Dreamland (2023)

Freema Agyeman as Trish and Lily Allen as Mel stand in a theme park in front of a brightly coloured ride. Agyeman wears a blue halter-neck top, gold necklace and gold hoop earrings. She has long braided hair pulled back into a ponytail with an orange scrunchie. Allen wears a pink t-shirt, gold necklace and small gold hoop earrings. She looks over at Agyeman, disgruntled.

Freema Agyeman and Lily Allen in Dreamland (2023) © Sky

Director: Ellie Heydon
Starring:
Lily Allen, Freema Agyeman, Aimee-Ffion Edwards, Gabby Best, Frances Barber, Kiell Smith-Bynoe
Production Company:
Merman
Kent Locations Used:
Margate, Dreamland Margate, Margate Winter Gardens, Westbrook Bay

Set in the seaside town of Margate, Dreamland (2023) follows Trish, who is expecting her third child and is desperate for a baby girl. Supported by younger sisters Clare and Leila, her mum and legend Nan, the family’s world is thrown upside down upon the return of sister Mel.

Based on Sharon Horgan’s (This Way Up (2021), Catastrophe (2019)) BAFTA-winning short film, the six-part series is directed by Ellie Heydon (Harlots (2017), The Colour of Spring) and stars Lily Allen as Mel, Freema Agyeman (Little Dorrit (2008), Doctor Who) as Trish, Aimee-Ffion Edwards (Peaky Blinders, Detectorists) as Leila, Gabby Best (Morgana Robinson’s Summer (2017), The Marijana Method) as Clare, Frances Barber (Mapp and Lucia (2014), Whitstable Pearl (2021-2022)) as their mother, and Kiell Smith-Bynoe (Ghosts, Stath Lets Flats) as Trish’s husband Spence.

The series is set in Margate, and production made use of many locations in the seaside town. Margate Main Sands and Tidal Pool feature in Episodes 1 & 2 and the King’s Steps feature in Episode 3. Margate Harbour Arm features in Episodes 2 & 3 in a dramatic scene between Mel and Spence. The exterior of Trish’s dream fixer-upper home was filmed on Dalby Road. Various other roads feature in the series, including Marine Terrace, Marine Drive, Ethelbert Road, Palm Bay Avenue, Northdown Road and Princess Margaret Avenue. Westbrook Bay features in Episode 1, and Margate Lido appears in both Episode 4 & 5.

Dalby Café in Margate appears in Episode 2, where Trish and Spence discuss buying a house together. The Old Kent Market features in Episode 3, Margate Winter Gardens in Episode 4, Cinque Ports Restaurant in Episode 5, and Sands Hotel in Episode 6.

In Episode 2, Mel and Trish take Trish’s children for a day out to Dreamland. The children ride on the Chairoplane, Helter Skelter, Dodgems and skate at the Roller Disco. The Hall of Mirrors is the site of a confrontation between Mel and Spence, and the Dreamland car park is where Leila crashes her car and meets London hipster Dom (Hugh Coles).

Margate is a seaside town complete with sandy beach, harbour, amusement park, period housing and ultra-modern art gallery Turner Contemporary. It is a very popular filming location, having been the setting for Sam Mendes’ ninth film Empire of Light (2023), as well as many others.

Considered to be the oldest-surviving amusement park in Great Britain, Dreamland dates back to the early 1860s and was revamped in 2017. The park has a Roller Room, vintage arcades, a fully restored Grade II listed Art Deco ballroom and beautiful rides dating from 1920 to the present day. Recent productions to have filmed at the park include Series 4 of Killing Eve (2018-2022), Series 2 of Whitstable Pearl (2021-2022) and Two Weeks to Live (2020).

The Margate Winter Gardens date all the way back to 1911, and the building itself is a fine example of Edwardian architecture. The building is currently closed to the public.

Dreamland (2023) launched on Sky Atlantic and NOWTV on Thursday 6th April 2023.

