Bristol Film Office, Author at Bristol Creative Industries

The third and final term of comedy-drama Boarders is now available to watch on BBC iPlayer, drawing to a close the Bristol-made coming-of-age hit, which has filmed at The Bottle Yard Studios and on location with Bristol Film Office support since 2023.

Created and written by the BAFTA-nominated Daniel Lawrence Taylor, who also co-stars in the series as Gus, Boarders is produced by Studio Lambert in association with All3Media International for the BBC. Tubi in North America and LATAM and Germany in ZDF are the shows key international partners.

Series one filmed in Bristol in Summer 2023 and following the success of its release the following year – with critics praising its sharp humour, engaging performances, relatability and heartfelt exploration of institutional racism and class – its producers returned to Bristol to film two further series in Summer 2024 and 2025.

The show’s second series won the coveted Scripted Award at the 2025 RTS West of England Awards, whilst Josh Tedeku won the prestigious Breakthrough Award at the 2025 RTS Programme Awards. Casting director Rosalie Clayton also won the Casting Award at the 2024 RTS Craft & Design Awards.

For Series three, The Bottle Yard Studios hosted interior sets for a key school equipment room (which two characters get locked inside), as well as green screen filming and an exterior scene shot in the Studios’ Back Lot.

In the city, the main location was the same Bristol school that featured in previous series, and Bristol Film Office assisted filming on Clifton’s streets and additional locations including Caribbean Croft restaurant in Stokes Croft, Portland Square in St Paul’s, UWE’s Frenchay campus, a private residence in Coombe Dingle, Redmaid High School’s Sports Ground in Henbury and Ashton Court Estate.

Madeleine Sinclair, Studio Lambert Creative Director for Scripted and Executive Producer for Boarders said: “We’ve had a brilliant experience filming in Bristol over the last three years. It’s proved to be both a fantastic base for cast and crew and a wonderfully film-friendly city. Bristol Film Office were hugely helpful and supportive when it came to filming in and around Bristol.

“With The Bottle Yard Studios, we once again had a great base for our production offices during prep and space for interior sets, green screen filming and exterior locations. We feel very lucky that we’ve been able to work with so many talented local crew members, at all levels of experience and to be able to have offered training opportunities where we can. We’ll miss coming to Bristol this summer, but we hope to be back soon!”

Location Manager Cara Wiltshire added: “From a location’s perspective, returning to Bristol for Boarders S3 was a fantastic experience. With The Bottle Yard Studios as our production base, we were able to efficiently coordinate filming across a wide range of locations throughout the city, making the most of the incredible variety Bristol has to offer on screen.

“Working in Bristol is always enjoyable, and the support from both the Studios team and the Bristol Film Office makes a real difference on the ground. Their understanding of the practical needs of production, combined with their proactive and collaborative approach, helps ensure that filming across the city runs smoothly. The people leading both organisations are a genuine pleasure to work with, and their ongoing support makes Bristol a great place for location teams and productions alike.”

Similar to previous series, around 90 people per day worked on the third series, with over 70% of the crew local to the region. The production team again hosted trainees across different departments and was actively engaged with the All Set West programme at The Bottle Yard Studios. This included offering placements to two Trainees in two departments and providing work experience opportunities for five people in the Art Department.

21-year-old Trainee Jae (they/them) from South Glos, who completed their first on‑set experience, said: “Everyone was so lovely and welcoming and I had a blast! It solidified that I want to go down the Art Department route.” Sophie Kirk, a previous All Set West Alumni, also joined the crew as Art Department Assistant via the Screenskills Trainee Programme.

There were a number of other work experience participants from local colleges who experienced week-long placements during the shoot. Bristol company Latent Pictures, which works with underrepresented filmmakers, once again produced ‘behind the scenes’ footage for the series, after working with Studio Lambert on the previous two series.

Adela Straughan, Bristol Film Office Manager, added: “From the moment Boarders arrived in Bristol, seeking the perfect school location, they have showed exemplary engagement in our local film sector. The whole premise of the show is about access to opportunity, and the production team has championed this on both sides of the camera, putting inclusion and diversity at the heart of their creative and production processes. We’re proud that Boarders came to Bristol and made the most of our city’s locations. Its presence here has been a significant boost for our creative economy, workforce and early-stage crew.”

Katherine Nash, Head of Studios, The Bottle Yard Studios said: “Returning series like Boarders are so important for our regional film sector. They provide returning employment and workflow for crew and companies, and career development and progression for freelancers. In the studio and on location, Studio Lambert have embraced the opportunity to engage locally on every level, giving opportunities to our All Set West Trainees and employing local creatives and companies for different parts of their workflow. We are sad to see the Boarders era come to an end with this final series but hope to welcome Studio Lambert back to The Bottle Yard in the future for more exciting work.”

Series 3 sees the Boarders return to St Gilbert’s where the pressure is on. They’ve made it to the final term and exams are looming. Their sights are set on big futures but new dramas are erupting everywhere. A shocking school rivalry brings violence, love triangles and shattered friendships. Can the scholarship kids conquer the madness to come out on top?

