There are many reasons why London has such global fame and influence. Political leaders throughout the ages, pioneering science and technology, a burgeoning artistic heritage – each of these alone is more than enough to put us on the map. It’s amazing to live in a city with so much heritage.
Of course, none of this means as much to us as seeing the capital used as a location in our favourite TV series. We can’t get enough of that I-walk-past-there-every-day feeling.
Uncultured? Us? Psh. Let’s indulge our gogglebox habit for a while with London Locations from your favourite TV series.
Doctor Who
How could we start a post like this with anything other than this treasure of British television? The series has run for over four decades, so there are far too many locations to mention. Our personal favourite, however, would be seeing the Daleks on Westminster Bridge.
Sherlock
Sherlock wouldn’t be Sherlock if it didn’t feature the precocious pair dashing around London on their adventures. My personal favourite scene is the one with the facade houses at 23 – 24 Leinster Gardens.
Downton Abbey
The stunning houses and vistas in Downton Abbey couldn’t have been filmed anywhere other than in the UK. Its London locations include The Criterion in Picadilly, The Albert Memorial in Kensington Gardens, and Euston Station.
Friends
‘Oh, but Friends is set in the USA!’ I hear you cry. Well, yes, of course. But if you’re a fan of the show, you might remember a tiny plot point in the way of Ross and Emily’s Wedding! There’s a tonne of London shots in here, including one of Tower Bridge and the Marriott. Emily’s church is actually St James’ Church in Wapping.
Black Mirror
Charlie Brooker has been a staple of the British comedy scene for years, and fans are happy to see him break out to a global audience with this acerbic black comedy series. Shot throughout London, Black Mirror features the City of Westminster College in Paddington and the Hammersmith Apollo.
Original House of Cards
I bet you’re picturing Kevin Spacey’s wonderful performance right now in this modern classic White-House drama. But did you know that House of Cards was originally a British Show starring Ian Richardson? It’s filmed all over Westminster.
Luther
If you haven’t binge-watched Luther yet, then we highly recommend you begin immediately. This excellent British police drama stars Idris Elba as an obsessive, troubled detective. But, almost stealing the show is London itself, and Luther shows its seedy underbelly beautifully.
Peep Show
Maybe you haven’t heard of this one outside of the UK, but to Brits of a certain age Peep Show was a behemoth on the comedy scene. Unlike its spiritual brother, The Office the pilot for the U.S. remake was abysmal. In the UK version, our two unfortunate heroes played their parts out of a real flat in Zodiac Court, Croydon.
Eastenders
No TV show list would be complete without this classic of classics. Eastenders has been filmed on location in its titular London district for a generation. You won’t see Queen Victoria on the streets of Walford, though. That’s all studio magic.
The Simpsons
We’re cheating a little here, obviously. However, we couldn’t resist putting in this fantastic scene that was ‘filmed’ on Constitution Hill around the Victoria Memorial. I’m fairly sure I’ve had this exact experience myself.
So that’s everything! If you’d like to spot as many of these as you can on your visit, we recommend you check out our London tours.
