.

The Capture (2019)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
A female detective wearing a suit standing at a desk with big screens behind her showing a fugitive and CCTV footage.

The Capture ©IMDb

Writer: Ben Chanan
Director: Ben Chanan
Starring: Holliday Grainger, Callum Turner, Ralph Ineson, Famke Janssen, Ron Perlman.
Production Companies: BBC One, Heyday Television, NBCUniversal International Studios
Kent Locations Used: Canterbury Prison

Sean Emery (Callum Turner) returns to take care of his daughter after being wrongly imprisoned in Afghanistan on murder charges. However, his life is once again turned upside down when new CCTV footage emerges which seems to suggest incriminating evidence. DI Rachel Carey (Holliday Grainger) is determined to get to the bottom of the story and soon discovers the truth may not be all that it seems.

Written and directed by Ben Chanan (Cyberbully, Our World War), this gripping six-part drama with a focus on technology stars Holliday Grainger (Cinderella, The Finest Hours) as DI Rachel Carey and Sean Emery is played by Callum Turner (Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, Assassin’s Creed). Ralph Ineson (The Witch, Guardians of the Galaxy), Famke Janssen (GoldenEye, X-Men) and Ron Perlman (Hellboy, Sons of Anarchy) also star.

Production visited Canterbury Prison to shoot for two days in 2018.

Canterbury Prison was sold to Canterbury Christ Church University in 2014 and is now part of the university campus. The surrounding area of Canterbury has had a few films created in the area, including The Tunnel: Sabotage (2016) and The Rizen (2017).

Episode One of The Capture will air on Tuesday 3rd September 2019 on BBC One at 9pm.

 

For more information about Kent’s Filming History please visit our Movie Map.

DIY SOS: The Big Build 20th Anniversary Special (2019)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
Image of four of the team featuring in the Big Build Anniversary Special, standing with mugs of tea in their hand and a big '20' balloon behind them.

DIY SOS: The Big Build 20th Anniversary Special ©BBC

Starring: Nick Knowles
Production Company:BBC Studios
Kent Locations: Sheerness on the Isle of Sheppey

DIY SOS: The Big Build (1999-) is a popular BBC show where a team take on large scale renovation projects to help families in need of expansion. They tackle everything from extensions and conversions to full scale re-models.

Kent will feature in this special episode, as production re-visit the Ratcliffe family, whose home was demolished and then rebuilt, in Isle of Sheppey on the Isle of Sheppey back in 2017. See how they have developed their property by adding a farm school and opening their garden under the National Garden Scheme.

The Ratcliffe Family with host Nick Knowles in 2017, standing outside of the family's home on the gravel.

The Ratcliffe Family with host Nick Knowles in 2017 ©BBC

Isle of Sheppey is the largest town on the Isle of Sheppey. Sheppey which regularly wins the blue flag for its clean beaches and has many pubs, restaurants, shops and other leisure attractions. Productions that have previously visited this location include Four in a Bed (2018).

The 20th anniversary special of DIY SOS: The Big Build will air on Thursday 5th September 2019 on BBC One at 8pm.

For more information about Kent’s Filming History please visit our Movie Map.

Interior Design Masters (2019)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
Picture Shows: Backrow (L) to (R) Cassie Nicholas, Jim Biddulph, Verity Coleman, Frank Newbold, Nicki Bamford-Bowes all standing at the back of a bricked room with blue pictures on the wall. Front row (L) to (R) Trish Coggans, Terian Tilston, Jerome Gardner, Kyle Broughton-Frew and Ju De Paula sitting on sofas looking into the camera.

©BBC / DSP / Tom Scott

Presenter: Fearne Cotton
Starring: Michelle Ogundehin, Mary Portas, Jade Jagger, Matthew Williamson
Production Company: Darlow Smithson Productions / Endemol Shine
Kent Locations Used: Whitstable

On Interior Design Masters (2019-), ten designers take on different design projects and compete with each other to gain a commission with a client for a job.

