Fantasy Homes by the Sea – Series 7 (2018)

Posted on November 15, 2018 by Kent Film Office

Image of presenter Michelle Ackerley in an orange top leaning against colourful sheds

Presenter Michelle Ackerley ©UKTV Really

Writer: Jayne Hibbitt-Smith
Starring: Michelle Ackerley
Production company: Hat Trick
Kent locations used: Broadstairs, Margate, Ramsgate, Kingsdown, Dungeness

The series originally ran for six seasons between 2007 and 2013 on UKTV’s Style channel.

Michelle Ackerley presents the reboot of Fantasy Homes by the Sea. Each 60-minute episode follows Michelle as she takes buyers around coastal locations in the UK in the quest to find their dream home by the sea.

Production filmed in Margate, Broadstairs and Ramsgate , Kent sea-side towns in Thanet that recently featured in shows such as Britain’s Favourite Walks: Top 100 (2018) and Landscape Artist of the Year (2018).

Further filming took place at Kingsdown near Deal. The town is situated on the South Coast of Kent and has a longstanding naval history as one of the major Cinque Ports and many period features remain. Productions such as Coast v Country (2017) and Antiques Roadshow (2015) also chose this as a prime film location.

Production also visited Dungeness. Dungeness is a unique location which includes ramshackle huts as well as two lighthouses, a historic railway station, two pubs and artist galleries along with a nuclear power station. Previous projects that have filmed there include Walks With My Dog (2017) and Great British Railway Journeys – Series 7 (2016).

Fantasy Homes by the Sea airs on 19^th November 2018 on UKTV’s Really Channel (Freeview Channel 17, Sky Channel 142, and Virgin Media Channel 129) at 8pm. The Thanet episodes will air on 22^nd November and 6^th December, and the Kingsdown episode will air on 11^th December 2018 on Really at 8pm.

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

Celebrity Antiques Road Show – Series 8 (2018)

Posted on November 5, 2018 by Kent Film Office

Cast of Celebrity Antiques Road Show - Series 8- Four celebritites standing in a row holding up various antiques.

Cast of Celebrity Antiques Road Show – Series 8 ©BBC Two

Starring: Kelly Brook, Denise Van Outen and Peter Andre
Production Company: STV productions
Kent Locations Used: Ramsgate, Margate, Whitstable, Faversham, Sittingbourne, Maidstone, and Ashford

A brand-new series of Celebrity Antiques Road Show (2011-) returns to BBC two. In the programme each antique expert is paired up with a celebrity and they travel across the UK in vintage cars, in a quest to find worthy antiques to sell at auction.

The series producer for the upcoming show is John Redshaw, and the chosen stars for Series 8 include reality-star Peter Andre, actress Denise Van Outen and model Kelly Brook.

One of the episodes visited Kent where the celebrities played mini-golf in Margate, went antiques hunting in the sea-side town of Ramsgate and paid a visit to Leeds Castle and Pleasant View Garden Centre in Maidstone, and Whitstable Harbour in Canterbury.

Filming also took place in Faversham and Sittingbourne, which are towns in the district of Swale, as well as further filming in villages Appledore and Chilham in Ashford.

Ramsgate, Margate and Whitstable are seaside towns in East-Kent. Ramsgate has been a significant filming location for popular television shows such as Juliet, Naked (2018), EastEnders (2015) and The Apprentice (2015).

Faversham and Sittingbourne are both towns within the Swale borough of Kent. Previous productions which filmed there include Celebs on the Farm (2018) and Walks With My Dog (2017).

Ashford is a market town with many shops, eateries, and a designer outlet shopping centre with London and Europe are just a train ride away through Ashford International train station. Previous productions which filmed include The Apprentice (2015).

Maidstone has been a popular site for TV programmes, productions include Long Lost Family: Born Without Trace (2020). Tunbridge Wells has also been an attractive location for TV programmes like Question Time (2016) and Series Two of Hunted (2016).

