TV movie

The Amazing Mr Blunden (2021)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
Simon Callow, as Mr Blunden, stands in the centre of the frame. Either side of him, peering over some large decorative ornaments, are two children Jamie, played by Jason Rennie, on the left, and Lucy, played by Tsion Habte, on the right. They are inside of a historic looking room with dark orange walls. On either side are windows covered by lace net curtains, and large drawn open grey curtains. Jamie has short curly black hair and wears a black unzipped hoodie with a red t-shirt. Only Lucy’s head is visible, and she has long curly black hair. Mr Blunden has receding white hair and a full grey beard. He wears a long brown woollen coat, with a brown waistcoat underneath and a large red woollen scarf wrapped around his neck. All three characters look nervously off-screen.

The Amazing Mr Blunden © Sky

Writer: Mark Gatiss
Director: Mark Gatiss
Starring: Simon Callow, Tamsin Greig, Mark Gatiss, Tsion Habte, Jason Rennie, India Fowler, Xavier Wilkins
Production Company: Adorable Media
Kent Locations Used: Finchcocks

Based on the 1972 family film of the same name, The Amazing Mr Blunden (2021) tells the story of modern teenagers Lucy and Jamie, whose encounter with a mysterious old man called Mr Blunden leads to them becoming caretakers of an old country home. They soon discover that the home is haunted by the spirits of two young children, Sara and Georgie, and with the help of Mr Blunden, the two teens must travel back in time to save the children’s lives.

Written and directed by Mark Gatiss (Sherlock, Doctor Who), The Amazing Mr Blunden stars renowned actor Simon Callow (Four Weddings and a Funeral, A Room with a View (1985)) as Mr. Blunden, Tamsin Greig (Episodes, Friday Night Dinner) as Mrs. Wickens and Mark Gatiss as Mr. Wickens, as well as newcomers Tsion Habte (Liar (2017-2020), Sex Education (2021)) as Lucy, Jason Rennie as Jamie, India Fowler (Safe) as Sara and Xavier Wilkins as Georgie.

The production team visited Kent for their shoot, using Finchcocks in Goudhurst as Langley Park, the house the two teenagers are tasked with looking after. Built in 1725, Finchcocks is a fine early Georgian Manor set in 13 acres of parkland and gardens, with extensive views over the Kentish landscape. It is noted for its brickwork, with a dramatic baroque front elevation. For many years, the Manor played host to a Musical Museum, which housed around 115 period keyboard instruments, many of which have featured in TV and film themselves. Now operating as both a family home and a piano workshop retreat, Finchcocks has previously been used as the setting for a Pride and Prejudice sketch in the BBC show French and Saunders (1996).

The Amazing Mr Blunden aired on Sky and NowTV on Friday 24th December 2021.

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

Great Expectations (1999)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
Joe Gargery (Clive Russell ) with Young Pip (Gabriel Thomson) in his shoulders walking through a field, soldiers are walking either side of them

Joe Gargery (Clive Russell ) and Young Pip (Gabriel Thomson) © BBC

Directed By: Julian Jarrold

Written By: Charles Dickens (Novel) & Tony Marchant (Adaptation)

Starring: Ioan Gruffudd, Charlotte Rampling, Justine Waddell, Clive Russell

Production Company: BBC, WGBH

Kent Locations Used: Sheerness Docks, Kingswear Castle Paddlesteamer, Chatham Docks & River Medway

Surrounded by memorabilia from her ill-fated wedding, Ms Havisham invites local orphan Pip to her home to amuse her as she encourages her spiteful daughter Estella to break his heart. Pip’s future as a blacksmith is forever changed when an unknown sponsor pays for him to become a gentleman.

Starring Ioan Gruffudd (Fantastic Four) as Pip, Charlotte Rampling (The Duchess) as Miss Havisham and Justine Waddell (Killing Bono) as Estella, this is the first BBC adaptation of the classic Dickens tale and was originally aired in 1999.

