From the rolling hills of West Yorkshire to the bustling streets of Manchester and the stunning coastline of Shetland, the UK is more than just a backdrop for the BBC’s new season, it’s the star.
The BBC are launching a new campaign, Made of Here, to celebrate their commitment to homegrown storytelling. At the heart of it all is a powerful new film, a love letter to the towns and cities that have inspired some of their most iconic shows and characters.
The campaign kicks off as their new season schedule gets underway, packed with drama, comedy and factual programmes that are truly “Made of Here.” You’ll see new stories set and filmed right across the country.
New shows to watch this autumn:
- Film Club: This romantic comedy-drama, co-created by and starring Aimee Lou Wood and Ralph Davis, was filmed in Greater Manchester.
- The Guest: A recently launched thriller starring Eve Myles and Gabrielle Creevy, this show was filmed in South Wales and is set in Cardiff. Available now on BBC iPlayer.
- Riot Women: From the acclaimed Sally Wainwright, this drama is set and filmed in Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire.
- Wild Cherry: Written by BAFTA-winner Nicôle Lecky, this series is set and filmed in the Home Counties.
- Small Prophets: A new comedy created by and starring Mackenzie Crook, this show is set and filmed around Manchester.
- Hamza’s Hidden Wild Isles: Join Hamza as he explores breathtaking locations across the UK.
- Titanic Sinks Tonight: A four-part documentary filmed in Belfast.
- Leonard and Hungry Paul: Narrated by Julia Roberts, this show is set in Ireland and stars Northern Ireland’s own Jamie-Lee O’Donnell.
- Farm 999: A new daytime series with Steph McGovern, filmed on farms across the UK.
Returning favourites:
Many of your favourites are coming back for a new season.
- How Are You? It’s Alan (Partridge), from Norfolk.
- A Christmas special of Two Doors Down, from Glasgow.
- Specials of Mrs Brown’s Boys, set in Dublin.
- The second series of the comedy Mammoth, shot in Cardiff.
- The second series of Daddy Issues, made in Stockport.
- The third series of Freddie Flintoff’s Field of Dreams, featuring Bootle in Liverpool, Blackpool, and Manchester. Available now on iPlayer.
- The third series of Highland Cops, covering the UK’s biggest beat.
- Series 10 of the drama Shetland.
- The third series of Blue Lights, set and filmed in Belfast.
- The second series of Stacey & Joe, from Pickle Cottage in Essex.
- Hope Street returns for series five, filmed in Donaghadee, Northern Ireland.
- Strictly Come Dancing makes its much-anticipated return to Blackpool this November.
- EastEnders fans are enjoying the return of Zoe Slater to the East End and the Manchester-made and set Waterloo Road returns for series 16.
More from around the UK
Their commitment to local storytelling extends beyond the screen. BBC Radio 4’s new drama lineup highlights a strong sense of place, including:
- High Cockalorum: A comedy-drama set in West Yorkshire and written by Bradford’s Jeremy Dyson.
- Blue Envelopes and Trust, set in Bradford and Salford, respectively.
- Astronomers: Follow a road trip through Wales.
- Samhain and Marwick: Set in the haunting landscapes of Scotland.
- Downstream: Located in the idyllic beauty of the Fens.
Podcasts are also getting in on the act, with new releases like Ballad of Big Mags from Scotland, When a Catfish Killsfrom Northern Ireland and In Detail… Sanctuary from Manchester.
The BBC’s new Made of Here film was shot across the UK, from Shetland to Kimmeridge Bay and they worked with 96 local cast and 120 local crew. The film is set to a bespoke version of Myles Smith’s track, My Home, and features hair-raising scenes from their shows projected onto local landmarks. You’ll see Tommy Shelby from Peaky Blinders in Dudley, Gavin & Stacey on a trailer in Barry Island and Blue Lights on a shipping container in front of Titanic Belfast.
The film’s final frame reminds viewers that the BBC is Made of the places that provide our settings, including Glasgow, Belfast, Birmingham, Shetland, Liverpool, Barry Island and the East End of London.
The BBC’s ongoing commitment
The BBC ongoing commitment to ramp up their programming across the UK. In 2024/25, they broadcast 581 hours of high-impact shows set in and portraying specific areas of the UK. That’s a 16% increase from the previous year.
And they’re not stopping there. More comedies and dramas are returning for second series and are currently in production:
- The award-winning comedy Dinosaur, filmed in Glasgow.
- Ludwig, starring David Mitchell, set in Cambridge.
- The Liverpool drama This City Is Ours.
- Smoggie Queens, the sitcom from Middlesbrough.
- Funboys, the comedy set and filmed in Northern Ireland.
The BBC have also recently started filming on a third series of Granite Harbour in Aberdeen and Glasgow. A second series of Only Child, set on the Moray coast. A second series of Death Valley, starring Timothy Spall, is also filming in South Wales.
In some exciting news, a new series of the much loved children’s show Balamory is being filmed in Glasgow and Tobermory, the real-life Isle of Mull town that inspired the show. The first series of Silent Witness to be made in and feature Birmingham is also coming soon.
As Kate Phillips, BBC Chief Content Officer, says, “The BBC is incredibly proud of the leading role we play in bringing the best homegrown storytelling to our audiences… We hope that the Made Of campaign will shine a light on our unique role in bringing the best of these programmes to our screens.”
The BBC is the largest single investor in UK made programming, with 99% of our original content made here. We contribute £4.9 billion to the UK economy each year, with half of that impact outside London. For every £1 of direct economic activity, generating £2.63 in the UK economy as a whole.
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