Bristol is the best place in the UK to film a drama, the executive producer of a major new TV series who spent four months shooting in the city has told its cast and crew.
Douglas Rae’s Ecosse Films is behind the six-part drama The Trial of Christine Keeler, which takes a fresh look at the 1960s Profumo Affair and premieres on BBC One on December 29. He previously filmed three series of TV drama Mistresses in Bristol. 
His comments came at the end of the extensive shoot at Bristol’s highly successful Bottle Yard Studios and a host of Bristol locations earlier this year.
Addressing cast, crew, Bristol Film Office and Bottle Yard staff and other local partners supporting its filming at a recent private Bristol preview, he said: “What you have created here in Bristol is very special.
“To be able to produce a major drama with over 80 speaking parts and up to 500 people working on it, and to find everything you need in one city that you can get around so easily compared to London, is a remarkable thing. Bristol deserves a BAFTA for the best place to make drama.”
The highly anticipated drama starring Sophie Cookson, James Norton and Ellie Bamber filmed for 17 weeks in Bristol from last December to April with full production based at The Bottle Yard Studios, pictured bottom, which also accommodated purpose-built sets housed in 15,000 sq ft of space, including interiors of of Stephen Ward’s home and Marylebone Police Station.
Cookson, Norton, Bamber and fellow cast members Ben Miles and Emilia Fox were spotted filming at more than 10 locations around Bristol used to recreate 1960s London, including Central Library (which doubles for Marylebone Police Station), offices above St Nicholas’ Market (War Office and MI5), Wills Memorial Building (House of Commons) and Lord Mayor’s Mansion House (Mayfair restaurant and hotel room).
St Pauls doubled for Notting Hill and other locations included Goldney Hall, City Hall, Caledonia Place, Berkeley Square, Corn Street, pictured top and below, Small Street and Broad Street. Filming also took place for eight days at The Guildhall in Bath, which doubled for The Old Bailey, pictured right.
Mr Rae’s praise came ahead of a festive season when a number of made-in-Bristol productions will hit the small screen. The Cure, based on the inspiring real-life story of an ordinary woman who exposed one of the worst hospital care scandals in the history of the NHS, was on Channel 4 last night.
Starring Sian Brookes, Sue Johnston and Hannah Rae, the one-off drama charts the scandal at Stafford Hospital which came to national attention in 2008. Produced by Story Films for Channel 4, The Cure filmed in Bristol in April ’19 at locations including City Hall, College Green, Canford Cemetery, Badock Woods and Wellington Hill West. 
The highly anticipated adaptation of Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials series reaches its finale on Sunday December 22 on BBC One at 9pm.
The eight-part drama, said to be the BBC’s most expensive to date, was predominantly produced in Wales but visited Bristol a number of times including extensive filming supported by Blaise Park Rangers at Blaise Orangery, which provided an atmospheric location for a ‘window between worlds’.
The Crystal Maze Celebrity Christmas Special is on Monday December 23 on Channel 4 at 10pm. Richard Ayoade guides a celebrity team of adventurers around the Maze, which stands in 30,000 sq.ft. of space at The Bottle Yard Studios. 
Tipping Point Lucky Stars Christmas Special was filmed earlier this year in the show’s 8,000 sq ft studio at The Bottle Yard Studios.
The Trial of Christine Keeler executive producer Kate Triggs said: “It has been a delight to film in Bristol. The Bottle Yard has been a wonderful and supportive home and along with the Film Office, has helped to make Bristol a great place to film. The locations have also been inspiring for the whole team. And the icing on the cake has been access to the best and loveliest crew and HoD’s I’ve ever worked with.”
The Bottle Yard Studios site director Fiona Francombe said: “Ecosse Films was no stranger to Bristol having made three series of Mistresses here. Douglas [Rae] first came out to take a look around our studios in 2017 and we were keen to have them back for a future project ever since.
“It was a great pleasure to welcome them to The Bottle Yard for the making of this iconic and intriguing political drama which I am certain will be the drama highlight of this year’s BBC festive schedule.”
Bristol Film Office manager Natalie Moore added: “The Trial of Christine Keeler will feature the largest number of Bristol locations used in a single drama for years, which is fantastic to see. Productions like this are bringing a great deal of employment and investment into Bristol, more than £16m last year.
“We worked closely with the production team and the many properties involved to make sure filming was a smooth process for everyone, including the public. When viewers come to watch this fascinating story unfold on screen, they’ll be seeing Bristol as London, and we’re proud to have played our part in that.”
All photos by Ben Blackall ©Ecosse Films BBC