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

Juliet, Naked (2018)

Posted on November 1, 2018 by Kent Film Office

Two actors greeting one another on the beach, actress Rose Byrne is smiling at them in the middle carrying a blanket.

Juliet, Naked 2018 ©IMDb

Writer: Evgenia Peretz, Jim Taylor and Tamara Jenkins
Director: Jesse Peretz
Starring: Rose Byrne, Ethan Hawke, Jimmy O. Yang
Production Company: Apatow Productions, Bona Fide Productions, Ingenious Media
Kent Locations Used: Home Farm, Ramsgate, and Broadstairs

Juliet, Naked (2018), starring Ethan Hawke, Rose Byrne and Chris O’Dowd, is a warm, smart and funny adaptation of the Nick Hornby novel of the same name and features an obsessive rock fan, his long-standing girlfriend and the mysterious rocker he idolises.

Starring Rose Byrne (Bad Neighbours 1 & 2, Peter Rabbit) as Annie, Ethan Hawke (Training Day, Before Sunrise) as rock star Tucker Crowe and Chris O’Dowd (Bridesmaids, Moone Boy) as Duncan.

Home Farm in Swale was previously used in André Øvredals The Autopsy of Jane Doe (2017). Filming for Juliet, Naked at the American-style Home Farm took place in 2015 where the house and grounds were used.

Filming also took place in Ramsgate, which is a popular filming area and has been used in several films and TV series such as Hard Sun (2018) and The Tunnel: Sabotage (2016). Further scenes were also filmed on Viking Bay beach in Broadstairs, which recently featured in feature films Hurricane (2018) and The Lady in The Van (2015).

Juliet, Naked is due to be released in the UK in cinemas on 2^nd November 2018.

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

Long Lost Family: What Happened Next – Series 8 (2018)

Posted on June 19, 2018 by Kent Film Office

Close up of presenters Davina McCall and Nicky Campbell smiling at the camera. Nicky wearing a blue suit and red jumper, Davina wearing a red jacket and shirt.

Davina McCall and Nicky Campbell ©DailyPost

Director: Rachel Ozers

Starring: Davinia McCall and Nicky Campbell.

Production Company: Wall to Wall Media Ltd (ITV)

Kent Locations Used: Ramsgate, Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells

Season 8 visits family members reunited on previous Long Lost Family series to see what happened after the initial reunion.

There will be three episodes catching up with Cathie Cutler Evans, John Ayton, and Maureen Charlton (episode 1); Marion Williams and James McDonnell, Ray Jones, and Laura Aker (episode 2); Deborah Ozturk, Mary Davies, and Vicki Haskell (episode 3).

Presented by Davinia McCall and Nicky Campbell the series visited Ramsgate for an update as well as recording presenter links with Davina McCall in and around Tonbridge and in Royal Tunbridge Wells throughout the series.

Ramsgate is a thriving seaside town with beautiful Georgian terraced housing, Marina, Port and Promenade. Often doubling for London streets. It has previously featured in TV productions such as The Tunnel: Sabotage (2016) and Hancock and Joan (2008).

Tonbridge is a riverside town with picturesque castle, churches and historic buildings. It was also featured in Long Lost Family Series 7 (2017) and other TV productions, including BBC’s Harry Potter: A History of Magic (2017) and Secret Britain (2016).

Royal Tunbridge Wells is a historic spa town that is renowned for the historic houses and gardens and has been a place of interest for over 400 years. It is popular in TV productions including Long Lost Family Series 7 (2017), The Royals (2016-2018) and Hunted Series 2 (2016).

The new season is released on 11^th June 2018 at 9pm on ITV, the following episodes will broadcast on 18^th and 25^th June.

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

Britain’s Favourite Walks: Top 100 (2018)

Posted on January 24, 2018 by Kent Film Office

This new two-and-a-half-hour special for ITV pulls on its hiking boots for a countdown of Britain’s favourite walks. Britain’s Favourite Walks: Top 100, presented by Julia Bradbury (Countryfile) and Ore Oduba (The One Show), showcases the finest rambles, scrambles and ambles across the countryside and through cities to bring viewers the ultimate guide to the British outdoors.

