Hancock and Joan (2008)

Ken Stott sat at a wooden table with a white tea cup.

Ken Stott as Hancock. Copyright BBC/World Productions

Writer: Richard Cottan

Director: Richard Laxton

Production Company: World Productions

Kent Filming Locations: BroadstairsRamsgate

A one off drama starring Ken Stott as Hancock (Rebus) and Maxine Peake (Shameless), Hancock and Joan charts the affair between Hancock and his best friend’s wife, Joan Le Mesurier.

Not long wedded to their current spouses, Joan and Tony embarked on a passionate love affair that lasted nearly two years. But Tony, despite his adoration for Joan, was plagued with depression and alcoholism, which proved to be a constant drain on their relationship.

When Tony is offered a chance to revive his career with a new series in Australia, Joan gives him an ultimatum to give up alcohol and in return for her leaving John and marrying him. Agreeing Tony embarked to Australia. Unfortunately, the failure of his series and a misunderstanding about Joan’s loyalty for him prompted him to take his life.

 

Paul Hicks standing by a classic car in front of a house

Paul Hicks and his car. Copyright: Kent Film Office

 

On set of Hancock and Joan - cameras in a residential street with two classic cars on the road

On set of Hancock and Joan. Copyright: Kent Film Office

The programme is based on John Le Mesurier’s autobiography ‘Lady Don’t Fall Backwards’ and Edward Joffe’s ‘Hancock’s Last Stand’ and was filmed in the Le Mesurier’s home town of Ramsgate.

Set in 1967, the challenge to find period locations for the piece were providentially solved. Both Ramsgate itself and it’s close neighbour Broadstairs provided some untouched gems such as Morellli’s cafe, one of the only remaining 50’s style cafes in Britain and the house that doubled as John and Joan’s family home. Vintage cars where bought in from around the county to dress the streets, which proved to be a task in itself as despite glorious November sunshine temperatures were brisk and the cars had to be well looked after due to their fragile nature.

Broadstairs and Ramsgate are coastal towns in the Thanet District of Kent offering gorgeous beaches, historic towns and a harbour. Eastenders (2015), Edge of Heaven (2013) and True Love (2012) have all utilised the area for filming.

Hancock and Joan was shown on BBC 4 at 9pm on 26th March 2008.

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


The Other Boleyn Girl (2008)

Scarlett Johansson standing behind Natalie Portman, both looking out of the window in front of them

Scarlett Johansson and Natalie Portman as Mary and Anne Boleyn Photo Credit Alex Bailey © 2006 Universal Studios ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Director: Justin Chadwick

Writer: Peter Morgan

Starring: Scarlett Johansson,  Natalie Portman, Eric Bana, Kristin Scott Thomas, David Morrissey, Benedict Cumberbatch

Production Company: Columbia Pictures, Focus Features, BBC Films, Relativity Media, Ruby Films, Scott Rudin Productions
Kent Filming Locations: Knole House, Dover Castle, Penshurst Place
The screen adaptation of Philippa Gregory’s best selling novel The Other Boleyn Girl is a dramatic story of love, passion and ambition set in the cut-throat court of Henry VIII. Mary (Scarlett Johansson), considered the more beautiful sister, gains the young king’s (Eric Bana) attention and, though married, becomes his mistress. When it becomes politically adventageous, Mary is cast aside for her dazzling young sister Anne (Natalie Portman) and can only watch as Anne’s ruthless pursuit of the crown propels her towards her doom.

The Boleyn family had extensive connections with Kent; the family lived in Hever Castle while Henry VIII adored Knole. With this connection in mind, filming took place at three fantastic locations across Kent.

Filming in Kent began at Knole in Sevenoaks, a grand house set in a deer park that Henry VIII was so impressed with; he demanded that the Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Cranmer give it to him. In the film, Knole was the setting for many of the film’s London night scenes and the inner courtyard doubles for the entrance of Whitehall Palace where the grand arrivals and departures were staged.

