THERE has been plenty of drama in West Linton over the past couple of weeks as BBC cast and production crews rolled into town, writes Fiona Scott.
The Peebleshire village has landed itself a starring role in the second of three 90-minute episodes of the acclaimed Case Histories series, which stars Harry Potter actor Jason Isaacs in the role of the complex and compulsive private investigator Jackson Brodie, who attempts to unravel disparate case histories in modern-day Edinburgh.
Usually set amidst the iconic landscapes of the capital, the series will move, for a 20-minute spell at least, to the more rural setting of West Linton, which will feature as the home of two of the main characters in the feature-length episode.
The three-part drama, adapted from Kate Atkinson’s compelling novels, is being produced by Eric Coulter (Taggart, Rebus, High Times) and is likely to appear on our screens in the spring.
Mr Coulter told TheSouthern: “We have absolutely loved working in the Borders and West Linton in particular, where everyone has been friendly and helpful to our cast and crew.”
In the next series, West Linton will portray exactly what it is, a rural village quite close to Edinburgh, and although Coulter was careful not to give away any of the plot, he spoke of his delight that his team had got the location spot on.
“Everything worked very well both in the village and in some scenes shot on a nearby farm. It suited our characters perfectly and everyone is very happy with what we have shot.”
Filming in the area was wrapped up last Thursday after a seven-day spell during which Isaacs, known for his performance as the villain Lucius Malfoy in the Harry Potter films and the brutal Colonel William Tavington in The Patriot, attracted much attention from local children and adults alike.
Speaking before he started filming for this current series Isaacs commented: “I can’t wait to put on the crumpled, witty, self-destructive, noble and naughty skin of Jackson Brodie again and dive into the unique flavour of Kate Atkinson’s worlds.
“Nobody connects the past with the present and the absurd with the heart-wrenching like she does, and we all feel excited and lucky to bring another bunch of stories of damage and delight to the screen.”
Scheduling has not yet been confirmed for the new series which will be aired on BBC 1 next year.