Edward Woodward

CI5: The New Professionals (1999)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
Kal Weber as Chris Keel and Colin Wells as Sam Curtis stand on a rooftop. The two men are both dressed in black and are pointing a gun at someone off-screen.

Kal Weber and Colin Wells in CI5: The New Professionals (1999) © Sky / Amazon

Creator: Brian Clemens
Starring: Edward Woodward, Kal Weber, Colin Wells, Lexa Doig, Adrian Irvine
Production Companies: David Wickes TV
Kent Locations Used: Brands Hatch

A revamped version of the 1970s TV series The Professionals, CI5: The New Professionals (1999) is a British crime-drama series about a group of specialists working in the fictional Criminal Intelligence Department 5, investigating acts of terrorism and anarchy.

The show was created by Brian Clemens (The Avengers, The Professionals) and the main cast includes Edward Woodward (The Wicker Man, The Equalizer) as Harry Malone, Kal Weber (Mile High, Hell on Wheels) as Chris Keel, Colin Wells (Titus, Casualty) as Sam Curtis, Lexa Doig (Arrow, Stargate SG-1) as Tina Backus and Adrian Irvine (Vera, Coronation Street) as Spencer.

Kent features in Episode 11 of the series, titled ‘High Speed’. Production visited Brand’s Hatch in Fawkham, which doubled as the Bluckner Race Track where some illegal gold smuggling was taking place.

Brands Hatch is a truly unique location – a motor racing circuit with views across almost all the Indy circuit, surrounded by woodland. The site also contains a rally course and off-road 4×4 course which are available for filming. Other productions to shoot at Brands Hatch include Grand Prix (1966) and Rush (2013).

CI5: The New Professionals aired on Sky One in 1999 and is now available to stream on Amazon Prime.

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

The Wicker Man (1973)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
Christopher Lee as Lord Summerisle and Edward Woodward as Sergeant Howie stand in a luscious green garden. Christopher Lee wears a plaid suit, with green shirt and an olive-green tie. Edward Woodward is dressed in a vintage police uniform.

Lord Summerisle (Christopher Lee) and Sergeant Howie (Edward Woodward) in The Wicker Man (1973) © British Lion Film Corporation

Writer: Anthony Shaffer
Director: Robin Hardy
Starring: Edward Woodward, Christopher Lee, Diane Cilento, Britt Ekland
Production Company: British Lion Film Corporation
Kent Location Used: Hush Heath Estate

Cult classic The Wicker Man (1973) follows Sergeant Howie (Edward Woodward) from the West Highland Police force who travels to a village on the Scottish Island Summerisle in search of a girl who has gone missing. Upon arrival, he’s told by the Pagan villagers that the girl never existed.

Adapted for the screen by Anthony Shaffer (Sleuth, Frenzy) and directed by Robin Hardy (The Fantasist, The Bulldance), the film stars Edward Woodward (CI5: The New Professionals (1999), The Equalizer) as Sergeant Howie, Christopher Lee (The Lord of the Rings, Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones) as Lord Summerisle, Diane Cilento (Tom Jones, Hombre) as Miss Rose, and Britt Ekland (The Man with the Golden Gun, Get Carter) as Willow.

The gardens and orchard of the Hush Heath Estate in Staplehurst were used as the grove of Lord Summerisle’s Estate, where young, pregnant women wander through the blossom, and through which Sergeant Howie arrives on a carriage.

Hush Heath Estate is situated in the Tonbridge and Malling district. Other productions which shot in Tonbridge include Missing (2009-2010), Making Noise Quietly (2019) and The Larkins (2021).

The Wicker Man (1973) was first released in the UK on Thursday 6th December 1973 and has since become a cult classic.

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