6 part crime thriller series Dark Heart, starring Tom Riley as DI Wagstaffe, was recently released as a region 2 DVD. The series is also available to download from iTunes UK, BritBox US and BritBox Canada. For those fans who have Amazon Prime, the series is also now available to stream on Amazon UK and Amazon US.
An interesting article about filming some of the scenes from the final Dark Heart storyline in Sheerness, Kent has been shared on this site. Apparently secrecy clauses were signed, yet there were lots of press photos, as well as cast and crew posts shared at the time of filming. There is a quote from Tom Riley about his birthday included.
Writer Chris Lang’s ITV series Dark Heart was filmed on Sheppey - though those in the know were sworn to secrecy until the six-part show aired. Sheerness town chaplain the Rev Jeanette McLaren Sheerness town chaplain the Rev Jeanette McLaren The final episode of the popular programme was shot at Shellness in March and broadcast on Thursday.
The six-part show starring Tom Riley as Detective Inspector Will ‘Staffe’ Wagstaffe ended up on the beach outside a cottage used by Sheerness town chaplain the Rev Jeanette McLaren. She said: “I had been itching to put something on Facebook but I couldn’t because I’d signed a secrecy clause.”
She said the film crew spent a week filming the sequence. Jeanette explained: “They tracked me down through our estate agent. It appears Shellness is in big demand for film and television companies these days as it is a prime location because it is so isolated. “A director told me it is like Dungeness was 40 years ago.
"Wild locations like this are becoming very rare.” Jeanette added: “It was very odd listening as the director said it was a wonderful location but the inside had to be completely redecorated. It was as if we were invisible. “They stripped out all the furniture and re-papered the walls with 60s wallpaper.
"We didn’t see it again for five days and when my husband Chris and I returned it was completely back to normal. "You would never have known a film crew had been there.” She said she managed a brief chat with some of the cast over tea.
Tom Riley starred as a detective haunted by the murder of his parents when he was 16. Most of the filming took place in London. The drama was produced by Silverprint Pictures and written by Chris Lang who also wrote Unforgotten, Torn, Undeniable and A Mother’s Son. It was inspired by characters created by novelist Adam Creed and also starred Charlotte Riley, Miranda Raison, Anjli Mohindra and Claire Goose.
During filming, Tom Riley, who was born in Maidstone and went to Maidstone Grammar School, celebrated his 37th birthday. He said: “It was weird working on my birthday. I was on set until midnight so there were no drinks. “I didn’t tell anyone but they gave me a cake!”
