Fans who love historical dramas like Sanditon, Midsomer Murders, and Hotel Portofino will be thrilled to hear that 'Miss Scarlet and the Duke,' set in Victorian times, is returning on PBS Masterpiece. Get ready, because
Season 4 is launching on Sunday, January 7th! While everyone's counting down the days, here's some awesome news: Scarlet and William are making their way back to the town (literally.)
Production on Season 4 of Miss Scarlet and the Duke began filming in Belgrade, Serbia in November 2022 and has since wrapped.
'Miss Scarlet & the Duke' tells the story of Eliza Scarlet, London's pioneering female detective. She steps into her father's shoes, taking over his detective agency after he dies. Eliza becomes really good at cracking cases and often teams up with her buddy at Scotland Yard, nicknamed The Duke. The show's set in London, and they make it look pretty real – you can even spot Big Ben in the background sometimes. But guess what? They don't actually film it in England at all!
Starting from the third season, 'Miss Scarlet and the Duke' moved its filming location to Belgrade, Serbia. They used some cool computer tricks, like CGI, to tweak the sky scenes and make it look like you can see traditional British buildings far off in the background.
Stuart Martin, the main guy in the show, thought moving the filming to Serbia was pretty wild. He said it felt really normal getting back into his character, like putting on his hat and trying on suits again. But the big surprise was when they moved from Ireland to Serbia. The crew made the new sets look exactly like the old ones. They matched the colors, the marks on the walls, the blinds, and even the windows. He couldn't believe it! When he walked into the Scotland Yard set in Serbia and saw how they recreated everything, it made him feel way more at ease about filming in a new place.
The making of 'Miss Scarlet & the Duke' is pretty neat because they never actually filmed in London, even though the show is set there. For the first two seasons, they filmed in Dublin, Ireland. They used the old Georgian houses and streets in Dublin because they still look a lot like London did back in the show's time.
London has changed a lot since the 19th century, but Dublin has kept a lot of its old buildings. The street where Eliza Scarlet, the main character, lives is actually called Mount Pleasant Square in Ranelagh, Dublin.
Dublin was a great stand-in for Victorian London because it still has that old-timey look. Plus, filming there was a smart move money-wise. Other big shows, like the BBC’s 'Ripper Street,' are also filmed in Dublin for the same reasons – it looks really authentic and helps with the budget.
There are multiple locations in Dublin in which the show was filmed, such as Cabinteely, Cabinteely House, or Greystones.
Cabinteely, a suburb on the southside of Dublin, boasts the stunning 18th-century Cabinteely House & Park. This grand country manor, built by Robert Nugent, and Lord Clare, still has its original 18th-century staircase, decorative plasterwork, and a vaulted gallery. The park is a perfect example of an English landscape park from that era.
If you're into visiting cool places, Cabinteely House is a must-see. They offer free guided tours, and you can walk the same paths as big Hollywood stars like Eva Green from 'Penny Dreadful,' Glenn Close in 'Albert Nobbs,' and Saoirse Ronan in 'Brooklyn,' all of whom filmed there. It’s also one of the main spots where they filmed 'Miss Scarlet & The Duke.'
Not far from there, in County Wicklow south of Dublin, is Greystones, a coastal town and seaside resort. There's this old building, the Holy Faith Convent, which was built in 1845. It's part of St. Brigid’s National School now, and it's huge – over 11,000 square feet! The school bought it in 2018, keeping up the long history between the school and the old Catholic convent.
Just a short drive from Greystones, along the coast, you'll find Wicklow Gaol. This place used to be a prison from the late 18th century all the way to the early 20th century. They added bits to it in 1822 and 1842/43, and it was a working prison until 1924. Now it's a museum, opened in 1998, and it's even said to be one of the world’s most haunted buildings.
'Miss Scarlet & The Duke' was also filmed at Ardmore Studios in Wicklow. It's Ireland’s top studio facility and has been used for big international shows like 'The Tudors (you know, with Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Maria Doyle Kennedy, Henry Cavill, and Natalie Dormer), 'Braveheart' starring
Mel Gibson, and the already mentioned 'Ripper Street' and 'Penny Dreadful.'
And hey, if you want to see 'Miss Scarlet and the Duke' being filmed right on the streets of Dublin, check out this video by Dublin Tour Guide. It’s pretty cool to see!
Source: Andrew Gower