The final series introduces a host of new characters to St Gilbert’s, played by an exciting line-up of talent. New cast members include: Rufus Jones (Rivals) as Cheddar’s MP father George Tramley; Patrick Baladi (Breeders) who joins as Carol’s ex Alfie Watlington-Geese; comedian Fatiha El-Ghorri (Taskmaster) as Mrs El-Fassi a formidable rival headmistress; Kenyah Sandy (Small Axe, Highway to the Moon) stars as Leah’s new love interest Benjamin; Daisy Jacob (Tell Me Everything) plays Pixie, a new girl who quickly catches Femi’s attention; Louis Thresher (Coven Academy) appears as Jonny, Omar’s new friend who wants to be more than just friends and Nagaieh Dad joins as Yusef, an unpredictable agent of chaos who pulls Abby into his orbit.

Boarders is created by the BAFTA-nominated Daniel Lawrence Taylor, who serves as lead writer with Cherish Shirley, Temi Wilkey, Alex Straker, Emma Dennis-Edwards and Yemi Oyefuwa writing additional episodes. Boarders is produced by Studio Lambert in association with All3Media International. It is directed by Yero Timi-Biu (Three Little Birds) and Satya Bhabha (Big Door Prize, Gossip Girl, Love Life) with Ali MacPhail returning as the producer and Carleen Beadle-Larcombe as line producer. Mykaell Riley also returns as musical director. The executive producers are Daniel Lawrence Taylor and Madeleine Sinclair for Studio Lambert, and Nawfal Faizullah and Katherine Bond for the BBC.

Returning cast from series two also include Niky Wardley (Carol), Assa Kanouté (Abby), Tallulah Greive(Beatrix), Rosie Graham (Florence), Georgina Sadler (Mabel), Kendra Brown (Devonyé), Zheng Xi Yong (Xiang), Archie Fisher (Cheddar), Andrew Harmon-Gray (Graham), Ruxandra Porojnicu (Yelena), Maxim Ays (Felix), Al Foran (Stanley), William Andrews (Mackers) and Yuriri Naka (Ms Kaneko).

New psychological detective drama Gone starring Eve Myles and David Morrissey is now available to watch on ITV and ITVX, after filming in and around Bristol last year.

Set in Bristol, Gone is written by acclaimed screenwriter George Kay (The Long Shadow, Hijack, Lupin) and directed by Richard Laxton (Mrs Wilson, Burton and Taylor, The Thief, His Wife and the Canoe, Joan).

The fictional six-part series is partly inspired by the book “To Hunt a Killer” and the career and work of respected former Detective Superintendent for Gloucestershire Police, Julie Mackay, and ITV Crime Correspondent Robert Murphy, who has reported on some of the biggest and most complex cases in the West of England. Both Mackay and Murphy serve as consultants on the series.

Filming took place between March and July 2025, with production based The Bottle Yard Studios where bespoke sets were built for ‘Redland Police Station’ and various interiors of lead character Michael Polly’s (David Morrisey) home. A core crew of almost 100 worked on the production full time during the shoot.

On location, Bristol Film Office supported filming at locations including a café on Queen Square Avenue, a restaurant on Queens Road in Clifton and a property on Clifton’s Richmond Hill Avenue which provided exteriors for ‘Redland Police Station’. DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in the city centre provided the setting for the police station’s press room whilst premises on Berkeley Square doubled for ‘Atherman Financial Offices’. Filming also took place at Downer School in Stratton-the-Fosse and in the village of Saltford, supported by Bath Film Office.

At an exclusive RTS West of England preview screening and Q&A on 2^nd March at Everyman Bristol, BAFTA-winning director Richard Laxton, who filmed Bristol as London for BBC black comedy Rain Dogs in 2022, said: “It was great being back to film the city as itself this time. I love shooting in Bristol because it’s such a great city to film in, the hills and topography make it very interesting. We used the [Clifton Suspension] Bridge as a way to speak to the two different worlds of the school and the city.”

Executive Producer Matt Sandford added: “The geography gives you so much to play with. You can be in the centre and then drive ten minutes out and experience a totally different landscape. And of course, Bristol is one of the leading hubs for making TV in the UK.”

Speaking about the shoot, actor David Morrisey said: “I’ve not been to Bristol much before, but I’ve loved being here. It’s a great city; vibrant, cultural, and very beautiful to look at. We’ve been filming at Bottle Yard Studios, but also on location at Downer School, which is between Bristol and Bath. We had to film in the school during the Easter holidays, and pupils from the school helped us, which was really great. They had to do a lot of rugby, and they were brilliant.

Gone is a chilling mystery focuses on local Headmaster Michael Polly, played by David Morrissey (The Long Shadow, Sherwood), who becomes the prime suspect in his wife Sarah’s disappearance. An upstanding member of the community, Michael Polly is inscrutable and likes order and precision in his working life. Until, that is, he encounters super bright, gutsy Detective Annie Cassidy, played by Eve Myles (The Crow Girl, Hijack) and a compulsive game of cat and mouse begins as she chips away at his veneer in search of the truth. Beneath the surface of the mystery, lies a deeper exploration of trauma, trust and the legacy of elite institutions.

The series also stars Jennifer Macbeth, Arthur Hughes, Nicholas Nunn, Elliot Cowan, Billy Barratt, Rupert Evans, Jodie McNee, Oscar Batterham and Clare Higgins.

