Starring: Gillian Burke, Steve Brown, Chris Packham Production Company: BBC Studios Natural History Unit Kent Locations Used: Minster Beach and Herne Bay
BBC’s daytime spin-off Blue Planet UK (2019) is due to air throughout next week. It will uncover the incredible stories behind the UK’s marine wildlife. Presenters of the programme will be exploring the history of British waters and explain how they have been influenced by people today.
Herne Bay is a seaside town which has a pier and shingle beach and is set just outside of the historic City of Canterbury. Previous productions which have filmed in the area include Coast vs Country (2016).
The series can be seen on BBC One from Monday 25th to Friday 29th March 2019 at 4.30pm. Herne Bay will feature in episode 3 and 4, and Minster beach will feature in episode 3.
Starring: Matthew Allwright Production Company: TwoFour Kent Location Used: Various properties around Thanet and Folkestone
This five-part series focuses on Britain’s housing crisis as every day 140 new families become homeless, whilst over 2000,000 domestic properties lie empty. Each episode features four to five stories, concentrating on an empty house at some point in its journey to be but back into use as a home. Presenter Matt Allwright wants to expose the empty housing scandal. He also may occasionally have to investigate to track down lost owners or property agents, as he travels around the UK scoping empty houses and pairing them with people who desperately need a home.
The first episode of The Empty Housing Scandal aired on Monday 11th February 2019 at 9.15am on BBC One. It will air each day this week till Friday 15th February 2019.
Writers: Harry Williams and Jack Williams Director: Börkur Sigþörsson and Jan Mattys Starring: Tchéky Karyo, Anastasia Hille, Tom Hollander, Camille Schotte, Trystan Gravelle Production Company: Two Brothers Pictures for BBC One Kent Locations used: Discovery Park, Dover, Kingsdown, Deal, Ramsgate
The highly anticipated new six-part BBC drama Baptiste (2019-2021) will be airing next week! From the creators of The Missing, this spin-off stars Tchéky Karyo as the insightful, yet stubborn investigator Julien Baptiste. Now retired and trying his best to enjoy his retirement with his family, the investigator is contacted by Police Commissioner and former girlfriend Martha Horchner (Barbara Sarafian), who brings him a missing person’s case he can’t refuse.
Production visited numerous Kent locations during filming for the series. These included a scene on Deal seafront, also showing Deal Pier, which features Edward Stratton (Tom Hollander) arriving by boat. A small scene also features a Co-op store in Deal where Edward shops for groceries. Further filming took place in neighbouring Kingsdown, again using the sea road and beachfronts. These include an establishing shot of a seafront house, a drone shot of Undercliffe and Sutton Vale Road of a black taxi and Sutton Vale Country Park where Edward Stratton (Tom Hollander) visits his family and meets with Baptiste (Tchéky Karyo). Kingsdown Beach is also featured for a conversation scene between Edward and Baptiste in the final episode.
Discovery Park in Sandwich was also used in the filming, doubling as a Japanese airport. A tool store on Manston Industrial Estate in Ramsgate is featured as Baptiste (Tchéky Karyo) shops while talking on the phone.
A dangerous smuggler’s haunt in the 1800s, Deal town boasts a wonderful collection of colourful Georgian buildings, complemented by a long shingle beach with huts, fishing boats and pier restores in the 1950’s. It is a popular filming location and has previously featured in productions such as The Tunnel: Sabotage (2016) and Liar (2017). Kingsdown village is situated south of Deal and features in the James Bond trail.
Starring: Michael Portillo Production Company: Fremantle Media Ltd. Kent Locations Used: Gravesend, Dartford and Folkestone
BBC documentary series Great British Railway Journeys (2010-) which first premiered on BBC Two in 2010, returns for its tenth series. Presenter Michael Portillo (Great Continental Railway Journeys) travels around the railway networks of Great Britain. He does this whilst referring to an 1840’s copy of Bradshaw’s Guide, comparing how various destinations have transformed since Victorian times.
For the new series, production filmed at railways in various Kent locations, such as Gravesend, Dartford and Folkestone.
Dartford is a historic town situated close to London and home to one of Europe’s largest shopping centres. Previous productions which filmed here include Who Do You Think You Are? (2014).
The new series of Great British Railway Journeys began airing on Monday 4th February 2019 at 6.30pm on BBC Two, and the Kent episode then aired on Wednesday 13th February 2019.
Director: Samuel Supple Starring: Toby Jones, Phil Eyden Production Company: BBC South East Kent Locations Used: Dover
BBC documentary film The Lost Commando Raid (2018) was inspired by Phil Eyden’s book, ‘Dover’s Forgotten Commando Raid’, and tells the story of Operation Abercrombie, a WWII raid led by Lord Lovatt on the French Town of Hardelot in 1942.
