Kingsdown Beach

Liar – Series 1 & 2 (2017 – 2020)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
Actors Joanne Froggatt and Ioan Gruffudd standing in front of a building

Liar Series 2 (2020) starring Joanne Froggatt and Ioan Gruffudd © Joss Barratt / ITV

Writer: Harry Williams and Jack Williams
Directors: James Strong, Samuel Donovan, Chris Sweeney
Starring: Joanne Froggatt, loan Gruffudd, Zoë Tapper, Richie Campbell
Production Company: Two Brother Pictures, Sundance TV
Kent Locations Used: Deal, Kingsdown and Hunting Lodge in Tonbridge & Malling

ITV’s psychological thriller, Liar (2017-2020), follows the relationship between teacher Laura Newell (Joanne Froggatt) and the father of one of her pupils, Andrew Ellis (Ioan Gruffudd). Their simple attraction leads to deceit and betrayal, which has wide reaching consequences for both families.

The drama was written by Harry Williams and Jack Williams (The Missing, Rellik) and directed by James Strong (Vanity Fair (2018), Broadchurch), Samuel Donovan (Humans (2016), Jamestown) and Chris Sweeney (Back to Life (2019-2021)).

The main protagonist, Laura Nielson, is played by Joanne Froggatt (Downton Abbey, Dark Angel) with Andrew Earlham, her antagonist, played by Ioan Gruffudd (Fantastic 4, Titanic). Meanwhile Zoe Tapper (Mr Selfridge (2016), Grantchester) plays Laura’s sister, Katy, and Richie Campbell (Top Boy (2019-2022), Blue Story) as her brother in law, Liam.

Deal was used as the main setting for Laura Nielsen’s home on The Marina and also features many other locations, such as restaurants, hotels, the beach and Deal Pier Restaurant as the setting for Laura and Andrews fatal date. Filming began for Series One in November 2016. Additional filming for Series Two took place at Kingsdown as the setting for various beach scenes as well as the location of The Zetland Arms Pub and Katy and Liam’s home. A Hunting Lodge in Tonbridge & Malling was also filmed as a remote hideout. 

The coastal town of Deal has a long naval history and is one of the major cinque ports along the south coast. Deal is a winner of the Daily Telegraph’s High Street of the Year 2013 award. The Pier is a significant local landmark and public amenity offering excellent views of the town. It is internationally recognised as an angling venue and features a glass-walled café-bar on the pier-head.

Kingsdown, located just up the coast from the White Cliffs of Dover, has a secluded shingle beach, with plenty of benches suitable for picnics.

East Kent is home to spectacular coastal landscapes and historic towns and boasts excellent transport links to London and Western Europe. East Kent has been used for filming several recent hit TV productions such as Baptiste (2019), Next of Kin (2018) and The Tunnel: Vengeance (2017).

The Hunting Lodge at Tom Farm, situated in the district of Tonbridge & Malling, is a large working farm offering a huge array of shoot location opportunities. Home to a wide mix of farm animals, including sheep, cattle, pigs and horses, Tom Farm offers 1,000 acres of arable land, a butchers shop, country store and a breakers yard within its ownership. Recent productions to film in the district include feature film Making Noise Quietly (2019) and TV documentaries Horizon: My Amazing Brain – Richard’s War (2018) and Harry Potter: A History of Magic (2017).

Liar Series 1 first aired on Monday 11th September 2017 at 9pm on ITV. Series 2 followed on Monday 2nd March 2020 at 9pm on ITV.

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

Baptiste (2019)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
Actor Tchéky Karyo starring as investigator Julien Baptiste wearing a brown jacket pictured standing in a street looking around with people blurred behind him.

Tchéky Karyo as Julien Baptiste in Baptiste Series ©BBC

Writers: Harry Williams and Jack Williams
Director: Börkur Sigþörsson and Jan Mattys
Starring: Tchéky Karyo, Anastasia Hille, Tom Hollander, Camille Schotte, Trystan Gravelle
Production Company: Two Brothers Pictures for BBC One
Kent Locations used: Discovery Park, Dover, Kingsdown, Deal, Ramsgate

The highly anticipated new six-part BBC drama Baptiste (2019-2021) will be airing next week! From the creators of The Missing, this spin-off stars Tchéky Karyo as the insightful, yet stubborn investigator Julien Baptiste. Now retired and trying his best to enjoy his retirement with his family,  the investigator is contacted by Police Commissioner and former girlfriend Martha Horchner (Barbara Sarafian), who brings him a missing person’s case he can’t refuse.

The series is directed by Börkur Sigþörsson (BlackBoxTV, Trapped) and Jan Mattys (The Last Kingdom, Shetland). It was written by Harry Williams (The Missing, Liar) and Jack Williams (The Missing, Liar). Starring are Tchéky Karyo (Section Zéro, The Missing), Anastasia Hille (Prey, The Missing), Tom Hollander (American Dad, The Night Manager), Camille Schotte (The Missing, Belgian Disaster), Trystan Gravelle (The Aliens, A Discovery of Witches).

Production visited numerous Kent locations during filming for the series. These included a scene on Deal seafront, also showing Deal Pier, which features Edward Stratton (Tom Hollander) arriving by boat. A small scene also features a Co-op store in Deal where Edward shops for groceries. Further filming took place in neighbouring Kingsdown, again using the sea road and beachfronts. These include an establishing shot of a seafront house, a drone shot of Undercliffe and Sutton Vale Road of a black taxi and Sutton Vale Country Park where Edward Stratton (Tom Hollander) visits his family and meets with Baptiste (Tchéky Karyo). Kingsdown Beach is also featured for a conversation scene between Edward and Baptiste in the final episode.

Discovery Park in Sandwich was also used in the filming, doubling as a Japanese airport.  A tool store on Manston Industrial Estate in Ramsgate is featured as Baptiste (Tchéky Karyo) shops while talking on the phone.

A dangerous smuggler’s haunt in the 1800s, Deal town boasts a wonderful collection of colourful Georgian buildings, complemented by a long shingle beach with huts, fishing boats and pier restores in the 1950’s. It is a popular filming location and has previously featured in productions such as The Tunnel: Sabotage (2016) and Liar (2017). Kingsdown village is situated south of Deal and features in the James Bond trail.

Sandwich is a town north of Deal on the Stour Estuary and was once one of the Cinque Ports. It still has many original medieval buildings, including churches, almshouses and the White Mill. This location was the base for all three series of Kudos’  The Tunnel (2013), The Tunnel: Vengeance and The Tunnel: Sabotage (2016).

Ramsgate, located in the district of Thanet, is a thriving seaside town with beautiful Georgian terraced housing, Marina, Port and Promenade. Previous TV productions which filmed here include Eastenders (2015), The Tunnel: Vengeance (2017) and Hancock and Joan (2008).

Baptiste is set to air on BBC One on Sunday 17th February at 9pm.

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