Whether you’re a regular visitor to Liverpool or you’ve never been before, it might be more familiar than you think.
Over the past few years the streets and boroughs of Liverpool City Region have been transformed into film sets for everything from 1920’s Birmingham to Washington DC in the sixties.
So if you fancy catching a glimpse of the city from the silver screen, here’s some TV shows you can get stuck into that were filmed across the region, all facilitated by Liverpool Film Office.
Netflix
Peaky Blinders
Peaky Blinders S4 - Formby Beach - (C) Caryn Mandabach Productions
The iconic BBC drama might be set in 1920’s Birmingham but much of the drama is actually filmed up in Liverpool across multiple locations including Wirral and Southport. The series follows the Shelby family and their life of crime post World War One and features Powis Street as Watery Lane, St George’s Hall, Stanley Dock, Port Sunlight in Wirral, and Formby beach in Southport.
Peaky Blinders (Picture: Caryn Mandabach Productions )
The Crown
Back in August 2018 Liverpool’s iconic Three Graces doubled up as Washington DC when The Crown filmed series three in the city. The series that follows the reign of Queen Elizabeth II also took over North John Street and The Strand, well and truly giving Liverpool the royal seal of approval.
The Irregulars
Set in Victorian London, The Irregulars follows a crew of ‘misfits’ as they investigate a series of supernatural crimes for Dr Watson and his associate Sherlock Holmes. The series filmed at locations such as Bramley Moore Dock, Croxteth Hall, The Palm House and Falkner Street.
The Stranger
The Stranger launched on Netflix, had everyone hooked. Although the thrilling series was mainly set in Manchester, Webster Road in between Toxteth and Wavertree became the endangered home of one of the lead characters. One episode even saw an unmistakable Merseyrail train make an appearance… see if you can spot it!
The English Game
It’s no surprise that a show all about football would be filmed in Liverpool, the home of two Premier League clubs. The English Game charts the origins of the nation’s favourite sport and was filmed across the city region.
Percy Street and Water Street were both transformed into opulent Victorian London whilst Croxteth Hall was turned into the headquarters of the FA!
Prime Video
Dead Hot
Set in present day Liverpool, this series follows best friends Elliot and Jess who are united by a bond of losing Peter, Elliot’s first and only love and Jess’s twin brother. It’s been five years since he went missing and Jess is contacted by someone claiming to be her brother – Elliot and Jess then work to find out if they are being targeted. You’ll spot some recognisable locations from Pilgrim Street, the Royal Albert Dock Liverpool, The Lisbon pub and St Nicholas Gardens in the city centre – and includes the famous The Scotch Piper Inn in Lydiate, Sefton.
Dead Hot (Picture Prime Video)
The Feed
In this Amazon Prime original series a man invents a brain implant that allows you to see other people's thoughts. The series, although set in London, was filmed across Liverpool.
Iconic places such as Hope Street and Great Georges Dockway all make an appearance throughout the show. Imagine if you could implant something allowing you to see Liverpool everyday…
NOW TV
Funny Woman
Follow Gemma Arterton as Sophie Straw as she navigates success as a female comedian in the 60s from Blackpool – filmed across Liverpool City Region. Spot locations such as the Adelphi Hotel, The Slaughter House, Oriel Chambers, Birkdale Station in Southport, and former Pilkington head office in St Helens, as they are transformed into the swinging 60s!
Funny Woman (Picture: Ben Blackall / Sky TV)
Tin Star: Liverpool
The third and final season of the Sky original drama ‘Tin Star’ picked Liverpool as its host city with some amazing locations being featured in Tim Roth’s incredible series. See Southport, New Brighton and Ormskirk across the episodes featured on Sky Atlantic and NOW TV.
Liverpool’s Head of UNESCO City of Music, Kevin McManus, wrote a blog to showcase the established and new Liverpool artists that helped the producers of Tin Star: Liverpool get under the skin of the city – in what’s an essential part of the culture of Liverpool; music.
Listen to the scouse soundtrack behind Tin Star: Liverpool here.
ALL 4
The Gathering
Penned by acclaimed local novelist Helen Walsh, this six-part, thriller whodunnit series will have you on the edge of your seat – and what’s better is that it is set and filmed mostly in Liverpool and Wirral. With scenes at Princes Dock, William Brown Street, Patterson’s in Gradwell Street – not to mention Coronation Gardens and Hilbre High School in West Kirby, and Rock Ferry Beach, Birkenhead, you’ll be sure to be spotting our locations on screen!
The Gathering (Picture: All 4)
It's A Sin
It’s A Sin is multi-BAFTA Award-winning writer Russell T Davies’ 5-part drama which follows the story of the 1980s, the story of AIDS, and charts the joy and heartbreak of a group of friends across a decade in which everything has changed.
Filmed across the North West, you’ll be able to spot a few Liverpool locations doubling for New York and London! You can find out more about the locations used on the Film Liverpool website here.
BBC
Such Brave Girls
Directed by Inbetweeners star Simon Bird, award-winning comedy Such Brave Girls has been recommissioned for a second series but did you know it was filmed across Wirral and Knowsley?
The series was spotted at The Dee View Inn and Linghams Booksellers in Heswall, The Mediterranean Kitchen in Higher Bebington, Wirral Country Park in Thurstaston, Mini Monster's Funhouse in Gayton, and The Wild Inn in West Kirby.
Such Brave Girls (Picture: BBC Pictures)
The Responder 1 &2
Created by legendary Scouser Tony Schumacher, The Responder stars Emmy award-winning actor Martin Freeman as Chris Carson, a police officer who gets demoted and begins working the night shift to deal with his problems. Both based and filmed in Liverpool, the series features some location hotspots such as Sefton Park, Lark Lane, Fleet Street and Everton Brow.
The Responder 1 & 2 (Picture: BBC Pictures)
Paramount+
Sexy Beast
A prequel to the cult film, Sexy Beast provides a glimpse into the origins of Gal and Don’s complicated relationship as they find themselves descending into the seductive madness of the London criminal world during the 1990s.
You can delve into this world by visiting the likes of Capaldi’s Bagel House or Queens Avenue in Liverpool City Centre, Jumbo Café in Anfield or Knowsley Hall.
Sexy Beast (Picture: Paramount+)
A Gentleman In Moscow
An adaptation of the best-selling Amor Towles novel, Ewan McGregor transforms into Count Alexander Rostov as he is banished to an attic room inside the opulent Hotel Metropol, threatened with death if he ever sets foot outside again. The stairs to this attic room actually belong to St George’s Hall, with both Liverpool Town Hall and St George’s Hall featuring heavily in a later episode as a music hall.
A Gentleman In Moscow (Picture: Paramount+)
ITV
G'wed
Following the outstanding success of the first series, G’wed became ITVX’s biggest comedy since Changing Ends, being streamed over a whopping six million times. This side-splitting comedy is based out of Birkenhead School with filming at the likes of Birkenhead Park, Beechwood Social Club and the Stork Hotel in Wirral
G'wed (Picture: ITV Pictures)
