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MADE IN BRISTOL © Ecosse Films BBC. Photo credit Ben Blackall; benblackall.co.uk
Behind Bristol’s scenes As production companies continue to use Bristol as the backdrop to their major titles, returning to the city’s urban streets and green spaces time and time again, Simon Horsford explains why the city has become such a hive of activity and discovers what’s set to be released in 2022...
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ristol deserves a BAFTA for the best place to make drama.” It’s some claim considering the range of options for filming in Britain, but the executive producer of the BBC’s 2019 drama The Trial of Christine Keeler, Douglas Rae, has a point about a city that can provide an inspiringly diverse range of locations from its Georgian streets and buildings, historic harbour and backdrops such as Clifton Suspension Bridge and Avon Gorge, to the regenerated city docks and gritty urban landscapes. Its history, cultural diversity and creative spirit have also contributed to making it a go-to location. Home to the BBC Natural History Unit, Aardman Animations and, from this year, to the Top Gear production team, the city has long had an established reputation for TV and film production. In 2017 Bristol was named UNESCO City of Film because of the strength of the moving picture culture and production opportunities. And at The Bottle Yard Studios in Hengrove, south Bristol, it has the largest production facility in the west of England. As Laura Aviles, Senior Film Manager for The Bottle Yard Studios and the Bristol Film Office, says: “Producers return time and time again for good reason. We have Regency and Georgian architecture, large green spaces and modern urban settings. Bristol can easily double for London and other cities in both period and modern eras, or it can offer its own very strong cultural identity.” The proximity of Bath and its beautiful Regency locations also means that there have been numerous co-operations between the film offices of the two cities. The range of the productions in the city – and at Bottle Yard Studios – is extraordinary and evidence of its ability to offer a variety of locations. Bristol has been used for instance in Poldark (with
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JANUARY 2022
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sites including Redcliffe Caves, John Wesley’s New Room and St Nicholas Market), The Salisbury Poisonings, about the attempted murder of Sergei and Yulia Skripal (Castle Park, which doubled for the park where the pair were discovered), Sanditon (The Georgian House), Wolf Hall (Bristol Cathedral – used as Westminster Abbey), Sherlock: The Abominable Bride (Cathedral Square, Tyntesfield and Arnos Vale Cemetery) and Three Girls, about the grooming scandal in Rochdale (with council offices on Temple Street doubling as Liverpool Crown Court) and Eastville Park. Most recently the city hosted the second series of Amazon Prime’s teen spy drama Alex Rider, while going back a few years Bristol was used for BBC Three’s terrific supernatural comedy drama Being Human and Channel 4’s groundbreaking Skins. And it’s not just drama either as the Bottle Yard Studios has also provided production facilities for the likes of Andy’s Prehistoric/Aquatic (and) Safari Adventures (the CBeebies series featuring presenter Andy Day), The Crystal Maze and Art Ninja, the creative art-sitcom for kids presented by Ricky Martin. It’s in Bristol’s favour that it is has been so open to co-operating with TV and film companies. “I think much of Bristol’s popularity is down to the fact that the city has long understood the value of filming to the economy,” says Aviles. “It has put in the hard work to make Bristol one of the UK’s most film-friendly cities.” That certainly paid off when even after the lockdowns of 2020, annual figures released by Bristol Film Office in October confirmed a strong recovery for film and TV productions filmed at The Bottle Yard and/or on location in Bristol, which were worth an estimated £12.6 million in 2020/21 despite the three-month filming hiatus caused by the pandemic. No 206