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


Treason (2022)

Charlie Cox stands against a white background. He wears a black suit, with a white shirt and black tie. To the right-hand side of the image, written in red text, is the word ‘Treason’. Overlayed over Cox’s body is an upside-down image of Big Ben in red, dripping paint.

Charlie Cox in Treason (2022) © Netflix

Director: Louise Hooper, Sarah O’Gorman
Starring:
Ciarán Hinds, Charlie Cox, Olga Kurylenko, Oona Chaplin
Production Company:
Binocular Productions, Borderline Productions, Bryncoed Productions, ITV Studios
Kent Locations Used:
Sessions House – Maidstone

Treason (2022) is a 5-part spy miniseries about MI6 agent Adam Lawrence whose career seemed set until Kara, a Russian Spy, wanders into his life. Adam must negotiate his complicated relationships with Kara and his wife Maddy, whilst all three try to expose each other’s secrets.

Directed by Louise Hooper (Flesh and Blood (2020), The Sandman) and Sarah O’Gorman (The Witcher, Cursed), Treason stars Ciarán Hinds (Above Suspicion (2010), Belfast), Charlie Cox (Legacy (2013), Daredevil), Olga Kurylenko (Oblivion, Quantum of Solace) and Oona Chaplin (The Crimson Field (2014), Game of Thrones).

Production visited Maidstone to film the exterior of local government office building Sessions House, which doubled as a Westminster building in Episode 4.

Sessions House is a Grade II listed office building complete with council chambers, lecture theatre and a grand staircase. It is situated in Maidstone, the county town of Kent. The building also features in Rustom (2016), doubling as The Ritz.

Treason will be released on Netflix on Monday 26th December 2022.

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


Pistol (2022)

Anson Boon as Johnny Rotten, Louis Partridge as Sid Vicious, Toby Wallace as Steve Jones, and Jacob Slater as Paul Cook stand in front of a tour bus with ‘Sex Pistols’ graffitied on the side. Boon wears a blue plaid suit with a red and white striped top and red Doc Martens. Partridge wears black skinny jeans and a black leather jacket open over his bare chest. Wallace wears navy jeans, a black leather jacket, grey ‘Sex Pistols’ t-shirt and a black cowboy hat. Slater wears blue jeans, a white and red ‘Sex Pistols’ t-shirt and a black leather jacket with a fur lining.

Anson Boon, Louis Partridge, Toby Wallace and Jacob Slater in Pistol © Rebecca Brenneman / FX

Director: Danny Boyle
Starring: Anson Boon, Jacob Slater, Toby Wallace, Christian Lees, Louis Partridge, Emma Appleton, Maisie Williams 
Production Company: FX Network
Kent Locations Used: Dover, Folkestone, Sandgate, Deal

Pistol (2022) is a US produced six-part TV series based on the memoir of Steve Jones, the legendary Sex Pistols guitarist who helped usher in a punk revolution in Britain. Pistol was created by Craig Pearce (Moulin Rouge!, Will) and directed by Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire, Yesterday) who also exec produces.

The series stars Anson Boon (Shadowplay, 1917) as Johnny Rotten, Louis Partridge (Enola Holmes 2 (2022), Medici) as Sid Vicious, Toby Wallace (The Society, Romper Stomper) as Steve Jones, Jacob Slater as Paul Cook and Christian Lees (The Phantom of the Open (2021), Speechless) as Glen Matlock. Emma Appleton (The Witcher (2023), The End of the F***ing World (2017)) stars as Nancy Spungen, while Maisie Williams (Two Weeks to Live (2020), Game of Thrones) stars as Jordan.

During filming, production visited Kent to film in Dover, Folkestone, Sandgate and Deal. The exterior of FOLCA (former Debenhams store) appears at the end of Episode 1, when Steve Jones suffers stagefright at his first gig.  In Episode 4, The Grand in Folkestone doubles as the exterior of a Whitby Hotel, whilst the interior of The Grand Burstin Hotel appears as the Victorian ballroom in which the Pistols perform to a crowd of two people. Folkestone Railway Social Club also features in this episode, doubling as the exterior of a pub in Barnsley. Various roads around Folkestone were also filmed for driving scenes. Sunny Sands beach also features as Whitby Beach.

