Maidstone Studios

The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, Poison, The Rat Catcher & The Crown (2023)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
Benedict Cumberbatch as Henry Sugar floats above the floor in a meditative position. He wears red pyjamas and is in a bedroom with wooden walls, wooden floor and several wooden tables.

Benedict Cumberbatch in The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (2023) © Netflix

Director: Wes Anderson
Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Ralph Fiennes, Rupert Friend, Ben Kingsley, Dev Patel, Richard Ayoade
Production Company: American Empirical Pictures, Netflix Studios
Kent Locations Used: Maidstone Studios, Powerhub

The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, Poison, The Rat Catcher and The Swan (2023) are a selection of short films based on The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More, a collection of short stories by Roald Dahl.

Directed by Wes Anderson (Fantastic Mr. Fox, The Grand Budapest Hotel), the films star Benedict Cumberbatch (The Electrical Life of Louis Wain (2022), Doctor Strange (2016)), Ralph Fiennes (Holmes & Watson (2018), Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 (2010)), Rupert Friend (The Death of Stalin, Hitman: Agent 47), Ben Kingsley (Gandhi, Schindler’s List), Dev Patel (Slumdog Millionaire, Lion) and Richard Ayoade (The IT Crowd, Submarine).

The shorts were filmed at The Maidstone Studios almost in their entirety, with set and prop construction taking part in nearby Kent locations. The hospital set in The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (2023) was filmed at the nearby Powerhub.

Just 45 minutes from London, Maidstone Studios is the UK’s largest independent studios. They are classed as a regional studio facility and have been home to some of the industry’s best-loved television programmes over the years. Most recently, it played host to Season 2 of This Time With Alan Partridge (2021), Series 2 of The Split (2020) and Series 2 and 3 of Hetty Feather (2015-2020).

The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, Poison, The Rat Catcher and The Swan (2023) were released on Netflix on Wednesday 27th September 2023.

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

This Time With Alan Partridge Series 2 (2021)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
Actor Alan Partridge stands in the foreground on grass wearing a blue jumper and jacket and is pulling a silly expression. Behind him is a stone archway and monks gardening.

This Time with Alan Partridge © BBC / Baby Cow / Gary Moyes

Writers: Steve Coogan, Neil Gibbons, Rob Gibbons
Directors: Neil Gibbons, Rob Gibbons
Starring:  Steve Coogan, Susannah Fielding, Felicity Montagu
Production Company: BBC / Baby Cow Productions
Kent Locations Used: Aylesford priory, Blue Bell Hill Country Park, Maidstone Studios,

This Time with Alan Partridge (2021) starring Steve Coogan (The Wind in the Willows (1996), Stan & Ollie) returns to BBC One with a second series of the BBC evening magazine show ‘This Time’ where he is now established as the show’s co-presenter. This Time with Alan Partridge follows Alan on air and off as he tries to cling on to his position in the face of behind-the-scenes upheaval and his fears that his relevance is dwindling.

The show was written by Steve Coogan, Neil Gibbons and Rob Gibbons (Veep, Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa) and also stars Susannah Fielding (Life, Sticks and Stones) as co-presenter Jenny, Felicity Montagu (Landscapers (2021), Mapp and Lucia (2014)) as Lynn Benfield and Tim Key (The End of the F***ing World (2017), Pls Like) as Simon Denton.

During filming, production visited Maidstone Studios, which doubled for the BBC studios, Blue Bell Hill Country Park and Aylesford Priory. Filming also took place at private residences, a nursery and on local roads around Blue Bell Hill and in the county town of Maidstone.

Just 45 minutes from London, Maidstone Studios is the UK’s largest independent studios. They are classed as a regional studio facility and have been home to some of the industry’s best loved television programmes from Later… with Jools Holland (2014-2017) through to Take Me Out (2014-2016).

Aylesford Priory situated at The Friars is an ancient religious house of the Carmelite Friars dating back to the 13th Century. The Friars is a place of peace where visitors can enjoy walks around the breathtaking grounds and stunning medieval buildings or visit the pottery to see local artisans at work. Bollywood film Rustom (2016) was partly filmed at Aylesford Priory.

Blue Bell Hill Country Park is located on the North Downs Way near Aylesford with uninterrupted views across the Weald valley. The five-hectare site is part of a Nature Reserve with the Kent Wildlife Trust.

This Time with Alan Partridge Series 2 begins on BBC One on Friday 30th April 2021 at 9:30pm and is available for catch up on iPlayer.

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

The Split – Series 2 (2020)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
Hannah (Nicola Walker), Nathan (Stephen Mangan) and Christie (Barry Atsma) walking across Millennium Bridge, with London views behind them. The Split written in white.

Nathan (Stephen Mangan), Hannah (Nicola Walker), Christie (Barry Atsma) © BBC / Sister Pictures / Alex Telfer

Writers: Abi Morgan
Director: Jessica Hobbs
Starring: Nicola Walker, Stephen Mangan, Ben Bailey Smith, Barry Atsma, Donna Air
Production Company: Sister Pictures for the BBC
Kent Locations Used: Maidstone TV Studios

The Split (2018-2022) is a TV series about the Defoes, a family of female divorce lawyers forced to face their past following the return of their estranged father after a 30 year absence. In series two, the Defoes are back at newly merged law firm Noble Hale Defoe, and instead of being rivals, now find themselves on the same side of the table

Created by Abi Morgan (Suffragette) and directed by Jessica Hobbs (The Crown (2016-2020)), The Split is now in its second series and is produced by Sister Pictures with Nicola Walker (Spooks) playing the lead as Hannah Stern, eldest of the three Defoe sisters.

During filming production visited Maidstone TV Studios to film a studio show segment as Hannah Stern’s decides to represent Fi Hansen’s (Donna Air (The Counsellor), one half of the UK’s most powerful celebrity couples who seeks a divorce from her controlling husband Richie Hansen (Ben Bailey Smith (Drunk History: UK)).

Richie Hansen (Ben Bailey Smith) standing with his arms around Fi (Donna Air) with the I'm with the Band light sign and drum set and guitars behind them.

Fi (Donna Air), Richie Hansen (Ben Bailey Smith) © BBC / Sister Pictures

Just 45 minutes from London, Maidstone Studios is the UK’s largest independent studios.  The studios are classed as a regional studio facility and has hosted some of the industry’s best loved television programmes from Later… with Jools Holland (2013-2018) to Hetty Feather (2015-2020).

The Split Series 2 will air on BBC One from Tuesday 11th February 2020 at 9pm.

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

Tittybangbang Series 3 (2007)

Posted on by Kent Film Office

 

The Italian Maid with a feather duster standing in an open doorway with fields behind

The Italian Maid © Pett Television

Production Company: Pett Productions

Kent Locations: Maidstone Studios

This popular sketch show, produced by Pett Productions, is back for its third series.  The show has an almost entirely female cast led by Lucy Montgomery and Debbie Chazen and is partially written by Bob Mortimer. Some of the more well known characters include Italian Maid, a shy exhibitionist and Magwash who provides local villagers with long and obscure tales.

The pilot of the show almost doubled BBC Three’s average audience share and obtained the highest audience for a new comedy aired on the channel. The programme is also available on broadband allowing internet viewers to catch previews of the show and catch up on past episodes they missed.

Magwash holding a beer tanker next to a pub counter smiling at the camera

Magwash © Pett Television

Pett Productions was set up by Kent resident Bob Mortimer, Vic Reeves and Lisa Clark in 2001. The company is based at Maidstone Studios and filming takes place mainly in and around Kent.

Tittybangbang returns to BBC3 on Sunday 11th November 2007.

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