Based on the results of the largest survey ever conducted, the top 100 have been voted for by more than 8,000 walking enthusiasts. Famous faces, including Ade Edmondson, Janet Street Porter and Robert Bathurst hit the trails to reveal their own favourites, joined by walking experts, nature aficionados and members of the public with extraordinary stories to provide a vivid insight into the the history of the trails.

The programme visits various locations in Kent on two walks, firstly the Ramsgate to Margate Walk featuring beautiful spots such as Kingsgate Bay and Botany Bay. The second walk, the Dover to Deal Walk features the stunning National Trust sites of the stunning White Cliffs of Dover and the charming South Foreland Lighthouse, as well as picturesque St Margarets at Cliffe and Deal.

The Kent Coastline is a popular location with TV productions for its dramatic scenery and convenient connections by road to London. Most recently it played a starring role in Sky Atlantic’s The Tunnel: Vengeance 2017 filmed entirely in Kent and Calais.

Kingsgate Bay, a small sandy bay surrounded by chalk cliffs that connects at low tide through Whiteness cliff arch to Botany Bay, was featured in Mr Selfridge Series 4 (2016), while both the White Cliffs of Dover and St Margarets Bay featured in Missing Series 1 & 2 (2009-2010).

The photograph shows Ramsgate Marina with small boats harboured

Pictured: Ramsgate Marina © ITV

Britain’s Favourite Walks: Top 100 will be broadcast on ITV at 7.30pm on Tuesday 30^th January 2018.

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

Hard Sun (2018)

Posted on January 2, 2018 by Kent Film Office

Promotional image showing Renko (AGYNESS DEYN) and Hicks (JIM STURGESS) against a London skyline

Agyness Deyn as Renko and Jim Sturgess as Hicks in BBC drama Hard Sun © BBC/Euston Films

Writer: Neil Cross

Director: Brian Kirk, Nick Rowland, Richard Senior

Starring: Agyness Deyn, Jim Sturgess

Production Company: Euston Films

Kent Locations Used: Thanet – Ramsgate Tunnel

Hard Sun is a new BBC One drama TV series set in a pre-apocalyptic criminal world which follows the story of two detectives attempting to retain law and order amongst the civilian population five days before the world is about to end.

Detective Robert Hicks (Jim Sturgess) is very corrupt and must learn to work with honest copper, Detective Elaine Renko (Agyness Deyn) to save as many civilians as possible from the fast-approaching apocalypse.

Writer Neil Cross is well known for his ground breaking work on drama series Luther and the recent horror flick, Mama, both globally acclaimed. Director Brian Kirk has experience of directing several high profile series, including Game of Thrones and Luther. Nick Rowland is a relatively new director on the scene whose credits include BBC’s Cuffs and Ripper Street. Richard Senior who debuted as a director in 2011, is known for his work on a Doctor Who episode and two episodes for Poldark.

The stars of the show are Agyness Deyn (Clash of the Titans, Hail, Caesar!),a supermodel turned actress and Jim Sturgess (Geostorm, The Other Boleyn Girl 2008) who gave up a music career in 2006 to become an actor.

In one Episode during the series Detective Hicks is thrown out of a van in a tunnel. For this tricky stunt work, the production visited Kent to use the Ramsgate Harbour Approach Tunnel.

The Ramsgate Harbour Approach Tunnel has been credited in The Tunnel: Sabotage (2016).

Hard Sun is set to begin on BBC One on 6th January 2018 at 9.35pm. There will be six hour-long episodes.

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

The Channel: The World’s Busiest Waterway (2017)

Posted on November 28, 2017 by Kent Film Office

Image of large container ship and tugboat with the words 'The Channel: The World's Busiest Water' superimposed.