Filming in Sandgate village took place at Riviera Car Sales, which was dressed as the 1970s, Sandgate High Street and Undercliff. These locations can be spotted in Episode 4, as the band tour around the North of England.

In Dover, filming took place at Kings Hall and various nearby streets, as well as Dover seafront and Marine Parade. Marine Parade appears in the opening of Episode 2, as Jordan (Maisie Williams) cycles along the seafront in a see-through t-shirt, whilst the exterior of Kings Hall appears in Episode 4 as the Pistols leave a gig in Doncaster and a huge fight breaks out. Nearby, The Citadel was filmed as a stand in for HM Remand Centre in Ashford, where Steve Jones is imprisoned in Episode 1, and as HMP Chelmsford in Episode 3, where the Pistols perform to a crowd of prisoners.

In Deal the beach and Channel View B&B were used for various scenes in Episode 4. The exterior of the Royal Amusement Arcade appears in the final shot of the series, as the Pistols perform a Christmas gig at Ivanhoes in Huddersfield. A variety of other street scenes were shot in Deal, but unfortunately these didn’t make the final cut!

Folkestone is a seaside town with an elegant cliff top promenade, a coastal park, fishing harbour and Victorian cliff-top lifts. Previous productions which were based here include Back to Life (2019-2021), The Fight (2019) and The Tunnel: Sabotage (2016).

Sandgate village is in the Folkestone & Hythe district of Kent and features Martello towers, various boating clubs, antiques shops and a lift platform office that used to run in the Victorian times up Sandgate Hill to The Leas.

Dover is a popular filming location which also boasts the historic Dover Castle and the famous White Cliffs of Dover. Dover has featured in After Love (2021), The Rook – Series 1 (2019) and Missing (2009-2010). The Citadel, located on Dover’s Western Heights was constructed in the late 1700’s as a port of defence during the Napoleonic war. Most recently it has been used as a borstal, prison, and immigration detention centre up until its closure in 2015. It is now becoming popular as a filming location and has welcomed several productions over the past year, including Whitstable Pearl (2021-2022) and various others soon to broadcast.

The coastal town of Deal has a long naval history and is one of the major cinque ports along the south coast. The Pier is a significant local landmark and public amenity offering excellent views of the town. It is internationally recognised as an angling venue.

East Kent is home to spectacular coastal landscapes and historic towns and boasts excellent transport links to London and Western Europe. East Kent has been used for filming several recent hit TV productions such as Baptiste (2019)Next of Kin (2018) and The Tunnel: Vengeance (2017).

Pistol was released on Disney+ on Tuesday 31st May 2022.

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


A Very British Scandal (2021)

Claire Foy, as the Duchess of Argyll, stands in the centre of the frame looking directly at the camera. Behind her is a grey-brick building. On her left, right and at the bottom of the frame stand three photographers, pointing large old-fashioned cameras directly at her. Foy has dark brown slicked-back hair and blue eyes. She wears a purple blazer with matching hat and thin veil over her face, a grey fur coat held around her midriff, light grey gloves, a pearl necklace, bracelet and earrings, and a dark grey clutch bag. She also wears bright red lipstick.

Claire Foy in A Very British Scandal © BBC

Writer: Sarah Phelps
Director: Anne Sewitsky
Starring: Paul Bettany, Claire Foy, Jonathan Aris
Production Company: Amazon Studios, Blueprint Pictures
Kent Locations Used: Kent & East Sussex Railway

A Very British Scandal (2021) depicts the story of events surrounding the notorious divorce of the Duke and Duchess of Argyll during the 1960s.

Claire Foy (The Crown Series 1 – 4 (2016-2023), Wolf Hall (2015)) stars as Margaret, Duchess of Argyll while Paul Bettany (Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), WandaVision) stars as Ian Campbell, Duke of Argyll. The three part miniseries also features Jonathan Aris (Grantchester, The End of the F***ing World (2017)), was written by
Sarah Phelps (The Pale Horse, The White Princess) and directed by Anne Sewitsky (Monsterland, Black Mirror).

