Channel 4’s new thriller with a twist, Truelove, begins on 3rd January 2024 after filming on location in Bristol and Somerset last year.
Producers Clerkenwell Films, who were also behind the BAFTA award-winning series The End of the F***ing World, based production offices and props stores for the six-part drama at The Bottle Yard Studios whilst filming took place with Film Office assistance.
Bristol Film Office facilitated filming at numerous locations across the city, including Redland (Woodstock Road), Clifton (Richmond Hill Avenue, Berkeley Square, Alma Vale Road, Brandon Hill Park, garage premises on Wetherell Place), Westbury on Trym (Canford Park and Crematorium) and Blaise Castle Estate in Henbury. Locations in Somerset included Clevedon Pier, Burnham on Sea, Berrow and Brean.
Bristol was the perfect place for us to film and set our series, Truelove, for Channel 4. The city offered an amazing variety of locations, both within its urban areas and the surrounding countryside. Our show also required coastal locations, and we were able to access stunning seaside locations in about an hour from our production base. More than anything, it was a lovely city to live and work in for the duration of our shoot, with brilliant crew available locally or just over the bridge in Wales. We would definitely like to film there again.
Andy Baker, Executive Producer, Clerkenwell Films
With a core cast in their 70s, Truelove breaks the rules for older characters on screen, flipping ageist tropes on their head in a series which promises thrilling twists and turns, irreverent humour and passionate romance.
Lindsay Duncan (Birdman, About Time) stars as Phil, an ex-police chief enjoying a comfortable if boring retirement, and Clarke Peters (The Wire, Da 5 Bloods) is Ken, a divorcee and ex-special forces vet who feels similarly at sea. Phil and Ken were teenage sweethearts and despite life having moved on, they have never quite managed to forget each other. Their fellow friends are played by Sue Johnston (The Royle Family) as Marion, Karl Johnson (Mum) as Tom, Peter Egan (Downton Abbey) as David.
This gang of old friends make a drunken pact: rather than let each other suffer a slow and dreadful decline, they will step in and engineer a dignified death. In short, they will help each other die when the time is right. Because that, they all agree, is a sign of Truelove. But what starts out as a fanciful idea soon morphs into a shocking reality.
Kiran Sonia Sawar (Murdered by My Father) plays Ayesha, a young police officer who senses there is more to these friends than meets the eye. Further cast also includes Phil Davis (Trying) as Nigel and Fiona Button (The Split) as Kate.
Truelove is produced by Clerkenwell Films for Channel 4 and has been commissioned by Channel 4’s Head of Drama, Caroline Hollick and Commissioning Editor, Rebecca Holdsworth. Executive producers at Clerkenwell Films are Emily Harrison, Andy Baker, Petra Fried and Charlie Langdell. Charlie Covell and Iain Weatherby also executive produce.
Chloë Wicks (The Flatshare, On the Edge: Cradled) and Carl Tibbetts (The Tunnel, Black Mirror) direct and Alex Walsh-Taylor (Cheaters, Lovesick) is producer. BBC Studios, which wholly owns Clerkenwell Films, is distributing the series internationally.
TrueLove begins on Channel 4 at 9pm on Wednesday 3rd January 2024.