I did manage to travel beyond the Mersey region this year to bag a few television locations, but I really didn’t need to leave my home town really – film crews descended on St Helens with surprising frequency in 2021.
Three new shows used places familiar to me, some barely a 10 minute walk form my front door.
‘The Responder’ – A BBC show starring Martin Freeman was in Taylor Park back in May. My husband tried to grab a sneak peak on one of his runs through the park and could see the crew vehicles using the park’s car park on a very wet day. It amused many locals that a film star was in the area. https://www.sthelensstar.co.uk/news/19322122.hollywood-star-martin-freeman-pictured-set-responder-st-helens/
At about the same time, I saw location signs appear in the town centre by the Police Station which has a disused police custody suite that has been used for filming a few times over the past few years – Sky Atlantic series ‘Tin Star’ and ITV’s ‘The Bay’. I would expect that it would have also been used for ‘The Responder’ given it’s a police drama.
‘Stay Close’ – is a Netflix adaptation of a Harlan Coben thriller, it used locations around the northwest and stars Richard Armitage and James Nesbit. ‘The Dream’ is a stunning piece of art that I’m certain will get much more interest and visits once people see the show. The 20-metre-high sculpture by Jaume Plensa, of a young girl’s head situated on the site of the former Sutton Colliery was completed in 2009. The statue itself is the product of a Channel 4 series called ‘The Big Art Project’ and the story of how it came about is fascinating – https://www.dreamsthelens.com/visiting-dream/
Blackpool promenade and the Runcorn bridge are set to appear too so I’m really looking forward to watching it in the New Year as it’s just arrived on the channel. https://www.sthelensstar.co.uk/news/19812124.netflix-thriller-stay-close—includes-scenes-st-helens-dream—launch-week/https://www.sthelensstar.co.uk/news/19812124.netflix-thriller-stay-close—includes-scenes-st-helens-dream—launch-week/
‘Funny Girl’ – is a Sky production starring Gemma Arterton based on a Nick Hornby novel. It used the former Pilkington Glass headquarters for filming this summer and looks to have been used as a 1960s TV centre judging from the set dressing. https://www.liverpoolfilmoffice.tv/press/sky-original-funny-girl-starring-gemma-arterton-starts-filming-in-liverpool/
It’s an impressive Grade II building which still retains its 1960s architecture, though sadly it’s now only partially occupied and in much need of investment to ensure its survival. https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1259806?section=official-listing
My husband took a detour from his usual running route when he learned a Bond girl might be round the corner. He thinks he did indeed pass Gemma as she was being escorted to set – she was wearing a big puffer coat and her blonde beehive hair was covered to protect it from the elements. There were period vehicles parked outside the main Tower Building entrance and new ‘TVC’ signage added to the frontage. They were there for a few weeks judging from how long the location base signs were up.
It’s impressive that so much filming went on in the region given the Covid restrictions. The Liverpool Film Office does a fantastic job at promoting Liverpool and the surrounding region https://www.liverpoolfilmoffice.tv/ There seems to be as much filming here as London and major productions at that – ‘The Batman’ filmed in 2020 which I wrote about previously will finally be released in March 2022 – the trailer alone already shows how they’ve digitally transformed Liverpool in to Gotham City.
Here’s an article about 16 shows filmed in the Merseyside region that should be released in 2022. Interestingly Gemma Arterton’s ‘Funny Girl’ is now titled ‘Funny Woman’ – it was FG on the location base signs. https://www.liverpoolfilmoffice.tv/press/16-productions-coming-to-your-screens-in-2022-made-in-liverpool/
So, lots to watch in 2022, and no doubt lots of pointing at a screen and annoying friends and family by shouting out “I know that place” repeatedly.
From scene to seen 