tv factual

Phil Spencer’s Stately Homes – Series 3 (2020)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
Phil Spencer wearing a purple jumper standing on the grass in front of the entrance to Leeds Castle.

Phil Spencer’s Stately Homes Series 3 Episode 4 Leeds Castle © Thomas Alexander / Channel 4

Starring: Phil Spencer, Liz Smith
Production Company: Mayfly Television
Kent Locations Used: Leeds Castle, Maidstone

Phil Spencer (Kirstie & Phil’s Love It or List It, Relocation, Relocation) returns for a grand tour of some of the country’s finest country houses to uncover the stories behind their creation in Series 3 of Phil Spencer’s Stately Homes (2016-2020) for Channel 4.

Phil, accompanied by Conservation Architect Liz Smith ,is given unprecedented access into fascinating stately home archives to reveal the incredible ambition of the house’s creators, as well as the huge quantities of materials, labour and money involved in turning their flights of fancy into bricks and mortar.

With a chance to try his hand at craft and restoration, and insight from the current custodians, Phil discovers how these homes became symbols of power – and play – and what the buildings and estates are really like to own.

The series is produced by Mayfly Television and written by Harry Williams and Jack Williams. The executive producer is Marcus Stephenson with Clemency Green Commissioning Editor for Features.

During filming in 2019 the production visited Leeds Castle in Kent in the year the castle celebrated its 900th anniversary. Filming took place inside the Castle when Phil interviewed staff members including Leeds Castle Curator Annie Kemkaran-Smith as well as a descendant of the last private owner Lady Baillie.  During the episode Phil went punting on the moat and visited the clock tower to raise Lady Baillie’s flag.

Set in the outskirts of the county town of Kent, Maidstone is the beautiful Leeds Castle which is set over 500 acres and boasts stunning period rooms, gardens, a moat, woodlands, maze with shell grotto and a falconry centre. Leeds Castle has previously been used as a film location by factual TV programmes Celebrity Antiques Road Show – Series 8 (2018),  Secrets of Great British Castles (2016) and Richard E. Grant on Ealing Comedies (2016).

Phil Spencer’s Stately Homes – Leeds Castle is due to air on More4 on Thursday 12th March 2020 at 9pm.

Exterior shot of Leeds Castle in the distance, taken from the ground behind some trees.

Phil Spencer Stately Homes S3 Ep4 Leeds Castle GV © Channel 4

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

Countryfile (2020)

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Owen Leyshon from Romney Marsh Countryside Partnership and presenter Matt Baker on the pebbled beach in front of the New Dungeness Lighthouse

BBC Countryfile visits Dungeness ©BBC

Starring: Matt Baker, Steve Brown, Adam Henson, Margherita Taylor, Deborah Meaden
Production Company: BBC
Kent Locations Used: Dungeness Estate

Countryfile (1998-) is a popular BBC One show which celebrates the people and places of the British countryside.

The presenters Matt Baker, Margherita Taylor and Steve Brown visit Dungeness in Kent in this latest episode. Margherita meets with David Lewis, a close friend of artist Derek Jarman, who returns to the cottage after many years, as well as Director of Art Fund Stephen Deuchar, who leads the campaign to save the artists’ Prospect Cottage. Margherita also interviews Betty Paine, a ‘Lady Who Launched’, at the local lifeboat station.

Matt Baker explores Dungeness’s strange and barren landscape where he interviews Owen Leyshon from the Romney Marsh Countryside Partnership about the reserve and the work that goes into preserving it. Birdwarden David Walker talks about his 30 years of looking after the reserve. Matt also visits the annual Sloe Gin Competition at The Pilot Inn and Steve Brown has a photography lesson with local photographer Chris Shaw.

Dungeness has been designated as a National Nature Reserve (NNR), Special Protection Area (SPA) and a Special Area of Conservation (SAC). It is home to 600 species of plants which is a third of all plants found in the UK. It presents a boundless landscape with wooden houses, power stations, lighthouses and expansive gravel pits.

Previous productions to film at this location are: Back to Life (2019-2021) and Fantasy Homes by the Sea – Series 7 (2018).

The show aired on BBC One Sunday 2nd February 2020 at 6:10pm.

