TV Drama

Cape Wrath (2007)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
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. 

Half Broken Things (2007)

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Penelope Wilton standing on the driveway at Boughton Monchelsea Place with grass and benches behind

Penelope Wilton standing on the driveway at Boughton Monchelsea Place © ITV

Production Company: Festival Film & Television, Festival Films, ITV

Kent Locations: Boughton Monchelsea Place, Herne Bay, Teston, Teston Bridge Country Park

Part of ITV’s autumn drama schedule Half Broken Things, starring Penelope Wilton (Calendar Girls, Doctor Who, Ever Increasing Circles), is a psychological thriller set against the idyllic backdrop of the Kent Weald.

The drama is an adaptation of the award winning novel of the same name by Morag Joss. Penelope Wilton plays Jean, a sixty-something house sitter, who is looking after Walden Manor. The house is full of mysteries and locked doors. When Jean isinformed that this will be her last job, she decides to defy all the rules and live the life she has always wanted.
Soon she is joined by Michael (Daniel Mays), a thief, and Steph (Sinnead Matthews), a pregnant girl on the run from her abusive boyfriend.

Over a blissful summer, these three live in an idyll that is soon to shattered when their past begins to catch up with them and events take a dangerous and sinister turn.

 

Filming with views over the Weald, swimming pool in the left hand corner

Filming with views over the Weald © ITV

  

Boughton Monchelsea Place exterior and garden

Boughton Monchelsea Place © Kent Film Office

 The programme was shot on location throughout Kent, with the main location being Boughton Monchelsea Place, which doubled as Walden Manor.  A stunning 16th Century manor house, Boughton Monchelsea Place has an ancient deer park and has unrivalled views across the Kent Weald.

The house is no stranger to filming. In addition to the many fashion shoots that it has hosted, last year it played host to reality TV series Australian Princess which sees young Australians going through lessons in ‘royal deportment’, the winner being ‘crowned’ Princess.  The house itself is not open to the public. However they are open for events, weddings and of course filming.

The programme also filmed on location in Teston village and Country Park as well as Herne Bay.

Herne Bay has a shingle beach, bandstand and seafront gardens as well as many shops and eateries, amusement arcades, and a windmill. Previous productions which have filmed in Herne Bay include Boomers (2014) and Big Bad World (2013).

Teston is a rural village on the outskirts of Maidstone and is home to Teston Bridge Country Park which has 32 acres of grazed meadow, river walks, a children’s play area and the picturesque 14th century Teston Bridge which was used for filming of feature film Dunkirk (1958).

The novel written by Morag Joss won a CWA Silver Dagger Award in 2003. She has recently completed her fifth novel Puccini’s Ghosts.

Half Broken Things was shown on ITV on Sunday 28th October 2007 at 21.00

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

The Inspector Lynley Mysteries – Natural Causes (2006)

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Thomas Lynley and Detective Sergeant Barbara Haves standing next to each other facing the camera

The Inspector Lynley Mysteries © BBC

Starring: Sharon Small, Nathaniel Parker, Mary Stockley, Ben Lannoy, Liza Tarbuck, Nicholas Gleaves, Adrian Rawlins. 

Production Company:  BBC, WGBH 

Kent Location: Dungeness

The Inspector Lynley Mysteries is a BBC One drama series about Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley of Scotland Yard and Detective Sergeant Barbara Haves who work together to solve unusual murder cases. 

In ‘Natural Causes’, Detective Barbara Havers has been left without a partner after Detective Lynley’s  suspension for threatening a suspect and is called in to solve the murder  of a young woman, whose  body was found after her car was shunted into a lake. Detective Lynley can’t help getting involved in the investigation, but will his participation help or hinder the case?

The series stars Sharon Small (About a Boy, Dear Frankie), Nathaniel Parker (Far From the Madding Crowd, Haunted Mansion), Mary Stockley (V for Vendetta, The Woman in Black), Ben Lannoy (Judge John Deed), Liza Tarbuck (Mount Pleasant Bonkers), Nicholas Gleaves  (Scott & Bailey, Waterloo Road) and Adrian Rawlins (Dickensian, Harry Potter series).  

