Crime Drama

The Serial Killer’s Wife (2023)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
Annabel Scholey as Beth and Jack Farthing as Tom stand on a train station platform. Tom is clasping her hands and staring seriously into her eyes. Tom wears a navy-blue polo shirt and Beth wears a grey knitted jumper.

The Serial Killer’s Wife (2023) © BlackBox Multimedia / Clapperboard Studios / Paramount+

Writer: Suzanne Cowie, Alice Hunter (novel)
Starring: Annabel Scholey, Jack Farthing, Luke Treadaway,
Production Company: BlackBox Multimedia, Clapperboard Studios
Kent Locations Used: Folkestone, Folkestone Harbour, The Warren Country Park, Saltwood, Sandgate, The Breaker’s Beach House, Knowlton Court, Abbot’s Cliff, South Foreland Lighthouse, The White Cliffs of Dover

Set in an idyllic English town, The Serial Killer’s Wife (2023) follows Beth Fairchild as her life is turned upside-down when her husband is arrested for murder. Initially believing him to be innocent, Beth soon discovers that her husband may not be who she thought he was.

Based on the book by Alice Hunter and adapted for the screen by Suzanne Cowie (The Good Ship Murder, The Dumping Ground), The Serial Killer’s Wife stars Annabel Scholey (Walking on Sunshine, Personal Affairs) as Beth Fairchild, Jack Farthing (Spencer, Poldark) as Tom Fairchild and Luke Treadaway (Attack the Block, A Street Cat Named Bob) as Adam, Tom’s childhood best friend.

The series filmed across East Kent. In Folkestone, locations featured include a private house on Church Road which doubles for Tom’s old house in Oxford and Mr Alderton’s house, a warehouse adjacent to The Valiant Sailor which doubles for the Vault nightclub, Christ Church CEP Academy, Folkestone Harbour and The Warren Country Park.

Filming also took place in the nearby village of Saltwood. A private house features as Adam’s house and the Hide and Fox Restaurant doubles as Beth’s café.

In Sandgate, The Breakers Beach House doubles as Ollie (Eben Figueiredo) and Libby’s (Elizabeth Roberts) house. Filming also took place on Sandgate beach for brief establishing shots.

Knowlton Court in Canterbury features as the home of Beth and Tom throughout the series. Additionally, roads on the estate were used for scenes of police cars speeding along, the woodland was used for the opening scene of a woman jogging, and the Church features in Episode 4 in a wedding scene.

Other filming locations include Abbot’s Cliff, South Foreland Lighthouse, The White Cliffs of Dover and Upper Road in Dover.

Folkestone is a seaside town with elegant clifftop promenade, lower coastal park, fishing harbour and Victorian cliff-top lifts. It is a popular filming location, with recent productions to film there including Who Is Erin Carter? (2023), Pistol (2022) and The Fight (2019).

Formerly a ferry port connecting the town to various destinations in France and Belgium, Folkestone Harbour Arm and the now non-operational train station have been recently restored and is now home to a growing collection of vibrant independent businesses. Other productions to have filmed there include Back to Life – Series 1 & 2 (2019-2021), Sex Education Season 3 (2021) and Seagull (2019).

The Warren Country Park is a coastal country park backed by cliffs incorporating woods, beach and concrete sea defences. Everyone’s Going to Die (2013) and Darling Buds of May (1991-1993) filmed at the Country Park.

Saltwood is located immediately to the north of Hythe on the high land looking over the Romney Marsh and surrounded by farm land. The parish includes Sandling which has a railway station on the mainline to London. It is the location of Saltwood Castle, once the home of MP Alan Clark and Sandling Park, a large estate which stretches around the village up to its second hamlet, Pedlinge. Previous productions that filmed in Saltwood Castle were The Alan Clark Diaries (2004) and My Week with Marilyn (2011).

The Breakers is a beach house in Sandgate. Set over three floors, the house has a terrace and two balconies offering uninterrupted sea views and direct access to the beach. Nestled between Folkestone and Hythe, the village of Sandgate has a shingle beach offering views over the Channel and a high street with antique shops, inns and restaurants.

