38 movies and TV shows filmed in Yorkshire

Yorkshire has had many starring roles on Film and TV, sometimes it’s the big cities like Leeds, Sheffield or York providing the backdrop, often it’s our stunning North York Moors, Yorkshire Dales or Peak District countryside or even one of the regions many stately homes like Castle Howard and Newby Hall.

Read on to see how many of these films, soap operas, dramas, and comedy shows set or filmed in Yorkshire you remember…

Ackley Bridge

Making its debut on Channel 4 in the summer of 2017, the comedy-drama set in a multicultural academy school of the same name, is now into a fifth series. The now closed St Catherine's Catholic High School in Halifax is used for filming.

All Creatures Great & Small

The original series - filmed on location all over the Yorkshire Dales - ran on the BBC between 1978 and 1990. The 2020 revival on Channel 5 used Grassington as the fictional village of "Darrowby". Skipton, Janet’s Foss near Malham, Bolton Abbey and Ripon Racecourse also feature.

Agatha

Based on renowned crime writer Agatha Christie’s disappearance, the 1979 film starred Vanessa Redgrave, Dustin Hoffman and Timothy Dalton. In real life Agatha was hiding at the Swan Hydropathic Hotel in Harrogate, so it’s only right that that location, nowadays known as The Old Swan Hotel, is featured in the film.

An Inspector Calls

The BBC’s 2015 TV movie version of JB Priestley’s An Inspector Calls is all about events on a single evening at the Birling family’s country home. They used the dining room at Scampston Hall near Malton.

Brideshead Revisited

Castle Howard near Malton has a list of TV and movie credits any actor would be proud of. It makes more than one appearance on this list. Perhaps its most famous role of all is as the Marchmain’s family residence in not one, but two versions of Evelyn Waugh’s Brideshead Revisited.

Bridgerton

As promised, we're back at Castle Howard - this time known as Clyvedon Castle - the home Simon and Daphne move into after their wedding.

Chariots of Fire

With 4 Oscars, 2 BAFTA Awards and a Golden Globe, Chariots of Fire is arguably one of Yorkshire's most successful exports! It’s all about Olympians Harold Abrahams and Eric Liddell. The Crescent Gardens in Harrogate feature as a Parisian cafe.

Dad's Army

2016 saw a new movie inspired by the classic sitcom Dad’s Army. Filmed at countless locations in and around Bridlington we saw a German U-boat surface off North Landing and a triumphant Home Guard parade through “Walmington-on-Sea” – actually the Old Town High Street!

Death Comes To Pemberley

First shown on telly over Christmas 2013, Death Comes To Pemberley was a three-part drama based on the best-selling P.D. James novel of the same name. It's a murder mystery inspired by the style and characters of Jane Austen's 1813 novel Pride and Prejudice. Chatsworth House in Derbyshire was used as the exterior of Pemberley, but much of the rest of the filming was in Yorkshire. Rooms at Castle Howard and Harewood House were used for indoor scenes. Hardcastle Crags near Hebden Bridge and Fountains Abbey and the Studley Royal estate in the Yorkshire Dales feature in outdoor scenes.

Dracula

We know Whitby inspired Bram Stoker when he stayed in Royal Crescent in the summer of 1890. Whitby is where The Count first comes ashore when his ship is wrecked. In the recent TV remake from Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat we had to wait for the third episode for a glimpse of the Yorkshire Coast town.

Educating Yorkshire

In 2011 we'd had 'Educating Essex', but two years later, the second series took us to Thornhill Community Academy in Dewsbury. The series ended with its most famous episode. English teacher Mr Burton helped student Musharaf overcome his stammer and give a speech to his classmates in assembly.

Emmerdale

Arguably the daddy of all Yorkshire telly shows. 'Emmerdale Farm' as it was originally known, was first broadcast on 16 October 1972. Now simply 'Emmerdale', the interiors are filmed at studios in Leeds, while the exteriors are shot at a purpose-built village on the Harewood estate. We're not far short of 10,000 episodes.

Fat Friends

From the pen of legendary Yorkshire writer Kay Mellor, 'Fat Friends' stretched to four series between 2000 and 2005. Set in Leeds, it follows the lives of several slimming club members. It's now become a successful stage musical.

Gentleman Jack

Created by Sally Wainwright and set in 19th century Yorkshire, it stars Suranne Jones as landowner and industrialist Anne Lister. It's based on her extensive diaries, which were mainly written in a secret code, documenting a lifetime of lesbian relationships. Programme makers used Anne's actual home - Shibden Hall. A second series is in production.

Happy Valley

Another Sally Wainwright classic, the crime drama starred Sarah Lancashire and Siobhan Finneran and was filmed and set in the Calder Valley in West Yorkshire. A third series is promised.

Harry Potter

Goathland Railway Station, on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway heritage line, has featured in many movies and TV shows over the years - perhaps most famously in the Harry Potter films as Hogsmeade station. JK Rowling denies rumours York's 'Shambles' was the inspiration for Diagon Alley.

Heartbeat

Harry Potter isn't Goathland’s only claim to fame… ITV made 372 episodes of 1960's police drama Heartbeat between 1992 and 2010. At its height, 14 million people were tuning in on a Sunday night to see the village taking a starring role as “Aidensfield”.

