After filming season 2 of Carnival Row so far took place in Prague and Liberec (Czech Republic / CzechWalks.com), production of the fantasy noir series will now move to Dubrovnik (Croatia) later this month for 10 days.
It is unclear at this point how these locations fit into the plot for season 2 but it might be connected to the Spurnrose storyline which last saw Imogen (Tamzin Merchant) and her lover Agreus (David Gyasi) flee the city of The Burgue from her brother Ezra’s (Andrew Gower) wrath.
ETA (6 March 2020):
Today Dubrovački Vjesnik run an article about a couple of people who showed up for the audition to become extras on the new season of Carnival Row. They also revealed that the show will film in Croatia from 29 March to 8 April.
Pictured above is the Liberec Town Hall, a Neo-Renaissance building from the late 19th century, which fits in nicely with the series Neo-Victorian theme.
Further scenes were apparently shot in the nearby town of Turnov at a depot for steam engines.
After production had been halted for a few weeks following the change in showrunners later last year, it is now back on track with filming resumed at the Barrandov Studios and on location in Prague.
Miss Scarlet and The Duke follows the adventures of Miss Eliza Scarlet (Kate Phillips), the first-ever female detective in 19th century London who is forced to partner with Detective Inspector William “The Duke” Wellington (Stuart Martin) of Scotland Yard, a drinker, gambler and womaniser. Rupert Parker (Andrew Gower) is Eliza’s best friend and one of her few supporters.
It’s no surprise then that Andrew Gower was asked to lend his voice once more to “Bonnie Prince” Charles Edward Stuart, the character he portrayed on the time travel series Outlander.
Just one more reason to visit the Scottish capital!
We had the great pleasure of speaking to the wonderfully talented Rachael New, creator of the upcoming drama Miss Scarlet and The Duke. We talked about her work on the 6 part series, the challenges of writing in a period setting and her plans for the future.
The British screenwriter’s impressive CV consists of a wide variety of drama and comedy series, both in contemporary and historical settings. In 2009 she wrote and co-created comedy drama series Monday Monday (starring Tom Ellis and Miranda Hart) for British channel ITV. She’s well-known for her work on The Mallorca Files (BBC), which also features a male and female detective clashing on how to investigate, and period drama Grantchester (ITV). Miss Scarlet and The Duke is the first time she serves as creator, writer and show runner.
What are you most excited about for fans to discover about Miss Scarlet and The Duke?
There is so much I’m looking forward. The characters have been so much fun to write. My protagonist Eliza Scarlet is a force of nature – an ambitious, independent woman living at a time where women had little or no rights. This creates lots of lovely conflict which you need to create a cracking story. I also think the tone of the series is quite a fresh take on the period genre. It’s a drama but punctuated with lots of comedy. I think this is something that will feel quite new and exciting to watch.
There’s no release date yet but can you maybe roughly hint at when we can expect to see it?
In the UK it will be on UKTV March time and in the States on PBS MASTERPIECE in September.
Great news, especially for everyone this side of the pond. Thank you!
Meet the main cast of Miss Scarlet and The Duke!
How much research went into your work on Miss Scarlet and The Duke?
A lot. I wanted the world to feel as authentic as possible so that Eliza’s struggle could cut through. It wasn’t a chore. I love history, and curling up on my sofa with a pile of books, cup of tea (or g&t) usually with a blanket or a cat on my lap, is my idea of heaven.
That sounds really heavenly indeed! Is Miss Scarlet based on historic events? Was there a real “Miss Scarlet“?
The character of Eliza Scarlet is fiction – there were no female detectives in 19th century London – however the world she inhabits is very much an authentic one. I felt it was important to research as much as possible. The 19th century was very much a male dominated society and at its core the premise of Miss Scarlet and The Duke is a woman in a man’s world trying to stay in the game.
What was your inspiration for Miss Scarlet, as a character and as a series?
We have a female Doctor Who so I wanted to write a female Sherlock Holmes, but unlike Holmes Eliza Scarlet is more human and less super hero. And where Holmes would be celebrated for his brilliance, Eliza has to work a hell of a lot harder for any kind of respect or recognition.
Haha! There is a lot of me in Eliza – her determination, her impatience, her lack of culinary skills – I’d rather be digging in the garden covered in mud than in the kitchen baking. But Kate Phillips (who plays Eliza) has brought so much to the role that now I’m writing season 2 I just think of her. She is sensational.
Can you share anything about the casting process? What were you looking for in the actors portraying Eliza, the Duke, and Rupert?
I was looking for that spark, a connection that the actor has with the script. As soon as I met with Kate (Eliza), Stuart (Duke), Andrew (Rupert), Ansu (Moses) and Cathy (Ivy) I knew immediately that’s who I wanted. Each are very special actors. They’ve brought magic to the screen and I feel extremely lucky to have them on the show.
Standard and inevitable question: how was working with Andrew Gower?
Andrew’s funny, smart, intuitive and just a lovely person to hang out with. Rupert Parker is a complex character and Andrew did a beautiful job of playing those nuances with such subtlety. He manages to make you laugh as well as move you all at the same time. He’s a class act.
We couldn’t agree more!
Andrew Gower as Rupert Parker
How old were you when you started writing? Has writing always been a passion for you?
