SS-GB (2017)

Detective Superintendent Douglas Archer staring at the camera with barbed wire behind him on a red background

Detective Superintendent Douglas Archer (SAM RILEY) © Sid Gentle Films

Writers: Robert Wade and Neal Purvis

Starring: Sam Riley, Kate Bosworth, Aneurin Barnard, Rainer Bock, Jonathan Cass, James Cosmo, Maeve Dermody, Lars Eidinger, Kit Connor and James Northcote

Production Company: Sid Gentle Films, BBC

Kent locations used: The Historic Dockyards Chatham

Set in the 1940s, in an alternate world where the Germans won the Battle of Britain, BBC’s new five part series SS-GB follows Scotland Yard detective Douglas Archer (Sam Riley), who is investigating a murder in German-occupied England. The gripping new drama is an adaptation of Len Deighton’s 1978 novel and will be split into five parts.

Writers Robert Wade and Neal Purvis both studied Film and Photographic Arts at the University of Kent. Since then they have forged a successful career writing screenplays together, with their first success being the controversial drama Let Him Have It (1991). Both writers have also co-written five James Bond films, including Quantum of Solace (2008) and Skyfall (2012), which was the UK’s highest grossing movie!

Archer (Sam Riley) and Harry Woods (James Cosmo) standing in an office room

Episode 1 Detective Superintendent Douglas Archer (SAM RILEY), Harry Woods (JAMES COSMO) © Sid Gentle Films

SS-GB brings together a fantastic cast including, Sam Riley (Maleficent, Control), Kate Bosworth (Still Alice, Superman Returns), Aneurin Barnard (Citadel, The Truth About Emanuel), Rainer Bock (War Horse, Inglorious Basterds and Unknown), Jonathan Cass (Transformers: The Last Knight, Kingsman: The Golden Circle), James Cosmo (Braveheart and Troy), Maeve Dermody (Black Water, Marcella), Lars Eidinger (Clouds of Sils Maria, Everyone Else), Kit Connor (Get Santa, Mr Holmes) and James Northcote (The Imitation Game).

Exterior street scenes were shot at The Ropery and Anchor Wharf and also around the church and South Stables. The Tarred Yarn store was featured as a mortuary and there was also a small scene in The Commissioners House garden.

Set over 80 acres with more than 100 Victorian and Georgian buildings, The Historic Dockyard Chatham is one of Kent’s most popular film locations and has previously been used for the BBC TV series Call The Midwife (2012-present), The Crown (2016) and most recently The Halcyon (2017).

SS-GB premiers on Sunday 19th February 2017 at 21:00pm on BBC One

 

 

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


Foyle’s War – A War of Nerves (2004)

Series 3 Foyle's War DVD Cover- Three cast member staring at the camera with an old vehicle behind. Foyle's War the complete third series written in white on top

Series 3 Foyle’s War DVD Cover © ITV

Directed by: Gavin Millar

Starring: Michael Kitchen, Honeysuckle Weeks, Julien Ovenden, Anthony Howell, Peter Capaldi, Sam Oatley Eamon Geoghegan, Corin Redgrave, Valerie Edmond

Production Company: Greenlit Productions ,Paddock Productions

Kent locations used: The Historic Chatham Dockyard

Foyle’s War is a World War Two detective drama set in the 1940sand follows Detective Chief Superintendent Foyle (Michael Kitchen) and Sergeant Paul Milner (Anthony Howell) on various criminal investigations, assisted by his driver Samantha Stewart (Honeysuckle Weeks).

Episode 4 of series 3, A War of Nerves, focuses on the issue of missing supplies, leading Detective Chief Superintendent Foyle to question the owners of a local shipping yard.  However, when a bomb disposal unit descends on the yard to deal with an unexploded bomb, three officers make a surprising discovery. When an officer is murdered, Detective Chief Superintendent Foyle realises that there is more to the case than missing supplies.

This series stars regulars Michael Kitchen (Goldeneye, The World Is Not Enough), Honeysuckle Weeks (My Brother Tom, The Wicker Tree), Julien Ovenden (The Allies, The Royal) and Anthony Howell (Wives and Daughters) alongside guest appearances in A War of Nerves from Sam Oatley (War Hero, Honeymoon), Peter Capaldi (Dr Who, World War Z), Eamon Geoghegan (V for Vendetta, The Box), Corin Redgrave (The Calling, Four Weddings and a Funeral) and Valerie Edmond (Made of Honour, Kavanagh QC)

The Historic Chatham Dockyard provided the perfect location for the shipyard in ‘A War of Nerves’, featuring both HMS Ocelot and HMS Cavalier. The Historic Chatham Dockyard has been used in other television productions such as Dom Hemingway (2013), Call the Midwife (2012-2013) and Oliver Twist (2007).

The third series was aired on ITV in October 2004, and all seven series are now available to buy on DVD.

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