Gone is produced by Mark Hedges (Hanna, The Rising). The executive producers are George Kay, Richard Laxton, Golden Globe and BAFTA-nominated Willow Grylls (Des, The Missing) and BAFTA-nominated Matt Sandford (The Long Shadow). It is co-produced by New Pictures (an All3Media company) and George Kay’s Observatory Pictures, in association with All3Media International.

Episodes of Gone are airing weekly on ITV every Sunday and Monday at 9pm between 8th – 23rd March 2026. All episodes are available as a box set on ITVX from 8th March.

Director Guy Ritchie’s highly anticipated Prime Video series Young Sherlock starring Hero Fiennes Tiffin launched worldwide on 4^th March, and Bristol locations played a crucial role in bringing the action-packed mystery to screen.

The eight-part blockbuster series was part-filmed on location across Bristol for five months between September 2024 and January 2025, supported by the city’s Film Office. Bristol doubles as 1870’s Oxford in the series, which charts the origin story of the world’s greatest detective, as he’s drawn into his first-ever murder case at Oxford University.

An extensive shoot saw Bristol’s streets go back in time, with Broad Street serving as a primary location, transformed into a bustling period street adorned with 19th century shopfronts for an assortment of traders including florists, butchers, barbers, taxidermists and printers. Small Street, All Saints Lane and Corn Street near St Nicholas Markets, Portland Square, Queen Square and Frog Lane were all similarly dressed.

Tarmac was overlaid with mud for authenticity, and horses and carriages lined the streets between takes. Other period touches included tram stops, vintage lampposts, newspaper sellers, market stalls and carts. Upwards of 110 cast and crew worked on location sets per day, with some scenes featuring up to90 supporting artists in full costume at a time. On the busiest days, caterers served more than 300 cast, crew and supporting artists combined.

Interiors and exteriors of The Georgian House Museum on Great George Street were used for the Oxford House of one of the lead characters, and Bristol Cathedral and Choir School doubled for the exteriors of an Oxford Concert Hall.

Young Sherlock filming on Broad Street in Bristol’s Old City (credit: Dominic Parker)

Another prominent location was Underfall Yard and the adjacent docks in the heart of Bristol’s floating harbour, which hosted filming for two major stunt scenes. The historic boatyard, which has been fundraising since 2023 to complete recovery and reinstatement works following a devastating arson attack, was connected to the production team by Bristol Film Office, and income brought in by filming has made a significant contribution to the site’s reconstruction.

In one Underfall Yard scene, two characters follow one of Young Sherlock’s protagonists down an alley and into an old iron works (the Blacksmith’s workshop) where he ambushes them, and a hand-to hand duel till the death breaks out.

In another scene, Young Sherlock’s heroes ‘do a runner’ from the police who are in hot pursuit. They spot a cattle pen, bolt through the gate, releasing the cattle who then stampede, scattering the police in all directions, allowing the heroes to escape safely.

Deon Du Preez, Supervising Location Manager, says: “Bristol played a crucial role in creating Young Sherlock’s world. Historic Old City areas around St Nicholas Market, Broad Street, Corn Street and All Saints Lane require very little period set dressing to recreate a 19th century London setting – whilst being just as capable of doubling for a contemporary London environment. Bristol is well equipped to accommodate large-scale film and television productions, with well-established infrastructure capable of supporting multiple shoots simultaneously across the city. This architectural versatility combined with the comprehensive support productions receive from the Bristol Film Office and local authority partners makes Bristol an attractive location destination for filmmakers.”

Adela Straughan, Bristol Film Office Manager says: “Bristol really rose to the challenge for Young Sherlock, and the benefits of filming reach far beyond the direct spend of the production at the time of the shoot. Shows like Young Sherlock inspire people to get out and discover the locations they’ve seen on screen, whether it’s a walk through the Old City’s streets combined with a visit to St Nicholas Markets, or a stroll around the harbour to stop in at Underfall Yard and appreciate its preserved Victorian surroundings whilst grabbing coffee or a bite to eat in the café. Increased footfall from screen tourism benefits local traders, hospitality venues and heritage sites and visitor destinations, strengthening Bristol’s economy and its reputation as a vibrant destination for both filming and tourism.”

Sarah Murray, Director of Underfall Yard, says: “Hosting Young Sherlock was a resoundingly positive experience for us, primarily because our lost income stream for the year was almost directly replaced by income from filming hire. Not only that, it was really fun for the team! Witnessing the Yard dressed to look completely different, with horses and cows brought in, was really exciting and gave a rare insight into the creativity that goes on behind-the-scenes. Walking onto a film set every day, seeing things most people don’t get to see, like getting to watch while the special effects were tested, made for an eye-opening experience.

“Hosting the shoot brought other benefits too, from practical measures like 24-hour site security, to added exposure which is invaluable when running a heritage site like this. We were able to share the Yard’s story with hundreds of people working here each day across different departments, many of whom hadn’t visited before. We’re grateful to the incredible Location Managers who were closely connected with residents nearby and made every effort to minimise disruption, even making a donation to the local community group.

“Becoming a filming location is quite a whirlwind – the film company turns up and within days have completely transformed your surroundings, but by the time they leave, everything has been put back to how it was. It made us realise how well placed we are to host this type of spectacular shoot, and we’re excited to explore the screen tourism potential of being an official Young Sherlock location now the show is being released.”