Set in a nineteen-hundred-acre estate and surrounded by beautiful parkland, Knowlton Court is a magnificent historic home with a Great Hall, French and Flemish tapestries and a carved stone fireplace. Other productions to have filmed there include Jagame Thandhiram (2021), The Tunnel: Sabotage (2016) and Upstairs, Downstairs – The Sudden Storm (1974).

Abbot’s Cliff has a WWII sound mirror and isolated single lane track on top of white cliffs and is situated between Folkestone and Dover. King of Thieves (2018) and Back to Life – Series 1 & 2 (2019-2021).

A Victorian lighthouse on the White Cliffs of Dover, South Foreland Lighthouse was the first lighthouse powered by electricity and the site of the first international radio transmission. Managed by the National Trust, the site has previously played host to Rogue Agent (2022), Rustom (2016) and Mr Selfridge (2013-2016).

The famous White Cliffs of Dover offer views of Dover Castle, the Port and the English Channel. It is one of England’s most iconic locations and is therefore very popular for filming, having recently featured Whitstable Pearl (2021-2022) and The Tunnel (2013).

The Serial Killer’s Wife (2023) was released on Paramount+ on Friday 15th December 2023.

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

Animal (2023)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
Animal (2023) poster. Ranbir Kapoor as Ranvijay stands against a light blue background. He wears a navy-blue suit, gold sunglasses and a silver watch. He has a lit cigarette in his mouth and is holding a lighter in his hands. He is looking determinedly off to the right of the image.

Animal (2023) © T-Series / Bhadrakali Pictures

Director: Sandeep Reddy Vanga
Starring: Ranbir Kapoor, Anil Kapoor, Bobby Deol, Rashmika Mandanna, Triptii Dimri
Production Company: Bhadrakali Pictures, Cine1 Studios, T-Series
Kent Locations Used: Knowlton Court

Animal (2023) is an Indian Hindi-language film, depicting the fractured relationship between a father and son.

Directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga (Kabir Singh, Arjun Reddy), the film stars Ranbir Kapoor (Rockstar, Wake Up Sid) as Ranvijay Singh, Anil Kapoor (Mubarakan (2017), Pagalpanti (2019)) as Balbir Singh, Bobby Deol (Barsaat, Aashram) as Abrar ul Haque, Rashmika Mandanna (Pushpa: The Rise – Part 1, Mission Majnu) as Ranvijay’s wife Gettanjali and Triptii Dimri (Bulbbul, Qala) as Zoya Riaz.

A dramatic face-off scene between Abrar and Vijay was shot at Knowlton Court in Canterbury.

Set in a nineteen-hundred-acre estate and surrounded by beautiful parkland, Knowlton Court is a magnificent historic home with a Great Hall, French and Flemish tapestries and a carved stone fireplace. The house is Elizabethan and the front façade is Queen Ann. Other productions to have filmed at Knowlton Court include The Serial Killer’s Wife (2023), Jagame Thandhiram (2021) and The Tunnel: Sabotage (2016).

Animal (2023) was released in UK cinemas on Friday 1st December 2023.

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

Luther: The Fallen Sun (2023)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
Idris Elba as Luther stands on a snowy mountaintop against a sunset sky. He wears a pale blue shirt, red tie, navy trousers and a grey trench coat.

Luther: The Fallen Sun (2023) © BBC Films

Director: Jamie Payne
Writer: Neil Cross
Starring: Idris Elba, Andy Serkis, Cynthia Erivo, Dermot Crowley
Production Company: BBC Films, BBC Studios, Chernin Entertainment
Kent Locations Used: Port of Dover Ferry Terminal, White Cliffs of Dover

Luther: The Fallen Sun (2023) is a feature film of  of the popular BBC TV series of the same name. Taunted by the psychopath he could never catch and stuck inside a prison cell, disgraced detective John Luther decides to break out and finish the job once and for all.