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

Interior Design Masters (2019)

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Picture Shows: Backrow (L) to (R) Cassie Nicholas, Jim Biddulph, Verity Coleman, Frank Newbold, Nicki Bamford-Bowes all standing at the back of a bricked room with blue pictures on the wall. Front row (L) to (R) Trish Coggans, Terian Tilston, Jerome Gardner, Kyle Broughton-Frew and Ju De Paula sitting on sofas looking into the camera.

©BBC / DSP / Tom Scott

Presenter: Fearne Cotton
Starring: Michelle Ogundehin, Mary Portas, Jade Jagger, Matthew Williamson
Production Company: Darlow Smithson Productions / Endemol Shine
Kent Locations Used: Whitstable

On Interior Design Masters (2019-), ten designers take on different design projects and compete with each other to gain a commission with a client for a job.

Among the contestants is Jim Biddulph, 32, from Margate. He left a previous job as a design writer to pursue his new career which was 10 years in the making and seized the opportunity to be involved in the programme. Fellow contestant Frank Newbold also boasts Kent connections as he previously lived in Rochester.

The guest judges on Interior Design Masters are Michelle Ogundehin (The Great Interior Design Challenge), Mary Portas (Hotel GB, Mary Portas: Secret Shopper), Jade Jagger (Gomorron, Divendres) and Matthew Williamson. Presenting is Fearne Cotton (Celebrity Juice, Lemon La Vida Loca).

In Episode 7 , the semi final, the three remaining candidates are asked to each remodel a hairdressers in Whitstable High Street. Guest judge Lawrence Llewelyn-Bowen will help to decide whether the classic look of Len’s Barber Shop, the futuristic theme of Jelly Beanz or the industrial remodel of Edge is good enough to get the designer to the final.

Whitstable is on the north coast of Kent. The town is famous for its oysters, celebrated during the famous Oyster Festival during the summer.

The series was created by BBC 2 and Netflix, consisting of eight episodes.

Episode One of Interior Design Masters will be shown on BBC Two on Wednesday 14th August 2019 at 8pm on BBC2.

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

Victorian Sensations: Electric Dreams – Series 1 (2019)

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Presenter Hannah Fry pictured in a black jumper smiling at the camera. Red theatre chairs are seen behind her with an electrical machine and spark.

Hannah Fry in Victorian Sensations ©BBC

Director: Andy Hall
Starring: Hannah Fry
Production Company: Academy 7 Productions
Kent Locations Used: The Historic Dockyard Chatham

Victorian Sensations (2019) is a brand-new three-part series, which explores the thrilling era of the 1890s, a period of rapid discovery and change.

In the first episode, ‘Electric Dreams’, mathematician Dr Hannah Fry (Size Matters, Horizon) investigates how science and technology transformed Britain during this time, giving rise to the modern world, as well as many present-day anxieties.

For the filming of this particular episode, production visited the Ropery Complex at The Historic Dockyard Chatham.

The Historic Dockyard in Chatham is set over 80 acres and contains over 100 Georgian and Victorian buildings. It has previously been used as a film location for productions such as Call the Midwife (2012-2022) and The Crown (2016).

Victorian Sensations can be seen on BBC Four on Wednesday 22nd May 2019 at 9pm. The Kent episode, Electric Dreams, will be the first of the three episodes to air.

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

Britain’s Most Historic Towns – Series 2 (2019)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
Presenter Alice Roberts wearing a pink top and headband seen driving a green tractor in a field in Dover, Kent.

Alice Roberts exploring Dover, Kent ©Channel 4 Television

Starring: Alice Roberts
Production Company: IWC Media and Channel 4 Television
Kent Locations Used: Canterbury and Dover

Documentary series Britain’s Most Historic Towns (2018-) returns this week, where presenter Alice Roberts (Digging for Britain) explores the UK’s past, by focusing on six key eras as she travels to different towns which best illustrate each of these.

Episode one of the second series kicks off in Kent, where Alice examines Britain in wartime by looking at the coastal town of Dover.

In addition to this, production also visited the historical city of Canterbury, as well as Canterbury Castle, St Augustine’s Abbey, Blean Forest and Eastbridge Hospital.

