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The best new TV series filmed in Kent you can watch at home right now

06:00, 13 May 2020

Countryside manors, grand castles and cosy seaside towns are just some of the picturesque backdrops which has made Kent a prime filming location.

Big name streaming services Netflix and Amazon have declared an interest in bringing more TV series to a new studio planned in Ashford. In the meantime here's some of the county's recent shows you can catch on the box right now. *Warning: spoilers ahead*

Gangs of London - Dartford/Sevenoaks

For two decades a billion pound gang lord has reigned supreme over London's criminal underworld but "now he's dead - and nobody knows who ordered the hit".

Despite being set primarily in the capital as the title of this new crime drama suggests various filming locations were selected outside the M25.

Production visited the St Clere Estate in Sevenoaks to stage a Traveller site which features heavily in episodes two and three.

The manor was once owned by the father of Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII’s ill fated second wife at the time and offers stunning views of the North Downs.

Gangs of London production visited the St Clere Estate in Sevenoaks to stage a Traveller site
Gangs of London production visited the St Clere Estate in Sevenoaks to stage a Traveller site
The Dartford Crossing features in the trailer for new crime series Gangs of London Photo: Sky Tv/Youtube
The Dartford Crossing features in the trailer for new crime series Gangs of London Photo: Sky Tv/Youtube

It features gardens, rolling meadows and a temple by the lake, all of which have appeared in previous productions such as the big screen adaptation of Agatha Christie's The Mirror Crack'd (1980) and more recently Future Tense: The Story of H.G. Wells (2016).

Additional scenes depicting a driving scene by drone were also shot in nearby Dartford.

Another iconic filming location, the Dartford Crossing can also be seen in the film's trailer as gang members sail up stream along the Thames.

The adjoining tunnel is no stranger to the big screen having featured in various films including the opening sequence to Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part 1 (2010)

All nine episodes of Gangs of London are available to watch on Sky and Now TV with an entertainment subscription.

Liar - Deal

Joanne Froggatt and Ioan Gruffudd returned for a second series Picture: ITV
Joanne Froggatt and Ioan Gruffudd returned for a second series Picture: ITV

It's been almost three years since the cliffhanger to series 2 of the ITV thriller, Liar where viewers were left pondering who had killed serial rapist Andrew Earlham?

But now the hit show is back and many of the Kent filming locations have been revived with a few extras.

Producers returned to the seaside town of Deal to shoot the second season which features the town's iconic 1957 pier and rape victim Laura Nielson's flat in The Marina.

Other filming venues included Deal Beach Parlour and the Hope & Lane Cafe in the High Street opposite St George’s Church.

Additional scenes took place down the road in Kingsdown in Wellington Parade.

The Zetland Arms pub was also closed for filming for one day last year, as well as at the Dunkerley's Seafood Restaurant Hotel.

Joanne Froggatt and Katherine Kelly filming for Liar series 2 in Deal
Joanne Froggatt and Katherine Kelly filming for Liar series 2 in Deal
Filming for ITV's Liar took place at The Zetland pub in Kingsdown Picture: Chris Davey
Filming for ITV's Liar took place at The Zetland pub in Kingsdown Picture: Chris Davey

Eagle-eyed viewers may have also seen the show's reference to the fictional "Thanet and Dover Police" as the show's main character enters the station.

The symbol on the force logo is a white horse on a red background, representing the Flag of Kent, and bares a striking resemblance to the real Kent Police logo but has been distinguished for the purposes of the show.

Series 2 of Liar reaches its dramatic conclusion on ITV player.

Belgravia - Medway

New ITV historical drama Belgravia comes from the same team behind Downton Abbey and stars Friday Night Dinner's Tamsin Greig and Philip Glenister from Mad Dogs.

The six part series uncovers the scandals of the upwardly mobile Trenchard family in London during the 19th century - but there are some who wish for those secrets to remain hidden.

Tamsin Greig stars in historical drama Belgravia Photo: ITV/Youtube
Tamsin Greig stars in historical drama Belgravia Photo: ITV/Youtube

Its story begins at a legendary ball hosted by the Duchess of Richmond on the eve of the Battle of Waterloo and sets in motion a captivating clash of family dynasties.

Scenes depicting the Victorian streets of the capital were actually shot at Chatham's Historic Dockyard.