Directed by Jamie Payne (Outlander, Primeval), and written by series creator Neil Cross (The Fixer (2008), Hard Sun (2018)), the film stars Idris Elba (Yardie (2018), In the Long Run (2019)) as John Luther, Andy Serkis (Burke and Hare (2010), The Bastard Son & the Devil Himself (2022)) as David Robey, Cynthia Erivo (Harriet, Widows) as Odette Raine and Dermot Crowley (The Death of Stalin, The Foreigner) as DSU Martin Shenk.

Production visited Kent to film scenes at the Port of Dover ferry terminal where Luther follows the psychopath Robey to Norway, as well as the White Cliffs of Dover – although this scene didn’t make the final cut.

The Port of Dover is the busiest passenger port in Europe, and includes a freight terminal, two cruise terminals, yachting marina, harbour wall, lighthouses and a seafront promenade. The Port has featured in many productions, including After Love (2021), Series 1 of The Rook (2019) and Next of Kin (2018).

The White Cliffs of Dover are an iconic lan affording spectacular views across the Channel and of dmark, Dover Castle. Other productions to have filmed there include Sherlock Holmes – A Game of Shadows (2011), Missing (2009-2010) and On a Clear Day (2005).

Luther: The Fallen Sun (2023) will be released in select UK cinemas on Friday 24th February and will release on Netflix on Friday 10th March 2023.

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

The Gold (2023)

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Looking from left to right we can see Hugh Bonneville as Brian Boyce, Charlotte Spencer as Nikki Jennings, Dominic Cooper as Edwyn Cooper and Jack Lowden as Kenneth Noye are superimposed onto four bars of gold, sat on top of a pile of gold bars.

Hugh Bonneville, Charlotte Spencer, Dominic Cooper and Jack Lowden in The Gold (2023) © BBC/Tannadice Pictures/Sally Mais

Director: Aneil Karia, Lawrence Gough
Writer: Neil Forsyth
Starring: Jack Lowden, Hugh Bonneville, Emun Elliott, Charlotte Spencer, Stefanie Martini, Amanda Drew, Sean Gilder
Production Company: ViacomCBS International Studios
Kent Locations Used: West Kingsdown – Sevenoaks

Inspired by true events, BBC’s new series The Gold (2023) tells the story behind the Brink’s-Mat robbery – a crime that was once considered to be the largest theft in world history.

The six-part series was written by Neil Forsyth (Guilt, Eric, Ernie and Me) and is directed by Academy-Award winning Aneil Karia (The Long Goodbye, Top Boy (2019-2022)) and Lawrence Gough (Gatecrash, Endeavour). The series stars Jack Lowden (Dunkirk, Benediction) as Kenneth Noye, Hugh Bonneville (Muppets Most Wanted (2014), The Monuments Men (2014)) as DCI Brian Boyce, Emun Elliott (Strawberry Fields (2012), Prometheus) as Tony Brightwell, Charlotte Spencer (Sanditon, Cinderella) as DC Nikki Jennings, Stefanie Martini (The Last Kingdom, Prime Suspect 1973) as Marnie Palmer, Amanda Drew (Gangs of London (2020-2022), A Very British Scandal (2021)) as CS Cath McLean and Sean Gilder (The Fall, Our Girl) as DI Neville Carter.

Production filmed at a private house in West Kingsdown in Sevenoaks, which doubled as Kenneth Noye’s house.

West Kingsdown is a village in the Sevenoaks district, marked by its four churches, proximity to Brands Hatch racing circuit, and West Kingsdown Windmill – a Grade II listed smock mill built in the early 19th Century. Recent productions to have filmed in Sevenoaks include The Last Rite (2021), PRU (2022) and The Larkins (2021).

The Gold (2023) will begin airing on BBC One on Sunday 12th February 2023 and will be available to stream on BBC iPlayer afterwards.

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

Silent Witness – Series 26 (2023)

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Rhiannon May as Cara, David Caves as Jack Hodgson, Emilia Fox as Nikki Alexander, Aki Omoshaybi as Gabriel and Alastair Michael as Velvy positioned above an image of the London City skyline, a train coming out of a tunnel and a blue tent.

