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Oliver
Twist (1999)
In 1999, an ITV crew
descended on Alston for the filming of this Dicken's classic. The
market town, high in the mountains, was transformed into the fishing
village of Bruntmarsh. Quite a feat for a town 1000 feet above sea-level!
Almost all the extras in the TV drama are Alston locals. The town
itself is rich in history and had a real workhouse in Dickensian
times.
Use the web-link on the left to visit Alston's own website.
Poirot
(1991 - 1994)
Many of the outdoor scenes were filmed around Cumbria.
Also nearby, but not in Cumbria, the Midland Hotel in Morecambe
was a regular in the series. The Grade II* listed building is perfect
for the series as it retains many Art Deco features, characteristic
of the 1930s setting.
Chimera (1991)
A half-man half-ape creature
is being hunted in Cumbria in this ITV thriller. Chad - the 'chimera'
- escaped from a secret government research clinic after killing
the staff. He was created by Dr Jenner who was developing a strong
slave race of people to serve ordinary humans. Chad progressed too
far and objected to being terminated. Peter Carson, a journalist,
investigates after his girlfriend is murdered at the clinic.
The screenplay
was written by Stephen Gallagher, who also penned the novel of the
same name. The series was not filmed in Cumbria - sadly, North Yorkshire
was used for the Cumbrian locations.
This four-part
drama has been repeated as an edited two hour 'movie' since its
original showing on ITV.
Gallagher has
also written for Dr Who and Bugs (shown on BBC One in 1995). He
is currently working on an adaptation of Dracula for BBC TV.
Tina-Marie
Burdett tells us that Chimera was filmed in Kettlewell,
North Yorkshire, and the reason she knows ... she was an extra,
playing the role of a police woman!
Tell
us what you think...
Know
any interesting tidbits of trivia about these shows?
Did you encounter the film crew?
Where was Chimera filmed?
Got an idea for a drama set in Cumbria?
Or are you a film-maker needing information on a Cumbrian town or
village?
Email us!
cumbria@bbc.co.uk
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