New two-part ITV drama The Lost Honour of Christopher Jefferies, which was filmed at The Bottle Yard Studios and locations across Bristol last year, will air on ITV1 next week.
The drama is based on the true story of retired schoolteacher Christopher Jefferies (played by Jason Watkins) who was wrongfully accused of murdering 25 year-old landscape architect Joanna Yeates. The Carnival Films’ production for ITV filmed in locations across Bristol in 2013. Bristol Film Office and The Bottle Yard Studios, Bristol City Council’s two key film initiatives, assisted production of the drama.
Councillor Simon Cook, Bristol City Council’s Cabinet Member for Culture, said: “This was a case that was extremely close to Bristol’s heart. As soon as we learned about the plans for the drama, we were determined that if this story was going to be told, it needed to be told in Bristol. From the outset we were committed to doing everything possible to help Carnival Films with this very sensitive shoot.”
Production began in early November 2013 when the team set up base in The Bottle Yard’s production offices, recreating the interior of Jefferies’ flat and the police interview room in the Studios’ Tank House 2 space. Filming took place at the Studios and on location across the city until late December 2013.
Bristol Film Officer Natalie Moore said: “We assisted the production with filming across the city where key moments in the story were recreated, particularly in Clifton Village and Clifton Triangle where a number of scenes were shot. We managed a number of enquiries from local residents and businesses, updating them about the nature of the production. Our team were also on hand to help with everything from filming permits and crew, to coordinating permission for traffic control and parking suspensions on behalf of the production.”
Fiona Francombe, Site Director at The Bottle Yard Studios said: “We were really pleased to be able to offer Carnival Films a base for production at The Bottle Yard when they first came to us to talk about their plans for the drama. Working with our partners at Bristol Film Office who were also on board from the early stages, we were able to ensure that they had support throughout the shoot, both at their Studio base and on location across the city.”
Councillor Cook adds: “This important case had such a profound effect on Bristol just three years ago, it’s only right that the City was able to play its own part in bringing the story to the screen. Through the work of our two major film initiatives, Bristol Film Office and The Bottle Yard Studios, Bristol City Council was able to assist the production team to achieve as smooth a shoot as possible, and I’m proud that together we were able to achieve that.”
The Lost Honour of Christopher Jefferies will air at 9pm on Wednesday 10th and Thursday 11th December on ITV1. Written by Peter Morgan, directed by Roger Michell, it stars Jason Watkins, Ben Caplan, Shaun Parkes, Peter Polycarpou. It is a Carnival Films production for ITV.