Production visited the location to film along Anchor Wharf Quayside and the streets around the Ropery stand in for Girton Mills, a London market.

The location is no stranger to the camera with the BBC's popular Call the Midwife having also been filmed there - it's also where Hugh Jackman and Russell Crowe filmed scenes for Les Miserables (2012).

Belgravia is available to watch on ITV player right now.

Hetty Feather - Gravesend/Medway

Chatham Historic Dockyard is the filming location for ITV's new drama Belgravia
Chatham Historic Dockyard is the filming location for ITV's new drama Belgravia

Another long running period drama which was also filmed at Chatham's Historic Dockyard is the BBC's Hetty Feather.

The adaptation of Jacqueline Wilson’s children's novel about an orphan drafted into a life of service during the Victorian era is now in its sixth series.

With the help of her friends Hetty attempts to overcome her enemies and achieve independence.

Chatham doubles as the streets of London for her exploits with scenes featuring a workhouse, docks and a railway station.

The main orphanage is shot at Cobham Hall, an independent day and boarding school in Gravesend.

In the later series the elegant 18th century Belmont House and Gardens in Faversham also features as Hetty's place of servitude, Calendar Hall.

Jacqueline Wilson's Hetty Feather is filmed at Cobham Hall and has been adapted into a play since first airing on TV
Jacqueline Wilson's Hetty Feather is filmed at Cobham Hall and has been adapted into a play since first airing on TV

Hetty Feather is airing now on CBBC and the first three episodes are available to stream on BBC iPlayer.

Queens of Mystery - The Weald

The Weald of Kent takes centre stage as the primary filming location for a new murder mystery series.

It is being broadcast by the same bosses behind Britain's most popular detective drama, Midsomer Murders.

Queens of Mystery follows the adventures of detective Matilda Stone and her three crime writing aunts as they attempt to unravel unsolved mysteries.

Bosses had the brief of "a quaint English town" and eventually selected Stone Street in Cranbrook as the fictional setting of Wildemarsh.

(L-R) Queens of Mystery Stars Siobhan Redmond, Sarah Woodward, and Julie Graham
(L-R) Queens of Mystery Stars Siobhan Redmond, Sarah Woodward, and Julie Graham
Local shops in Cranbrook were transformed as part of the murder mystery series Picture: Andy Jones
Local shops in Cranbrook were transformed as part of the murder mystery series Picture: Andy Jones

Shops were turned into a pub, a record store and a travel agent throughout a week of filming.

Despite spanning just three episodes several Kent locations are featured.

Production visited Lympne Castle, an unspoiled 13th century Manor in the Folkestone & Hythe district, as well as stately homes and manor farms in Sevenoaks.

The series launched on streaming site Acorn TV, on April 29 and can be found here.

Kate and Koji - Thanet

This new sitcom from Hat Trick Productions sees a working-class woman strike up an unexpected friendship with an asylum-seeking African doctor.

Golden globe winner Brenda Blethyn and Jimmy Akingbola play the titular characters as the pair hatch up a mutually beneficial scheme together at the seaside cafe she runs in Essex.

They are joined by a star-studded supporting cast which includes Inbetweeners actor Blake Harrison, best known for playing the hapless Neil Sutherland.

Crews filmed exterior shots along the Thanet seafront before they recorded the rest of the programme in front of a live studio audience.

Frasiers Pie and Mash Shop in Herne Bay, stands in for the fictional seaside town of Seagate.

The production also filmed exteriors of The Divers Arms pub and an exterior scene at Herne Bay industrial estate.

Film crews used the Herne Bay seafront to shoot scenes for Kate & Koji. Picture: Pete's Photography
Film crews used the Herne Bay seafront to shoot scenes for Kate & Koji. Picture: Pete's Photography
Inbetweeners star Blake Harrison and Oscar-nominee Brenda Blethyn were spotted filming in Herne Bay Picture: Pete's Photography
Inbetweeners star Blake Harrison and Oscar-nominee Brenda Blethyn were spotted filming in Herne Bay Picture: Pete's Photography

Various scenes were also shot around the promenade and pier including a storm and its after effects.

Herne Bay was famously used to film scenes for popular comedy series Little Britain, with some clips shot in the former Bun Penny pub, which has now been transformed into apartments.

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