Isle of Sheppey

Too Close (2021)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
Connie Mortenson (played by Denise Gough) and psychiatrist Dr Emma Robertson (played by Emily Watson) stand side by side looking to camera with a dark background, the mood of the image is sinister.

Too Close (2021) © ITV images

Writer: Clara Salaman
Director: Bruce Goodison
Starring: Emily Watson, Denise Gough, Eileen Davies
Production Company: Snowed-In Productions Ltd, All3Media for ITV
Kent Locations Used: Kingsferry Bridge – Isle of Sheppey, Swale

Too Close (2021) is a psychological drama for ITV starring Emily Watson. The three-part mini‑series tells the story of a forensic psychiatrist who must assess a criminal suspect – only to fall victim to their manipulative nature.

Dedicated forensic psychiatrist, Dr Emma Robinson played by Emily Watson (The Third Day (2020), Chernobyl) is sent to assess Connie Mortensen played by Denise Gough (Juliet, Naked (2018), Guerrilla) who is on trial for a terrible crime. When Connie quickly gains insight into Emma’s deepest insecurities and starts to brutally exploit them, their sessions become a complex psychological game. Eileen Davies (Grantchester (2014), Peterloo (2018)) also stars as Julia de Cadenet.

Too Close is based on the book of the same name, written by Clara Salaman under the pseudonym Natalie Daniels, and is directed by Susan Tully (Lark Rise to Candleford, Line of Duty) for Snowed-In Productions for All3Media.

During filming, production visited Kent to film a stunt sequence on Kingsferry Bridge, a combined road and railway bridge that links the Isle of Sheppey to mainland towns Sittingbourne and Kemsley. The maximum bridge lifting height is 84 feet and when reached a claxon sound is heard to confirm the bridge is at full height. The Kingsferry Bridge is no longer as busy as it once was, traffic now able to use the New Sheppey Crossing Bridge. Previous productions to film on the bridge include Kiss Me First (2018).

Too Close is due for release on ITV on Monday 12th April at 9pm.

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

Blue Planet UK – Series 1 (2019)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
Presenter Steve Brown pictured in a blue coat sitting in his wheelchair by the seafront. Sea, road and boats can be seen in the background.

Presenter Steve Brown ©BBC

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.

The Series is presented by Gillian Burke (Springwatch), Steve Brown (Springwatch), and Chris Peckham (Autumnwatch).

Filming for Blue Planet UK took place at Minster beach on Isle of Sheppey, showing presenter Steve and his family as they fossil hunt together. Additional filming also took place at Herne Bay in Canterbury.

Minster beach is located on Isle of Sheppey, which is an island off the northern coast of Kent and has beautiful landscapes and coastline. Previous productions which filmed on Isle of Sheppey include, Coast (2014).

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.

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

The End of the F***ing World (2017)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
James and Alyssa sitting on bench looking forward with woods in background

The End of the F***ing World: – Alex Lawther as James. Jessica Barden as Alyssa. – © Clerkenwell Films / Channel 4 Television

Writer: Charlie Covell, Chuck Forsman

Director: Jonathan Entwistle, Lucy Tcherniak

Starring: Jessica Barden, Alex Lawther

Production Company: Clerkenwell Films, Dominic Buchanan Productions

Kent Locations Used: Isle of Sheppey, Isle of Sheppey

New Channel 4 comedy-drama series ‘The End of the F****** World’ follows two teenage outsiders, James (Alex Lawther) and Alyssa (Jessica Barden), who escape their families to embark on a road trip to find Alyssa’s father. The pair end up getting caught up in a series of violent events and find themselves on a path of discovery.

Alyssa and James sitting at diner table ordering from waitress

The End of the F***ing World: – Alex Lawther as James. Jessica Barden as Alyssa. Juliet Cowan as Diner Waitress – © Clerkenwell Films / Channel 4 Television

The series was written by Charlie Covell (Banana, Forget Me Not) and Chuck Forsman (TEOTFW- 2014). It was directed by Jonathan Entwistle (TEOTFW – 2014) and Lucy Tcherniak (Lay Me Down). The cast is led by Jessica Barden (Coronation Street), and Alex Lawther (Black Mirror).

The series filmed in and around Leysdown on Sea on the Isle of Sheppey, which was part of Entwistle’s attempt at American style filmmaking in a British setting. Writer, Covell, during an interview described how they were trying to find locations which weren’t ‘quintessentially British’, which is why they chose the Isle of Sheppey as the location.

Isle of Sheppey is a coastal village on the east side of the Isle of Sheppey in the Borough of Swale in Kent. Previously, projects such as Hunted (2016) and The Sweeney (2012) featured the Isle of Sheppey.

‘The End of the F****** World’ begins on the 24th of October 2017 at 10:20pm on Channel 4 and all episodes are available on All4.