Silent Witness Series 26 (2023) © BBC

Creator: Nigel McCrery
Starring: Emilia Fox, David Caves, Aki Omoshaybi, Alastair Michael, Rhiannon May
Production Company: BBC, A+E Networks, Cipango Productions Audiovisuelles
Kent Locations Used: New Sheppey Crossing, Kingsferry Bridge, Leysdown-on-Sea, Minster-on-Sea, Shellness, Warden

Silent Witness (2023) is a long-running BBC crime drama focusing on a group of forensic pathology experts and their investigations.

Originally created by Nigel McCrery (New Tricks, Born and Bred), Series 26 sees the return of Emilia Fox (The Carer (2016), The Tunnel (2016)) as Dr Nikki Alexander and David Caves (Jackie, Widow’s Walk) as Jack Hodgson. Aki Omoshaybi (Queens of Mystery (2019-2021), The Riot Club) joins the cast as Dr Gabriel Folukoya as well as Alastair Michael (Snatch, Ridley Road) as Velvy Schur and Rhiannon May returning in a more regular role as Cara Connelly.

For Series 26, production visited Kent to shoot in a variety of locations on the Isle of Sheppey for the final two episodes of the series, doubling as the fictional Southbay Island. The Kingsferry Bridge features throughout Episodes 9 & 10 as the bridge to Southbay Island, The Rose and Crown Pub car park in Leysdown-on-Sea appears in both episodes doubling as a caravan park called Harbour Fields, and a private house on The Leas in Minster-on-Sea stars as the house of the murdered Carol Laing (Melissa Batchelor). Other locations featured include Leysdown beach, Shellness beach, Minster beach, a section of land underneath the New Sheppey Crossing, woodland in Warden Springs Caravan Park and Warden beach.

Leysdown is situated at the Eastern end of the Isle of Sheppey. With access to a sandy beach and a slew of arcades, it is one of the largest holiday parks in Kent. Previous productions to have filmed there include Kiss Me First (2018), End of the F***ing World (2017) and Strawberry Fields (2012).

Minster is a large village on the Isle of Sheppey which has a sand and shingle beach, shops and an abbey.

Shellness beach is an SSSI mostly sandy beach with groynes and WWII lookout in a very remote part of Sheppey. Great Expectations (2012) also filmed on the beach and in the nature reserve.

Warden is a small village on the north-eastern coast of the Isle of Sheppey. Immediately northwest of the village and continuing towards the west is Warden Point, a pinnacle of eroding land and muddy foreshore. The pillboxes there are very popular, particularly for music videos.

The New Sheppey Crossing is a bridge across the Swale Estuary that links the Isle of Sheppey to mainland towns Sittingbourne and Kemsley. It was opened in 2006 and provides an alternative highway to the neighbouring Kingsferry Bridge, which allows for the Kingsferry Bridge to be closed for filming, which was done for Too Close (2021).

Series 26 of Silent Witness will begin airing on BBC One from Monday 2nd January 2023.

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

A Spy Among Friends (2022)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
Damian Lewis as Nicholas Elliott and Guy Pearce as Kim Philby dressed in black suits and ties sit on a beige sofa. Both look at the camera. Lewis on the left wears wire-rimmed glasses and Pearce on the right sits with his legs firmly crossed.

Damian Lewis and Guy Pearce in A Spy Among Friends (2022) © ITV

Director: Nick Murphy
Writer: Alexander Cary
Starring: Damian Lewis, Guy Pearce, Adrian Edmondson, Anna Maxwell Martin
Production Companies: BritBox, ITV Studios, Sony Pictures Television, Spectrum, Veritas Entertainment Group
Kent Locations Used: The Historic Dockyard Chatham

Based on the best-selling book by Ben Macintyre, A Spy Among Friends (2022) details the defection of notorious Soviet double agent Kim Philby and his complex relationship with MI6 colleague Nicholas Elliott.

Adapted for the screen by Alexander Cary (Homeland, Taken), the mini-series stars Guy Pearce (Genius (2016), Mare of Easttown) as Kim Philby, Damian Lewis (Wolf Hall (2015), The Sweeney (2012)) as Nicholas Elliott, Adrian Edmondson (Back to Life (2019-2021), The Rizen (2017)) and Anna Maxwell Martin (Bleak House (2005), Line of Duty).