Production visited Tenterden’s Kent & East Sussex Railway to film the opening scene where Margaret and Ian Campbell meet for the first time on The Golden Arrow Boat Train from Paris.

The Kent & East Sussex Railway is a ten and a half mile rural railway from Tenterden to East Sussex. The Kent and East Sussex Railway has provided location services for a variety of film and television productions over the years including Richard E. Grant on Ealing Comedies (2016) and the opening shot of Downton Abbey (2010-2013) series one, episode one when a steam train travels through the countryside. A more recent production to film on the railway is Paul O’Grady Great British Escapes.

A Very British Scandal began airing on Sunday 26th December 2021 on BBC One and all episodes are available to watch on iPlayer.

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


Landscapers (2021)

Olivia Colman, as Susan Edwards, sits in a bed with an iron headboard. She is leaning on two frilly pillows and is wearing a blue shirt and cardigan. Reflected on the wall behind her is an image of a cowboy in a black hat.

Olivia Colman as Susan Edwards in Landscapers © Sky

Director: Will Sharpe
Starring: Olivia Colman, David Thewlis, Kate O’Flynn, Dipo Ola, Samuel Anderson, Felicity Montagu, Daniel Rigby
Production Company: Sister Productions
Kent Locations Used: Laredo Western Town in Dartford

Landscapers (2021) is a true-crime drama inspired by real events, which documents the unique transformation of a mild-mannered English couple into cold-blooded killers.

The four-part mini-series was created and written by Ed Sinclair (Screenshot) and directed by Will Sharpe (Flowers, The Electrical Life of Louis Wain (2022)).  Olivia Colman (The Crown (2016-2023), The Favourite (2019)) stars as Susan Edwards with David Thewlis (Wonder Woman (2017), Fargo) playing her husband, Christopher. Colman and Thewlis are joined by Kate O’Flynn (Bridget Jones’s Baby) as DC Emma Lancing, Dipo Ola (We Hunt Together) as Douglas Hylton, Susan’s solicitor, Samuel Anderson (Another Life) as DC Paul Wilkie, Felicity Montagu (This Time with Alan Partridge Season 2 (2021)) as Patricia Wycherley, Susan’s mother and Daniel Rigby (The Electrical Life of Louis Wain (2022)) as DCI Geoff Collier.

David Thewlis, as Christopher Edwards, stands under a sheltered bus stop. He stands directly in the middle of the frame, looking off to the right. The bus stop is lit with a blue and green hue, and above the roof are the words ‘Victoria Coach Station’ in blue. On the left side of the bus stop sits a man wearing a black mask covering his face. He also wears a mauve polo shirt, a windbreaker jacket, suit trousers and black shoes. Christopher has short receding hair, and wears a grey windbreaker jacket zipped almost to the top, with a patterned jumper underneath, grey suit trousers, black shoes and wire-rimmed glasses.

David Thewlis in Landscapers © Sky

During filming, production visited Kent to film at Laredo Western Town in Longfield near Dartford. The production filmed a dream sequence where Susan Edwards reimagines the events surrounding the murder of her parents and her subsequent arrest.

Laredo Western Town is situated just twenty miles from London. The town represents the American Wild West as it would have been in 1865 to 1889 featuring 24 buildings including a two-story Hotel with Saloon Bar, Marshals Office, working Blacksmiths, Livery Stables, Bank and many more. All the interiors are fully furnished and decorated to the period. Previous productions to film here include Finding Neverland (2004) and Blood Moon (2014).

Dartford is a historic market town with a rich industrial heritage and boasts Bluewater, one of the largest shopping centres in Europe. Recent productions to film here include Gangs of London (2020-2022) and The Corrupted (2019).

 Landscapers was released on Sky Atlantic and NowTV on Tuesday 7th December 2021.

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


Queens of Mystery (2020-2021)

Cast Julie Graham, Siobhan Redmond, and Sarah Woodward standing by a table full of books outside a church with bunting in the background.

