Productions Shot In The South-Central Region, 1906-
Chronological listing of local-interest 'shoots', with basic details. [Last update 17-7-10]
[View Listings page ]

Production History
A narrative outline version of the above listing, summarising the main developments and trends. [View]

South-Central England Film-TV Locations "Movie Map"
A map-guide for non-residents showing the main locations referred to, with a list of the main productions shot in each county and major town. [View]

Dorset As A Film-TV Location: A Report For The British Film Centenary
A report done for the 1996 Film Centenary on the lack of recognition of the area's longstanding role as a locations 'backlot.'
[ read report ]

Wessex At War - On Screen

This is a page on local-interest film and TV dramas, compiled for the 70th anniversary of WWII. These are mainly set in WW2, but Wessex has been a key military centre since before the beginnings of cinema, and continued to play a key role after WW2, during the Cold War, so some titles are set in these eras. And as with our companionate guide to novels set in wartime ( part of our “Setting The Scene In Wessex" series), The WWII Era In Local-Interest Literature, the focus is not just on combat, but on the overall experience of life in wartime. The annotations are in a ‘Notes & Queries’ style in the hope readers will be able to supply more particulars of these screen dramas, which date from recently-made productions back to those made back in WWI.
Go to “Wessex At War - On Screen” page

The Bournemouth Bomber Blackmail Plot - A Real-Life Local 'CSI' Case
Update: This feature page was a 2007 follow-on to a blog item I did in response to a CSI producer's on-air suggestion they'd love to do a "CSI Bournemouth" [2007 blog item "Would You Believe 'CSI Bournemouth'?" here]. The feature page has now been updated since an ITV documentary re-enactment was commissioned in 2008 on the case of the Bournemouth Tesco Bomber/Blackmailer, which I devoted a large part of the page to on the premise it had all the right story ingredients for a possible pilot script for a local CSI (or similar) series.
View feature page 'The Bournemouth Bomber Blackmail Plot - A Real-Life Local 'CSI' Case' .

The First Of The Few: Our 2006 feature web-page has also now been updated [15-4-09] with new info on this local-interest fact-based aviation drama. Scroll down this page for original intro, and link.

Film-TV Productions Chronology - Listings Updates
Latest entries [most recent first] to our Film-TV Productions Chronology page:

Oct 2009: The Sound Barrier 1952; The Saint 1964; The Avengers 1966; Man In A Suitcase 1967; Department S 1968; Return Of The Saint 1978; No Child Of Mine 1997; The Real Jane Austen 2002; The Lost 2006; Speed Of Light 2007; Patrol Men 2009; Fathers of Girls 2009; The Echo 2009; The Harsh Light of Day 2009; Zombies of the Night 2009; A Day Of Violence 2009; Tour de Force 2010.

August 2009: Bright’s Boffins 1970; Return Of The Psammead 1993; The Buccaneers 1995; Creatives Grow Better In The South West (aka The Harvest) 2008; The Tesco Bomber 2009; Cranford Xmas special 2009; Die Rose von Kerrymore 2001; Far From The Madding Crowd 2009.

Jan-April 2009: Bright’s Boffins 1970; Return Of The Psammead 1993; The Buccaneers 1995; Creatives Grow Better In The South West (The Harvest) 2008; The Tesco Bomber 2009; Cranford Xmas special 2009.

Oct-Dec 2008 new or amended entries (thanks to those who contributed location details): Above Us The Waves [1955], The Bed-Sitting Room [1969], The Goodies [1970-81], Hannah [1980], Five Children and It [1991], The Phoenix And The Carpet [1997], The Ultimate Truth [2004], Am Ende des Schweigens [2006], Stardust [2007], Small Town Folk [2007], The Relief Of Belsen [2007], Heist [2008], Léif Lëtzebuerger [2008], Lark Rise To Candleford Series II [2008-09], Emma Of Lulworth Cove [2009], Right Hand Drive [2009], Creation [2009], Bravetart vs The Loch Ness Monster [2009], The Boat That Rocked [2009], From Time To Time [2009], U Be Dead [2009].