 

Filming of The Other Boleyn Girl at Knole- courtyard of Knole filed with cast members and filming equipment

Filming of The Other Boleyn Girl at Knole © Photo Credit : Alex Bailey © 2006 Universal Studios. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

 

Mary Boleyn (Scarlett Johansson) in the Grounds of Penshurst Place walking away from a wooden door

Mary Boleyn (Scarlett Johansson) in the Grounds of Penshurst Place © Photo Credit : Alex Bailey © 2006 Universal Studios. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

 

Behind the scenes at Dover Castle- queues of cast members entering the entrance to the castle along a concrete driveway. Cars and lorries are scattered along the side.

Behind the scenes at Dover Castle © Dover Castle

 

Behind the scenes at Penshurst Place- lighting equipment and stage set up against church wall

Behind the scenes at Penshurst Place © Penshurst Place

Production then moved to Penshurst Place near Tonbridge, which was also once owned by Henry VIII  and where the unspoiled estate and gardens still bring the Tudor era to life. The Baron’s Hall was transformed into the interiors of Whitehall Palace to film the scenes of Henry’s extravagant feast. The Tudor Gardens were also used for the scene where Anne (Natalie Portman) and the King (Eric Bana) talk about their relationship.

As England’s oldest fortress at the shortest sea crossing to Continental Europe, Dover Castle was a vital strategic centre in the Tudor era and able to provide the ideal setting for the final and climatic scenes in The Other Boleyn Girl. Dover Castle was transformed into the Tower of London for the execution scenes of George Boleyn (Jim Sturgess) and Anne Boleyn (Natalie Portman).

Knole Park is nestled in a medieval deer-park .  The area has welcomed filming from productions such as Rush (2013) and Pirates of the Caribbean On Stranger Tides (2011).

Historic house Knole is set in a medieval deer-park in Sevenoaks. Now a National Trust property, it is over 500 years old and was once the palace of archbishops and royal property of the Tudor dynasty. Knole has previously featured in productions such as Great British Railway Journeys – Series 7 (2016), Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows (2011) and Pirates of the Caribbean On Stranger Tides (2011).

Medieval and Tudor style manor house, Penshurst Place is set in gorgeous parkland and boasts period rooms and formal Elizabethan gardens. Penshurst Place is a popular film location, having previously welcomed productions such as Wolf Hall (2015), The Great Fire (2014) and The Hollow Crown – Henry V (2012)

Situated on the White Cliffs of Dover, overlooking the English Channel is the stunning medieval fortress – Dover Castle. A popular film location, Dover Castle has featured in Into the Woods (2015), Poirot “The Clocks” (2009) and Hamlet (1990).

To celebrate the cinematic release and the locations that were used in the film, the Kent Film Office and Kent Tourism Alliance in association with Universal, National Trust, English Heritage, Penshurst Place, Hever Castle and the Heart of Kent released a movie map in 2011 to highlight the Kent locations to the world! You can download your own The Other Boleyn Girl movie map and to find out more about the Kent Campaign at: https://kentfilmoffice.co.uk/kent-movie-map/austens-in-kent/

The Other Boleyn Girl features in the Kent Film Office Tudor(ish) Trail, released in May 2016, celebrating Kent’s Tudor history and film connections.

The film was released on 7th March 2008 and is now available on DVD.

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


The Good Night (2008)

The Good Night Film Poster- Four character faces in a grid, all with sleep masks over their eyes. The Good night is written in the middle

The Good Night Film Poster © Momentum Pictures

Director/Writer: Jake Paltrow

Starring: Gwyneth Paltrow, Martin Freeman, Penélope Cruz,  Danny DeVito, Simon Pegg

Production Company: Good Night Productions, Inferno Distribution, Destination Films, Grosvenor Park Media, MHF Zweite Academy Film, Tempesta Films

Kent Filming Locations: Capel Manor House, Horsmonden

This romantic comedy, is the first movie written and directed by Jake Paltrow (Young Ones Boardwalk Empire) ,and is an adaptation of 2006 French film “La science des rêves”. The movie is set in London and New York, where a former pop star who now writes commercial jingles for a living, experiences a mid-life crisis.

