Queens of Mystery (2020-2021)

Cast Julie Graham, Siobhan Redmond, and Sarah Woodward standing by a table full of books outside a church with bunting in the background.

Queens of Mystery (2019) © Sly Fox Productions

Directors: Ian Emes, Theresa Varga, Jamie Magnus Stone
Starring: Julie Graham, Siobhan Redmond, Sarah Woodward and Olivia Vinall (Series 1), Florence Hall (Series 2)
Production Company: Sly Fox Productions Limited
Kent Locations Used: Farningham, Cranbrook, Smarden, Lympne Castle, Woodchurch Windmill

Queens of Mystery (2020-2021) follows the adventures of detective Matilda Stone (Olivia Vinall – Series 1; Florence Hall – Series 2) and her three crime writing aunts Cat Stone (Julie Graham), Jane Stone (Siobhan Redmond), and Beth Stone (Sarah Woodward) as they attempt to solve crimes in the picturesque English village of Wildemarsh.

Created and written by Julian Unthank (Doc Martin, New Tricks), with Mathew Thomas (Marcella (2016)The Chameleon) writing four episodes, each series consists of three murder mysteries told in six episodes.

The principal cast includes Julie Graham (SurvivorsShetland), Siobhan Redmond (The Smoking RoomCaptives) and Sarah Woodward (The Merry Wives of Windsor) with Florence Hall (The Princess Switch: Switched Again, The Princess Switch 3: Romancing the Star) joining in Series 2 to take over from Olivia Vinall (The Woman in White, Where Hands Touch). Other regulars include Martin Trenaman (The Inbetweeners Movie, PhoneShop), Andrew Leung (Cruella, Lilting), Michael Elcock (The Grey Tarmac Road) and Rebecca Grant (Holby City, Showtrial). Juliet Stevenson (Bend it Like Beckham, Truly Madly Deeply) was Emmy-nominated as a narrator in Series 1 and reprises the role for Series 2.

Queens of Mystery‘s impressive guest cast have included Josette Simon (Wonder Woman (2017), The Witches), Nancy Carroll (The Crown (2016-2023), Stephen), Mark Heap (Friday Night Dinner, Stardust), Danny Webb (Humans (2016), Liar (2017-2020)), Michelle Collins (EastEnders, Death in Paradise), Omid Djalili (His Dark Materials, Lucky Man), Emma McDonald, Charlie Maher (The Titans That Built America, Black Narcissus), Rufus Hound (Trollied, Zapped), Sarah Hadland (Miranda, Horrible Histories (2019-2023)), Sara Stewart (Batman Begins, Doctor Foster) and Colin McFarlane (Outlander, Little Princess).

Behind the scenes photo from the set of Series 2 of Queens of Mystery. A man stands in the background of the photo wearing a police uniform and cap. In the foreground are the hands of someone from the crew holding a clapperboard open.

Behind the scenes of Series 2 of Queens of Mystery (2021) © Sly Fox Productions

Series 2 sees lead director Ian Emes return to direct two of the three murder mysteries, with Theresa Varga (Secret Life of Boys, Hetty Feather (2015-2020)) directing the middle block. Both series’ make use of multiple filming locations in Kent.

Production visited several locations in Farningham for the hero village of Wildemarsh. Beth’s cottage, which features throughout Series 1 and 2, was filmed on the Mill Estate. In Series 2, the exterior of the doctor’s surgery as well as of Victoria Durrell’s (Selina Griffiths) and Henry Wade’s (Aki Omoshaybi) houses and Rachel’s Papers shop were also filmed on the Mill Estate. Wadard Books on the High Street doubles as the Murder Ink bookshop and Jane’s house. Farningham Village Store also features as Wildemarsh Village store and the entrance to The Corn Exchange Theatre in Series 1. Farningham has previously been used as a filming location for Flesh and Blood (2020).

Production used Lympne Castle as Hiddledean Castle in the Series 1 episode entitled Murder in The Dark. Lympne Castle is an unspoiled 13th century Manor in the Folkestone & Hythe district of Kent that boasts stunning views of the Romney Marsh. It has previously been used as a filming location for The Honourable Woman (2014) and Great Expectations (2012).

In the Death By Vinyl episode in Series 1, Stoneydale craft shop in Cranbrook was converted into the The Sound and Fury record shop in Wildemarsh. Cranbrook also features as the High Street throughout both series. In the Series 2 episode Sparring with Death, Part 1, St Dunstan’s Church and graveyard in Cranbrook feature when Matilda and Beth visit the grave of Beth’s husband.

