Who Do You Think You Are? (2014)

Posted on October 6, 2014 by Kent Film Office

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 9^th October 2014 at 21:00 on BBC One.

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

The Harry Hill Movie (2013)

Posted on December 20, 2013 by Kent Film Office

The Harry Hill Movie

Director: Steve Bendelack
Writers: Jon Foster, James Lamont, Harry Hill
Starring: Harry Hill, Matthew Hall, Julie Walters, Simon Bird, Matt Lucas, Jim Broadbent, Sheridan Smith, Julian Barratt
Production Company: Lucky Features, Jonescompany Productions
Kent Locations Used: Littlestone-on-Sea

Under the mistaken impression that his pet hamster, Abu, is ill, Harry Hill and his Nan (Julie Walters) take him to the vet, who wrongly gives them the tragic news that Abu has one week to live. Harry, who thinks he speaks fluent hamster (but, in fact, misunderstands every squeak that comes out of his little pal’s mouth), incorrectly thinks Abu’s dying wish is a trip to Blackpool. With Nan making three, the trio embark on a road trip to the seaside town. Unbeknownst to them, the Vet is actually the dirty rotten henchman of Harry’s evil twin brother Otto (Matt Lucas), who was raised separately by Alsatians. Addicted to Hula-Hoops and fuelled by revenge, Otto’s nefarious plot is to kidnap Abu and make him the centrepiece of the plastinated hamster world he’s creating in his evil lair. Can Harry and Nan stop Otto before it’s too late?

The film is Comedian Harry Hill’s big screen debut and stars a wealth of British acting and comedy talent including Harry Hill (TV Burp, Harry Hill), Julie Walters (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part One (2010), Canterbury Tales (2003)), Jim Broadbent (Vanity Fair (2005), King Lear (2018)), Simon Bird (The Inbetweeners (2010), Friday Night Dinner), Guillaume Delaunay (Victor Frankenstein, Tale of Tales), Matt Lucas (Little Britain (2003), Bridesmaids), Marc Wootton (Nativity!, Arthur Christmas), Sheridan Smith (Morgana Robinson’s Summer (2017), Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps) and Julian Barratt (The Mighty Boosh, The Great (2020)).

Directed by Steve Bendelack (The League of the Gentlemen, Mr Bean’s Holiday) and written by Jon Foster and James Lamont of Armstrong and Miller as well as Harry Hill himself, this film is sure to promise high jinks, and crazy characters.

In May 2013, the production visited Littlestone-on-Sea where they filmed various scenes of Harry and his Nan arriving in an old car and staying at a B&B in the fictional village of “Black Pole”.

Littlestone lies on the coast between Greatstone and St Marys Bay, and is a village with a sea wall, promenade, beach huts, lifeboat station and beach consisting of shingle, mudflats and sand. Nearby Dungeness is a popular filming location having been used for The Poison Tree (2012).

The Harry Hill Movie was released in cinemas on December 20^th 2013 and is now available to buy on DVD.

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

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 2010

Posted on February 4, 2010 by Kent Film Office

Rupert Grint, Emma Watson and Daniel Radcliffe running through a dark forest. Film title Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 is in silver underneath

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 movie poster © WarnerBros

Director: David Yates

Writers: Steve Kloves (screenplay), J.K. Rowling (novel)

Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Helena Bonham Carter, Robbie Coltrane, Warwick Davis, Ralph Fiennes, Michael Gambon, Rhys Ifans, Bill Nighy, Alan Rickman, Timothy Spall and Julie Walters

Production Companies: Warner Bros., Heyday Films

Kent Filming Locations: Dartford Crossing

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 is the seventh instalment of the popular Harry Potter series based on the novels by JK Rowling. The story follows Harry racing against time to destroy the Horcruxes, Lord Voldemort’s secret to immortality. During his pursuit he uncovers the existence of the three most powerful objects in the wizarding world: the Deathly Hallows.

With an A-list British cast, including those who grew up on the film set, Daniel Radcliffe(The Woman in Black), Rupert Grint (Wild Target), Emma Watson (The Perks of Being a Wallflower), Tom Felton (Rise of the Planet of the Apes); and veteran actors such as Michael Gambon (The King’s Speech), Maggie Smith (Best Exotic Marigold Hotel), Ralph Fiennes (Schindler’s List) and Helena Bonham-Carter (Les Misérables).

The Dartford Crossing became part of movie history in 2010 when it was used for the scene where Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane) and Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) race through the toll road and tunnel on a flying motorbike, being chased by Death-Eaters. At the end of the scene, as they take to the air, make sure you spot the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge in the background!

The Dartford area has been used for filming by productions including London Spy (2015), Hummingbird (2013) and The Inbetweeners (2010).

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 was released in cinemas in November 2010 and is now available to buy on DVD.

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

Canterbury Tales (2003)

Posted on September 1, 2003 by Kent Film Office

Canterbury Tales DVD cover- montage of images from the film, with canterbury tales written in black above

Starring: Julie Walters, James Nesbitt, Billie Piper, John Simm, Keeley Hawes, Dennis Waterman

Production Company: Ziji Productions, BBC

Kent Locations: Rochester – Castle, Cathedral, Chertsey Gate, the High Street and Esplanade, River Medway, Stangate Creek, Gravesend

Canterbury Tales is a BBC adaptation of a handful of Geoffrey Chaucer’s 14^th century stories of the same name which are still set along the traditional Pilgrims’ route to Canterbury, but in the 21^st century.

The stories include themes such as love, adultery, jealousy and revenge.

The six single dramas feature an all-star cast including Julie Walters (Mamma Mia!, Calendar Girls Billy Elliot), James Nesbitt (The Missing, Murphy’s Law, Cold Feet), Billie Piper (Doctor Who, Secret Diary of a Call Girl, Penny Dreadful), John Simm (Human Traffic, Life on Mars, The Village), Keeley Hawes (Death at a Funeral, The Bank Job, The Avengers) and Dennis Waterman (New Tricks, The Sweeney, Back in Business).

Rochester is the principal setting for The Pardoner’s Tale with the castle, Cathedral, Chertsey Gate, the High Street, Esplanade and various streets, pubs and restaurants featuring.

The river scenes in The Man of Laws’ Tale were filmed on the River Medway and The Medway Estuary.

Gravesend is the setting in The Seacaptain’s Tale where old waterfront warehouses, the pier and Town Pier Square feature.

Rochester is a historic city set on the River Medway offering a Medieval Cathedral and castle and cobbled streets with shops, pubs and restaurants. Rochester has previously featured in productions such as Jekyll and Hyde (2015), The Mystery of Edwin Drood (2012) and Great Expectations (1989).

The River Medway starts in Sussex and runs through Tonbridge, Maidstone and Medway before flowing into the Thames Estuary near Sheerness. Stangate Creek is part of the River Medway and has been used as a film location by productions such as Mr Turner (2014), Great Expectations (2012) and The Long Memory (1953).

On the south bank of the River Thames, Gravesend has a cast iron pier, promenade and high street as well as international links at the nearby Ebbsfleet International station. The area has previously been used as a film location in productions such as The Interceptor (2015) and Age of Heroes (2011).

The Canterbury Tales aired in 2003 and is now available for DVD purchase.

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

Kent's Premier Film Commission