Young Pip (Gabriel Thompson) and Young Biddy (Laura Aikman) sat on the grass talking to each other, wicker baskets are behind them

Young Pip (Gabriel Thompson) and Young Biddy (Laura Aikman) in Great Expectations 1999 © BBC

Filmed in a variety of Kent Locations, the BBC brought Great Expectations back to the county where it was originally conceived by Dickens.  Herbert Pocket’s bride to be, Clara, provides a refuge for reformed convict Abel Magwitch at Sheerness Docks where exterior shots of her house were filmed. Pip and Herbert Pocket arrange to meet Magwitch and help his escape at Chatham Docks, where slip 8 was used for the scene and exterior shots of the prison hulk ships.

The dramatic scene where Magwitch attempts to escape is well known to fans of the Dickens classic. The local Paddle steamer, “Kingswear Castle”, was used for the scenes and the production company used Stangate Creek on the River Medway for shots of the ship on the Thames Estuary. The Kingswear Castle also features in the 1998 BBC adaptation of Dickens last novel, Our Mutual Friend, starring Anna Friel and Paul McGann.

Dickens’ features Kent locations in many of his novels. The city of Rochester, which holds annual Dickens celebrations each year, can be recognised in many of the author’s novels such as The Mystery of Edwin Drood, The Pickwick Papers and David Copperfield. The Kent Film Office celebrates Dickens history with the county including Tv and film adaptions in The Dickens Trail.

Great Expectations was shown on BBC in 1999 and is now available to buy on DVD.

 

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

 

The Mill on the Floss (1997)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
The Mill on the Floss poster- montage of three different characters from the film, a man in a top hat, a women with her arm on her hip in front and then a man on a white horse in front. The Mill on the Floss is written in blue

The Mill on the Floss poster © BBC

Director: Graham Theakston

Writer: Hugh Stoddart (Screenplay) & George Eliot (Novel)

Starring: Emily Watson, Cheryl Campbell, James Frain, Bernard Hill, Joanna David, Ifan Meredith

Production Company: BBC, Canal+ Carnival Film & Television, UGC DA International

Kent Locations: The Historic Dockyard Chatham

The Mill on the Floss is a 1997 BBC adaptation of the George Eliot classic of the same name which is about a young woman’s struggle for freedom and love in conventional Victorian society.

The story follows intelligent, free spirited Maggie Tulliver (Emily Watson), whose father forbids her to see her childhood friend Philip Wakem (James Frain) after his family takes away their beloved mill on the river Floss. What will Maggie do when torn by devotion to her family and her true love?

The adaption is written by Hugh Stoddart (To the Lighthouse, Remembrance, We Think the World of You), directed by Graham Theakston (The Politician’s Wife, The Bill, Sherlock) and starring Emily Watson (War Horse, Red Dragon, Everest), Cheryl Campbell (Doctor Foster, Chariots of Fire, Casualty), James Frain (TRON: Legacy, The Lone Ranger, The Tunnel), Bernard Hill (Wolf Hall, Titanic, The Scorpion King), Joanna David (You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger, The Soul Keeper, Cotton Mary) and Ifan Meredith (Warriors, Metroland, Titanic, The Grand).

The Mill on the Floss screenshot at The Historic Dockyard Chatham - a man on a horse and carriage with building behind him

The Mill on the Floss screenshot at The Historic Dockyard Chatham © BBC

The Mill on the Floss screenshot at The Historic Dockyard Chatham - a man walking along a street with a horse and carriage behind him

The Mill on the Floss screenshot at The Historic Dockyard Chatham © BBC

The row of period houses at The Historic Dockyard Chatham features in The Mill on the Floss as the exterior for Wakem Solicitor’s, with another area providing the exterior for Guest and Co.

The Historic Dockyard Chatham is a popular film location boasting over 100 buildings and 80 acres of filming space including Georgian and Victorian buildings, a submarine, dry dock, cobbled streets and industrial buildings. The Historic Dockyard Chatham has previously been used in productions such as Jekyll and Hyde (2015), Great Expectations (2012) and The World is Not Enough (1999).

The Mill on the Floss was shown on New Year’s Day 1997 and is now available on DVD.

 

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