Dungeness was used in Natural Causes as the area where the victim lived and Detective Barbara Havers (Sharon Small) and Detective Inspector Fiona Knight (Liza Tarbuck) interviewed the victim’s family and questioned suspects. The end of the episode culminates in a dramatic scene at the top of the Old Lighthouse in Dungeness.

Dungeness is a vast, natural space on the Kent coast and has a shingle beach, two lighthouses and power station. Dungeness is a popular film location having been used for ITV drama The Poison Tree (2012) and BBC drama series Parades End (2012) as well as various photo shoots.

The Inspector Lynley Mysteries Natural Causes was shown on BBC One in July 2006 and is now available to buy on DVD.

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

We’ve Got The Toaster (2006)

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Lance (Jamie Mander) sat on a step in school uniform staring at the pavement, the legs of another student can be seen next to him

Lance (Jamie Mander) © Toaster Productions

Writer/Director: Mike Laloe

Production Company: Toaster Productions

Kent Filming locations: Tunbridge Wells

We’ve Got The Toaster was made on a tiny budget and took over 3 years from beginning to premiere.  The cast and crew was made up of over 100 people, the vast majority of whom were under 18 when they started working on the project.  Many of them had never been on a film set before. But they all had one thing in common ” they knew what it felt like to be teenager.

In the definitively middle-class Royal Tunbridge Wells, 16 year old Lance (Jamie Mander) has been romantically obsessed with Steph (Emma Blake) ‘the fittest thing since sliced fit” for exactly 3 years, 11 months and 25 and a half days’. And he’s barely even spoken to her!

actor in a shopping trolley with three crew members filming him in a shop

Filming taking place in a shop © Toaster Productions

Unable to approach Steph, but desperate for something to change, Lance faces his worst fear ” of holding ‘the worst party ever’ when his parents go away for the weekend.  Enlisting his enigmatic, porn-addicted best mate Henry (Rob Smith) to help plan things, Lance tries to work out what to do when “You’ve got no girls, no idea and 24 hours to throw a party”.

“A huge-hearted comedy tour de force from a future master story-teller” – James Delow, Producer ‘That Film Show’ Rapture TV.

“A deeply amusing and I believe accurate portrayal of the teenage psyche” – Henry Thomas, former head of Universal Pictures, London.

“Packed with wit and canny observation of character. Laloe is something of a modern-day Hogarth, revealing our everyday absurdities in a hilarious but also intelligent way.” – Steve Gough, Award winning Writer/Director of ‘Elenya’ and ‘Heartland’ starring Anthony Hopkins.

Tunbridge Wells is a town in West Kent, home to a host of historic buildings, specialist shops, churches and a busy town centre. Productions which have previously filmed in the area include Britain’s Best Bakery (2012), Terry and Mason’s Great Food Trip(2015) and Hunted (2012).

We’ve Got The Toaster premiered in Tunbridge Wells to an audience of 600 and was covered in a live report by the BBC that lasted for 4 minutes.  The film was screened in independent cinemas in locations including London, Oxford and Brighton.

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

Miss Marple – The Moving Finger (2006)

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Geraldine McEwan and James D'Arcy staring into the camera in front of a period style house

Geraldine McEwan and James D’Arcy as Miss Marple and Jerry Burton © ITV

Director: Tom Shankland

Writer: Kevin Elyot

Starring:  Geraldine McEwan, James D’Arcy, Emilia Fox, Jessica Hynes, Kelly Brook, Sean Pertwee, Ken Russell , Harry Enfield .

Production Company: Granada, WGBH Boston, Agatha Christie

Kent Filming Locations: Chilham village, Chilham Castle, St Mary’s Church

Miss Marple is the popular ITV series adapted from Agatha Christie’s murder mystery novels. The Moving Finger is a feature length episode about a delightful countryside village named “Lymstock” where Jerry Burton (James D’Arcy) comes to recuperate after an accident, accompanied by his sister Joanna (Emilia Fox). Beneath the beautiful exterior of Lymstock lies an ugly web of deceit and evil unleashed by a poison pen writer and gruesome murders. Along with Miss Marple (Geraldine McEwan), Jerry Burton (James D’Arcy) look for clues to try and stop the killer in their tracks.

