Areas of Bristol became Rochdale and city council offices transformed into Liverpool Crown Court last year for filming of hard-hitting TV drama Three Girls, the true story of three girls drawn into the frightening world of sexual exploitation.
Made with the full cooperation of the victims and their families, Three Girls tells the shocking story of the child victims of the high-profile 2012 grooming and sexual trafficking case in the Greater Manchester town. 
Screened on BBC One over three consecutive nights this week, ending last night, the drama aims to tell the victims’ stories, how they were failed by authorities directly responsible for their protection and how the abuse has impacted on their lives.
Filming was coordinated from a production base Bristol’s Bottle Yard Studios and on location across Bristol from the end of June until August last year, with Bristol Film Office providing locations, permits, unit base bookings, parking and general shooting logistics support.
Three Girls is the latest in a long line of TV shows and movies shot in Bristol over the past few years as the city grows its reputation as a welcoming base for filming.
Unusually in the case of Three Girls, the Bristol Film Office also oversaw a consultation process between producers, police, residents and local councillors, briefing those in filming areas about the sensitive nature of the series’ subject matter. 
Written by Nicole Taylor whose credits include The C Word, Three Girls is produced by the same team as the acclaimed and award-winning BBC drama Five Daughters including director Philippa Lowthorpe of Call the Midwife and Jamaica Inn, producer Simon Lewis and executive producer Susan Hogg. Cast includes Maxine Peake, Lesley Sharpe, Paul Kaye, Lisa Riley and Jill Halfpenny.
Council offices on Temple Street doubled as Liverpool Crown Court, while Bristol Register Office was used for interior community meeting scenes. Filming also took place in Victoria Park, Eastville Park and streets in Hartcliffe, Knowle, Easton, Bedminster and Redcliffe.
Bristol Film Office manager Natalie Moore said: “It’s important with a shoot of this kind that filmmakers not only receive logistical support, but are also enabled in every way possible to demonstrate their consideration for those residing in areas where filming is taking place, who may be affected by such challenging subject matter. 
“The Film Office liaised between key local partners and the public to ensure communication was good and all the right preparations could be made. Filming was kept discreet and ‘under the radar’, as locations were not disclosed to the media at the time of production.
“Philippa and her team are no strangers to bringing sensitive true stories to the screen – it was a pleasure to support their expert handling of this production and to support their return to Bristol, where they made the BAFTA-winning Five Daughters eight years ago, also based at The Bottle Yard Studios.”
In Three Girls Holly, played by Molly Windsor, is new to Rochdale and keen to make friends and fit in. She finds herself drawn into a world she cannot escape, despite her pleas for help.
It’s a world that is all too familiar to sexual health worker Sara, played by Maxine Peake, who has been recording and reporting cases of child abuse for years.
Other recent productions made at The Bottle Yard Studios and filmed in Bristol with the support of Bristol Film Office include Starz’ The White Princess, ITV’s Broadchurch, E4’s Crazyhead, BBC One dramas The Living and the Dead, Poldark and Sherlock: The Abominable Bride and Emmy-nominated & BAFTA-winning BBC Two drama Wolf Hall.