 

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

 

 

Hunted Series 2 (2016)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
Hunted HQ team standing at a map of the UK

Hunted HQ © Channel 4

 

Production Company: Shine TV

Kent locations used: Tunbridge Wells, Sittingbourne, Isle of Sheppey

Channel 4’s Hunted returns for a second series where 10 ordinary people take the challenge to remain hidden for 28 days with the chance of winning a share of £100,000. With a team of professional hunters trying to trace their every move and members of the public looking to trade information for cash, will they be able to stay hidden?

The final episode was partly filmed in Kent where the remaining two fugitives hid out in Tunbridge Wells and Isle of Sheppey the night before the final day. The fugitives must race to the finish line which is a boat moored on the Isle of Sheppey – will they make it in time or will the Hunters catch them?

Tunbridge Wells is an historic spa town with a picturesque High Street that has many independent shops and restaurants. Projects which have previously filmed in the area include Terry and Mason’s Great Food Trip (2015).

Sittingbourne and the Isle of Sheppey is in the Swale district of Kent and offers town areas, flat open landscapes and beautiful beach areas. Southcliffe (2103), Great Expectations (2012) and The Sweeney (2012) have previously been filmed in Swale.

The final episode of Hunted series two was shown on Channel 4 on Thursday 27th October 2016 at 21:00 and is available still here: http://www.channel4.com/programmes/hunted

 

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

Strawberry Fields (2012)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
Strawberry Fields Film Poster- Strawberry Fields written in pink with a montage of images of the cast members and clips from the film

Strawberry Fields Film Poster

Director: Frances Lea

Writer: Frances Lea and Judith Johnson 

Starring: Emun Elliott, Philip Martin Brown and Anna Madeley

Production Companies: BBC Films, Film London, Spring Pictures

Kent Filming Locations: Foxbury Farm, Sevenoaks; Shellness, Leysdown

Strawberry Fields is another offering from the highly successful Film London Microwave Project and set for cinema release this week!

Directed by Frances Lea (Fugee Girl, Everyone’s Happy), Strawberry Fields is a tale of sibling rivalry and playing of mind games set in the strawberry fields of Kent. Starring Anna Madeley (In Bruges) Christine Bottomley (The Arbor, Shameless) and Emun Elliott (Prometheus, Game of Thrones) the film tells of the sexual awakening of Gillian during a long, hot British summer picking strawberries, where she meets and falls in love with fellow picker Kevin. But her idyllic new life is jeopardised by the arrival of her sister Emily.

 This ‘terrific British debut’, (Jason Solomons, The Observer)   is released across the UK this week. There will be a special preview at BFI Southbank on 4 July. The film will also be shown at the London Film Festival in October this year.

Making the most of what Kent has to offer, Strawberry Fields features locations in the Kent countryside such as Foxbury Farm in Sevenoaks, Groombridge Railway Station and the Isle of Sheppey.

The Isle of Sheppey boasts some unique landscapes, such as salt marshes and shell beaches that have attracted many previous filmmakers, such as The Hide (2009) and Great Expectations (1989).

Foxbury Farm is a large fruit grower in Sevenoaks and was a new find for this project.

Strawberry Fields was screened at selected cinemas in Summer 2012 and will be shown on Saturday 20th July 2013 at 23:00 on BBC 2.

 

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

Ginger and Rosa (2012)

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Ginger (right, Elle Fanning) and Rosa (left, Alice Englert) walking with their arms around each other in front of some pylons

Ginger (right, Elle Fanning) and Rosa (left, Alice Englert) © Artificial Eye Publicity

Director: Sally Potter

Starring: Elle Fanning, Alice Englert, Christina Hendricks, Timothy Spall, Oliver Platt, Annette Bening

Production Company: BBC Films, British Film Institute, Det Danske Filminstitut

Kent locations used: Dengemarsh Sound Mirrors, Lydd on Sea, Lade Beach, Greatstone, Lydd Ranges, Lydd, Queenborough, Isle of Sheppey

Ginger and Rosa is directed by Sally Potter and tells the story of two teenage girls living in 1960’s London under the threat of nuclear war due to the Cuban Missile Crisis. This coming of age story is a tale of friendship, desire, determination and the struggles of growing up.

The inseparable friends take different paths in life. Ginger, played by Elle Fanning (Super 8, We Bought A Zoo) becomes involved in anti-nuclear demonstrations while Rosa, played by emerging talent Alice Englert, is more interested in boys.

L-R Elle Fanning, Timothy Spall, Annette Bening and Oliver Platt all staring at the camera in front of some trees

L-R Elle Fanning, Timothy Spall, Annette Bening and Oliver Platt © Artificial Eye Publicity

Supporting Fanning and Englert is an A-list cast, including Christina Hendricks (Mad Men), Timothy Spall (Harry Potter), Oliver Platt (X Men: First Class)  and Annette Bening (American Beauty).

The Ginger and Rosa crew filmed at many locations in Kent, including the unique and striking sound mirrors on Dengemarsh, which look out over the shingle desert and were built in the late 1930’s for the early detection of enemy aircraft before the discovery of radar.