Dover is the site of the famous The White Cliffs of Dover and has been used in previous productions such as The Lost Commando Raid (2018) and Celebrity Antiques Road Show – Series 8 (2018).

Canterbury is a popular filming location and has hosted a variety of filming, such as the productions for River Walks (2018) and Britain’s Great Cathedrals with Tony Robinson (2018).

Presenter Alice Roberts sitting by the river in Canterbury.

Presenter Alice Roberts exploring Canterbury ©IWC Media

Britain’s Most Historic Towns Series 2 is due to air on Channel 4 on Saturday 18th May 2019 at 8pm and will air on a weekly basis.

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

Blue Planet UK – Series 1 (2019)

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Presenter Steve Brown pictured in a blue coat sitting in his wheelchair by the seafront. Sea, road and boats can be seen in the background.

Presenter Steve Brown ©BBC

Starring: Gillian Burke, Steve Brown, Chris Packham
Production Company: BBC Studios Natural History Unit
Kent Locations Used: Minster Beach and Herne Bay

BBC’s daytime spin-off Blue Planet UK (2019) is due to air throughout next week. It will uncover the incredible stories behind the UK’s marine wildlife. Presenters of the programme will be exploring the history of British waters and explain how they have been influenced by people today.

The Series is presented by Gillian Burke (Springwatch), Steve Brown (Springwatch), and Chris Peckham (Autumnwatch).

Filming for Blue Planet UK took place at Minster beach on Isle of Sheppey, showing presenter Steve and his family as they fossil hunt together. Additional filming also took place at Herne Bay in Canterbury.

Minster beach is located on Isle of Sheppey, which is an island off the northern coast of Kent and has beautiful landscapes and coastline. Previous productions which filmed on Isle of Sheppey include, Coast (2014).

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 Coast vs Country (2016).

The series can be seen on BBC One from Monday 25th to Friday 29th March 2019 at 4.30pm. Herne Bay will feature in episode 3 and 4, and Minster beach will feature in episode 3.

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

Long Lost Family Special: Born Without Trace (2019)

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Presenters Davina McCall and Nicky Campbell pictured standing together smiling at the camera in front of an historic wall. Davina is wearing a denim jacket and nicky has a grey suit on.

Davina McCall and Nicky Campbell Presenting Long Lost Family Special: Born Without Trace ©ITV

Starring: Davina McCall and Nicky Campbell
Production Company: ITV Studios
Kent Locations Used: Maidstone

In this special episode of the popular series, we see the real-life stories of three foundlings. There is the man who, as a newborn, was abandoned in a hospital car park, the five-day old baby left in a cardboard box in Manchester and the woman abandoned on a doorstep in Scotland. All three are desperately searching to identify their biological parents and find the answer as to why they were abandoned.

During production, the crew visited a family home in the county town of Maidstone, Allington Lock and The Museum of Kent Life.

The show is presented by Davina McCall (Long Lost Family – Born Without a Trace) and Nicky Campbell (The Big Questions), who continue to work together to bring solace to many families across the UK.

The Borough of Maidstone has been a popular site for filming, productions include Great British Railway Journeys Series 11 (2020).

The Long Lost Family Special: Born Without will air on Monday 25th February 2019 at 9pm on ITV.

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

The Empty Housing Scandal (2019)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
Series poster for The Empty Housing Scandal - an image of a blue door in a run-down looking house

The Empty Housing Scandal ©BBC

Starring: Matthew Allwright
Production Company: TwoFour
Kent Location Used: Various properties around Thanet and Folkestone

This five-part series focuses on Britain’s housing crisis as every day 140 new families become homeless, whilst over 2000,000 domestic properties lie empty. Each episode features four to five stories, concentrating on an empty house at some point in its journey to be but back into use as a home. Presenter Matt Allwright wants to expose the empty housing scandal. He also may occasionally have to investigate to track down lost owners or property agents, as he travels around the UK scoping empty houses and pairing them with people who desperately need a home.

 

Presenter Matt Allwright for BBC One’s The Empty Housing Scandal standing in front of some brown houses wearing a red jumper with his arms crossed.