September 2008 new or amended entries: The Gipsy Cavalier [1922], The Virgin Queen [1923], The Grass Is Greener [1960], Paranoiac [1961], Monty Python [1969-], Hereward The Wake [1966], The Black Arrow [1972-75], Triple Echo [1972], The Pallisers [1974], Nuts In May [1976], Blake's 7 [1978-83], The Barchester Chronicles [1982], Robin Of Sherwood [1981-4], Brat Farrar [1986], The Day After The Fair [1987], Archer's Goon [1992], One Foot In The Grave [1990-8], Waiting For God [1990-5], Pride And Prejudice [1995], Sense And Sensibility [1995], Emma [1996], Fierce Creatures [1997], Saving Private Ryan [1998], Happy Birthday Shakespeare [2000], A Place To Stay [2001], Martin Luther [2002], Footprints In The Snow [2006], Walking With Shadows [2006], Van Wilder 2 [2006], Beau Brummell [2006], Children Of Men [2006], Number 13 [2006], Elizabeth The Golden Age [2007], Gavin & Stacey [2007], Right Hand Drive [2008], Into The Storm (Churchill At War) [2008], Ein Schneespaziergang [2008], The Heart Of Thomas Hardy [2008], Stones [2009], The Wolf Man [2009].

July 2008 new or amended entries:
July 7th: Overlord [1975] and Ken Russell's Lady Chatterley [1993], as well as for several titles still in production: Ruddy Hell! It's Harry And Paul [2008], The Spire [2008], Quantum Of Solace [2008], Tess Of The D'Urbervilles [2008], and Richard Curtis's The Boat That Rocked [2009].
July 23rd: The Tomb Of Ligeia [1964], The Goodies [1970-81], The Two Ronnies [1971-87], Some Mothers Do 'Av 'Em [1973-78], Brief Encounter [1974], Overlord [1975], Only Fools And Horses [1980-], Private Schulz [1981], Tenko [1981-4], Don't Wait Up [1983-90], The Black Tower [1987], Full Metal Jacket [1987], Rockliffe's Folly [1988], One Foot In The Grave [1990-98], Waiting For God [1990-95], Mulberry [1992], Erotic Tales: "The Insatiable Mrs Kirsch" [1992/96], 2 Point 4 Children [1991-99], Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince [2008], and The Young Victoria [2009].
I've also updated the Purbeck locations page in regard to the new info and stills.

Bonekickers And Beyond: The Wessex Archaeo-Mystery Drama
A slightly different type of feature, looking at the development of a niche subgenre with potentially many regional opportunities, despite the failures of BBC's now-cancelled archaeo-mystery series Bonekickers ... [read feature]

"Long-Lost" Comedy Classic Resurfaces - On DVD

Local-Interest Guide To Jane Austen Novels & Screen Adaptations

The Isle of Purbeck On Screen
Purbeck’s variety of landscape within a small area has made it a popular district with England’s film directors since the days of silent films, whenever the Home Counties around London do not offer the requisite variety of country locations. Historical, contemporary and futuristic dramas have all been filmed here, with the district doubling for story locales from the tropics to the Baltic.
Click here for our illustrated guide to the locality and its major film-TV appearances.

Came The Dawn: Cecil Hepworth And Lulworth
The first known filmmaker to use the area as a repertory location was pioneer Cecil Hepworth (1874-1953), who was able to take hs cameras on location after his 1905 hit Rescued By Rover made him a major player in early British cinema.
[read feature]

The First Of The Few (US title Spitfire)

Far From The Madding Crowd (1967). John Schlesinger's production, scripted by Frederic Raphael, was shot almost entirely on location, at over twenty sites in Dorset and Wiltshire.

[read feature]