Queens of Mystery (2019) © Sly Fox Productions

Directors: Ian Emes, Theresa Varga, Jamie Magnus Stone
Starring: Julie Graham, Siobhan Redmond, Sarah Woodward and Olivia Vinall (Series 1), Florence Hall (Series 2)
Production Company: Sly Fox Productions Limited
Kent Locations Used: Farningham, Cranbrook, Smarden, Lympne Castle, Woodchurch Windmill

Queens of Mystery (2020-2021) follows the adventures of detective Matilda Stone (Olivia Vinall – Series 1; Florence Hall – Series 2) and her three crime writing aunts Cat Stone (Julie Graham), Jane Stone (Siobhan Redmond), and Beth Stone (Sarah Woodward) as they attempt to solve crimes in the picturesque English village of Wildemarsh.

Created and written by Julian Unthank (Doc Martin, New Tricks), with Mathew Thomas (Marcella (2016)The Chameleon) writing four episodes, each series consists of three murder mysteries told in six episodes.

The principal cast includes Julie Graham (SurvivorsShetland), Siobhan Redmond (The Smoking RoomCaptives) and Sarah Woodward (The Merry Wives of Windsor) with Florence Hall (The Princess Switch: Switched Again, The Princess Switch 3: Romancing the Star) joining in Series 2 to take over from Olivia Vinall (The Woman in White, Where Hands Touch). Other regulars include Martin Trenaman (The Inbetweeners Movie, PhoneShop), Andrew Leung (Cruella, Lilting), Michael Elcock (The Grey Tarmac Road) and Rebecca Grant (Holby City, Showtrial). Juliet Stevenson (Bend it Like Beckham, Truly Madly Deeply) was Emmy-nominated as a narrator in Series 1 and reprises the role for Series 2.

Queens of Mystery‘s impressive guest cast have included Josette Simon (Wonder Woman (2017), The Witches), Nancy Carroll (The Crown (2016-2023), Stephen), Mark Heap (Friday Night Dinner, Stardust), Danny Webb (Humans (2016), Liar (2017-2020)), Michelle Collins (EastEnders, Death in Paradise), Omid Djalili (His Dark Materials, Lucky Man), Emma McDonald, Charlie Maher (The Titans That Built America, Black Narcissus), Rufus Hound (Trollied, Zapped), Sarah Hadland (Miranda, Horrible Histories (2019-2023)), Sara Stewart (Batman Begins, Doctor Foster) and Colin McFarlane (Outlander, Little Princess).

Behind the scenes photo from the set of Series 2 of Queens of Mystery. A man stands in the background of the photo wearing a police uniform and cap. In the foreground are the hands of someone from the crew holding a clapperboard open.

Behind the scenes of Series 2 of Queens of Mystery (2021) © Sly Fox Productions

Series 2 sees lead director Ian Emes return to direct two of the three murder mysteries, with Theresa Varga (Secret Life of Boys, Hetty Feather (2015-2020)) directing the middle block. Both series’ make use of multiple filming locations in Kent.

Production visited several locations in Farningham for the hero village of Wildemarsh. Beth’s cottage, which features throughout Series 1 and 2, was filmed on the Mill Estate. In Series 2, the exterior of the doctor’s surgery as well as of Victoria Durrell’s (Selina Griffiths) and Henry Wade’s (Aki Omoshaybi) houses and Rachel’s Papers shop were also filmed on the Mill Estate. Wadard Books on the High Street doubles as the Murder Ink bookshop and Jane’s house. Farningham Village Store also features as Wildemarsh Village store and the entrance to The Corn Exchange Theatre in Series 1. Farningham has previously been used as a filming location for Flesh and Blood (2020).

Production used Lympne Castle as Hiddledean Castle in the Series 1 episode entitled Murder in The Dark. Lympne Castle is an unspoiled 13th century Manor in the Folkestone & Hythe district of Kent that boasts stunning views of the Romney Marsh. It has previously been used as a filming location for The Honourable Woman (2014) and Great Expectations (2012).