Kelly Brook and Harry Enfield along with other cast members looking down to the floor at a funeral, film crew are to the left filming them

Filming of Miss Marple with Kelly Brook and Harry Enfield © ITV

Emilia Fox sat on a chair in costume signing autographs

Emilia Fox signing autographs © Ashford Borough Council

Directed by Tom Shankland (Ripper Street, The Children)  and starring many familiar faces including Geraldine McEwan (Vanity Fair, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves), James D’Arcy (Cloud Atlas, Age of Heroes), Emilia Fox (Merlin, Randall & Hopkirk), Jessica Hynes (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Shaun of the Dead), Kelly Brook (The Italian Job, Piranha 3D), Sean Pertwee (Equilibrium, Event Horizon), Ken Russell  (Waking the Dead, Zero) and Harry Enfield (Bad Education, Kevin & Perry Go Large).

The beautiful village of Chilham was chosen to represent the fictitious hamlet of Lymstock and the production also made use of other locations in the area including Chilham Castle which was used as Mr. Pye’s House and St Mary’s Church which doubled as Lymstock church and graveyard.

Chilham has a remarkable fifteenth century square of black and white timbered buildings and is no stranger to filming, having been used for other projects such as for a variety of filming projects including Channel 4 comedy Chickens (2011), BBC’s Emma (2009), and Hercule Poirots Christmas (1995).

The programme was shown on ITV in 2005 and is now available to buy on DVD.

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

Bleak House (2005)

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Bleak House filming at Cobham Hall - Gillian Anderson as Lady Dedlock and Anna Maxwell Martin as Esther sat on a bench in a formal garden, cobham hall can be seen behind

Bleak House filming at Cobham Hall © BBC and Terry Curran

Written By: Charles Dickens (Novel) & Andrew Davies (Adaptation)

Starring: Gillian Anderson, Ana Maxwell Martin, Carey Mulligan, Charles Dance, Patrick Kennedy & Denis Lawson

Production Company: BBC, WGBH, Deep Indigo Productions, Smallweed Productions

Kent Locations Used: Cobham Hall

This BBC A dramatic thriller set in Victorian England. It tells the story of the beautiful but icy Lady Dedlock (Gillian Anderson). Nursing a dark secret in her past, her merciless lawyer Tulkinghorn seeks to uncover it.

Running parallel to the central story, the generous John Jarndyce struggles with his own past and takes in two young wards Richard (Patrick Kennedy) and Ada (Carey Mulligan). Like the infamous Lady Dedlock, all three are caught up in the case of Jarndyce Vs Jarndyce, a court case many years long that is yet to be resolved. When it is, the winning party will be rich beyond all imagination.

The two young wards are accompanied by Esther Summerson (Ana Maxwell Martin), a woman of questionable background. Told she will never amount to anything, is she the key to Lady Dedlock’s secret?

First published in 1852, the novel was released in 19 instalments. To mirror Dickens’ original dramatic storyline and typical cliff-hanger endings, the TV adaptation was comprised of a one hour opening episode with subsequent 30 minute programmes lasting for 14 episodes. The programme was shown twice weekly in 2005 on BBC 1 and is now available to buy on DVD.

Behind the scenes filming of Bleak House at Cobham Hall - courtyard with people walking, horse and carriage driving past

Behind the scenes filming of Bleak House at Cobham Hall © Terry Curran

 

Behind the scenes filming of Bleak House at Cobham Hall - brick house with crew outside and a white horse on the grass in front

Behind the scenes filming of Bleak House at Cobham Hall © Terry Curran

Cast and crew filming outside at Cobham Hall gardens- fields and gardens can be seen in the background

Behind the scenes filming of Bleak House at Cobham Hall gardens © Terry Curran

cast members in costume in the gardens of Cobham hall.

Gillian Anderson as Lady Dedlockk at Cobham Hall © Terry Curran

The BBC adaption stars Gillian Anderson (The Fall, Johnny English Reborn), Ana Maxwell Martin (Becoming Jane, Philomena), Carey Mulligan (The Great Gatsby, Suffragette), Charles Dance (The Imitation Game, Ghostbusters), Patrick Kennedy (Atonement, War Horse) and Denis Lawson (New Tricks, Broken).

Cobham Hall is a private boarding school near to Gravesend located in 150 acres of Grade II listed parkland. The interiors boast a stunning ball room, library, cobbled courtyards, formal gardens, classrooms as well as sports facilities, including a swimming pool. Cobham Hall is a popular film location having previously been used for Hetty Feather series 1-2 (2012), The Great Fire (2014) and Wild Child (2008).