The Channel – © Channel 4

Production company: Blast! Films

Kent locations used: Ramsgate Royal Harbour and Channel Tunnel

The Channel: The World’s Busiest Waterway is an access-all-areas programme exploring the everyday workings of the Dover Strait. I addition to exploring the ocean there is also footage from inside the Channel Tunnel, including interviews with those who are responsible for maintaining the system that allows 17 million people to travel across the English Channel every year.

In June 2017, in addition to filming at Eurotunnel, the production team filmed with one of the commercial fleets based at Ramsgate Royal Harbour.

Ramsgate is accredited as the home to England’s only Royal Harbour, developed in 1976. The scenic and charming marina resides 35 miles from the western French coast. Ramsgate has been used for filming by productions such as The Apprentice (2015).

The Channel Tunnel is the rail tunnel connecting Folkestone in Kent to Calais in France in just 35 minutes. The Channel Tunnel has been used for filming by productions such as The Tunnel: Sabotage (2016).

The series starts on Wednesday 29^th of November 2017 at 9PM on Channel Four and the fisherman’s episode will be the third instalment of The Channel: The World’s Busiest Waterway, which airs on 13^th December 2017 at the same time.

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

Coast Vs Country (2016)

Posted on November 12, 2016 by Kent Film Office

Presenters Kerr Drummond and Sara Damergi standing in the countryside with the sea in the background

Presenters Kerr Drummond and Sara Damergi © Channel 4

Production Company: Freeform Productions

Kent Locations Used: Broadstairs & Viking Bay, Joss Bay, Kingsgate Bay, Margate, Ramsgate, Canterbury, Herne Bay

Coast Vs Country is Channel 4’s brand new property series from the creators of A Place in the Sun, helping house hunters find their dream property either by the sea or in the countryside.

The series is presented by interior designer, Kerr Drummond and buying expert and current face of A Place in the Sun, Sara Damergi.

Kent features throughout the series including Thanet locations Broadstairs & Viking Bay, Joss Bay, Kingsgate Bay, Margate, Ramsgate, as well as Canterbury and Herne Bay.

The Thanet area boasts the beautiful coastal towns of Broadstairs, Ramsgate and Margate which has sandy bays, parks and open spaces, galleries and amusements. Thanet has been used for filming by productions such as The Lady in the Van (2015) and Eastenders (2015).

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 Rustom (2016), Terry and Mason’s Great Food Trip (2015) and Got To Dance (2012).

The Kent episodes will air on Channel 4 on:

Tuesday 22^nd November 2016 – 16:00
Monday 28^th November 2016 – 15:00
Tuesday 13^th December 2016 – 15:00

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

The Tunnel: Sabotage (2016)

Posted on March 23, 2016 by Kent Film Office

Stephen Dillane and Clémence Poésy walking along a beach towards the camera away from a burning plane

Writer: Ben Richards

Starring: Stephen Dillane, Clémence Poésy, Angel Coulby, Emilia Fox, Clarke Peters, Paul Schneider, William Ash

Production Company: Kudos Film and Television, Shine France

Kent Locations Used: Euro Tunnel, Folkestone Harbour, Discovery Park, Folkestone, Deal and Deal Pier, Dover including the Port and Dover Castle, Westwood Industrial Estate Margate, Ramsgate, Botany Bay – Broadstairs, The Barn in Upstreet, St Martin’s Hospital, Knowlton Court and many more.

The Tunnel: Sabotage is the second series of Sky Atlantic’s critically acclaimed show, re-uniting unlikely Anglo-French detective duo Karl Roebuck (Stephen Dillane) and Elise Wasserman (Clémence Poésy) on another intense investigation.

While series one was a re-imagining of Scandinavian drama “The Bridge”, the new series is an original story by Ben Richards (Outcasts, Spooks) and kicks off with two seemingly isolated events: a plane crashing into the Channel, killing everyone on board and a French couple abducted from the Eurotunnel.