In the Death By Vinyl episode in Series 1, Stoneydale craft shop in Cranbrook was converted into the The Sound and Fury record shop in Wildemarsh. Cranbrook also features as the High Street throughout both series. In the Series 2 episode Sparring with Death, Part 1, St Dunstan’s Church and graveyard in Cranbrook feature when Matilda and Beth visit the grave of Beth’s husband.

St Michael’s Churchyard in Smarden was used as the Wildemarsh churchyard, and a private residence in Water Lane featured as the village’s Embittered Hack Pub in Series 1. Productions that previously filmed in Smarden include The Mirror Crack’d (1980).

Woodchurch Windmill in Ashford features as the exterior of Wildemarsh Windmill throughout both series. The view from the mill to the village below also features throughout.

Series 1 launched on 29th April 2020 on Acorn TV and can be found here.

Series 2 of Queens of Mystery was released on AcornTV on Monday 29th November 2021.

Lead actress Florence Hall sits at a wooden desk in a bedroom with lime green walls. She has a platinum blonde bob haircut, and wears a blue shirt with black and grey flowers printed on it. On the desk are multiple files stacked on top of one another, and she holds a sheet of paper in her hand. She looks off to the right hand side of the frame, and on the left hand side a TV camera is pointed at her.

Behind the scenes of Queens of Mystery Series 2 (2021) ©Sly Fox Productions

 

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


Sex Education Series 3 (2021)

Three actors pose in character outside a school. The background shows a building to the left and some trees. The two actors left and centre are dressed in colourful clothing and the actor on the right wears black and grey.

Sex Education Series 3 (2021) – Aimee Lou Wood, Emma Mackey and Chris Jenks in Episode 1 © Netflix

Writer: Laurie Nunn
Director: Ben Taylor
Starring: Asa Butterfield, Gillian Anderson, Ncuti Gatwa
Production Company: Eleven
Kent Locations Used: Shorncliffe Military Cemetery,  The Hawthorne Trench, Folkestone Harbour Arm

Sex Education (2021) is a TV comedy series about teenage boy Otis Milburn (Asa Butterfield (MerlinAshes to Ashes) with a sex therapist mother (Gillian Anderson (The Crown Series 1 – 6 (2016-2022), The Great (2020-2023)), who teams up with high school classmate Eric Effiong (Ncuti Gatwa (Stonemouth, Bob Servant)) to set up an underground sex therapy clinic at school.

Produced by Eleven for Netflix, the series was written by Laurie Nunn (Pregnant PauseRadiance) and directed by Ben Taylor (Year of the Rabbit (2019), Cockroaches). Series 3 starts with a slightly more grown up, sassier Otis. He is joined by three new characters; Jemima Kirke (Maniac, Girls) playing new headmistress Hope, Jason Isaacs (Harry Potter series, The Patriot) playing Peter Groff and songwriter Dua Saleh, in their acting debut as Cal, a nonbinary student.

During filming, production visited Shorncliffe Military Cemetery in Sandgate which doubles as a WWII cemetery in France in Episode 5, and The Hawthorne Trench near Canterbury which doubles as a WWII trench experience in France in the same episode. Production also visited the Harbour Arm in Folkestone Harbour to film a scene for Episode 7 with Maeve (Emma Mackey) and Aimee (Aimee Lou Wood) reuniting with Maeve’s younger sister. Sandgate is a village in the Folkestone and Hythe district of Kent, it has a pebble beach, two castles and Martello Towers. A recent TV drama filmed in the area which is due to air in 2022.

Hawthorne Trench, located in Elham near Canterbury, is an area of recreated World War One trench systems which totals over 250 metres. Currently the Trench consists of an Officers’ dugout, regimental aid posts, cookhouses, railway systems, latrines as well as front and second line which is connected by communication trenches. The trench is located on a 25-acre field with nearby woodland which can also be used for filming.

