Your favorite TV shows – filmed in Wales
The lowdown on a Doctor Who and Torchwood –themed vacation!
Fans of British television in America can currently catch three shows set in Wales. Doctor Who is shown on BBC America (www.bbcamerica.com) and the Sci-Fi channel (www.scifi.com/doctorwho). Torchwood, the Doctor Who spin-off series, is shown on BBC America. And Gavin & Stacey, a contemporary British sitcom, is also on BBC America.
Find out more about Doctor Who, Torchwood and Gavin & Stacey locations, and become a fan of Wales, on our official Facebook page: www.facebook.com/visitwales
Download our new desktop wallpaper featuring Cardiff Bay - where Torchwood is filmed.
Latest Torchwood news...
USA: Torchwood: Children of Earth premieres on five consecutive nights from Monday, July 20th at 9E/P on BBC America. THEN, just 48 hours after the last episode, John Barrowman, writer/producer Russell T Davies and executive producer Julie Gardner will feature on a panel at Comic-Con in San Diego on Sunday July 26th. More info from BBC America:
http://www.press.bbcamerica.com/press/programoverview.jsp?program_id=105
UK: The Torchwood team will be touching down in Cardiff and London to launch the new DVD on Friday July 17th. More info. from Kasterborous: www.kasterborous.com/news.asp?ac=9&id=2620
We have tips for checking out filming locations in and around Cardiff…
Doctor Who is filmed largely in Cardiff, the capital of Wales. Many scenes depict modern day Cardiff with its contemporary architecture and centuries of history. However, did you know that Cardiff has also been transformed, at times during filming, to double as London, 18th century France, and Dickensian-era Britain?
Be sure to visit the "Doctor Who Up Close" exhibition in Cardiff to see some of the costumes and props used. www.doctorwhoexhibition.com/cardiff.html
Cardiff is just two hours from London, so it’s easy to get to. There is a large choice of hotels at all prices. The city is so compact that nothing is more than 15 minutes walk away… within the one square mile of Cardiff’s bustling downtown are the big three attractions: the Millennium Stadium, the National Museum and Cardiff Castle. Also check out the revitalized Cardiff Bay neighborhood, home to the iconic Wales Millennium Centre, where much of the filming takes place for both Doctor Who and Torchwood.
"When you see Cardiff on film, it looks like LA - - it looks amazing. I think a lot of people are going to want to come here, not just because of Torchwood but because it's such a great place - - it's buzzing every single day and it's beautiful." John Barrowman (Captain Jack)
Here are just a few of the Doctor Who filming locations in and around Cardiff:
Cardiff Bay is a popular filming location, and the ‘Tardis’ can often be seen in front of the iconic Wales Millennium Centre and Atradius Building (for example ‘The Runaway Bride’ episode). The characters have been filmed in popular bars including Bistro 10 and Terra Nova, as well as on Mount Stuart Square.
Scenes have also been shot at the Millennium Stadium, where corridors have been used for underground sets, and the stadium itself during an episode depicting Britain around the time of the 2012 Olympics. Tours of the stadium are available: www.millenniumstadium.com/3473_3523.php.
Downtown Cardiff features in many episodes including bustling markets, shopping and street scenes. One of our favorite filming incidents was when the crew was filming on St Mary Street. We’ve seen many things on St. Mary Street - after all it’s a popular nightlife thoroughfare - but even revelers would have been shocked to see a tank parked in the street! Scenes have been filmed outside the Parish Church of St. John the Baptist (www.cardiffstjohncityparish.org.uk) on Trinity Street, the oldest building in Cardiff after Cardiff Castle, surrounded by other buildings dating back to the 12th century.
Even quieter neighborhoods in Cardiff don’t escape the film crews. St. Paul’s Church in Grangetown has been featured, and Princes Avenue in Roath was decorated for Christmas in the middle of summer during filming as the location of Donna’s home.
A few favorite locations just outside Cardiff:
Tredegar House (‘Tooth and Claw’ episode) in Newport is one of the best examples of a 17th century Charles II mansion in Britain, and is surrounded by a beautiful 90-acre park. (www.newport.gov.uk/_dc/index.cfm?fuseaction=thingstosee.tredegarhouse)
A historic railway station scene (‘The Empty Child’ episode) was filmed just ten miles from Cardiff at the former Plymouth Road station on Barry Island, now part of the local heritage railway - The Barry Island Railway. www.valeofglamorganrailway.co.uk
It's not just the filming locations which are Welsh! The lead writer and executive producer of the new Doctor Who series’, Russell T Davies, was born in Swansea. And Terry Nation, creator of Doctor Who’s arch-enemies, the Daleks, was born in Cardiff.
The adult Doctor Who spin-off series, Torchwood, is also set and filmed in the Welsh capital. And the recent comedy series, Gavin & Stacey, is partly set in Barry, in the Vale of Glamorgan. Barry is a seaside resort town located just seven miles from Cardiff, and can be easily reached by bus or train. www.valeofglamorgan.gov.uk
For more, check out Wales on Facebook: www.facebook.com/visitwales