Bleak House features in the Kent Film Office Dickens Trail which was laucnhed in 2012: https://kentfilmoffice.co.uk/kent-movie-map/dickens-movie-trail/

Bleak House was shown on the BBC in 2005 and is now available to buy on DVD.

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

On a Clear Day (2005)

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Frank (Peter Mullan) looking out at the sea with mountains in the background

On A Clear Day © Icon Film Distribution

Director: Gaby Dellal

Writer: Alex Rose

Starring: Peter Mullan, Brenda Blethyn, Jamie Sives, Billy Boyd, Sean McGinley, Ron Cook, Jodhi May, Benedict Wong

Production Company: Baker Street, Forthcoming Productions, Glasgow Film Finance, InFilm Productions, Isle of Man Film, Scottish Screen, Take Film Partnerships 

Kent Locations Used: The White Cliffs of Dover, the Port of Dover                                

On a Clear Day is the story of a middle-aged Glasgow shipbuilder, Frank (Peter Mullan –Trainspotting, Tyrannosaur) who is suddenly made redundant and starts to feel lost. When his friend jokes that he could swim the Channel on a clear day, Frank decides to take the challenge on, unbeknown to his family. Will Frank be successful and will he be able to repair his strained relationships? 

Alongside Peter Mullan stars Brenda Blethyn (Pride and Prejudice, Atonement), Jamie Sives (Clash of the Titans, Get Him to the Greek), Billy Boyd (The Lord of the Rings Trilogy The, Forger), Sean McGinley (Braveheart, Love/Hate), Ron Cook (Chocolat, Hot Fuzz), Jodhi May (Defiance, Ginger and Rosa) and Benedict Wong (Prometheus, Kick Ass 2).

Frank (Peter Mullan) at the foot of the White Cliffs of Dover with his friends preparing for the swim

On A Clear Day © Icon Film Distribution

The production visited Kent to shoot at the foot of the White Cliffs of Dover where Frank (Peter Mullan) starts his swim of the English Channel and the famous cliffs can also be seen in the background throughout his challenge.

The Port of Dover was used for the scenes where Frank’s family and friends race to meet him in France at the end of his swim.

Dover is a busy town that boasts the historic Dover Castle as well as the famous White Cliffs of Dover. It is also home to Europe’s busiest passenger port, facing France across the narrowest part of the English Channel.

Productions that have previously filmed in the Dover area include Sherlock Holmes – A Game of Shadows (2011), The Other Boleyn Girl (2008) and Johnny English (2003).

On Clear Day was released in cinemas in September 2005 and is now available on DVD.

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

Finding Neverland (2004)

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Main actor Johnny Depp crouched down in a white shirt staring up at a child who is dressed as a cowboy.

Johnny Depp seen playing with one of the children ©Finding Neverland (2004)

 

Writer: Allan Knee, David Magee

Director: Marc Forster

Starring: Johnny Depp, Kate Winslet, Julie Christie, Radha Mitchell, Dustin Hoffman

Production Company: Miramax, FilmColony, Keylight Productions

Kent Locations Used: Filmed at Laredo Wild West Town in Kent

Renowned playwright James M. Barrie (Johnny Depp) having received bad reviews for his latest play, meets the Llewelyn Davies family when walking his dog to try and clear his mind. Barrie befriends the recently widowed Sylvia Llewelyn Davies (Kate Winslet) and her four adolescent sons, including Peter (Freddie Highmore). Confiding in Sylvia, Barrie discusses his unhappy childhood which may be the reason for his unwillingness to grow up. Creative and childish play with the boys inspires Barrie to write the now classic play ‘Peter Pan’ about a boy who never grows up.

Johnny Depp (Edward Scissorhands, Pirates of the Caribbean), Kate Winslet (Titanic, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind), Julie Christie (Away From Her) and Dustin Hoffman (Rain Man) head the cast, introducing Freddie Highmore as Peter.

Filming in various places in the UK. Production shot a short fantasy sequence at the Laredo Wild West Town. The town features in multiple fantasy playing sessions set in the Wild West, when Barrie (Johnny Depp) plays with the Llewellyn Davies boys.

Laredo Wild West Town is tucked away in the North Kent countryside and has previously featured in cult tv series Red Dwarf – Gunmen of the Apocalypse (1993).

