City’s Georgian heritage is making it a Netflix star
Bodice-ripping Bath is building a name for itself as the go-to location for raunchy costume dramas.
Romantic, scandalous, and quick-witted Netflix series Bridgerton uses our city as its key backdrop. Indeed Netflix productions filmed locally have helped the South West economy enjoy a boost of over £132 million, according to the streaming giant, and it is hoped that they will also help to boost post-pandemic tourism.
“We’ve got some amazingly talented people here in the West of England and our facilities are topnotch,” said Dan Norris, Metro Mayor for the West of England. “That’s why our reputation in the creative industries grows day by day. It’s something local people can rightly be proud of.”
The first series of Bridgerton, starring Phoebe Dynevor and Claudia Jessie, was based on novel “The Duke and I” and was credited with helping the city enjoy a post-pandemic boost to tourism. The multi series production, based on nine regency novels by Julia Quinn is currently filming its second season, based on the second novel “The Viscount who Loved Me”.
“It is good to see Netflix and other production companies investing in our fantastic region bringing high skilled jobs,” said Norris.
“Shows like Bridgerton, and a favourite of mine, “David Attenborough: Our Planet,” are watched and adored by viewers across the globe. They truly help put our area on the map. That’s good news for our region and for U.K. PLC,” said Mr Norris, mayor of the West of England Combined Authority (Weca), the strategic transport authority for Bristol, South Gloucestershire and Bath & North East Somerset.
Netflix were equally enthusiastic. “We’re committed to the South West for the long-term,” said Anna Mallett, the company’s european VP of physical production, “and proud that the shows we’ve made over the last 2 years have contributed over £740 million to the UK economy, created over 1,000 jobs and generated opportunities for local communities.”
Other money-spinners for Bath include the 2020 film of Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca and new production of Jane Austen’s Persuasion starring Dakota Johnson and Cosmo Jarvis which was shot in our city this year to be released in 2022.
Of course, Bath does have a secret weapon where costume dramas are concerned. Since Austen lived here, and set two of her novels here, productions of Persuasion and Northanger Abbey couldn’t rightly be set anywhere else, but our elegant terraces also stand in easily for other Georgian towns.
In Bridgerton, for example, Bath locations such as the Holborne Museum, stand in for regency London. The city has said the show will help generate at least £1.5 million for the local economy due to its success. The UK is Netflix’s biggest production hub outside the United States, with a content budget of US$1 billion (£740 million) in 2020, more than 60 shows in production and more than 10,000 jobs.