Anchor Wharf and HMS Cavalier at The Historic Dockyard Chatham feature in Episodes 1 & 2 of the series, doubling as a Russian ship and dock.

Chatham Dockyard is a historic 17th Century Dockyard which spans over 80 acres and contains over 100 buildings dating from the Georgian and Victorian periods. It is one of Kent’s most popular filming locations, with high-profile productions such as Sherlock Holmes (2009), Pokémon: Detective Pikachu (2019), and Operation Mincemeat (2022) making use of the site.

A Spy Among Friends will be available to stream on the brand new ITVX on Thursday 8th December 2022.

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

Whitstable Pearl (2021-2022)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
Kerry Godliman as restaurant owner Pearl Nolan is centre of the image wearing a green top and blue apron. She has blonde hair and behind her is a pebble beach with boats and fishing huts

Whitstable Pearl stars Kerry Godliman as restaurant owner Pearl Nolan © Acorn TV

Creator: Julie Wassmer
Starring: Kerry Godliman, Howard Charles, Sophia Del Pizzo, Frances Barber
Production Company: Buccaneer Media
Kent Locations Used: Whitstable, Canterbury, Faversham, Herne Bay, Margate, Ramsgate, Detling, Dover, Sevenoaks, Rochester

Based on the much loved series of novels ‘The Whitstable Pearl Mysteries’ by Kent resident Julie Wassmer (EastEnders, London’s Burning), Whitstable Pearl (2021-2022) is a detective series for Acorn TV. The story follows big-hearted local restaurant owner Pearl Nolan (Kerry Godliman) who sets up a local detective agency after undergoing police training in an earlier career. She is soon embroiled in her first case when she discovers the body of close friend, Vinnie. Pearl forms an unlikely partnership with DCI Mike McGuire (Howard Charles) and finds herself pulled into the dark underbelly of the picturesque town she calls home.

Whitstable Pearl was adapted for screen by Norwegian filmmaker Øystein Karlsen (One Night, Dag). Kerry Godliman (After Life, Call the Midwife (2012-2023)) headlines the show as Pearl Nolan alongside Howard Charles as DCI Mike McGuire (Shadow and Bone, Liar Series 2 (2020)) and Frances Barber (Cold Feet, Queens of Mystery (2020-2021)) as Pearl’s mum Dolly.

A woman with red hair and a black hat (Frances Barber as Dolly) walks along the sea shore with a woman wearing a black coat carrying a box (Kerry Godliman as Pearl Nolan). In the distance is the shoreline with houses and a beach

Frances Barber as Pearl’s mother Dolly (left) and Kerry Godliman as Pearl Nolan © Mark Bourdillon / Acorn TV

For both Series 1 and 2, most of the filming took place in and around Whitstable itself, including scenes filmed by the coast at Whitstable Harbour, Whitstable Beach, Whitstable Yacht Club and Tankerton Beach. In Series 1, Whitstable High Street features and local shops were filmed including Iain’s Plaice (fish and chip restaurant) and art gallery Chappell Contemporary as Houlihan’s Hardware store. Other Whitstable businesses filmed for Series 1 include the Cemetery, Football Ground, MFA Bowl and Seaview Holiday Park, which features as the trailer park where Vinnie lives. Several private residences were used for filming, including Beacon House as Pearl’s House for Series 1, the exterior of The Ness as Mike’s Flat in Series 2 Episode 2, The Warehouse Cottages for the same episode, and various private residences on Island Wall for Series 2 Eps 1 and 2. Filming took place at The Old Neptune pub, which doubled as the Pearson’s Arms for both series. Whitstable train station also features briefly in Series 2 Ep 2 as Pearl trails a suspected cheating spouse.

The Kent Events Centre was used as a studio build location in Series 1 for interiors of Pearl’s seafood restaurant.