Among the contestants is Jim Biddulph, 32, from Margate. He left a previous job as a design writer to pursue his new career which was 10 years in the making and seized the opportunity to be involved in the programme. Fellow contestant Frank Newbold also boasts Kent connections as he previously lived in Rochester.

The guest judges on Interior Design Masters are Michelle Ogundehin (The Great Interior Design Challenge), Mary Portas (Hotel GB, Mary Portas: Secret Shopper), Jade Jagger (Gomorron, Divendres) and Matthew Williamson. Presenting is Fearne Cotton (Celebrity Juice, Lemon La Vida Loca).

In Episode 7 , the semi final, the three remaining candidates are asked to each remodel a hairdressers in Whitstable High Street. Guest judge Lawrence Llewelyn-Bowen will help to decide whether the classic look of Len’s Barber Shop, the futuristic theme of Jelly Beanz or the industrial remodel of Edge is good enough to get the designer to the final.

Whitstable is on the north coast of Kent. The town is famous for its oysters, celebrated during the famous Oyster Festival during the summer.

The series was created by BBC 2 and Netflix, consisting of eight episodes.

Episode One of Interior Design Masters will be shown on BBC Two on Wednesday 14th August 2019 at 8pm on BBC2.

For more information about Kent’s Filming History please visit our Movie Map.

Kathy Burke’s All Woman (2019)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
Black and white close up of comedienne and actress Kathy Burke looking at the camera smiling.

Kathy Burke in Kathy Burke’s All Woman ©Channel 4

Director: Louise McGregor, Lucy Wilcox
Starring: Kathy Burke
Production Company: Flicker Productions
Kent Locations Used: Tankerton Beach, Whitstable

British comedienne and actress Kathy Burke presents this three-part documentary series for Channel 4, discussing the challenges of what it means to be a woman in our era. Topics include motherhood, beauty, work, personal image, sex and relationships.

Kathy Burke is known for her character Kevin in Harry Enfield Presents Kevin’s Guide to Being a Teenager. She has also appeared in other productions such as Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie, as well as participating in regular comedy panel shows such as 8 out 10 Cats Does Countdown, and The Last Leg.

In episode 3, Kathy Burke visits Whitstable town and beaches where she speaks to the women of PEG – the Profanities Embroidery Group.

Other productions have also visited Whitstable, including Britain at Low Tide (2018), Catastrophe Series 4 (2019), and The Apprentice (2015).

Kathy Burke’s All Woman will air on Channel 4 on Tuesday 13th August 2019 at 10pm.

For more information about Kent’s Filming History please visit our Movie Map.

Teen Mom UK – Series 6 (2019)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
Five young mothers group photo with blue background each holding one of their children and smiling at the camera - The child furthest left is being held upside-down and one on the furthest right is crying.

The Mums of Teen Mom UK Reality TV Series ©MTV UK

Starring: Megan Salmon Ferrari, Amber Butler, Chloe Patton, Sassi Simmonds and Shannon Wise
Production Company: True North Productions
Kent Locations Used: Margate

Teen Mom UK (2016-) is back for its sixth series. The UK’s spin off from the hit American TV show Teen Mom, is a reality show which focuses on young mothers and how they deal with pregnancy, children, family and their day to day lives. The new series continues to be full of drama as it follows Amber Butler and Steven Rankine as they take the next steps in their relationship, as well as Shannon Wise’s exciting gender reveal party.

Filming for one of the upcoming episodes took place in Margate, where one of the teen moms takes a trip to the beach with her partner before the birth of her second child. The show journals their holiday in Margate.

Margate is a seaside town located in the district of Thanet. It has a sandy beach, harbour, amusement park, vintage shops and the modern art gallery the Turner Contemporary. Previous filming here includes Long Lost Family: What Happened Next (2018) and Who Do You Think You Are? (2018).

The series started on MTV UK on Wednesday 24th July 2019 at 8pm. Margate will feature in a later episode airing sometime in September 2019. The first episode can still be viewed on MTV player and on NowTV.

For more information about Kent’s Filming History please visit our Movie Map.