With all the wit and charm of Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes features, Young Sherlock is an irreverent, action-packed origin story of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s beloved detective in an explosive re-imagining of this iconic character.

When a charismatic, youthfully defiant Sherlock Holmes (Hero Fiennes Tiffin) meets none other than James Moriarty (Dónal Finn), he finds himself dragged into a murder investigation at Oxford University that threatens his liberty. Sherlock’s first ever case unravels a globe-trotting conspiracy, leading to an explosive showdown that alters the course of his life forever. Unfolding in a vibrant Victorian England and adventuring abroad, the series will expose the early antics of the anarchic adolescent who is yet to evolve into Baker Street’s most renowned resident.

Other cast includes Zine Tseng (3 Body Problem), Joseph Fiennes (The Handmaid’s Tale), Natascha McElhone (Halo), Max Irons (Condor) and Colin Firth (The King’s Speech). Guy Ritchie directs the first two episodes and executive produces.

Young Sherlock is created for television and executive produced by showrunner Matthew Parkhill with executive producers Dhana Rivera Gilbert, Marc Resteghini, Simon Maxwell, Ivan Atkinson, Simon Kelton, Colin Wilson, and co-executive producers Harriet Creelman and Steve Thompson. Motive Pictures led physical production for Young Sherlock.

In addition to Bristol, South West filming also took place in nearby Somerset with Film Office support. Production was based in Wales and locations further afield included Oxford, London and Spain.

Clockwise from top left: The Forsytes (image:5/PBS), The Seven Dials Mystery (image: Netflix), Towards Zero (image: BBC), Boarders (image: BBC)

The economic impact of filming on location in Bristol and at The Bottle Yard Studios rose by 55% in 2024-25 to an estimated £46.6 million, according to the latest annual figures from the Bristol Film Office.

29 major productions were assisted by Bristol Film Office and The Bottle Yard Studios throughout the 2024-25 financial year (including three feature films and 26 High-End TV productions) with a total of 736 filming days supported in the studio and on location. The economic impact of this production activity is valued at an estimated £46,645,000, an increase of £16.6 million (55%) on the previous year. In total, 689 filming permits were processed by the Film Office in 2024–25, permitting filming to take place on council-owned streets, properties and green spaces.

The year also saw more of Bristol’s best-loved visitor destinations directly benefitting from income brought in by filming, after being connected to productions by Bristol Film Office. Historic boatyard Underfall Yard – which has been fundraising since 2023 to complete recovery and reinstatement works following a devastating arson attack – and inner-city community hub St Werburghs City Farm, are two examples of local charities that hosted extensive filming last year.

Councillor Tony Dyer, Leader of Bristol City Council, said: “Bristol’s film industry plays a significant role in the growing strength of our local and regional economy. The substantial growth in economic impact these latest figures demonstrate underlines just how important this sector is to our city, not just in terms of jobs but also exposure to a global audience. This impact, combined with that of other culture and creative sectors in the city, is driving an economic impact worth £892 million a year to Bristol and makes us a city that investors have increasing confidence in with an estimated £88 leveraged by arts organisations for every £1 invested.” *

Laura Aviles, Head of Film, Bristol City Council, says: “A 55% increase in the economic contribution generated by film and TV productions hosted by The Bottle Yard Studios and supported by Bristol Film Office, in just one year, is outstanding. Not only are we seeing the number of productions opting to film in Bristol remain strong, we’re also seeing the size and length of those shoots increase. Thanks to the outstanding service from The Bottle Yard team and the gold standard of logistical liaison provided by the Film Office on location, productions are spending more time prepping and filming bigger, more ambitious shoots here. This is leading to more employment for regional scripted freelancers and companies, and more local spend in the economy.

“It’s so rewarding to also see more of Bristol’s charities and community groups benefit from valuable new income streams by hiring their unique spaces out as locations, which we hope will in turn lead to further screen tourism benefits in future. With new releases like Young Sherlock, The Seven Dials Mystery, The Dream Lands, Inheritance and The Forsytes on the horizon – as well as others still under wraps – it’s clear that our studio, locations, crew and companies are keeping Bristol at the top of its game, as one of the most successful regional cities for scripted filming in the UK today.”

A total of 17 major productions were filmed at The Bottle Yard Studios throughout the year, eight of which had the biggest presence in the city by also filming on location with assistance from Bristol Film Office. These eight were: upcoming Sky Original thriller Inheritance starring Gugu Mbatha Raw and Jonny Lee Miller; upcoming Channel 5/PBS period drama The Forsytes starring Millie Gibson and Joshua Orpin; upcoming Netflix Agatha Christie thriller The Seven Dials Mystery starring Mia McKenna-Bruce, Helena Bonham Carter and Martin Freeman; upcoming BBC coming-of-age relationship drama The Dream Lands starring Pascale Kann and Anna Friel; upcoming feature film Bad Apples starring Saoirse Ronan; series two of BBC comedy thriller Am I Being Unreasonable written by and starring Daisy May Cooper; and series two of BBC comedy drama Boarders.