Narrating is BAFTA winning actor Toby Jones (The Electrical Life of Louis Wain (2022), Christopher Robin (2018)), as amateur historian Phil Eyden discovers mysterious graffiti in a supposedly abandoned fort in Dover that leads him to the story of a long-forgotten commando mission. The documentary includes interviews with Phil Eyden, as well as some of the relatives of the commando’s taking part.
Production filmed in and around Dover at various locations, including the Drop Redoubt and the Grand Shaft at Western Heights, St Margaret’s at Cliffe, as well as at Discovery Park, where production filmed historian Phil Eyden using a microfilm reader and talking about Dover’s role in WWII.
Presenter: JB Gill Production Company: BBC TV Kent Locations Used: Godinton, Canterbury, Pegwell Bay
River Walks (2018), a new BBC series, will showcase eleven spectacular walking routes across England, broadcast parallel in the Regions. Each episode will reveal how the waterways have shaped the local landscape, history and culture, with celebrity guests suggesting routes for picturesque walks.
Starring: Kelly Brook, Denise Van Outen and Peter Andre Production Company: STV productions Kent Locations Used: Ramsgate, Margate, Whitstable, Faversham, Sittingbourne, Maidstone, and Ashford
A brand-new series of Celebrity Antiques Road Show (2011-) returns to BBC two. In the programme each antique expert is paired up with a celebrity and they travel across the UK in vintage cars, in a quest to find worthy antiques to sell at auction.
Ashford is a market town with many shops, eateries, and a designer outlet shopping centre with London and Europe are just a train ride away through Ashford International train station. Previous productions which filmed include The Apprentice (2015).
Production Company: British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
Kent Locations Used: Detling, Maidstone
This long-running, popular daytime show follows two amateur collector teams at an antique fair as they try to find the best bargains, to sell on at auction.
During the latest series production visited the Kent Event Centre in Detling during the annual Antiques, Vintage and Collectors Fair. The location, which opened in 1964, offers several halls and over 200 acres of outdoor space alongside a private woodland organisers’ disposal. The venue hosts concerts as well as large scale exhibitions, trade fairs and the Kent County Show. Bargain Hunt has previously filmed at the venue, including one of their Christmas Specials (2016).
Bargain Hunt series 51 will air on BBC One on Friday 14th September 2018 at 12.15pm.
Starring: Aure Atika, Abena Ayivor, Martin Bassindale
Production Company: Drama Republic BBC, British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and Drama Republic
Kent Locations Used: Sevenoaks
Black Earth Rising is an upcoming television drama series written and directed by Hugo Blick , who has written and directed this poignant new drama, tackling issues such as the relationship between contemporary Africa and the West and the prosecution of international war crimes.
Starring Aure Atika (In and Night, The night manager) as Sophie Barre, Abena Ayivor (Machine Gun Preacher, The dinosaur Project) as Bibi Mundanzi, Martin Bassindale (Holmes and Watson, Endeavour) as Peter.
The production visited a private residence in Sevenoaks whose swimming pool doubled for a Spa hotel in Paris. Sevenoaks has been a popular filming location and previously featured in BBC’s popular ‘Who Do You Think You Are’ in 2014, the latest series of Vanity Fair in 2018, and Sky Arts Landscape Artist of the Year in 2017.
The six part series will air on Monday 10th September 2018 at 9pm on BBC Two.
Starring: Alan Yentob, Rose Wylie, and Tacita Dean
Production Company: BBC Studios
Kent Locations Used: Faversham and Romney Marsh
BBC’s series Imagine returns this weekend with presenter and executive producer Alan Yentob. Imagine is an arts series which was first broadcast in 2003. The latest series contains three episodes. Each episode is based on a different topic, and two episodes were filmed in Kent.
Rose Wylie: This is Blooming
This first episode of the series, produced by Lindsey Hanlon, tells the story of artist Rose Wylie, now at the prime of her profession at the age of 83. Her unlikely subjects are drawn from the world around her – from footballers and popular movies, to memories of her childhood during the London Blitz, to the stuff of everyday life. Alan Yentobmeets Rose Wylie and delves into her colourful world to discover how her memories and experiences have helped shape the artist that she is today.
The second episode, produced by Katy Homan, focuses on the life of internationally renowned British artist Tacita Dean, who is exhibited in three of London’s leading galleries, and is celebrated for her works on analogue film. Alan Yentobjoins Tacita Dean in various locations throughout the episode to discuss her poetic and thought-provoking work, and the medium which inspires her – film.