The film stars the director’s sister Gwyneth Paltrow (Iron Man Series, Se7en) , as well as Penélope Cruz (Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Vanilla Sky) Martin Freeman (Sherlock, The Hobbit), Danny DeVito (One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, L.A. Confidential) and Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz).

The dream sequences were filmed at Capel Manor House in Horsmonden, Kent. The house was built in 1970, on the site of the old Capel Manor, which had been well known as a residence of Jane Austen.

The Good Night was released in cinemas in January 2008 and is now available to buy on DVD.

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


Sally Lockheart – The Shadow in the North (2007)

The Shadow in the North logo- The Shadow in the North written in white on a black background

The Shadow in the North © BBC

 

Director: John Alexander

Starring: Billie Piper, JJ Field, Julian Rhind-Tutt, Matt Smith, Hayley Atwell

Production Company:  BBC, NOVA/WGBH Boston

Kent Locations: The Historic Dockyard Chatham

Sally Lockheart in a period dress facing someone who has their back to the camera.

Sally Lockheart (Billie Piper) © BBC

The Shadow in the North is the second of the Sally Lockheart Mysteries and follows Sally, who, with the help of her detective friends, investigates her client’s losses of vast sums of money due to a vanished steam ship. The team find out that a mysterious stage magician and a psychic medium are part of the mystery, along with a very old enemy of Sally’s.

This BBC TV Movie is the second Sally Lockheart Mystery and is based on the 1986 novel of the same name by English author Philip Pullman.

Starring many familiar faces including Billie Piper (Doctor Who, A Passionate Women), JJ Field (The Musketeers, Captain America: The First Avenger), Matt Smith (Doctor Who), Hayley Atwell (The Duchess, The Sweeney)and Julian Rhind-Tutt (Rush, Stardust).

The Historic Dockyard in Chatham doubled as the exterior of North Star Castings gun shop, as well as London street scenes.

The Historic Dockyard in Chatham boasts many interesting features such as the HMS Cavalier, period buildings, cobbled streets and newly reconstructed smithy. Many productions have been shot at this location including Dom Hemingway (2013), Sherlock Holmes (2009) and Oliver Twist (2007).

The Shadow in the North was shown on the BBC in December 2007 and is now available to buy on DVD.

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


Oliver Twist (2007)

Oliver Twist (William Miller) holds out his bowl in front of a crowded lunch hall.

Oliver Twist (William Miller) © BBC Photo Library

 

Directed By: Coky Giedroyc

Produced By: Kate Harwood, Sarah Brown & Coky Giedroyc

Written By: Charles Dickens (Novel) & Sarah Phelps (Adaptation)

Starring: Timothy Spall, William Miller, Adam Arnold, Tom Hardy, Sophie Okenedo, Rob Brydon

Production Company: BBC, WGBH

Kent Filming Locations: The Historic Dockyard Chatham

In the latest adaptation of Dickens’ Classic tale, the story of young orphan Oliver Twist is faithfully recreated by the BBC whilst delivering a modern and thrilling edge that is sure to entice audiences.

After the death of his mother, Oliver Twist (William Miller) is thrown into poverty and misfortune. Left to the mercy of the workhouse, he is routinely tormented with cruelty and starvation by the local Beadle, Mr. Bumble, and the workhouse employees.  When daring to ask for more food, Oliver is famously cast out of the orphanage and must make his own way in the world.

After narrowly escaping the clutches of his new guardians, owners of a local funeral parlor, Oliver walks the many miles to London. On arriving in the city he is found by the Artful Dodger (Adam Arnold), a pickpocket and the most senior of Fagin’s (Timothy Spall) gang. Experiencing kindness for the first time in the form of the beautiful Nancy (Sophie Okenado), girlfriend to the villainous Bill Sykes (Tom Hardy), Oliver is soon drawn in to the darker and seedier side of life in Victorian London.

Oliver Twist (Otherwise known as The Parish Boy’s Progress) is the second novel of renowned author Charles Dickens. Noted for its unromantic portrayal of criminals in London, the novel exposed the cruel treatment of children during the time.  The novel has been the subject for many adaptations on stage and screen, the most famous being Carol Reed’s musical Oliver! starring Ron Moody as Fagin and Oliver Reed as Bill Sykes.