Folkestone is a seaside town with an elegant clifftop promenade, a coastal park, fishing harbour and Victorian cliff-top lifts. Folkestone Harbour is a popular filming location, recent TV dramas to film here include Back to Life Series 1-2 (2019-2021) and Pistol (2022).

Series 3 of Sex Education was released on Netflix on Friday 17th September 2021.

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


The Cleaner (2021)

Greg Davies as Paul ‘Wicky’ Wickstead is stood in a kitchen wearing white overalls and blue gloves and has a face mask around his neck. He has grey hair and a moustache and beard. Behind him is a fridge covered in blood.

The Cleaner (2021) © BBC / Studio Hamburg UK / Jonathan Browning

Director: Alex Winckler
Writer: Greg Davies
Starring: Greg Davies, Helena Bonham Carter, David Mitchell, Stephanie Cole, Layton Williams, Jo Hartley
Production Company: Studio Hamburg UK
Kent Locations Used: Private residences in Sevenoaks, Tunbridge Wells and Maidstone, Showfields Hall Community Centre

The Cleaner (2021) is a BBC sitcom that tells the story of Paul ‘Wicky’ Wickstead, a state-certified cleaning technician, who is responsible for the removal of any signs of death from crime scenes. When carrying out his duties, he stumbles across the strangest of people: from the victim’s relatives, employers, neighbours, and acquaintances, to occasionally even the murderers themselves. And because he’s a sociable type, he sometimes gossips more than he cleans.

The six-part series was directed by Alex Winckler (My Mad Fat Diary, Traitors). Greg Davies (Cuckoo, Man Down) wrote the series and plays the lead role. Each episode features a different co-star; Helena Bonham Carter (The Crown Series 1 – 6 (2016-2022), The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance) in Episode 1, David Mitchell (Peep Show, That Mitchell & Webb Look) in Episode 2, Stephanie Cole (Gentleman Jack, Doc Martin) in Episode 4, Layton Williams (Bad Education, Beautiful People) in Episode 5, and Jo Hartley (After Life, Eddie the Eagle) in Episode 6.

During filming, production visited several private residences in the Sevenoaks, Tunbridge Wells and Maidstone districts, and built a green screen set at Showfields Hall Community Centre in Tunbridge Wells. Each episode of the series focuses on a different crime scene, and Kent residences are the main locations for all but Episode 3.

The town of Sevenoaks boasts a varied landscape with acres of beautiful countryside, stately homes and castles as well as a thriving town centre. It is most known for being home to one of the oldest cricket grounds in the country – The Vine Cricket Ground. Previous productions to have filmed in the town of Sevenoaks include The Larkins (2021-2022), Making Noise Quietly (2019) and Parade’s End (2012).

Royal Tunbridge Wells is known for its Georgian and Victorian architecture, a shopping centre, bars, restaurants, and live music scene. Previous productions to visit the area include Catastrophe Series 4 (2019) and Queens of Mystery (2020-2021).

As the county town of Kent, Maidstone plays an important part in Kent’s history. The River Medway runs though the town centre linking it with other towns such as Rochester and Chatham. The Borough of Maidstone is a popular town for filming, previous productions include This Time With Alan Partridge – Season 2 (2021) and Hetty Feather Series 1 – 6 (2015 – 2020).

Episode 1 of The Cleaner aired on BBC One on Friday 10th September at 9.30pm. The full series was made available on BBC iPlayer on the same date.

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


This Way Up Series 2 (2021)

The image is an overhead view of Aisling Bea as Aine lying on an unmade bed. She is wearing a stripey purple, grey and yellow top, grey hairband and red and black pyjama bottoms. She is holding a phone and on the bed is a messy pile of paperwork, a laptop and other small items.

