The new BBC series The Secret Agent, which aired its first episode on Sunday, was filmed on location in the streets of Edinburgh. Adapted from Joseph Conrad’s novel of the same name, the show stars Toby Jones (Dad’s Army) as Verloc, the owner of a 19th century sex shop who soon becomes embroiled in a plot of political espionage between Britain and Russia.
Production began last Friday on the upcoming BBC psychological thriller The Replacement, shooting on location in Glasgow. The programme was commissioned by the BBC’s Polly Hill in December 2015 and will consist of three episodes of 60 minutes each.
Film tourism has been cited as the main cause for propelling the success of Edinburgh’s hotel industry in recent years. The Scottish capital will soon overtake Dublin as the second busiest city for hotels and accommodation in Western Europe, with London currently sat at number one.
Film production in the UK is booming after having taken in over GBP1 billion for two consecutive years, with television productions attracting major investors from around the world. This news can largely be accredited to the success of both the UK Film and High-end TV tax relief systems.
Taboo, an eight episode drama series for FX and the BBC will be filmed in London. Created by Steven Knight and directed by Kristoffer Nyholm, the show will star Tom Hardy alongside an international cast including Michael Kelly, Oona Chaplin, and Jessie Buckley.
The second season of the Starz drama Outlander is currently being filmed on location in Paris and Scotland. The first season was shot entirely within Scotland, making the relocation to Paris the first time the series has been filmed outside of the UK.
Skye in Scotland’s Inner Hebrides will be a key part of a film tourism campaign from VisitScotland focussing on Michael Fassbender’s upcoming adaptation of Macbeth. The new film was directed by Justin Kurzel and co-stars Marion Cotillard as Lady Macbeth.
Scotland has announced a new fund to encourage more film and TV productions to shoot on location north of the border. The country has attracted high-profile shoots like the historical romance Outlander, but the government is under pressure to do more to entice productions.