Presenter Matt Allwright for BBC One’s The Empty Housing Scandal ©TwoFour

 

The series was commissioned by TwoFour (The Hotel Inspector, The Jump). It is presented by Matt Allwright (Space Truckers, Watchdog) and will include various properties throughout the districts of Thanet and Folkestone & Hythe.

Thanet is in north east Kent and is made up of resort towns Margate, Broadstairs, and Ramsgate. This district is a very popular location for films and tv shows, having been used for Only Fools and Horses: The Jolly Boys’ Outing (1989) and Mr Selfridge (2013-2016).

Folkestone is a town on the English Channel, located in the south east of Kent and has also been a popular location used in many films and tv shows, such as Moon and Son (1992) and The Darling Buds of May (1991-1993).

The first episode of The Empty Housing Scandal aired on Monday 11th February 2019 at 9.15am on BBC One. It will air each day this week till Friday 15th February 2019.

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

Great British Railway Journeys – Series 10 (2019)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
Image of presenter Michael Portillo at one of Britain's railway stations wearing a blue jumper and pink blazor. Tracks and the station can be seen in the background.

Great British Railway Journeys ©BBC

Starring: Michael Portillo
Production Company: Fremantle Media Ltd.
Kent Locations Used: Gravesend, Dartford and Folkestone

BBC documentary series Great British Railway Journeys (2010-) which first premiered on BBC Two in 2010, returns for its tenth series. Presenter Michael Portillo (Great Continental Railway Journeys) travels around the railway networks of Great Britain. He does this whilst referring to an 1840’s copy of Bradshaw’s Guide, comparing how various destinations have transformed since Victorian times.

For the new series, production filmed at railways in various Kent locations, such as Gravesend, Dartford and Folkestone.

Situated in North West Kent is the town of Gravesend  which has exceptional transport links up to London, a cast iron pier, promenade and high street. Gravesend has previously hosted productions including Great British Railway Journeys (2014), The Hospice (2018) and Children in Need – The Rickshaw Challenge (2015).

Dartford is a historic town situated close to London and home to one of Europe’s largest shopping centres. Previous productions which filmed here include Who Do You Think You Are? (2014).

Folkestone is a port town on the English Channel in Kent, with an elegant Victorian clifftop promenade, a creative quarter, gardens, a coastal park, and fishing Harbour. It has also been used as a popular filming location for productions such as Danny Boyle: Pages of the Sea (2018), The Channel: The World’s Busiest Waterway (2017), and Coast v Country (2017).

The new series of Great British Railway Journeys began airing on Monday 4th February 2019 at 6.30pm on BBC Two, and the Kent episode then aired on Wednesday 13th February 2019.

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

George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces – Series 8 (2019)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
George Clarke's Amazing Spaces Series 8 poster of acorn tree house hanging in the trees within a forest

George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces Series 8 ©Channel 4

Starring: George Clarke
Production Company: Plum Pictures
Kent Locations Used: Ramsgate

Channel 4’s George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces (2012-) returns for a new series this year. Architect and presenter George Clarke (Amazing Spaces Shed of the Year, The Restoration Man) explores the fascinating world of small builds, with an emphasis on the creative use of small spaces. The show follows people who turn the smallest of places, such as old boats, a tree house disguised as an acorn, and a mountain-top restaurant resembling a spaceship, into places to live.

George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces series 5 previously filmed in Margate, Thanet back in 2015. Here, George met a coma survivor who transformed a family camper van and also visited a woman who turned her narrow boat into a floating bookshop.

The Kent episode of series 8 was filmed in Ramsgate, Thanet. Production filmed at Port of Ramsgate, where George follows a new restoration.

Ramsgate is a thriving seaside town with beautiful Georgian terraced housing, Marina, Port and Promenade. Often doubling for London streets. Other previous TV productions which filmed here include Fantasy Homes by the Sea – Series 7 (2018), The Channel: The World’s Busiest Waterway (2017) and Coast Vs Country (2016).

Series 8 began airing on Sunday 30th December 2018 on Channel 4. Episode eight, which featured Ramsgate, aired on Sunday 24th February 2019 at 8pm.

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