This Way Up Series 2 , Episode 1, Aine (Aisling Bea) © Channel 4 | Rekha Garton

Writer: Aisling Bea
Director: Alex Winckler
Starring: Aisling Bea, Sharon Horgan, Tobias Menzies
Production Company: Merman
Kent Locations Used: Tunbridge Wells

This Way Up (2021) is a TV comedy that follows Aine (Aisling Bea (Quiz, Living with Yourself)), as she recovers from a teeny little nervous breakdown. Sisters Aine and Shona (Sharon Horgan (Catastrophe, Women on the Verge)) share an unshakeable bond and Aisling Bea, who is the show’s creator, describes their relationship as “passionate, caring, often-angry, always-hilarious. In the darkest moments, when faced with overwhelming loneliness and sadness, the two sisters will always save each other and bring each other back into the light.” Series 2 follows Aine as she is starting to leave her time in rehab behind and live less cautiously, which may not be entirely wise.

Created by Aisling Bea, Series 2 was directed by Alex Winckler (My Mad Fat Diary, Traitors) and stars Aisling Bea as lead character Aine, with Sharon Horgan playing her older sister. Aine’s love interest, Richard, is played by Tobias Menzies (The Crown (2016-2022), The Terror).

During filming, production visited Tunbridge Wells where they filmed in a private house in Speldhurst for several days as the location of Shona’s house.

Tunbridge Wells is in West Kent and is officially known as Royal Tunbridge Wells due to King Edward VII commemorating the town owing to his mother Queen Victoria’s love for the area. It is home to a host of historic buildings, specialist shops and a busy town centre. Previous productions to have filmed there include Rupert, Rupert and Rupert (2019) and Catastrophe (2018).

Series 2 of This Way Up will air on Channel 4 from Wednesday 14th July 2021.

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


Pennyworth Series 1 – 2 (2019 – 2021)

Alfred Pennyworth points a gun on this poster image with a montage of characters in the background. Red backdrop with faint image of castle in the background

Pennyworth (2019–2021 ) ©IMDb

Creator / Writer: Bruno Heller
Directors: Danny Cannon, Rob Bailey, Bill Eagles, Jon East, Clare Kilner, China Moo-Young
Starring: Jack Bannon, Ben Aldridge, Hainsley Lloyd Bennett, Paloma Faith
Production Company: Warner Bros
Kent Locations Used: The Historic Dockyard Chatham

Pennyworth (2019-2021) tells the origin story of Alfred Pennyworth a former special‑forces soldier living in London in the 1960s and how he came to work for Bruce Wayne’s father, Thomas Wayne.

This TV series for Starzplay was created by Bruno Heller and co-written by Bill Finger, Bob Kane, Danny Cannon and Seth Sinclair. Pennyworth was directed by a collaboration of directors Danny Cannon, Rob Bailey, Bill Eagles, Jon East, Clare Kilner and China Moo-Young.

Jack Bannon (The Imitation GameFury, Endeavour) stars as Alfred Pennyworth with co-star Ben Aldridge (Our GirlFleabagToast) playing Thomas Wayne. Pennyworth also stars Hainsley Lloyd Bennett (King of Crime, Catastrophe), Ryan Fletcher (Beats, Outlander) and singer songwriter Paloma Faith (Peter & WendyDoctor Parnassus).

During Series One production visited The Historic Chatham Dockyard for filming where exterior scenes were shot around the Ropery, including a chase scene on the roof, Old Pay Office, Admiral’s Office and Anchor Wharf to stand in as 1960s London.

During Series Two production visited former MOD site Lodge Hill in Rochester, Medway to shoot some scenes.

Chatham is home to one of Kent’s most popular film locations The Historic Dockyard Chatham. The Medway area has previously been seen on screen in The Third Day (2020), Great British Railway Journeys Series 11 (2020) and Call the Midwife Series 1 – 13 (2012 – 2024).

The Historic Chatham Dockyard is a historic tourist attraction on the site of a former Royal Naval Dockyard and has been the location for several recent productions set in the 1950s and 1960s including Call the Midwife (2012-2024) and The Crown (2016-2023). Lodge Hill in Rochester is a huge former MOD site of around 350 hectares offering numerous large warehouses, hard standing for set builds, two lakes, a helicopter landing area and miles of country roads and dirt tracks for driving sequences.

Pennyworth Series One was released on Starzplay on 25th October 2019.

Series Two was released on Sunday 28th February 2021.

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