It was a particularly busy year for Bristol Film Office, which assisted 19 major productions on location throughout the year. In addition to those listed above, titles included: Guy Ritchie’s upcoming Prime Video series Young Sherlock starring Hero Fiennes Tiffin and Colin Firth; upcoming BBC/Disney+ Doctor Who spin off The War Between Land and Sea starring Russell Tovey and Gugu Mbatha Raw; upcoming second series of Channel 4 cyber thriller The Undeclared War starring Hannah Khalique-Brown and Simon Pegg; upcoming feature Mother’s Pride starring Martin Clunes (in cinemas 26^th September 2025); upcoming feature film H is for Hawk starring Clare Foy and Brendan Gleeson; Paramount+ thriller The Crow Girl starring Eve Myles and Doug-ray Scott; and BBC Agatha Christie thriller Towards Zero starring Anjelica Huston.

Major productions filmed at The Bottle Yard Studios only (without city locations) included: upcoming BBC comedy Can You Keep a Secret? starring Dawn French and Mark Heap; Enid Blyton CBBC series Malory Towers and The Famous Five, CBeebies series Andy’s Global Adventures: Baby Animal Missions and upcoming Sky Kids series Jaime’s Treetop Tales.

Figures are calculated using the Average Local Production Spend Rate Card launched by Creative England’s Filming in England team in 2023. The Rate Card is part of a Local Economic Impact Toolkit, designed to help local authorities in England more accurately calculate and report on the average local economic impact of location filming activity in their region. It analyses total production expenditure based on where it was spent and the classification of a local authority’s location.

A significant number of resources are required to create a film or TV production. Every film crew that works in Bristol needs accommodation, food, transportation, security and other services. A single feature or high-end TV series can spend hundreds of thousands of pounds locally, boosting the revenue of local businesses including hotels, guesthouses, cafes and restaurants, taxi and car rental services and retail stores. Securing part or all of a shoot in Bristol results in varied levels of expenditure flowing into the local economy, with the range of spend depending on the type of project, what services and resources the project needs to access, and the budget range.

The Rate Card takes all these different types of spend into consideration, including Screen-Production Specific (e.g. crew’s wages and specialist suppliers of local film/TV equipment and services) as well as other categories of Business Support, Construction, Digital Services, Fashion & Beauty, Hospitality & Catering and Local Labour. It provides a frame of reference to gauge the average amount of daily expenditure that can be expected from a specific type of production, depending on the designated classification of the location and the budget range into which the project falls. This is then applied to data of all productions supported by Bristol Film Office and Bottle Yard Studios, to calculate the overall estimated economic impact. For more information, visit www.filminginengland.co.uk/local-economic-impact-of-filming

As well as creating short term opportunities for local crew and specialist companies and knock-on spending in wider business sectors, films and TV shows made in a city have been proven to have a positive longer-term impact on tourism and the visitor economy. Iconic locations featured in popular productions become screen tourism attractions, drawing visitors from around the world. Rising numbers of Bristol venues, charities and businesses are working with Bristol Film Office to be introduced to productions as potential filming locations. Being hired for filming helps venues, businesses and community spaces create valuable new revenue streams, and in the longer term can lead to increased footfall after a TV show or film’s release. Past examples include Aerospace Bristol (featured in Disney+ hit Rivals), St Werburghs Farm (featured in BBC/ Prime Video comedy thriller The Outlaws) and The Georgian House Museum (featured in ITVX period drama Sanditon).

Brand new Agatha Christie adaptation Towards Zero arrived on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Sunday 2^nd March, after filming in and around Bristol with support from the city’s Film Office, and on the Devon coast.

Based on the classic mystery by the best-selling author of all time, the series has been adapted for screen by BAFTA-nominated Rachel Bennette (NW) and directed by the Olivier Award-winning Sam Yates (Magpie). It follows 2023’s hit Christie adaptation Murder is Easy, which was one of the UK’s most watched new dramas of the year across all channels and streamers, averaging 7 million viewers across both parts. It is produced by Mammoth Screen and Agatha Christie Limited for BBC iPlayer and BBC One, in a co-commission with BritBox International.

Bristol Film Office supported filming last Summer at locations including Frog Lane and the nearby Masonic Hall near Park Street, Deanery Lane and Bristol Cathedral, the University of Bristol’s Goldney Hall and Tyntesfield House on the outskirts of the city. The fictional Gull’s Point and Easterhead Bay Hotel locations were shot on the scenic Devon coast.

Producer Rebecca Durbin, Mammoth Screen, says: “We were excellently served by our Bristol and South West locations when bringing the world of Towards Zero to life. We had some particular challenges – recreating the Royal Courts of Justice, 1930’s Wimbledon Centre Court and a sparkling modern Art Deco hotel geographically opposing an old country pile on a Devon cliffside. The Devonian landscape is so central to Christie’s Towards Zero, so it was really special to be able to film at Burgh Island Hotel and beaches in the Kingsbridge area, just down the coastal path from Christie’s home, Greenways.

“Filming in Central Bristol during a busy working day is always a logistical challenge – traffic management, working with the public, the challenges of period vehicles! – but Bristol Film Office were instrumental in providing welcome practical support and making sure everything ran as smoothly as possible, arranging recces, providing assistance when liaising with locations and councils and offering invaluable local advice and guidance.”

The nave of Bristol Cathedral acted as a double for the exterior for Westminster’s Royal Courts Of Justice in Towards Zero. Conveniently for the producers, gothic revivalist architect George Edmund Street who masterminded the Law Courts on The Strand in London, also designed the nave of Bristol Cathedral. Sessions House in Usk, South Wales, served as the interior for the Courts, paired with corridors and walkways at Grittleton House in Chippenham (which also served as Sylvia’s boarding school).

