Bath is to play a starring role again in the new series of the contemporary detective drama McDonald & Dodds this spring.
The series consists of three two-hour long episodes, the first two airing on ITV at 8 pm from Sunday 28th February.
Working in-line with Covid-19 restrictions, production company Mammoth Screen spent four months from September 2020 filming at various locations in the city including Royal Victoria Park, the Guildhall and the Indigo Hotel on South Parade.
Filming was co-ordinated by Bath & North East Somerset Council’s Film Office, which promotes the district as a film and TV location and helps productions access public areas with the minimum of disruption to residents and businesses.
Councillor Paul Crossley, cabinet member for Community Services, said: “It’s fantastic to see a contemporary drama on primetime television which is set in Bath. McDonald & Dodds was a big hit with viewers last year and so we were delighted to welcome the production team back to the city to film the second series.
“Despite Covid-19 our film office has had a busy year. Since last April, 107 days of filming have taken place bringing around £1.2m into the local economy and many more productions are lined up to film in the area in the coming months.
“It really is great news as it helps to promote Bath and North East Somerset to a wider audience and encourages screen tourism. If restrictions allow, we expect to benefit from an influx of visitors this summer wanting to location spot following the huge success of programmes such as McDonald & Dodds and the highly acclaimed Netflix series Bridgerton, which also featured Bath.”
Location filming also took place in Bristol, coordinated by Bristol Film Office. The city’s vast A Bond Tobacco Warehouse on Cumberland Road was transformed into a wartime bunker, whilst filming also took place on Berkeley Square and at City Hall, in the Lord Mayor’s Reception Room.
Laura Aviles, Senior Bristol Film Manager said: “We were delighted to welcome Mammoth Screen back to Bristol for the second series of McDonald & Dodds, supported by our Film Office. This is another great example of how together Bristol and Bath make the West of England a fantastically strong choice for TV and film production, which companies return to again and again.”
Set in Bath, McDonald & Dodds pairs feisty DCI McDonald, who has recently transferred from London’s Met Police, with the unassuming DS Dodds. To McDonald’s surprise they form an unexpectedly effective crime solving partnership.
The new series of McDonald & Dodds sees Tala Gouveia (Cold Feet) and BAFTA award winning actor Jason Watkins (The Lost Honour Of Christopher Jefferies, Des) reprise their roles as the smart and ambitious DCI McDonald and the humble and quietly brilliant DS Dodds in three new murder mysteries.
They are joined in the first film by guest cast members Rob Brydon (Gavin & Stacey), Rupert Graves (Sherlock), Martin Kemp (The Krays), Patsy Kensit (Absolute Beginners) and Cathy Tyson (Mona Lisa).
Shelley Conn (Liar), Natalie Gumede (Strike), Sharon Rooney (My Mad Fat Diary) and John Thomson (Cold Feet) join the second film and Saira Choudhry (No Offence), Rosie Day (Outlander), Nitin Ganatra (EastEnders), Nicholas Goh (Skyfall), Siobhan Hewlett (Sherlock), Sarah Parish (Bancroft) and Rhashan Stone (Finding Alice) guest star in the third film.
Returning cast includes James Murray as Chief Superintendent Houseman, Jack Riddiford as DC Darren Craig with Lily Sacofsky joining as DC Milena Pachiorkowski.