Directed by Coky Giedroyc (Carrie’s War, Stella Does Tricks) and adapted by Sarah Phelps (EastEnders, The Casual Vacancy), starring Timothy Spall (The King’s Speech, Mr. Turner), William Miller (Runaway, The Kid), Adam Arnold (Hibernation, The Bill), Tom Hardy (Inception, Locke), Sophie Okenedo (After Earth, Hotel Rwanda) and Rob Brydon (Black Books, Gavin & Stacey)

Kent welcomed the production when it was filmed in 2007 to The Historic Dockyard Chatham which was the location used to shoot one of the most famous lines of Dickens’ literary history “Please Sir, I want some more”.  The Tarred Yarn Store at The Historic Dockyard Chatham is a Grade II listed building and was used to recreate the famous workhouse scene in the film.

The Historic Dockyard Chatham is a popular film location, having previously welcomed productions such as The Golden Compass (2007), The Mummy (1999) and The World Is Not Enough (1999).

Charles Dickens’ father, who was the inspiration for the character of Mr Micawber in David Copperfield, worked at The Historic Dockyard Chatham as a clerk in the Naval Pay Office from 1817 to 1822. The young Dickens would often accompany his father on trips downriver from Chatham to Sheerness on the Naval Pay Yacht “Chatham”. This inspired Dickens and instilled in him a love for the sea and rivers which would later feature in some of his novels.

First shown in 2007 in five episodes on BBC1, this adaptation is now available on DVD.

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


Spooks (2007) Series 6

Actors Peter Firth, Hermione Norris and Rupert Penry-Jones wearing dark suits staring into the camera with a cracked glass effect behind them.

Peter Firth, Hermione Norris and Rupert Penry-Jones in Spooks ©BBC

 

Starring: Rupert Penry-Jones, Hermione Norris, Miranda Raison.

Production Company: BBC

Kent Locations Used: Medway Services, Cliffe

Spooks is a long running BBC One TV drama series following the work of the British MI5 agency. This fast-paced thriller sees the team trying to stop a rogue member of the Iranian intelligence who plans to unleash a deadly bioweapon.

Season 6 stars Rupert Penry-Jones (Stan Lee’s Lucky Man), Hermoine Norris (Cold Feet) and Miranda Raison (Murder on the Orient Express).

The production filmed scenes for Episode 8 “Infiltration” in rural locations around the village of Cliffe, near Rochester in Medway including fields and a railway bridge to stand in for rural East Anglia.

Medway has been featured in many productions, including Great Expectations (2012) and the TV series New Blood (2016).

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

 

 


The Riddle (2007)

The Riddle Movieposter- Three cast members standing in a row with buildings faintly shown in the background. The Riddle is written in white on a black strip underneath.

The Riddle Movieposter ©  Image Entertainment

Director and writer: Brendan Foley

Starring: Vinnie Jones, Julie Cox, Jason Flemyng, Derek Jacobi, P.H. Moriarty, Vanessa Redgrave

Production Company: Grosvenor Park Productions, Manuscript Productions, Riddle Productions

Kent Filming Locations: Sittingbourne Greyhounds Racing Track

Journalist Mike Sullivan (Vinnie Jones) investigates a series of murders that occur after the discovery of an unpublished Charles Dickens’ manuscript. As Sullivan grows obsessive over the novel and its connection to his investigation, he seeks the help of police officer Kate (Julie Cox) and a beach-combing tramp  (Derek Jocobi) who together unravel a century-old crime hidden within the manuscript which enables them to solve the modern-day crime.

Brendan Foley’s latest project stars Vinnie Jones (Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels), Derek Jacobi (Gladiator), Vanessa Redgrave (Atonement) Julie Cox (David Copperfield) and Jason Flemyng (Snatch)

The Riddle production team visited Sittingbourne Greyhounds Racing Track to shoot the opening sequence of the film where sports tabloid journalist Mike Sullivan (Vinnie Jones) is reporting on a dog race. What fans may not know is that Jones has been known to race his own greyhound, Smoking Bullet, at the stadium!

