Where is Magpie Murders filmed? Location guide for BBC drama
The former BritBox original is getting a second chance.
Magpie Murders is moving from its original home on BritBox over to the BBC, which means that a load more people are about to discover its clever and compelling mystery.
The unconventional series is actually two stories in one, following 1950s book editor Susan Ryeland (The Crown's Lesley Manville) as she looks into the untimely death of one of her regular collaborators: author Alan Conway (Conleth Hill).
Meanwhile, the series also gives us a look at the fictional mystery that Alan was writing before his demise, which could very well offer some clues about what happened to him.
The series, which has already been renewed for a second season, is set primarily in London and Suffolk, but it may surprise viewers to learn that filming took place somewhere else entirely.
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Director Peter Cattaneo has explained that much of Magpie Murders was filmed in Dublin, with the Irish capital posing as other locations in the show.
"That was a given when I signed on, just for economic reasons, really," he said. "It's a more economical place to shoot."
Cattaneo continued: "It's a complete mix up of Dublin, real Suffolk for a bit and a tiny bit of real London – just establishing shots of the cars driving around Liverpool Street Station.
"So it was about just creating those two very distinctive worlds."
The distinctive house which is a crucial location throughout the series was found "just outside" of the Irish capital, with producer Jill Green revealing that the derelict property was once owned by Guinness.
The production also travelled out to Bloomsbury in County Meath, with Green explaining it was perfect for their needs "because there is a lot of Edwardian architecture in those squares".
While the series was mostly filmed in Ireland, those familiar with Suffolk will be pleased to see that the East Anglian county does appear in some scenes, with Green describing the discovery of small village named Kersey as a "real turning point".
Green added: "To actually find a whole village where about 400 people lived, where they all agreed to let us film and some of them were in it as well, was a really massive turning point for the show and it's an extraordinary outcome I think."
Of course, shooting a period drama on location naturally throws up some complications, with Cattaneo recalling that getting all the modern cars off the street was a major hurdle to overcome.
"We got in with the pub and the church and once we got those two on side it seemed to spread to the whole village," he revealed.
In addition to Manville, Magpie Murders also stars Daniel Mays (Code 404), Tim McMullan (The Serpent) and Conleth Hill (Vienna Blood).
Magpie Murders begins on BBC One at 9:15pm on Saturday 1st April. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what's on tonight.
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Authors
David Craig is the Senior Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest and greatest scripted drama and comedy across television and streaming. Previously, he worked at Starburst Magazine, presented The Winter King Podcast for ITVX and studied Journalism at the University of Sheffield.