Frog Lane in Bristol City Centre served as a busy 1930’s London street. The producers felt that the pale grey architecture of the street had a slightly 1930’s art deco feel that complimented the interiors of Nevile Strange’s fashion-forward apartment, which were shot at Goldney Hall, one of the University of Bristol’s buildings. Despite Goldney Hall being 18th Century, Production Designer Lucienne Suren worked to create a bold, art deco look – the shapes of the murals and art work on the walls echoing the architecture of Frog Lane.

To recreate 1930’s Wimbledon, producers worked with a VFX company to enhance a full-scale replica court built at the Bath & West Showground in Shepton Mallet. A room in The Province of Bristol Masonic Hall on Park Street served as the Wimbledon changing room.

A private home in Wiltshire served as the perfect country house to become Gulls Point, the family seat where matriarch Lady Tressilian rules the roost. The property’s portico overlooked an expansive sweeping green vista that made it easily “transferable” to a cliffside in Devon, with the help of VFX. The private home was paired with the imposing Tyntesfield House, a National Trust property on Bristol’s outskirts. Despite its Gothic exteriors, the “below stairs” kitchen and servants quarters worked very well as a match to the Wiltshire stately home.

The long straight ‘Towards Zero’ vanishing point road was filmed on a tree-lined road on the Badminton Estate.

Easterhead Bay Hotel exteriors were filmed at Burgh Island Hotel near Kingsbridge. The hotel’s sea water swimming pool doubled for the hotel in Nice, South of France, where Nevile and Kay meet. The Forum Bath provided the space for the art department to create the ultra-modern interiors to match with the Art Deco exterior of Burgh Island Hotel.

The beaches at Bantham, where the Avon meets the sea, and the more sheltered cove at Thurlestone, served as the fictional beaches around Saltcreek and Gulls Point. The production team worked closely with local film offices, the council and National Trust to ensure filming activity didn’t impact on local residents, including wildlife and nesting birds.

Towards Zero stars Anjelica Huston as Lady Tressilian, Matthew Rhys as Inspector Leach, Clarke Peters as family lawyer Mr Treves, Oliver Jackson-Cohen as British tennis star Nevile Strange who has two ladies in his life: Ella Lily Hyland plays his ex-wife Audrey and Mimi Keene is his new wife Kay. Anjana Vasan is the lady’s companion Mary Aldin, Jack Farthing plays the estranged Thomas Royde, Adam Hugill is Nevile’s mysterious valet Mac, and Grace Doherty is Mr Treves’ ward Sylvia.

England, 1936. After a scandalous celebrity divorce, Nevile Strange and his ex-wife Audrey make the unthinkable decision to spend a summer together at Gull’s Point, their childhood home and the coastal estate of Nevile’s aunt, Lady Tressilian.

With unfinished business between the former childhood sweethearts, plus the presence of Nevile’s new wife Kay, tensions are running high. Add to this a long-suffering lady’s companion, a mysterious gentleman’s valet, an exiled cousin with a grudge, a venerable family lawyer, an inquisitive orphan and a French con man, and soon there will be murder. A troubled detective must rediscover his purpose to untangle a toxic web of jealousy, deceit and dysfunction. Can he solve the crime before another victim meets their death?

An explosive love triangle, a formidable matriarch and a house party of enemies. All compelled… Towards Zero.

Agatha Christie’s Towards Zero (3×60’) is produced by Agatha Christie Limited and Mammoth Screen (part of ITV Studios), and is a co-commission between the BBC and BritBox International. It is adapted by Rachel Bennette, directed by Sam Yates and produced by Rebecca Durbin. Executive producers are James Prichard for Agatha Christie Limited, Sheena Bucktowonsing and Damien Timmer for Mammoth Screen, Danielle Scott-Haughton for the BBC and Jon Farrar, Stephen Nye and Robert Schildhouse for BritBox International.

Agatha Christie’s Towards Zero is available in full on BBC iPlayer from 6am on Sunday 2 March, with episodes airing weekly on BBC One from 9pm that night.

Hit shows Rivals, The Outlaws and A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder and upcoming releases The Crow Girl, The Road Trip and The Forsyte Saga were among the titles fuelling Bristol’s production boon last year

Film and TV productions shot on location in Bristol or at The Bottle Yard Studios generated an estimated £30 million towards Bristol’s economy in the 2023-24 financial year, according to the latest annual figures from the city’s Film Office.

A total of 32 major productions were assisted by Bristol Film Office and/or The Bottle Yard Studios throughout the reporting period, of which nine were feature films and 23 were high-end TV productions. Altogether 730 filming days were supported in the studio and on location. The economic impact of this production activity was worth £30,038,739 to the Bristol economy. 582 licenses were issued by Bristol Film Office, permitting filming to take place on council-owned streets, properties and green spaces.

Councillor Tony Dyer, Leader of Bristol City Council, says: “These latest figures demonstrate the vital role that Bristol Film Office, The Bottle Yard Studios and our flourishing film and TV sector continues to play in supporting our city’s local economy. We know that since the pandemic some areas of the film industry have struggled, however it’s fantastic to see that the latest television and film hits are attracted to and supported in Bristol. A huge congratulations to all those who contribute to making our local sector such a huge global hit. These figures truly demonstrate the value of their continued dedication and hard work.”