Meanwhile, Margate in Thanet features in both series with Margate Beach and The Walpole Hotel doubling for Whitstable seaside scenes in Series 1, Dreamland and the Nayland Rock Hotel featuring in Series 2 as a theme park and The Bradford Hotel. For Series 1, production also filmed at St Peter’s Roman Catholic Church on Canterbury Road in nearby Westgate-on-Sea. The Port of Ramsgate and Royal Harbour Marina double for the Port of Dover cruise terminal and Dover Marina in Series 1.

Dover features multiple times in Series 2, with locations such as The White Cliffs, Port of Dover, Lydden Spout Battery and Western Heights making an appearance in Episode 1, along with various nearby roads. The Citadel also appears in both series, doubling as a police station. The Citadel also features in Series 1 as a children’s home, and in Series 2 Episode 1 the location’s tunnels feature as the setting for the dramatic confrontation between Kruz Tomlin (Yaw Nimako-Asamoah) and his stepfather Leo (Oliver Walker).

For Series 2, production also visited various locations in Sevenoaks, including a private house which doubled as Dolly’s House, Stonepitts PYO Farm and the St Clere Estate which doubles as Zelda St John’s (Stephanie Beacham) mansion.

Rochester High Street in Medway appears in Series 2, with local businesses Baggin’s Book Bazaar, Kiss the Bride and a former Estate Agents featuring in Episodes 2 and 3.

Interior scenes for Series 1 were filmed at the former St Martin’s Hospital in Canterbury doubling as a police station and a hospital. Other filming locations for Series 1 include a field near Faversham at Belmont Park and private residence in Herne Bay.

Whitstable is a 16th century thriving seaside resort in Kent. Known for its native oysters, Whitstable boasts a working fishing harbour, shingle beach and busy high street. Recent productions to film in the town include The Great Pottery Throw Down – Series 3 (2020) and The Thames: Britain’s Great River With Tony Robinson (2019).

Beacon House is a colonial clapboard wooden turn of the century Beach House.  Set above beach on a private sea road, the grounds include wild woodland gardens and views out to sea and lines of beach huts. Catastrophe Series 4 (2019) filmed at this location.

The Kent Events Centre based in Detling is the largest, most flexible conference and exhibition venue in Kent, offering 7,000 sqm of indoor space available to film productions as studio space and 200 acres of outdoor space.

Margate is a traditional seaside town complete with sandy beach, harbour, amusement park, period housing and ultra-modern art gallery Turner Contemporary. The Walpole Hotel was built for discerning guests in 1914 and extended in 1927.  Built over 5 floors it has 42 Bedrooms, 2 flats and a newly added small museum space. Dreamland is considered to be the oldest-surviving amusement park in Great Britain, and has played host to a variety of productions, including Killing Eve (2018-2022), Two Weeks to Live (2020) and Jellyfish (2018). Located nearby, The Nayland Rock Hotel also featured in Killing Eve (2018-2022), as well as King of Thieves (2018).

Westgate-on-Sea is a charming Victorian town, steeped in Heritage with quaint shops and two fantastic blue flag beaches. Margate is popular as a film locations with recent productions including Two Weeks to Live (2020), Pandemonium (2020) and Top Boy (2019-2022).

The Port of Ramsgate offers 32 acres of dedicated Port Land including 3 modern Ro-Ro bridges and Water and bunker facilities on all berths. It is often used as ‘stand-in’ for the Port of Dover. Royal Harbour Marina offers 700 finger moorings set in a picturesque and historic harbour setting. Crime dramas to previously film at the Port of Ramsgate include The Tunnel: Vengeance (2017) and Baptiste (2019).

Dover houses the major port, connecting the UK with the European mainland. Dover Castle towers above the town, signalling Dover’s strategic importance in the defence of the country and the White Cliffs are one of the most recognised landmarks in Britain. Recent productions to have filmed in Dover include Pistol (2022), Rogue Agent (2022), and The Tunnel: Sabotage (2016).

The Citadel, located on Dover‘s Western Heights was constructed in the late 1700’s as a port of defence during the Napoleonic war. Most recently it has been used as a borstal, prison, and immigration detention centre up until its closure in 2015. It is now becoming popular as a filming location and has welcomed several productions over the past year – soon to broadcast.