I always loved writing as a kid and a teen but never really thought about making a living out of it. It was later when I had my first baby (who is now almost 18!) that a stranger actually paid me for a piece of writing. I haven’t stopped since.
Do you enjoy writing historical stories or contemporary ones? And why? What are some pros and cons of each genre?
I’m a period drama junkie so that is my preference both to watch as a viewer and to write. There are many cons of writing period – it’s costly and it’s tricky when out on location to cover up the signs of our modern age – satellite dishes, telephone lines, street lights… but it’s worth the hassle. I love diving into a world that isn’t recognisable as my own. To me that’s true escapism and what storytelling is all about.
Filming Miss Scarlet and The Duke in Dublin
Miss Scarlet and The Duke was the first time producing your own show. How did that feel?
It was exhausting, stressful, relentless… and I loved every minute of it. Working with director Declan O’Dywer was a real career high for me. I’ve found a friend for life as well as a trusted colleague who I’ll definitely be working with on other projects. I don’t want to big him up too much or he’ll get a big head and it’s already pretty big – that and the fact that someone else might snap him up if they realise just how good he is.
Show Running Miss Scarlet has been incredible but I had an awesome team behind me. Ben Edwards who over the years has often been my writing partner on other shows (and who rather conveniently also happens to be my husband) wrote a couple of the episodes and helped me break the stories. Then there’s my formidable exec producer team headed up by Patty Ishimoto at Element 8. It was a massive team effort.
Cast & Crew of Miss Scarlet and The Duke at the World Premiere
What’s your next project? Anything you can share?
I’ve got a Tudor thriller that’s an itch I’m going to scratch at some point, but at the moment it’s all Miss Scarlet. I’m in the middle of writing the first two episodes of season 2.
Thank you so very much, Ms New, for taking the time to answer our questions. We are even more excited to see Miss Scarlet and The Duke now and are loving the idea of a second season!
Ferabbee’s Circus has come to Swynton Magna, the village in Midsomer County where Joe (Jason Watkins), the owner of the circus, grew up with his now estranged brother Curtis (Neil Stuke), who still lives in the village. Soon after the arrival, evil clown sightings are not only scaring the inhabitants of Swynton Magna but Inspector Barnaby (Neil Dudgeon) must also face one of his biggest fears.
Not all that glitters is gold at Ferabbee’s – the circus is in deep financial trouble. Harry (Andrew Gower), Joe’s son, has plans to modernize the acts but his ideas fall on deaf ears, and clown Groucho (Kevin Eldon) wants to take on a better offer and leave the circus. The pressure is high on the remaining circus staff when things take a turn for the worse, and one of their own is killed in the circus ring.
Inspector Barnaby, his partner DS Jamie Winter (Nick Hendrix) and pathologist Fleur Perkins (Annette Badland) have their work cut out for them as the list of suspects is long and everyone in Swynton Magna has their dark secrets: who is Curtis’ attractive wife Freya (Lorraine Burroughs) having an affair with and what is going on in young Mostyn Cartwright’s (Andrew Knott) basement?
Visit our Gallery for more screencaps from this episode!
Radio Times introduced the cast of the new Midsomer Murders episode “Send in the Clowns” in an article and treated Andrew Gower‘s fans with this new production still from the episode.
They also had the following information about Andrew’s character Harry Ferabbee and about Andrew himself:
Who is Harry Ferabbee? Harry is Joe’s son who works with him at the circus, but is frustrated and worried by their dramatically falling trade. He thinks that their brand needs a major revamp, but his father routinely dismisses his ideas.
What else has Andrew Gower been in? He is probably best known for playing Charles Stuart in the second season of time travel drama Outlander, but has also appeared on BBC One hit Poldark and big-budget Amazon fantasy series Carnival Row.
Andrew is joined in the episode by fellow Being Human alumni Jason Watkins, Outlander‘s “Mrs Fitz” Annette Badland and a few more exciting guest stars. Find more about them here.
“Send in the Clowns” airs next Tuesday, 14 January 2020, at 8:00pm on ITV in the UK!
Andrew Gower‘s Midsomer Murders episode “Send in the Clowns” will finally make its debut on British television. ITV will show the episode on Tuesday, 14 January 2020, at 8pm.
Things take a gruesome turn when Ferabbees Circus comes to town, bringing with it a chain of sinister clown sightings, threatening notes and deathly dangerous circus acts. Barnaby has to face up to his fears in order to solve the case.
Joe Ferabbee (Jason Watkins) and his son Harry (Andrew Gower) – 20×06 Send in the Clowns
British television network ITV will air another episode of season 20 of popular crime drama Midsomer Murders in the new year. Episode 20×05 “Till Death Do Us Part” will air on Monday, 6 January 2020 at 8:30pm.
According to websites TV Maze and TV Wise, Andrew Gower‘s episode “Send in the Clowns” is scheduled to air on Tuesday, 14 January 2020 at 8:00pm. Fingers crossed this turns out to be true!
The event will take place from 24 – 26 July 2020 at Olympia London. Andrew will only attend on Saturday, 25 July, and he’ll be joined by fellow Carnival Row actor Simon McBurney (Runyan Millworthy) with more announcements expected soon.
Tickets for the event are on sale here, and you can buy photo op tickets for Andrew as well.
Andrew Gower Online 