The production also used Lade Beach and boardwalk which is near the Romney Sands and changes from shingle at low tide to sand and mudflats as the water recedes. Also featured in the film are nearby Lydd Ranges, a military training facility.

Locations on and around the Isle of Sheppey were also used for various boating scenes, including a floating jetty at Queenborough jetty and the Swale estuary for the open water shots.

Ginger and Rosa was released in cinemas on 19th October 2012 and is now available to buy on DVD.

 

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

The Sweeney (2012)

Posted on by Kent Film Office

 

Sweeney written in the centre of the poster on top of an image of the two main actors with guns. London skyline can be seen in background,.

The Sweeney Movie Poster © Vertigo Films / Embargo Films Production

Writers: Nick Love, John Hodges

Director: Nick Love

Producer: Allan Niblo

Starring: Ray Winstone, Ben Drew (aka Plan B), Damien Lewis and Hayley Atwell

Production company: Vertigo Films

Kent Locations used: Isle of Sheppey, Queenborough, Sheerness

The popular 70’s British police drama series The Sweeney has been remade into a star-studded must see feature! Expect an action packed thrill ride with car chases, fight scenes and a bit of comedy thrown in for good measure!

Ray Winstone and Ben Drew walking besides a boat yard with guns

Ray Winstone as Detective Inspector Jack Regan and Ben Drew aka Plan B as George Carter © Vertigo Films / Embargo Films Production

The movie follows two hardened Flying Squad detectives in London’s Metropolitan police. Ray Winstone (The Departed, Last Orders) plays Detective Inspector  Jack Regan and singer and actor Ben Drew aka Plan B (Adulthood, Harry Brown) plays his loyal partner George Carter. Armed and dangerous, the pair tackle a bank heist and with the re-appearance of an old enemy will do whatever it takes to get the job done – even if it means defying orders of no nonsense ‘Guv’ Damian Lewis (The Escapist, Homeland).

Directed by Nick Love (Outlaw, Football Factory), the film has many familiar faces including Hayley Atwell (Captain America: The First Avengers, The Duchess), Alan Ford (Snatch), Kara Tointon (Eastenders), and Allen Leech (Downton Abbey).

four actors crouched to the side of a black car with guns,

The Sweeney team in action © Vertigo Films / Embargo Films Production

The production visited the Isle of Sheppey  to film a dramatic high-speed car chase using the Kent Film Office’s legal powers to close roads for filming. The chase also features a caravan park near the Minster Cliffs in Queenborough.  The Top Gear team assisted with filming the car chase scenes, which was featured in an episode earlier this year.

The Isle of Sheppey is in North Kent and boasts beautiful landscapes and coastlines as well as harbour towns and wildlife reserves.  The island is a popular destination for tourists as it has many holiday parks surrounding the beaches. The Isle of Sheppey has been seen on screen before on The Hide (2009) and Strawberry Fields (2012).

 

 

Don’t miss The Sweeney which is set for cinema release on September 12th 2012.

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

Great Expectations (1989)

Posted on by Kent Film Office

 

Great Expectations Movieposter 1989- Montage of characters from the film overlapping. Great Expectations written in yellow over the top

Great Expectations Movieposter 1989 © Buena Vista Television

Director: Kevin Connor

Writers: Charles Dickens (Novel)

Starring: Kim Thompson, Jean Simmons, Anthony Calf & Anthony Hopkins

Production Company: Harlech Television (HTV), Primetime Television Ltd., Tesauro Television, Walt Disney Television

Kent Locations Used: Harty Church, Rochester, Chatham, Upnor village

With a future as a blacksmith before him, Pip is invited to the home of the lonely spinster, Miss Havisham, abandoned on the day of her wedding. Encouraging her adopted daughter Estella to break the young boy’s heart, Pip is sent there for her own entertainment. The young boy’s fortunes change when an unknown and generous person pays for Pip to travel to London and begin a new life as a gentleman.

Starring Kim Thompson (Emmerdale Farm, 1408) as Estella, Jean Simmons (Spartacus) as the haunting Miss Havisham, Anthony Calf (New Tricks) as Pip and Anthony Hopkins (The Silence of the Lambs, Thor) as Abel Magwitch, this Disney adaptation of the Dickens classic features many Kent locations.

Filming took place at Harty Church on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent: young Orphan Phillip (Pip) Pirrup, on a visit to the graves of his parents, meets the sinister escaped convict Abel Magwitch.  The church has part-Norman origins and is visited by both tourists and historians from around the world.

The crew also came to Upnor village to film, which provides the home of Herbert Pockets’ fiancée Clara’s house. Locals to the area will notice the Upnor Lighthouse as Pip docks in the village.

Another Kentish church, St James’ church in Cooling, which is situated on the marshes near the Hoo Peninsula, inspired Dickens so much, he used the location for the dramatic scene where Pip meets prisoner Magwitch.

 

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