Sittingbourne falls under the district of Swale and The Riddle isn’t the only filming project to visit the district. Brogdale Farm in Faversham saw The Hairy Bikers visit in 2009 and the Shepherd Neame Brewery featured in The Darling Buds of May series.

Another location to feature was the Chislehurst Caves in Bromley as they were the perfect location to act as the home to Derek Jacobi’s beach combing tramp.  Chislehurst Caves has over 200 miles of caverns dug over a period of 8000 years and three distinct sections, Druid, Roman and Saxon and has also been used in filming for Doctor Who in 1976 and more recently for BBC’s Merlin.

The film was released in cinemas in September 2007 and is now available on DVD.

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


Amazing Grace (2007)

Wooden court room with cast members sat on wooden benches, a man is reading from a long scroll that rolls along the floor

Amazing Grace © Roadside Attractions

Director: Michael Apted

Writer: Steven Knight

Starring: Ioan Gruffudd, Benedict Cumberbatch, Albert Finney, Michael Gambon, Romola Garai and Rufus Sewell.

Production Company: Walden Media, Ingenious Film Partners, Bristol Bay Productions,Ingenious Film Partners

Kent Filming Locations: Historic Dockyard Chatham

Amazing Grace follows the journey of idealist William Wilberforce as he manoeuvres his way through Parliament, endeavouring to end the British transatlantic slave trade.

Directed by Michael Apted (Chasing Mavericks, The World is Not Enough) from an original screenplay written by Academy Award nominee Steven Knight (Peaky Blinders, Dirty Pretty Things)Ioan Gruffudd (Titanic, Fantastic Four) leads a cast including Michael Gambon (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, The Good Shepherd), Albert Finney (Ocean’s Twelve, Big Fish) and Rufus Sewell (Hercules, The Illusionist).

The film portrays how Wilberforce, supported by his confidant John Newton (Albert Finney) and William Pitt the Younger (Benedict Cumberbatch), England’s youngest ever Prime Minister, spoke out against slavery and fought for the freedom of others.

Dockyard Church transformed into House of Commons set- wooden courtroom with stall either side of judges table

Dockyard Church transformed into House of Commons set © Chatham Dockyard

Amazing Grace House of Commons- wooden courtroom full with politicians.

Amazing Grace House of Commons © 2007 Momentum Pictures. All rights reserved

 

The church at the Historic Dockyard Chatham was transformed for the film to recreate the 18th century House of Commons.

The Historic Dockyard in Chatham is set over 80 acres and contains over 100 Georgian and Victorian buildings. It has previously been used as a film location for productions such as Call the Midwife (2012-2014) Amazing Grace (2007) and Sherlock Holmes – Game of Shadows (2011).

Amazing Grace was released on 23rd March 2007 to coincide with the 200th anniversary of the abolition of slavery and is now available on DVD.

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


Venus (2007)

Peter O Toole and Jodie Whittaker staring at each other in front of a painting of Venus

Peter O Toole and Jodie Whittaker in front of a painting of Venus © Buena Vista International Photo Credit Nicola Dove Eyebox

Writer: Hanif Kureishi

Director: Roger Michell

Starring: Peter O’Toole, Leslie Phillips, Beatrice Savoretti, Jodie Whittaker

Production Company: Miramax, FilmFour, UK Film Council, Free Range Films

Kent Filming Locations: Whitstable and The Old Neptune Pub

From the director of Notting Hill (Roger Mitchell), Venus marks the return of Peter O’Toole and Leslie Phillips (Maurice and Ian respectively) to the big screen and  is the tale of two aging thespians who never quite hit the big time. When not working, they spend their days bickering until their lives are disrupted by Ian’s grand-niece Jessie (Jodie Whittaker) coming to stay.

Whilst she annoys Ian, Maurice is completely captivated by Jessie and proceeds to show her London’s sights. Spending time together, both learn valuable lessons from the other. Maurice soon realises that despite his age and experience he knows very little of the world and worldly wise Jessie learns the value of respect for herself and others.

