Steve Coogan

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 Wind in the Willows – Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride (1996)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
The Wind in the Willows movie poster- Cartoon image of a toad with glasses on jumping over a black car, a man is holding on to his shoulders behind. Mr Toad's Wild Ride is written in white

The Wind in the Willows © Walt Disney

Director: Terry Jones

Writer: Terry Jones (Screenplay), Kenneth Grahame (Novel)

Starring: Steve Coogan, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Antony Sher, Nicol Williamson, John Cleese, Stephen Fry, Bernard Hill, Michael Palin, Nigel Planer, Julia Sawalha, Robert Bathurst, Richard James

Production Company: Allied Filmmakers

Kent locations: Dover Castle, Chiddingstone

The Wind in The Willows – Mr Toad’s Wild Ride is a feature film loosely based on the classic novel by Kenneth Grahame, sometimes referred to as ‘the Monty Python version’.

The story follows Mole whose home is bought up and marked for development by the evil Weasels. Working with his friends, Mole attempts to win back his home.

Directed by Terry Jones (Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Life of Brian), the film has an ensemble cast including Steve Coogan (I’m Alan Partridge, Philomena), Eric Idle (Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Nuns on the Run), John Cleese (Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Fawlty Towers), Stephen Fry (Gosford Park, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows) Bernard Hill (Titanic, The Lord of the Rings) Michael Palin (Monty Python and the Holy Grail, A Fish Called Wanda) and Robert Bathurst (Cold Feet, Emma).

The production filmed at Dover Castle, which doubled as the Gaol as well as The Old School in Chiddingstone (now the post office) which features as the Welcome Inn where Toad dines before stealing and crashing a motorcar.

Dover Castle is a stunning medieval castle situated on the White Cliffs of Dover, overlooking the English Channel. Dover Castle is a popular film location having featured in Into the Woods (2015), Poirot “The Clocks” (2009) and Hamlet (1990).

Chiddingstone is a beautiful one-street Tudor village with over 70% of the buildings in more than 200 years old. In 1939, the National Trust bought the village in order to preserve it. The village has previously been used as a film location by productions such as Terry and Mason’s Great Food Trip (2015), A Room With A View (1986) and Elizabeth R (1971).

The Wind in the Willows – Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride is available to purchase on DVD.

 

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