Location, Location, Location!
Cities and towns across the country offer the perfect setting for telly filming, but which areas can be named the TV show capitals of the UK and are a must for fans to visit?
The TV and entertainment experts, OLBG, have carried out research to reveal which UK areas can be named the TV show capitals, based on factors such as the average review scores from platforms such as IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes for the shows filmed in the area, as well as how popular each location is amongst fans wanting to visit the local area based on search data. The team also revealed the average cost of accommodation in each location.
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Average Across Top TV Shows Filmed in the UK
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Rank
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Location
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Average IMDb Score
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Average Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score
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Average Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score
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Annual Location Searches
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Percentage Change in Annual Location Searches
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Average Cost of 3 3-Star Hotel
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TV Show Tourism Score (/10)
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1
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Dudley
|
8.7
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93
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94
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1,495,000
|
295.9%
|
£93.00
|
9.42
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2
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Dunstable
|
8.3
|
98
|
88
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850,500
|
169.7%
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£66.00
|
8.78
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|
3
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Ellesmere Port
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8.7
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93
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94
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717,500
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149.2%
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£68.00
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8.75
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4
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Hayes
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8.8
|
90
|
85
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1,056,000
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254.7%
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£72.00
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8.70
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5
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Stirling
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9.2
|
89
|
85
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1,626,000
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224.4%
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£82.00
|
8.58
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6
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Northwich
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8.7
|
93
|
94
|
834,000
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163.5%
|
£89.00
|
8.53
|
|
7
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Newbury
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8.7
|
84
|
94
|
1,470,000
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176.0%
|
£85.00
|
8.27
|
|
8
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Seaham
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8.5
|
91
|
95
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528,800
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142.9%
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£88.00
|
8.24
|
|
8
|
Leeds
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7.9
|
93
|
88
|
7,169,000
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138.9%
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£85.00
|
8.24
|
|
10
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Bradford
|
7.9
|
93
|
88
|
2,827,000
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127.6%
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£62.00
|
8.21
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Dudley has been crowned the TV show capital of the UK, scoring 9.42 out of 10.
Located in the West Midlands, the market town of Dudley has been a popular setting for a host of TV shows over the years, including Dancing on the Edge and Peaky Blinders. Dudley scored well across the board, with the town having the second-highest Rotten Tomatoes audience score for shows filmed in the area, at 94%.
Dunstable takes second place, with a TV Show Tourism score of 8.78 out of 10.
Like Dudley, Dunstable is a market town that has proven to be a popular filming location for UK TV shows. The Bedfordshire town has featured in popular shows such as Apple TV’s Slow Horses, and recorded the second-highest average Rotten Tomatoes critic score across shows filmed in the town at 88%.
Ellesmere Port completes the top 3, with a score of 8.75 out of 10.
The industrial town of Ellesmere Port is located close to Liverpool and it’s architecture and surroundings have made it a great place for TV filming. The National Waterways Museum has featured in Peaky Blinders and will also play a role in the upcoming Netflix drama, House of Guinness.
Further findings from the study also revealed that unsurprisingly, London tops the list of UK locations that has featured in the highest number of TV shows, at 1,571. Other locations at the top of the list include Manchester, Hertfordshire and West Yorkshire.
Ghosts is the most popular show on our list, with a TV show tourism score of 9.41 out of 10. It ranks third for its critic and audience score on Rotten Tomatoes (96% and 92%, respectively).
For fans wanting to visit popular UK filming locations, Bradford is the cheapest for accommodation. The average cost of a 3-star hotel per night will cost around £62, with the city playing host to shows such as Downton Abbey.