The town of Sevenoaks has a varied landscape, featuring a bustling high street, stately homes and castles as well as beautiful countryside. Located in that countryside is the St Clere Estate, which offers stunning views of the North Downs, formal gardens, paddocks, a kitchen garden, orangery, green houses, and a temple by the lake. Built in 1630, it has some fine architectural examples of the Caroline era. It has recently played host to a variety of productions including The Great (2020-2023), Gangs of London (2020-2022) and The Third Day (2020).

Rochester is a city with the feel of a medieval market town, including a cathedral, castle ruin and unspoilt high street by the River Medway. Other productions to have filmed in Rochester include Unforgotten (2021), Jekyll and Hyde (2015) and The Mystery of Edwin Drood (2012).

Herne Bay is a coastal resort popular for filming along the Kent coast. Kate & Koji (2020-2022) is a recent production to film here. Faversham is a beautiful historic market town set on Faversham Creek. TV productions to film in the area include Hetty Feather Series 1 – 6 (2015 – 2020) and Celebrity Antiques Road Show – Series 8 (2018).

St Martin’s Hospital is a large building on the outskirts of busy Canterbury town centre. It has hosted filming for crime drama The Tunnel: Sabotage (2016) and The Tunnel: Vengeance (2017).

Series 1 of Whitstable Pearl was released on Acorn TV on Monday 24th May 2021.

Whitstable Pearl Series 2 will be released as a box set on Acorn TV on Monday 28th November 2022.

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

Trigger Point – Series 1 (2022)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
Vicky McClure and Adrian Lester stand on a London street in front of a block of flats. They are both wearing bomb disposal uniforms, including a black bulletproof vest, black helmet with goggles on top and black fingerless gloves. They both look nervously off to the right-hand side of the screen.

Vicky McClure as Lana Washington and Adrian Lester as Joel Nutkins © ITV

Writer: Daniel Brierley
Starring: Vicky McClure, Adrian Lester, Warren Brown, Kerry Godliman, Mark Stanley
Production Company: HTM Productions
Kent Locations: Dartford Marshes, Joyce Green Lane

Set in contemporary London, Trigger Point (2022) depicts the dangerous lives of the members of a Bomb Disposal Squad known as Expo, led by veteran operative Lana Washington. When a series of improvised explosive devices begin to detonate across London, Lana suspects that Expo is the bomber’s true target.

The six-part series was written by Daniel Brierly and stars Vicky McClure (Line of Duty, This Is England) as leading lady Lana Washington, Adrian Lester (Hustle, Life) as her colleague Joel Nutkins, Warren Brown (Liar (2017-2020), Luther) as Karl Maguire, Kerry Godliman (Whitstable Pearl (2021-2022), Derek (2013)) as Sonya Reeves and Mark Stanley (Sulphur and White (2020), The Bay) as DI Thom Youngblood.

A section of the Dartford Marshes owned by the Dartford Clay Shooting Club is featured in Series 1 Episodes 3 and 4, when the unnamed bomber blows up a car and the police conduct a forensic examination. The nearby Joyce Green Lane features later in Episode 6 as the police drive on their blues and twos to MOD Steepholme.

Located on the border of Kent, Dartford is a historic market town and perhaps best known for the Dartford Crossing and Bluewater Shopping Centre. Its combination of industrial and historical landscapes makes for a popular filming location. The Dartford Marshes border the River Thames and mark the boundary between Kent and the London borough of Bexley. Previous productions to have shot on the marshes include the Sky crime-drama Gangs of London (2020-2022) and The Corrupted (2019).

Trigger Point began airing on ITV on Sunday 23rd January 2022 at 9pm.

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

Landscapers (2021)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
Olivia Colman, as Susan Edwards, sits in a bed with an iron headboard. She is leaning on two frilly pillows and is wearing a blue shirt and cardigan. Reflected on the wall behind her is an image of a cowboy in a black hat.

