Lately it’s seemed hard to move in Bristol without bumping into a film crew.
We asked Bristol City Council to list the projects behind this year’s shoots, the filming locations and road closures — and how much money they brought into the city.
The council’s Freedom of Information (FOI) response does have a few caveats, withholding the names of some series and locations due to “commercial sensitivity”.
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But the lists do give some interesting insights into what has been filmed, the most sought-after spots and how much Bristol is making from it.
What has filmed in Bristol this year?
No feature films have been shot in Bristol in 2021, but there has been no shortage of glitzy TV dramas, plus adverts ranging from MINIs to e-bikes.
Filming locations of unaired projects have been withheld because “these could risk compromising the production privacy ahead of transmission”, says the council.
Here are the productions filmed in Bristol so far this year:
Before We Die (Channel 4 crime drama): Spring Street, The Paragon, Hengrove Way, Fairfax Street, Union Street, The Horsefair, Small Street, Bell Lane, Broad Street, Corn Street, High Street, Clarence Road, York Road, Redcliffe Wharf, Brandon Hill, Charlotte Street, Victoria Square, Sparke Evans Park, Netham Park, Castle Park.
Flat Out Fabulous (BBC Three makeover show about rental homes): Spike Island, Quay Street, St Michael’s Hill, Temple Quay, St Nicholas Market, Stokes Croft, Millennium Square, Baltic Wharf, Castle Bridge, Castle Park, Cumberland Basin, The Grove car park (for view of Redcliffe Parade), Bedminster Six Sisters project on North Street, Spike Island.
Forbidden with Mary Beard (factual TV): Colston statue’s plinth on Colston Avenue, Harbourside, M Shed museum and “old council house”.
The Gadget Show (Channel 5 entertainment): Ashton Court
Echoes (short film): Clifton Observatory, Bristol Harbour.
Journeys Into the Wild (from BBC Natural History Unit): Brandon Hill park.
Weight Watchers Motivational Mondays (advert): Ashton Court.
Konica/Minolta office products company (advert): Footbridge over A4032, Exchange pub in Old Market, Old Market Roundabout, Trenchard Street, Park Street, Plimsoll Swing Bridge, One College Square South in Anchor Road.
Pure Electric e-bike and e-scooter company (advert): Cattle Market Road Bridge, Ashton Avenue Bridge, Pure Electric HQ, Clarence Road, Gaol Ferry Bridge, Museum Street, Princes Wharf, Pero’s Bridge, Lloyds Amphitheatre.
MINI cars (advert): Queen Square, Queen Charlotte Street, other parts of BS1, Bristol city centre.
Wiltshire Farm Foods Greenhouse (advert): Private location.
Alex Rider season two (Amazon Prime spy thriller): Unaired.
Amicable (BBC Three sitcom pilot): Unaired.
Chloe (BBC One thriller): Unaired.
Extinction (Sky time loop thriller): Unaired.
Hometown (entertainment show): Unaired
Interior Design Masters (BBC Two makeover series): Unaired.
Showtrial (BBC One legal drama): Unaired.
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The Girl Before (BBC One psychological thriller): Unaired.
The Long Call (ITV detective four-parter): Unaired.
The Last Bus (Netflix sci-fi series): Unaired.
The Offenders series one and two (Stephen Merchant’s BBC One community service drama): Unaired.
This England (BBC TV factual): Unaired.
To Topknot or Not (CBBC drama): Location not listed.
Some projects have been withheld. The council says Bristol Film Office treats production names as “commercially sensitive” until released by the production company.
Which roads have been closed?
The council gave a full list of this year’s road closures for filming. All closures were limited to one or two days.
Here are the road closures from the period of January to the end of March, when the fee for each was £553.
- Circular Road from Ladies Mile to Rockleaze
- Clarence Road from Bedminster Bridge Roundabout to Bath Bridge Roundabout
- Hengrove Way from Hengrove Way Roundabout to Whitchurch Lane
- Barton Hill Road from Ducie Road to Queen Ann Road
- St Michaels Lane from Colston Street to Perry Road
- Worcester Terrace from Clifton Park to College Road
- Mill Avenue from Queen Square to Welsh Back, and Welsh Back from Queen Square Avenue to Redcliffe Way (mini roundabout)
- Alpha Road from Coronation Road to Southville Road, and Lucky Lane from Alpha Road to closed end sections
- Stretches of Bennett Way, Cabot Way, Hotwell Road, Cumberland Basin Road, Portway and Sylvan Way
- Stretches of Nugent Hill, Springfield Road and Sydenham Hill
- St Nicholas Street from Corn Street to High Street
- East Street from Cannon Street to Dalby Avenue
- Stretches of College Street and Deanery Road
- Stretches of Bell Lane, Broad Street, Corn Street and Small Street
- Argyle Road from Brighton Street to Brigstocke Road, and Brighton Street from City Road to Wilder Street
- Regent Street from Hensmans Hill to Merchants Road, and Royal York Crescent from Regent Street to York Gardens
- Stretches of Denmark Avenue, Denmark Street, Frogmore Street, Hobbs Lane, Orchard Avenue, Orchard Lane, Orchard Street and Unity Street
- The Green from High Street to Penpole Place
- Stretches of Picton Street, Upper Cheltenham Place and York Street.
The following closures — at points between April 1 and early August — were slightly more expensive, each costing £567:
- Stretches of Little King Street, King Street, King William Avenue and Queen Square
- Stretches of Clare Street, Corn Street, Marsh Street, Small Street, St Nicholas Street, St Stephens Avenue and St Stephens Street
- Moon Street from Upper York Street to North Street
- Highmore Gardens from Stothard Road to Nash Drive
- Prince Street Bridge from Prince Street to Wapping Road
- Great George Street from Park Street to closed end section
- Denmark Street from Gaunts Lane to Hobbs Lane
- Prince Street Bridge from Prince Street to Wapping Road
- Christmas Steps from Colston Avenue to Colston Street
- Moon Street from Upper York Street to North Street
- St Nicholas Street from Corn Street to High Street
- Redcliff Mead Lane from Redcliffe Way, south-westerly for 135 metres
- Hengrove Way from Hengrove Way Roundabout to Whitchurch Lane.
How much has Bristol made?
The council did not reveal the fees from each production, saying this would likely “prejudice the authority’s ability to attract and retain production investment in the future”.
But it did give the total income from filming hire of council sites, for each of the last three financial years (April 1 to March 31).
Despite the coronavirus pandemic, the council managed to secure £74,311 in 2020/21. This was a reduction on the £122,972 received in 19/20, but better than the £68,405 in 18/19.
The FOI response says these totals do not include income from “road closures, parking bay suspensions and additional services such as street lighting adjustments, cherry picker licenses, etc. as this would take the request over the time allotted [for the FOI]”.
