Tom Baker

Little Britain – Season 1 (2003)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
Little Britain Characters stood on top of a cartoon map of the UK that is coloured like the United Kingdom flag. Little Britain is written to the left.

Little Britain Poster © BBC

Writers: David Walliams, Matt Lucas

Starring: Matt Lucas, David Walliams, Tom Baker, Paul Putner, Anthony Head, Charu Bala Chokshi

Production Company: BBC, Little Britain Productions

Kent Locations Used: Herne Bay

Little Britain is a character-comedy sketch show from creators David Walliams and Matt Lucas, both of whom also star in the show. Exploring a variety of unusual and amusing characters residing across the British Isles, the first season of Little Britain was partly filmed in Herne Bay.

Heading the show as numerous characters are David Walliams (Big School, Come Fly With Me) and Matt Lucas (Bridesmaids, Come Fly With Me), also featuring other famous faces like Tom Baker (Doctor Who, Monarch of the Glen) as the narrator, Paul Putner (Kidulthood, The Peter Serafinowicz Show), Anthony Head (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Merlin) and Charu Bala Chokshi (Gandhi, A Fish Called Wanda) as supporting characters.

Herne Bay promenade and clock tower. Beach and sea can be seen to the right

Little Britain screenshot at Herne Bay

A number of different locations in Herne Bay appear in Season 1 of Little Britain as the home of cross dresser Emily Howard. The interior and exterior of the Bun Penny, the once well-known pub on Herne Bay’s seafront, features in episode one, while the clock tower appears in both episode three and episode eight. Other locations used include Central Parade and Central Avenue. Some of the Lou and Andy sketches are also filmed at Herne Bay.

Herne Bay is a traditional seaside town located on the Kent coast, with interesting Victorian architecture and a splendid seafront boasting glorious beaches. The town is a popular location, with previous productions such as Boomers (2014) and Big Bad World (2013)  choosing to film there.

Little Britain ran for three more seasons and is available to buy on DVD.

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

Doctor Who – The Androids of Tara (1978)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
Mary Tamm as Romana stands in front of an ivy-covered castle wall, looking at a man dressed as a medieval knight. He is holding a purple prism-shaped object in his hands. Romana wears a purple and green buttoned-up jacket and a purple wide-brimmed hat with a green ribbon on it.

Doctor Who – The Androids of Tara (1978) © BBC

Director: Michael Hayes
Writer: David Fisher
Starring: Tom Baker, Mary Tamm, Peter Jeffrey, Neville Jason
Production Company: BBC
Kent Locations Used: Leeds Castle

The Androids of Tara (1978) is a four-part serial from the 16th season of the original Doctor Who series. It is set on the planet Tara, which is ruled by a feudal society with electronic weapons and androids. The Doctor’s assistant Romana is kidnapped, and the two are dragged into a feud between Count Grendel and Prince Reynart over who is the legitimate heir to the throne of Tara.

Directed by Michael Hayes (A for Andromeda, Take Three Girls) and written by David Fisher (Hammer House of Mystery and Suspense, The Lotus Eaters), the serial stars Tom Baker (Nicholas and Alexandra, The Golden Voyage of Sinbad) as the Doctor, Mary Tamm (The Likely Lads, Doghouse) as his assistant Romana, with Peter Jeffrey (The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, Midnight Express) featuring as Count Grendel alongside Neville Jason (From Russia with Love, The Message) as Prince Reynart.

Leeds Castle features throughout the serial, doubling as Castle Gracht, the seat of Count Grendel.

Leeds Castle is a romantic castle with medieval-themed rooms, 1920s style interiors and original marble bathrooms, all set on a large estate with gardens, moat, woodlands, a maze with a shell grotto, and an aviary. Other productions to have filmed there include Henry VIII (1979), Lady Jane (1987) and Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949).

The Androids of Tara (1978) originally aired on BBC1 between Saturday 25th November – Saturday 16th December 1978 and is currently available to buy on iTunes.

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