Sci-fi aficionados are being asked to keep their eyes peeled around the seaside town of Tenby, as BBC’s production department are filming for the new series of Doctor Who around the coastal town this week.
Scenes involving the iconic Tardis have been spotted along with some of the cast between Penally and Lydstep today (Monday, January 23).
The next full series of time-travelling Doctor Who will be screened in 2024 and star Ncuti Gatwa as the fifteenth Doctor, with former Coronation Street actor Millie Gibson, playing new companion Ruby Sunday.
Speculation on social media has pointed to a film crew and a number of trailers arriving at the Pembrokeshire town over the weekend, following filming that took place in Bristol on Friday with new cast members Anita Dobson and Michelle Greenidge.
According to the news website Bristol24/7 it was their understanding that Tenby would be the next location for filming.
Clifton in Bristol doubled as Notting Hill for the day, with road signs around the City’s Park Place, Bruton Place and Frederick Place had been changed with new names including Rouen Street, Forbridge Street and Minto Road.
Even bins had the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea written on them rather than Bristol City Council.
Filming began in December and directing the first block of the series will be another newcomer Dylan Holmes Williams.
Williams's short film The Devil's Harmony won the jury prize at Sundance 2020. He directed two episodes of the Apple TV series Servant.
Many familiar faces will be involved with the series as it moves into the future. As well as Russell T Davies acting as showrunner, Julie Gardner, Phil Collinson and Jane Tranter will all act as executive producers. Att three were behind the return of Doctor Who in 2005. Joel Collins will also act as an Executive Producer. Collins has recently been working for Bad Wolf on Industry and His Dark Materials.
Tenby is no stranger to a spot of celebrity spotting for filming, with fans of the BBC series Sherlock carrying out detective work in the town back in 2016, where scenes were filmed on the historic landmark St Catherine’s Island for the award winning show.
There was no sign of main star Benedict Cumberbatch or his Dr Watson sidekick Martin Freeman, but one of his former comedy co-stars from The Office did appear for filming in the form of Ralph Ineson, who played the recurring character Chris Finch in the popular BBC sitcom.
Scenes involving a black helicopter circling the island and ‘henchmen’ storming the fort with guns, alongside what appeared to be a Moriarty flag flying, led to speculation on film fan sites that St Catherine’s was to be used as a lair by Sherlock’s nemesis.
Lexden House in St Julian Street was also chosen as the location for filming of interiors and sea views, for Dylan Thomas biopic The Edge of Love in 2007, with stars Keira Knightley, Sienna Miller, Cillian Murphy and Matthew Rhys, all in the resort for filming.
Castle Beach was also used in 1997 to shoot scenes featuring Christian Slater and Jared Leto for historical drama Basil.