Olivia Colman as Susan Edwards in Landscapers © Sky

Director: Will Sharpe
Starring: Olivia Colman, David Thewlis, Kate O’Flynn, Dipo Ola, Samuel Anderson, Felicity Montagu, Daniel Rigby
Production Company: Sister Productions
Kent Locations Used: Laredo Western Town in Dartford

Landscapers (2021) is a true-crime drama inspired by real events, which documents the unique transformation of a mild-mannered English couple into cold-blooded killers.

The four-part mini-series was created and written by Ed Sinclair (Screenshot) and directed by Will Sharpe (Flowers, The Electrical Life of Louis Wain (2022)).  Olivia Colman (The Crown (2016-2023), The Favourite (2019)) stars as Susan Edwards with David Thewlis (Wonder Woman (2017), Fargo) playing her husband, Christopher. Colman and Thewlis are joined by Kate O’Flynn (Bridget Jones’s Baby) as DC Emma Lancing, Dipo Ola (We Hunt Together) as Douglas Hylton, Susan’s solicitor, Samuel Anderson (Another Life) as DC Paul Wilkie, Felicity Montagu (This Time with Alan Partridge Season 2 (2021)) as Patricia Wycherley, Susan’s mother and Daniel Rigby (The Electrical Life of Louis Wain (2022)) as DCI Geoff Collier.

David Thewlis, as Christopher Edwards, stands under a sheltered bus stop. He stands directly in the middle of the frame, looking off to the right. The bus stop is lit with a blue and green hue, and above the roof are the words ‘Victoria Coach Station’ in blue. On the left side of the bus stop sits a man wearing a black mask covering his face. He also wears a mauve polo shirt, a windbreaker jacket, suit trousers and black shoes. Christopher has short receding hair, and wears a grey windbreaker jacket zipped almost to the top, with a patterned jumper underneath, grey suit trousers, black shoes and wire-rimmed glasses.

David Thewlis in Landscapers © Sky

During filming, production visited Kent to film at Laredo Western Town in Longfield near Dartford. The production filmed a dream sequence where Susan Edwards reimagines the events surrounding the murder of her parents and her subsequent arrest.

Laredo Western Town is situated just twenty miles from London. The town represents the American Wild West as it would have been in 1865 to 1889 featuring 24 buildings including a two-story Hotel with Saloon Bar, Marshals Office, working Blacksmiths, Livery Stables, Bank and many more. All the interiors are fully furnished and decorated to the period. Previous productions to film here include Finding Neverland (2004) and Blood Moon (2014).

Dartford is a historic market town with a rich industrial heritage and boasts Bluewater, one of the largest shopping centres in Europe. Recent productions to film here include Gangs of London (2020-2022) and The Corrupted (2019).

 Landscapers was released on Sky Atlantic and NowTV on Tuesday 7th December 2021.

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

Dark Heart Series 1 (2018)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
Actor Tom Riley from Dark Heart Series staring away from the camera in a suit and coat. City skyline in background.

Actor Tom Riley from Dark Heart Series ©ITV

Writer: Chris Lang
Director: Colin Teague
Starring: Miranda Raison, Anjli Mohindra, Tom Riley
Production Company: ITV Studios
Kent Locations Used: Shellness beach, Swale

ITV crime drama Dark Heart (2016-2018) will soon be hitting our screens, starring Tom Riley as DI Will Wagstaffe, who is haunted by his past after both his parents were murdered when he was just sixteen years old. Will and his team try to solve brutal crimes, whilst he also attempts to hold his own fractured life together.

Alongside Tom Riley (The Nevers (2021), Da Vinci’s Demons) are Miranda Raison (Spooks (2007), My Week with Marilyn) and Anjli Mohindra (The Lazarus Project, Bodyguard) and the series is written by Chris Lang (Unforgotten, Innocent) and directed by Colin Teague (Torchwood, Being Human).

Scenes were filmed at one of the beach chalets on Shellness Beach and included a drone shot of a car travelling along Shellness Road.

Shellness Beach has proved to be a popular filming location recently, with Netflix series End of the F***ing World (2017) and Channel 4’s Kiss Me First (2018) using the area as a filming location also.

Dark Heart can be seen on ITV on Wednesday 31st October 2018 at 9pm.

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