St Michael’s Churchyard in Smarden was used as the Wildemarsh churchyard, and a private residence in Water Lane featured as the village’s Embittered Hack Pub in Series 1. Productions that previously filmed in Smarden include The Mirror Crack’d (1980).

Woodchurch Windmill in Ashford features as the exterior of Wildemarsh Windmill throughout both series. The view from the mill to the village below also features throughout.

Series 1 launched on 29th April 2020 on Acorn TV and can be found here.

Series 2 of Queens of Mystery was released on AcornTV on Monday 29th November 2021.

Lead actress Florence Hall sits at a wooden desk in a bedroom with lime green walls. She has a platinum blonde bob haircut, and wears a blue shirt with black and grey flowers printed on it. On the desk are multiple files stacked on top of one another, and she holds a sheet of paper in her hand. She looks off to the right hand side of the frame, and on the left hand side a TV camera is pointed at her.

Behind the scenes of Queens of Mystery Series 2 (2021) ©Sly Fox Productions

 

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


Flesh and Blood (2020)

The main 8 cast members sitting on a bench on the beach posing for the camera with the sea behind.

Flesh and Blood (2020) © ITV

Director: Louise Hooper
Writer: Sarah Williams
Starring: Russell Tovey, Claudie Blakley, Lydia Leonard, Francesca Annis, Stephen Rea, Imelda Staunton
Production Company: ITV
Kent Locations Used: Farningham near Sevenoaks, Greatstone Beach (Romney Sands)

Flesh and Blood (2020), a new four-part series for ITV, is a modern story of three adult siblings, exploring universal themes of relationships, trust, loyalty and love against in aftermath of a tragic crime.

Russell Tovey, (Years and Years), Claudie Blakley (Manhunt) and Lydia Leonard (Gentleman Jack) lead the cast as the siblings Jake, Helen and Natalie. The series also stars Francesca Annis (King of Thieves) as their recently widowed mother with Stephen Rea (Dickensian) as her new love interest and Imelda Staunton (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1) as their neighbour.

Also joining the cast are Sharon Small (Trust Me), Lara Rossi (Cheat), Keir Charles (Love Actually), Vincent Regan (Victoria), David Bamber (Valkyrie), Stephanie Langton (Ransom) and Clara Indrani (Vera).

The drama was created and written by Kent resident Sarah Williams, whose previous credits include The Long Song, Case Sensitive and Poppy Shakespeare. Flesh and Blood is directed by BAFTA nominee Louise Hooper (Cheat, Cold Feet).

During filming production visited Farningham, near Sevenoaks, to film The Manor on the High Street as three separate location. Farningham nestles on the old London to Folkestone Road astride the River Darent. Scheduled as a Conservation Area, it includes many notable buildings and historic sites, including Farningham Mill, the site of a Roman villa and Farningham Woods SSSI and Nature Reserve.

Production also visited Greatstone Beach (Romney Sands) during filming. Greatstone is part of 26 miles of beaches in the Folkestone and Hythe District and the Dunes and Beach between Littlestone-on Sea and Lydd-on-Sea, often also referred to as Romney Sands is an area of SSSI.

Flesh and Blood will air on ITV over four consecutive nights starting on Monday 24th February 2020 at 9pm.

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


Who Do You Think You Are? (2014)

Twiggy standing with her arms crossed in a run down empty room

Twiggy – Who Do You Think You Are? © BBC/Wall to Wall/Stephen Perry

Production company: Wall to Wall

Kent Locations: Farningham in Sevenoaks and Darenth in Dartford

Who Do You Think You Are? is the hit BBC series where celebrities trace their ancestry and discover secrets and surprises from their past.

The eleventh series has featured actresses Julie Walters and Sheridan Smith, comedian Billy Connolly and Bake Off star Mary Berry, with the final episode of the series focusing on model and actress, Twiggy.

Twiggy, whose real name is Lesley Lawson, takes a journey into discovering her family’s descent and visits Farningham and Darenth in Kent along the way.

Farningham is a quaint village located on the River Darent in the Sevenoaks district of Kent. The village is said to have been visited by Charles Dickens where he fished trout.

In neighbouring Dartford is Darenth which has a church, public halls as well as acres of woodland such as Darenth Woods and Darenth Country Park.

The Sevenoaks area has welcomed filming from productions such as Rush (2013) and Strawberry Fields (2012).

Dartford has hosted Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 (2010).

Don’t miss Twiggy’s Who Do You Think You Are? episode which will be shown on Thursday 9th October 2014 at 21:00 on BBC One.

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