When films mangle your local geography

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

That's got me wondering where Slade Prison was meant to be. In the movie, after they escape, they're clearly in the wilderness somewhere, so it wasn't in Carlisle itself.

[DCI Harry Batt]

"In the wilds of Cumberland".

[laverte]

The topological incoherence of Emily in Paris sat awkwardly with the gritty realism of its storyline.

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

You don't need to go far out of Carlisle to find wilderness - arguably you don't even have to leave it at all...

None of it was filmed round here (even the location scenes) so there are no visual clues, and the accents of the staff and locals were random and/or done for comedy effect, but I always pictured it as being Longtown or towards Penrith. It wouldn't have been in the Lake District and not too far towards West Cumbria (otherwise Carlisle wouldn't have been the nearest hospital).

[ursus arctos]

The Cider House Rules is supposed to be set in Maine, but not only was most of it filmed in Vermont, but the orphanage was an abandoned psychiatric hospital in Northampton, Massachusetts, which is about 65 km south of the Vermont scenes, with other bits filmed in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, more than 150 km to the southwest of the Vermont locations (and more than 370 km from Maine).

There seems to be something about films based on John Irving books. Much of The World According to Garp is et in New Hampshire, but was filmed on an island between Long Island and Connecticut.

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

Coincidentally the Porridge "pilot" Prisoner and Escort is currently on BBC iplayer.

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

...in which:

They travel by train and then the journey to Slade is described as "an hour and a half over the Fells"
Barraclough describes taking the prisoners on day trips to the fells
Barraclough also describes that him and his (serially unfaithful) wife have a monthly day trip to Workington

...so make of that what you will.

[caja-dglh]

The Cider House Rules is supposed to be set in Maine, but not only was most of it filmed in Vermont, but the orphanage was an abandoned psychiatric hospital in Northampton, Massachusetts, which is about 65 km south of the Vermont scenes, with other bits filmed in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, more than 150 km to the southwest of the Vermont locations (and more than 370 km from Maine).

There seems to be something about films based on John Irving books. Much of The World According to Garp is et in New Hampshire, but was filmed on an island between Long Island and Connecticut.

I mean, given the option "not New Hampshire" always gets a yes from me.

[Jon]

The Cider House Rules is supposed to be set in Maine, but not only was most of it filmed in Vermont, but the orphanage was an abandoned psychiatric hospital in Northampton, Massachusetts, which is about 65 km south of the Vermont scenes, with other bits filmed in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, more than 150 km to the southwest of the Vermont locations (and more than 370 km from Maine).

There seems to be something about films based on John Irving books. Much of The World According to Garp is et in New Hampshire, but was filmed on an island between Long Island and Connecticut.

Not just John Irving books:

On Golden Pond - set in Maine, filmed in New Hampshire.

Stand by Me - set in Maine, filmed in Oregon and California.

Dead Poets Society - set in Vermont, filmed in Delaware.

In truth though, probably the majority of films are not filmed where they were set, unless they are set in places of immediate recognisability.

[Hot Pepsi]

I’m pretty sure Stand By Me is set in Oregon. The Stephen King story is in Maine, but the film switched it to Oregon, as I recall. Most of it was made in Oregon. Except the train part.

Then again, it references the Royal River, which is in Maine.

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

In what might be a future candidate for this a Bollywood production has been filming round here this week - there are scenes in Carlisle (they were filming outside the castle when we drove past on Monday evening) and the Lake District, and the rest of it shot in London. So if the characters go for a walk in Carlisle and end up deep into the Lake District within minutes I'll be back on this thread calling it out.

[Patrick Thistle]

My mum was a big fan of the Brother Cadfael books but when they filmed it, they didn't bother with Shrewsbury and went to a cheaper location option in Eastern Europe. Cue lots of comments from my mum about how the river was all wrong and various other geographical complaints about the TV series.

[3 Colours Red]

Has Shrewsbury really changed that little since the 12th century then?

[Simon G]

The only programme I can think of that was filmed in Cheltenham was Butterflies, but I've never seen it so I'm unable to comment on a) whether Cheltenham is the location the programme is set in, and b) whether or not they mangle much of the geography.

[Levin]

Oh really? I was thinking the other day that a televisual map of the UK would lots of blank spots around mid sized towns like Cheltenham or Northampton. It's either cities or village sized rural.

[Capybara]

The only programme I can think of that was filmed in Cheltenham was Butterflies, but I've never seen it so I'm unable to comment on a) whether Cheltenham is the location the programme is set in, and b) whether or not they mangle much of the geography.

It was certainly filmed in Cheltenham. There are scenes which are unmistakably in Pittville Park. And Geoffrey Palmer once came in the pub I worked in for a pint.

[Sits]

Always assumed it was somewhere like Surbiton or Richmond.

[Lymeswold Snork]

Although The Good Life was set in Surbiton, I think Tom was seen getting home from work via Norbiton station. Maybe it was easier to film there because it's less busy; also more picturesque, though you'd think the concrete blocks of Surbiton would be a better contrast to the Goods' ploughed-up front garden. But Norbiton isn't such an amusing name.

Not that they're far apart anyway.

[Simon G]

Always assumed it was somewhere like Surbiton or Richmond.

It's another thing the local paper - now local news website - likes to bring up every couple of years. Like the Casualty filmed at Meadow Park in Gloucester mentioned upthread.

[3 Colours Red]

Oh really? I was thinking the other day that a televisual map of the UK would lots of blank spots around mid sized towns like Cheltenham or Northampton. It's either cities or village sized rural.

Those blank spots would be nothing compared to the vast swathes of unmarkedness across the vast majority of north and mid-Wales. Even shows made for an entirely Welsh audience tend to congretate towards the south.

[Nocturnal Submission]

Those blank spots would be nothing compared to the vast swathes of unmarkedness across the vast majority of north and mid-Wales. Even shows made for an entirely Welsh audience tend to congretate towards the south.

I give you The Owl Service.

[Nocturnal Submission]

And possibly One Summer.

[Jon]

I also am surprised that Butterflies was filmed in Cheltenham. One just assumes that is set and filmed in the south east.

The Good Life was set in Surbiton but the producers couldn't find suitable properties next door to each other in Surbiton and so settled on Kewferry Road, Northwood.

The new series of All Creatures Great and Small is excellent Sunday night fare but it is filmed in a different area of the Pennines than its predecessor and, indeed, where the vet himself worked. Meaning, possibly, that 'Herriot country' as a geographic entity might well shift significantly southwards if the popularity of the new series continues apace.

[3 Colours Red]

Nocturnal Submission - can you really blame me for not knowing about those? One Summer is by far the newer of those two and it was shown when I was one year old.

[Nocturnal Submission]

Nocturnal Submission - can you really blame me for not knowing about those? One Summer is by far the newer of those two and it was shown when I was one year old.

No blame, son, no blame.

But I am disappointed.

Both cracking TV shows incidentally, the earlier one of the two even lumbered with a "curse."