Finding Neverland was released in UK Cinemas on 29th October 2004.

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

The Alan Clark Diaries (2004)

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Alan Clark walking under the gate at Saltwood Castle

Alan Clark (John Hurt) at Saltwood Castle © BBC

Directed by: Jon Jones

Written by: Alan Clark, Jon Jones

Starring: John Hurt, Jenny Agutter, Hugh Fraser, Nicholas Jones, Jeremy Clyde, Paul Brooke, Peter Blythe

Production Company: BBC

Kent Locations: Saltwood Castle, Hythe Beach

The Alan Clark Diaries is a 6 part BBC drama production, adapted from the bestselling diaries of late conservative MP Alan Clark. It gives a unique inside into the politicians mind, his controversial views and his dedication to the conservative party. It depicts the highs and lows of his career, as well as his unique relationship with his loyal wife Jane (Jenny Agutter), who tries her best to support him throughout his political life.

Starring John Hurt (Doctor Who, Hellboy Franchise) as Alan Clark alongside Jenny Agutter (Call the Midwife, The Avengers), Hugh Fraser (Agatha Christie: Poirot, 101 Dalmations), Nicholas Jones(Philomena , Hornblower: Mutiny), Jeremy Clyde (The Iron Lady), Paul Brooke(Bridget Jones’s Diary , The Phantom of the Opera)and Peter Blythe(Carrington).

Saltwood Castle featured as itself during the series after Clark’s widow, Jane, gave her support for the production and welcomed the team into her home. The castle remains owned by the Clark family, and is rarely opened to the public. However, it has previously hosted other productions such as My Week with Marilyn (2011), again due to a family connection.

Alan Clark often used to visit Hythe seafront and this is represented in the first episode of the series. Fisherman’s Beach in Hythe is a pebble beach with beautiful views, closely located to several cafés and tearooms, which are perfect for tourists.

The Alan Clark Diaries was first aired on the BBC in 2004 and is now available to buy on DVD.

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

Foyle’s War – A War of Nerves (2004)

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Series 3 Foyle's War DVD Cover- Three cast member staring at the camera with an old vehicle behind. Foyle's War the complete third series written in white on top

Series 3 Foyle’s War DVD Cover © ITV

Directed by: Gavin Millar

Starring: Michael Kitchen, Honeysuckle Weeks, Julien Ovenden, Anthony Howell, Peter Capaldi, Sam Oatley Eamon Geoghegan, Corin Redgrave, Valerie Edmond

Production Company: Greenlit Productions ,Paddock Productions

Kent locations used: The Historic Chatham Dockyard

Foyle’s War is a World War Two detective drama set in the 1940sand follows Detective Chief Superintendent Foyle (Michael Kitchen) and Sergeant Paul Milner (Anthony Howell) on various criminal investigations, assisted by his driver Samantha Stewart (Honeysuckle Weeks).

Episode 4 of series 3, A War of Nerves, focuses on the issue of missing supplies, leading Detective Chief Superintendent Foyle to question the owners of a local shipping yard.  However, when a bomb disposal unit descends on the yard to deal with an unexploded bomb, three officers make a surprising discovery. When an officer is murdered, Detective Chief Superintendent Foyle realises that there is more to the case than missing supplies.

This series stars regulars Michael Kitchen (Goldeneye, The World Is Not Enough), Honeysuckle Weeks (My Brother Tom, The Wicker Tree), Julien Ovenden (The Allies, The Royal) and Anthony Howell (Wives and Daughters) alongside guest appearances in A War of Nerves from Sam Oatley (War Hero, Honeymoon), Peter Capaldi (Dr Who, World War Z), Eamon Geoghegan (V for Vendetta, The Box), Corin Redgrave (The Calling, Four Weddings and a Funeral) and Valerie Edmond (Made of Honour, Kavanagh QC)

The Historic Chatham Dockyard provided the perfect location for the shipyard in ‘A War of Nerves’, featuring both HMS Ocelot and HMS Cavalier. The Historic Chatham Dockyard has been used in other television productions such as Dom Hemingway (2013), Call the Midwife (2012-2013) and Oliver Twist (2007).

The third series was aired on ITV in October 2004, and all seven series are now available to buy on DVD.

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