Head of Film Laura Aviles (Bristol City Council) says: “We are pleased to announce these impressive figures, our first to be calculated using Creative England’s improved methodology. Having access to the most up-to-date estimation of the annual economic impact of the productions we support is central to our ability to leverage investment and stimulate further growth for Bristol’s film industry. These new figures show that not only is the city’s film sector continuing to perform well, it is also worth more to Bristol’s economy than previously thought.

“The fact that filming supported by the Studio and Film Office generated an estimated £30 million for Bristol’s economy in 2023-24, a strike year, is an incredible achievement. We know it has been tough for many freelancers working in different parts of the film and TV industry, particularly unscripted. But these figures underline how Bristol has continued to push forward its reputation as a trusted home for high calibre scripted productions, such as Rivals, The Outlaws and A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder. By supporting filming, we are creating direct benefits for the local economy and with our studio hub, supportive Film Office and skilled crew and companies, we hope to continue that momentum in the year ahead.”

Hayley Armstrong, Head of Production Services at Creative England says: “We’re thrilled to see Bristol making the most of the Local Economic Impact Toolkit – a first of its kind resource supporting the accurate measuring and reporting of local economic impacts to demonstrate the true value of the Film and TV sector in local communities across England. The work that Bristol Film Office and The Bottle Yard Studios do is essential in ensuring Bristol continues to attract high-profile productions again and again, and we are proud that the updated Average Local Production Spend Rate Card has evidenced just how successful they have been this past year. We encourage all local authorities to embrace the Toolkit, enabling them to effectively measure and communicate the sector’s benefits, and unlock the full potential of what Film and TV can bring to their communities.”

Titles that were active in pre-production or filming during the reporting period at The Bottle Yard Studios and on location with Film Office assistance included: upcoming romantic comedy The Road Trip (streaming from 26^th December on Paramount+); upcoming feature film Bad Apples starring Saoirse Ronan; upcoming period drama adaptation The Forsyte Saga (Masterpiece PBS); upcoming Agatha Christie adaptation The Seven Dials Mystery (Netflix); Jilly Cooper’s Rivals (Disney+); series three of teen spy thriller Alex Rider (Amazon FreeVee); series four of detective drama McDonald & Dodds (ITVX); series three of Stephen Merchant’s comedy-thriller The Outlaws (BBC One/Amazon Prime Video); twisty thriller TrueLove (Channel 4); teen comedy-drama Boarders (BBC Three); and hit young adult mystery thriller A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder (BBC Three).

Daisy May Cooper and Selin Hizli’s BBC One comedy thriller Am I Being Unreasonable and series 5 of CBBC Enid Blyton drama Malory Towers were also filmed at the Studios (and locations outside of Bristol). Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light (BBC One/Masterpiece PBS) based production at the Studios whilst filming on location in England and Wales.

Additional titles filmed during the reporting period at Bristol locations with Film Office assistance included: upcoming contemporary psychological thriller The Crow Girl (Paramount+); upcoming feature film The Salt Path starring Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs and directed by Marianne Elliot; upcoming feature film Surviving Earth directed by Thea Gajić; Pollywood blockbuster Jatt & Juliet 3; series three of finance drama Industry (BBC One/HBO Max); and action thriller Paris Has Fallen (Amazon Prime Video).

The 2023-24 economic impact figure of £30m is almost 50% higher than the £20.1m recorded in 2022-23. The reason behind this increase is that this is the first time Bristol’s figures have been calculated using the new Average Local Production Spend Rate Card recently launched by Creative England’s Filming in England team.

Previously, local authorities calculated the economic impact of their film production sectors using national average ‘spend-per-day’ figures compiled by Creative England with contribution from all national Film Offices’ data. However in 2023, Creative England launched a new Local Economic Impact Toolkit devised by global film industry consultants Olsberg•SPI, “to help local authorities in England more accurately calculate and report on the average local economic impact of location filming activity in their region.”

The Toolkit’s Average Local Production Spend Rate Card offers an improved level of precision as to how productions of certain sizes spend their budget in a location. Previous average spend figures focused primarily on location budgets. This new approach analyses total production expenditure based on where it was spent and the classification of a local authority’s location. This can be whether the production is London-adjacent, shooting in a ‘production hub’ or a ‘developing production location’. Combined with the updated methodology, this accounts for the significant increase in spend per-day figures compared to those which were used prior to 2023.

A significant number of resources are required to create a film or TV production. Every film crew that works in Bristol needs accommodation, food, transportation, security and other services. A single feature or high-end TV series can spend hundreds of thousands of pounds locally, boosting the revenue of local businesses including hotels, guesthouses, cafes and restaurants, taxi and car rental services and retail stores. Securing part, or all of a shoot in Bristol results in varied levels of expenditure flowing into the local economy, with the range of spend depending on the type of project, what services and resources the project needs to access, and the budget range.

The Average Local Production Spend Rate Card takes all these different types of spend into consideration, including Screen-Production Specific (e.g. crew’s wages and specialist suppliers of local film and TV equipment and services) as well as other categories of Business Support, Construction, Digital Services, Fashion & Beauty, Hospitality & Catering and Local Labour. It provides a frame of reference to gauge the average amount of daily expenditure that can be expected from a specific type of production, depending on the designated classification of the location and the budget range into which the project falls. This is then applied to the data of all productions supported by the Film Office and Studios teams, to calculate an overall estimated economic impact.

