Portsoy gets set for Peaky Blinders filming
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
FILMING for a hit TV gangster series is getting set to take place at a north-east coastal beauty spot in the coming weeks.
The production team behind the BBC's Peaky Blinders are making preparations in Portsoy for filming to take place at its 17th-century harbour.
The upcoming sixth series will mark "the end of an epic story", as producers confirmed it will be the last for the hugely popular crime drama.
There was local disappointment last June when the show's planned five days of filming in Portsoy were halted by the pandemic.
However, the production team are now on site, making set preparations at on the harbour front.
The Shore Inn, which is currently closed, has taken on a temporary new look as the fictional "Hotel Lalanne".
The film sets will be closed to comply with Covid-19 restrictions and the production company has appealed to fans of the show to stay away once filming starts to keep everyone safe and well.
A spokesperson said: "We’ve gone to extensive lengths in line with the applicable government and regional guidelines to make the production safe for cast, crew and the communities that surround our filming locations and, in order to continue to do this, we kindly ask that members of the public please stay away from our closed sets to allow us create the series in a safe and secure way for everyone involved.
"We look forward to sharing the series with you in due course."
The drama, which is set in inter-war Birmingham, stars Cillian Murphy as the troubled Tommy Shelby, a powerful member of the Shelby crime family.
Creator and writer Steven Knight has said the story will continue "in another form".
He announced the news in a statement confirming that the show had resumed production following delays due to coronavirus.
It said: "Peaky is back and with a bang.
"After the enforced production delay due to the Covid pandemic, we find the family in extreme jeopardy and the stakes have never been higher.
"We believe this will be the best series of all and are sure that our amazing fans will love it.
"While the TV series will be coming to an end, the story will continue in another form."
Executive producer Caryn Mandabach said: "Along with our wonderful, supportive partners at BBC and Netflix, we have been working diligently to ensure we can get Peaky safely back into production. The safety of our cast and crew is always our priority.
"Thank you to all the Peaky fans who have been so unwaveringly supportive and patient.
"Series six marks the end of an epic story that has entranced audiences since it first started in 2013, but the world of Peaky Blinders will most definitely live on."
Executive producer for the BBC, Tommy Bulfin, said: "We are very excited that filming for Peaky Blinders has begun and so grateful to everyone for all their hard work to make it happen.
"Steve’s scripts for series six are truly remarkable and provide a fitting send-off which we are sure will delight fans."
Peaky Blinders first aired on BBC Two, quickly becoming one of the channel’s most popular dramas. It made the transition to BBC One for the fifth series in 2019, achieving audiences of over seven million. It has been broadcast elsewhere across the world on Netflix.
.
