Eagle-eyed viewers spot hit BBC AND ITV dramas using the same set – but did you notice?
TIMES are hard but eagle-eyed viewers have spotted that two rival TV stations have been sharing the same set for two different programs.
The popular crime drama Sherwood, which is available to stream on BBCiPlayer, has been commissioned for a third series.
Set in the present day Nottingham, Sherwood is inspired by real life murders in Nottinghamshire in 2004.
But in one episode, a fan spotted a familiar cop shop while watching the drama, one they had seen before on anther crime drama called The Tower over on ITV.
One fan took to X, formerly Twitter to call them out, saying: “TV police underfunding is a major issue. Sherwood on BBC and The Tower on ITV have been forced to share a police station.”
Another joked: “That must be so inefficient. Assuming it’s halfway between the two locations, those poor officers will have at least an hour commute to their patch.”
And it seems it’s not just these shows the same cop shop has popped up on either.
Another fan posted: “The main police office was also used by the investigators on the BBC’s The Gold last year, if I recall correctly.”
While a fourth said: “Same police station as A Touch of Frost?”
The first series of Sherwood gripped viewers and was set in a Nottinghamshire mining town where two killings rocked the community.
One of victims was former union activist, Gary Jackson (Alun Armstrong) and his interest in secret past police operations led detectives to suspect a connection with the miners strike.
The show stars David Morrissey as DCS Ian St Clair and Lesley Manville who plays Julie Jackson, while Robert Glenister is DI Kevin Sailsbury and Adheel Akthar is Andy Fisher.
The second series of the crime drama, written by BAFTA-winning James Graham, was inspired by the ‘Shottingham’ gang wars.
In series three, Lesley Manville is back as Julie, while Sharlene Whyte portrays Pam Bottomley, Ria Zmitrowicz is Lisa Waters, Philip Jackson is Mickey Sparrow, and Aisling Loftus is Sandy Walters.
Meanwhile, The Tower is set in London – but when criminals are taken down to the station, fans have noticed it looks like the same place as the one in Nottingham.
Crime dramas on ITVX
Crime drama buffs have a wide selection of choices on ITVX - here is a selection of some of the programmes available to binge.
- Professor T: Based on a Belgian TV series of the same name, former Death in Paradise lead Ben Miller plays the title character. Professor Jasper Tempest is a criminologist with OCD who helps the police solve crimes. The cast also includes Emma Naomi, Barney White and Andy Gathergood.
- The Beast Must Die: This series follows a mother’s grief for her son, who was killed in an accident. Nicholas Blake’s novel of the same name has been adapted for the programme. Stars include Cush Jumbo, Jared Harris, Billy Howle and Geraldine James.
- Red Eye: Starring Richard Armitage, Jing Lusi and Lesley Sharp star in this six-part thriller, which mostly takes place during an all-night flight between London and Beijing. With dead bodies piling up and a mystery to unravel, the heroes must work fast to get to the truth.
- The Twelve: This Australian drama originally aired as a miniseries in 2022, with the episodes dropping in the UK in February 2023. Four months later, the show was renewed for a second season. Jurassic Park star Sam Neill stars in the leading role of barrister Brett Colby.
- Manhunt: Martin Clunes stars in this drama based on true murder investigations. Series one focused on the death of Amélie Delagrange, which took place in 2004, while the second depicted the search for serial rapist Delroy Grant.
The crime saga follows investigations to be solved by DS Sarah Collins, played by the show’s star Gemma Whelan, who explores the dark heart of policing.
The very first series began with Sarah investigating the deaths of a long serving police officer and a 15 year old Libyan refugee in London as they plunge to their deaths.
They leave behind a five-year-old boy and a new recruit Lizzie Griffiths, who disappears hours after the deaths.
Sarah investigates the murders and discovers a murky side to policing.
Two years after series two finished Sarah is is back on the job, this time trying to solve the case of a girl being stabbed.
It sees the introduction of a new character called Lizzie (Tahirah Sharif) whose willingness to do things by the book is tested by a call out.
Season three involves a stabbing which leads Sarah to the path of an undercover unit led by Kieran Shaw, with Lizzie Adams back at the station juggling family life with police duty.
Season three of The Tower is available on ITVX to stream. Sherwood season one and two are available to stream on BBC iPlayer.