Manhunt The Night Stalker doubled Bristol for London

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ManhuntFour-part ITV drama Manhunt The Night Stalker doubled Bristol for London when filming took place in autumn last year, supported by Bristol Film Office

 

Martin Clunes reprises his role of former London Met Police Detective Chief Inspector Colin Sutton in the Buffalo Pictures production. Devised by Sutton and Ed Whitmore, the drama is based on Sutton’s diaries and documents the true story of the police investigation of a series of rapes, sexual assaults and burglaries which took place in south-east London between 1992 and 2009. 


The executive producer is Philippa Braithwaite, the producer is Jo Willett. Marc Evans directs.


ManhuntWillett said: "Although Manhunt The Night Stalker is set in suburban south London, we decided to move the majority of our shoot to Bristol, with a few days at the end for some key London shots. It proved to be an extremely good decision. We started filming in mid-October 2020, when the Covid figures were rising again after the summer, and continued in Bristol right through until Christmas.
 


“Bristol went into Tier 3 during our shoot and we ended the Bristol shoot with all the government’s changes of plans over what was allowed for Christmas itself. Not an easy time to be working in close proximity to a large group of fellow professionals. 
 

 
“Bristol Film Office were extremely helpful and we were able to agree a key location, the old Bank of England building in the city centre, very early. Here our design team created a composite police station set.



"This meant that for three weeks of our shoot we were away from members of the public, in our own large interior space.


"Before that we had to film in various locations around the city, often at night, but moving between locations was far easier than it would have been in London, and without exception we found location owners helpful and understanding.  
 


“For many of us on the show, this was our first job under Covid conditions. All television drama production had been halted in March 2020 and we were one of the first dramas to go into production, following the government’s lifting of restrictions and introducing its bespoke Covid insurance scheme. Our Covid protocol was extremely comprehensive. 



“We worked closely with our Covid advisors. We were shooting prior to vaccinations being introduced, so our testing regime was vital, if incredibly expensive. We all became accustomed to working in masks and donning goggles when we were near any of the cast or supporting artists. It felt a very different experience from pre-Covid days, but we were all glad to be working and proud of what we produced."
 


The old Bank of England building next to St Mary le Port Church on Bridge Street was transformed into a London police station whilst numerous other Bristol locations were also used, including A Bond Warehouse on Bristol’s Floating Harbour, the Lord Mayor’s Reception Room in City Hall, and a host of residential streets in the Stoke Bishop, Westbury on Trym, Easton, St Paul’s, Henbury and Knowle areas. 

 

Exterior filming took place at locations including Berkeley Square, Victoria Street, the railway arches on Stapleton Road, Wine Street near Castle Park, Knowle Cricket Club and Henleaze Junior School, whilst driving sequences were shot along St Phillips Causeway and the Gloucester Road.


Image credits: ITV. 

 



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