Indiana Jones 5

The as-yet-untitled fifth instalment will feature Harrison Ford, Pheobe Waller-Bridge and the village of Grosmont in the North York Moors. The sleepy spot on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway line appears to be doubling for a Nazi Germany prison camp our hero intends to escape from.

Jane Eyre

Based on the famous novel, the 1996 film was shot in the UK, Europe and the United States. One of the key locations was Blubberhouses Moor which had the all important scene when Jane and Rochester first met. Brimham Rocks has also been used for Wuthering Heights, The Hound of the Baskervilles, Ivanhoe and a Woman of Substance.

Last Of The Summer Wine

Another Yorkshire telly legend. Set and filmed in and around Holmfirth in West Yorkshire, the show centred on a trio of old men and their youthful misadventures. The cast evolved over the 31 series and 295 episodes. Roy Clarke OBE wrote every single episode.

Last Tango In Halifax

Yet another Sally Wainwright hit, Last Tango in Halifax is a comedy-drama loosely based on her mother's second marriage. Derek Jacobi and Anne Reid starred as Alan and Celia. Not surprisingly, the Halifax scenes were indeed shot in Halifax, but Altrincham was used as Harrogate.

Little Voice

Mark Denham’s 1998 movie Little Voice was based on Jim Cartwright’s 1992 play The Rise & Fall of Little Voice. It was set and filmed in locations all over Scarborough - particularly among the twisting back streets of Old Town. Mr Boos nightclub, where LV shows off her incredible vocal talents was at a Holiday Park in Cayton Bay.

Mansfield Park

ITV’s 2007 adaptation of Jane Austin’s Mansfield Park starring Billie Piper was filming entirely at Newby Hall near Ripon.

Mission Impossible 7

2021 seemed to be the summer when Tom Cruise popped up all over the UK. He was on a train in North Yorkshire, then later on the same train as it fell over a cliff edge in Derbyshire, he was even ordering Chicken Tikka Masala twice in a Birmingham restaurant. All this during the filming of the latest Mission Impossible movie.

Open All Hours

Another show created by prolific writer Roy Clarke, it ran for 26 episodes in four series between 1976 and 1985. It starred Ronnie Barker and David Jason as an uncle and nephew running a corner shop in Balby, Doncaster. A sequel 'Still Open All Hours', began airing in 2013.

Our Yorkshire Farm

One of Channel 5's many Yorkshire-themed hits of recent years, it's a documentary series following "Yorkshire Shepheress" Amanda Owen and her family on their remote Ravenseat Farm, in Swaledale in the Yorkshire Dales.

Paddington 2

There's an epic scene in the final ten minutes of Paddington 2 where the Nidd Gorge Viaduct has a starring role! Skip to 8 minutes in...

Peaky Blinders

Newby Hall near Ripon has made a few small screen appearances. You can see it in the first series of Peaky Blinders. Filmed back in 2012, they shot scenes in the cellars, billiards room and gardens. The statue gallery doubled as Birmingham Museum.

Phantom Thread

Phantom Thread was the last movie Daniel Day Lewis made before retirement. The cobbled streets of Staithes and St Oswald's Church in Lythe both feature. The Victoria Hotel in Robin Hoods Bay had a 1950's makeover and some of the staff even featured as extras!

The Royal

A 2003 Scarborough-based medical spin-off from 'Heartbeat'. In fact, for the first few series of 'The Royal' characters from Heartbeat would rock up at “St Aidan's Royal Free Hospital” in the fictional town of “Elsinby”. The inside stuff was filmed in Leeds and Bradford and the outside is up on Scarborough’s South Cliff at Red Court.

Scarborough

Benidorm creator Derren Litten went for another popular seaside destination for his next sitcom: 'Scarborough'. It starred Jason Manford and Catherine Tyldesley as 30-somethings Mike & Karen giving their relationship another go. The action revolves around karaoke night at “The Good Ship” – better known as The Newcastle Packet in Scarborough's South Bay.

The Secret Garden

The 1993 fantasy drama was set all over Yorkshire. Allerton Castle was used as both the exterior and interior shots of Misselthwaite Manor.

Swallows & Amazons

The latest adaptation of Swallows and Amazons was filmed all over Yorkshire, but one scene was filmed just a few miles from Harrogate at Plumpton Rocks.

The Syndicate

Kay Mellor's BBC One drama follows lottery winning syndicates. The first series is set in a Leeds supermarket; the second, a hospital in Bradford; the third, a crumbling stately home near Scarborough; and the fourth at a dog kennel in Yorkshire.

This Is England '86

This 2010 TV series written by Shane Meadows and Jack Thorne was a spin-off from the 2006 film This Is England. Set three years later, it focuses on the mod revival scene. As in the film, the exact setting is unclear, but a lot of filming took place around the Gleadless Valley area of Sheffield.

The Trip

A 2010 sitcom starring Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon as fictionalised versions of themselves on a restaurant tour of northern England. They stopped off at The Yorke Arms in Nidderdale and The Angel at Hetton.

Victoria

Jenna Coleman starred in ITV’s Victoria. Stately homes all over Yorkshire featured as various royal residences, but when it came to a beach that looked like The Queen’s beloved Isle of Wight for Series 3, they went for… Flamborough!

The Yorkshire Vet

A Channel 5 documentary series that follows life in James Herriot's former practice, The Skeldale Veterinary Centre in Thirsk. First aired in 2015, it's now in a 13th series.

We hope you enjoyed our movie and TV tour of Yorkshire!

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