Somerset is starting the year with 2 great on-screen appearances, showcasing the county and supporting its economy.
This week sees the release of Can You Keep A Secret?, a new sitcom starring Dawn French that was filmed largely in and around Axbridge and Cheddar and is now available on BBC One and iPlayer.
And on 15 January streaming giant Netflix releases Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials, starring Mia McKenna-Bruce, Helena Bonham Carter and Martin Freeman. The lavish 3-part adaptation features key scenes shot on the West Somerset Railway at Blue Anchor and Minehead.
Both productions were assisted by Screen Somerset, Somerset Council’s film office which supports, encourages and celebrates filming in the county in recognition of the economic benefits it can bring.
Film and TV production brought an estimated £4.2m to the Somerset economy last year, supporting employment and raising the county’s profile.
Councillor Mike Rigby, Somerset Council’s Lead Member for Economic Development, Planning and Assets, said:
Film and TV production is great for the county’s economy, local businesses and the visitor economy which is why we’re working to make Somerset as film-friendly as possible.
Having 2 major productions with national and international reach hitting screens in January is a great way to start 2026.
Can You Keep A Secret? stars Dawn French as Debbie Fendon and Mark Heap as her husband William. The series sees the couple and their family trying to cope with a financial windfall that comes their way when William is mistakenly pronounced dead.
Filmed in February and March last year, the crew spent several weeks shooting in the area at locations including Axbridge’s beautiful Medieval Town Square and Waterfall Café and Ice Creams in Cheddar Gorge. The Fendon family home was filmed at Ten Acre Woods near Axbridge, with sets built at The Bottle Yard Studios in Bristol for the home’s interiors and hospital settings.
Axbridge Town Square has also recently featured in the hit series A Good Girls Guide to Murder.
Louise Cooling runs Ripley Antiques and Interiors in the square said:
It’s hard to keep a small business in a small community going and all of this helps. It’s such a lovely buzz whenever there is filming in the square. It always creates excitement.
We’re very proud of our little town and our amazing community. It’s great to share it and show it off a bit.
Dawn French said we had a beautiful shop and told Mary Matthews – the lady who makes our cakes – that her lemon drizzle cake was the best she’d ever had. Mary is so proud of that and she tells everybody. She’s even had it put on a t-shirt.
Matt Tovey runs the Waterfall Café with his parents Kelvin and Debbie and hosted the Can You Keep A Secret? crew for a week in February.
The whole experience was a real eye opener. You don’t appreciate just how many different people are involved in something like this.
It’s something that you might never do again and you’re seeing people that you have only seen on the screen before and may never see again.
They did a scene with Dawn French sat on table 3 in the corner, so I call that the Dawn French table now.
All 6 episodes of Can You Keep A Secret? are available to stream on BBC iPlayer from Wednesday 7 January and episode 1 will air on BBC One at 9.30pm.
Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials will be available to stream on Netflix from Thursday 15 January. It filmed at the Bottle Yard Studios and locations around Bristol and the South West including the West Somerset Railway.