A Kentish seaside town provided the location for Maurice’s last trip. After an accident, Maurice realises how frail he is and decides to return to his childhood haunts. Accompanied by Jessie, he is able to dip his toes one last time into the sea at Whitstable.

Landlord of The Old Neptune Pub Dixie Flynn said: ‘We had a great time when they filmed here last year – one of the locals was asked to sit in on one of the scenes. I expect all of us at the pub will go and see it and have a few more drinks. I heard Peter OToole on the radio saying he doesn’t care about an Oscar nomination, but he wants an Oscar. We all hope he gets it.’

The film has won numerous accolades and Peter O’Toole gained a “Best performance by an actor in a leading role” Oscar nomination for his role in the film.  O’Toole and Leslie Philips were both nominated for Baftas, for Best Actor in a leading role and best actor in a supporting role respectively.

Whitstable is a seaside town near Canterbury, famous for its annual Oyster Festival as well as the delightful harbour, shingle beach, busy high street and strong arts and culture scene.  Terry and Mason’s Great Food Trip (2015) and Tipping the Velvet (2002) have previously chosen to film in Whitstable.

Venus was released in cinemas in 2007 and is now available to purchase on DVD.

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

Cape Wrath (2007)

Cape Wrath Cast at Leybourne Lakes with houses behind

Cape Wrath Cast at Leybourne Lakes © Channel 4

Director: Duane Clark, Andrew Gunn

Writer: Robert Murphy

Starring: David Morrissey, Lucy Cohu, Ralph Brown, Tom Hardy

Production Company: Ecosse Films

Kent Filming Locations: Leybourne Lakes, Mote Park Leisure Centre, Whatman warehouse Maidstone, Kings Hill, Imperial College-Wye Campus

Cape Wrath is a 7-part thriller which is known in the US as Meadowlands. This sinister series followed the lives of the Brogan family, headed by David Morrissey, as they relocate to the seemingly safe suburban town of Meadowlands as part of a witness protection programme. The Brogan family begin to doubt just how safe the village of Meadowlands truly is when it turns out that they’re not the only ones with secrets to hide.

Starring David Morrissey (The Walking Dead, The Reaping, The Other Boleyn Girl) as Danny Brogan and Lucy Cohu (Becoming Jane, Broadchurch, The Queen’s Sister) as his ever-patient wife Evelyn, Cape Wrath also showcases a number of well-known talents including Felicity Jones (The Theory of Everything, Like Crazy, The Diary of Anne Frank), Tom Hardy (Inception, The Dark Knight Rises, Mad Max: Fury Road), Ralph Brown (Withnail and I, Star Wars: Episode 1 -The Phantom Menace, Wayne’s World 2) and Nina Sosanya (Love Actually, Last Tango in Halifax, Code 46).

The series based and filmed in Kent, utilising an empty warehouse in Rusthall to create a number of central sets which were used for most of the interiors. The main characters homes were filmed at housing development next to Leybourne Lakes Country Park which double as “Meadowlands”. Liberty Square at Kings Hill features as the local town centre and The Kings Hill Golf Course is also used for a number of scenic exterior shots. Wye College also features as Samantha’s Father’s place of work in London. The Gym, the sports hall and the exterior of Maidstone Leisure Centre also feature frequently throughout the series.

Leybourne Lakes and Kings Hill are new developments in the Tonbridge and Malling district. The areas have great transport links, local amenities, a network of cycle paths and a number of sports facilities including The Kings Hill Golf Course. The area has previously has been seen on Great British Railway Journeys (2014), Couples Come Dine with Me (2014) and Missing Series Two (2010).

Maidstone is the county town of Kent which lies on the River Medway and boasts lovely parks and gardens such as Mote Park where Mote Park Leisure Centre, is situated. The town also has many shops, bars and restaurants and is home to The Maidstone Studios an independent TV studio complex on an 11 acre site offering 5 television studios, dubbing facilities, edits suites, office space and parking. Productions which have previously filmed in the area include Later… with Jools Holland (2013-2018) and Missing (2009).

Cape Wrath was originally shown on Channel 4 in July 2007 and is available to buy on DVD.

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