Elise Wasserman (Clémence Poésy), having been promoted to French Commander, is reunited with DCI Karl Roebuck (Dillane) to investigate the two cases. The cross border teams follow a shocking trail of devastation as the victims mount up and become embroiled in a terrifying, deadly game.

The gripping eight part thriller is a Sky Atlantic and Canal+ co-production, made by Kudos and Shine Films France. Joining The Tunnel’s acclaimed production team for the second series are director Mike Barker (Broadchurch, The Smoke) and producer Julian Stevens (Hustle, The Fall).

Stephen Dillane (King Arthur, Game of Thrones) and Clémence Poésy (127 Hours, In Bruges) return in the lead roles, supported by Angel Coulby (Merlin, The Jacket), and new to series two, Emilia Fox (Silent Witness, The Wrong Mans), Clarke Peters (Notting Hill, The Wire), Paul Schneider (Parks and Recreation, The Newsroom) and William Ash (Waterloo Road, Shameless).

The hit first series was largely filmed in Kent and the county welcomed The Tunnel: Sabotage production team once again to their base at Discovery Park in Sandwich. Filming took place in a number of East Kent locations between April and July 2015 including:

Canterbury: The Barn in Upstreet, St Martin’s Hospital, Knowlton Court

Dover: Discovery Park, Deal and Deal Pier, the town of Dover, Port of Dover, Inn and Hotel, Deal, Sandwich Marina, Dover Castle – Admiral’s lookout

Shepway: Euro Tunnel, the town of Folkestone, Folkestone Harbour

Thanet: set building in a warehouse on Westwood Industrial Estate in Margate, Botany Bay and the towns of Ramsgate and Margate

East Kent is ideally situated with great transport links both to London and Europe. The area boasts a wealth of locations including industrial as well as historic buildings and beautiful coastal landscapes. East Kent has previously featured on screen in many projects such as Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Edge of Heaven (2014), The Honourable Woman (2014), Sherlock Holmes – A Game of Shadows (2011), Great Expectations (2011/2012), On A Clear Day (2005) and Die Another Day (2002).

Don’t miss the much anticipated return of The Tunnel: Sabotage which starts on Tuesday 12^th April 2016 at 21:00 on Sky Atlantic. The whole series will also be available on Sky Box Sets from this date.

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

Restoring Britain’s Landmarks (2015)

Posted on November 3, 2015 by Kent Film Office

RESTORING BRITAIN'S LANDMARKS, Anna Keay, Alastair Dick-Cleland and John Evetts standing in front of a large building.

RESTORING BRITAIN’S LANDMARKS, Anna Keay, Director of the Landmark Trust, Alastair Dick-Cleland, Conservation Manager, John Evetts, Furnishings Manager © Channel 4

Production Company: Chocolate Media
Kent Locations Used: St Edward’s Presbytery, Ramsgate

Channel 4’s architectural documentary, Restoring Britain’s Landmarks, is about the restoration projects of The Landmark Trust buildings and locations across Wales and England and the rich histories behind each of them.

In episode five of the series, work is seen to be starting on St Edward’s Presbytery in Ramsgate. The Presbytery is a picturesque building and is one of Augustus Pugin’s masterpiece creations built as part of The Grange in Ramsgate for Pugin’s own family.

The Grange is a Grade I listed property and work to restore St Edward’s Presbytery was given the go ahead after The Landmark Trust acquired the rights back in 2010. Channel 4 visits the project as the restoration continues to progress on site in Ramsgate.

Ramsgate is a vivid coastal town situated in East Kent, home to one of the largest marinas on the south coast, museums and a glorious beach. Ramsgate has been chosen as a film location for productions such as The Apprentice (2015), EastEnders (2015) and Big Bad World (2013).

The restoration of St Edward’s Presbytery will be shown on Restoring Britain’s Landmarks on Wednesday 11^th November 2015 at 20:00 on Channel 4.

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

Kent's Premier Film Commission