As well as creating short term opportunities for local crew and specialist companies, plus knock on spending in wider business sectors, film and TV shows made in a city have been proven to have a positive longer-term impact on tourism and the visitor economy. Iconic locations featured in popular productions become film tourism attractions, drawing visitors from around the world. Rising numbers of Bristol venues, charities and businesses are working with Bristol Film Office to be introduced to productions as potential filming locations. Being hired for filming helps venues, businesses and community spaces create valuable new revenue streams, whilst in the longer term it leads to an increase in footfall after a TV show or film’s release. Recent examples include Aerospace Bristol which featured in Rivals (Disney+), St Werburgh’s Farm which featured in series three of The Outlaws (BBC One/Amazon Prime Video) and The Georgian House, featured in Sanditon (ITVX).

Boarders, the brand-new comedy drama created by Bafta-nominated Daniel Lawrence Taylor (Timewasters), is now available on BBC Three and BBC iPlayer after filming entirely in Bristol and the South West with support from Bristol Film Office last year.

The six-part high energy series, produced by Studio Lambert (The Nest, Three Girls) in association with All3Media International, follows the lives of five talented black inner-city teenagers navigating their way through an alien world – the British public school system.

The main filming site for the series was in Clifton, and Bristol Film Office worked closely with Studio Lambert to provide nearby production offices and parking for the crew during the five-month shoot. Other Bristol locations that feature include Ashton Court, Carolina House on Dove Street, Redcliff Hill, Stokes Croft and St Nicholas Market. Filming for interiors also took place on sets built at The Bottle Yard Studios. Further afield in the region, filming took place at Chavenage House near Tetbury and in Weston-Super-Mare.

As well as assisting with locations, Bristol Film Office liaised closely with the production team to connect it with local crew talent including Bristol company Latent Pictures which runs a paid development programme for underrepresented filmmakers. Around 90 crew members worked on the production per day, 70% of which were regional crew, with more than 55% from Bristol and the South West.

Line Producer, Carleen Beadle-Larcombe, says “Bristol Film Office were exemplary in helping source locations. There were last minute location changes needed because of weather or cast availability – alternatives options were quickly suggested and things like parking suspensions and road closures were issued quickly and efficiently. In addition Bristol Film Office helped Boarders source last minute Graffiti artists which were needed in order for us to complete filming at a new location.”

Madeleine Sinclair, Executive Producer for Studio Lambert adds: “The premise of the show is about access to opportunity and that was important to reflect in the production and crew. With the help of the Bristol Film Office, we aimed to attract local talent and give opportunities to those from underrepresented backgrounds across the crew. In addition to this, we brought on Latent Pictures, a Bristol-based company working with underrepresented filmmakers, to produce all our ‘behind the scenes’ footage.

“We had a number of ScreenSkills trainees in our HMU, Sound and Assistant Director departments and shadow directors joining us regularly on set. I think it was hugely valuable to the production because we had some really fantastic people and it made for a really interesting and buzzy set with crew from a whole range of backgrounds, who each brought their own different experiences.”

Prince Taylor, Executive Producer at Latent Pictures, says: “Collaborating with All3Media and Studio Lambert to create an engaging EPK (electronic press kit) was a great experience not only for the team, but for all of the Latent Talent we were able to provide paid training for. We could see how representation and authenticity were priorities for all involved and this helped create a learning environment that meant our trainees could really thrive, connecting with what they were learning and the wider teams involved.”

23-year-old Jojo Bossman (they/them) from Bedminster in South Bristol, was a Camera Trainee on Boarders. They say: “Boarders was definitely the most diverse show or feature I’ve ever worked on, which was wonderful. It was a really significant milestone for me in that it was the first long form job created by and starring Black people I’ve worked on.” Read a Q&A with Jojo about their experience working on Boarders here.

Following a problematic viral video involving a student, Jaheim (Josh Tedeku), Leah (Jodie Campbell), Omar (Myles Kamwendo), Toby (Sekou Diaby) and Femi (Aruna Jalloh) are offered sixth form scholarships to St Gilbert’s, one of the country’s oldest and most prestigious schools, in an attempt to rehabilitate its image. They soon find themselves in a world they can only describe as something out of Harry Potter, surrounded by lush playing fields, cloistered grandeur and complex social rules which they must decipher quickly in order to survive. They will go on a journey as they learn about themselves, their identity and what it’s like to live alongside the one percent – which they discover is nothing like life as they knew it.

Boarders is created and written by Daniel Lawrence Taylor, with episodes written by Emma Dennis-Edwards, Yemi Oyefuwa and Ryan Calais Cameron, and script edited by Missy Howard. It is directed by Ethosheia Hylton and Sarmad Masud and produced by Ali MacPhail. Executive producers are Daniel Lawrence Taylor, with Susan Hogg and Madeleine Sinclair for Studio Lambert and Nawfal Faizullah and Ayela Butt for the BBC.

Boarders is now available as a boxset on BBC iPlayer. Episode one aired on BBC Three on Tuesday 20^th February and further episodes will air weekly.