Newcastle on Screen: 14 Films & TV Shows Set in Newcastle
Newcastle has appeared on screen lots of times - we've collected some of the most notable
Given how iconic so much of Newcastle is, it’s no surprise that there are plenty of films and TV series that made use of its bridges and streets and, of course, the river.
But it’s not all about the big landmarks – locals have doubtless watched a character walk from one back street to another that’s miles away and shouted at their telly.
We’ve collected a few examples of Newcastle’s screen appearances – how many have you seen?
Get Carter (1971)
Let’s start with the big one: Get Carter is considered a classic British gangster movie, a grimy counterpoint to all that Swinging London stuff, offering instead some gritty North Eastern flavour as Michael Caine returns to Newcastle to avenge his brother: much violence ensues. While quite a lot of the memorable locations in Mike Hodges’ film aren’t actually in Newcastle – with Blyth and Blackhall beach playing big parts, and the iconic and now demolished Trinity Centre car park in Gateshead providing the means of poor Cliff Brumby’s spectacular demise – there are still plenty of key shots that are in the city. Caine and Geraldine Moffat (as Glenda) are seen all around the Tyne: the Long Stairs, High Level Bridge and Swing Bridge all feature prominently, as does Pink Lane, location of what was then Bower’s Café. Also featured is a pub called the Half Moon, which is now The Victoria Comet! If you want to go further down the Get Carter rabbithole, we recommend this website.
Our Friends in the North (1996)
Shown by the BBC in 1996, Our Friends In The North regularly makes lists of all-time great TV series, and deservedly so. It made stars of its leads - Daniel Craig, Christopher Eccleston, Gina McKee and Mark Strong – playing four Geordies across the years 1964-95 (often reflecting the political and social realities of the day), and while much of the action happens elsewhere (primarily in London), Newcastle is always present. There are lots of scenes in the city and the east end (Byker and Wallsend) but perhaps most notable is the closing episode’s plotline of Tosker (Mark Strong) and Elaine (Tracey Wilkinson) opening a new floating nightclub, which used legendary Newcastle venue The Tuxedo Princess, nicknamed simply ‘The Boat’ by locals, which was finally towed away in 2008.
I, Daniel Blake (2016)
I, Daniel Blake is the first of a trio of films set in the North East from veteran socialist film-maker Ken Loach (the others being Sorry We Missed You and 2023’s The Old Oak). A painful look at the iniquities of life for benefits claimants, this hard-hitting drama was filmed entirely in Newcastle and plenty of familiar locations can be seen (looking much the same as they do now, since the film is so recent): for example, the exterior of the job centre Blake (Dave Johns) is on John Dobson Street and the food bank is in Benwell Grove, while Daniel’s flat is on Grenville Terrace near the Quayside. The film caused a huge amount of political uproar, being discussed by Conservative and Labour party members and even causing an argument on Question Time!
Vera (2011 – present day)
Much loved detective drama Vera – based on local writer Ann Cleeves’ novels - first appeared in 2011 and is still going strong, with a new series (its thirteenth!) scheduled for 2024. Documenting the cases of semi-retired Northumberland police officer Vera Stanhope (Brenda Blethyn), the show has been filmed in Newcastle and Gateshead and all over the North East in general (Vera’s house is shown to be on Holy Island). There’s even a Vera Location Tour.
Purely Belter (2000)
This low-budget, low-key indie movie is a real charmer: it tells the story of two NUFC-obsessed lads (Gerry and Sewell) and their hare-brained attempts to raise the money for season tickets. The film is surprisingly gritty considering its general good nature and there’s a lot of social commentary beneath the capers. The lads live in Gateshead but there’s plenty of scenes in Newcastle too, not least at St James Park. And there’s a cameo from Alan Shearer, when the hapless duo steal his sports car. And if you're a local music fan, you might also spot a small role from local hero Richard Dawson as Bright Boy.
Byker Grove (1989 – 2006)
For many, Byker Grove is best remembered as the show that gave us Ant & Dec – aka PJ & Duncan – but for people of a certain age, it’s remembered as a Northern version of Grange Hill, full of compelling characters and often quite mature storylines and topics (drugs, homelessness, a gay kiss). It was set in a Byker youth club, although actually filmed at The Mitre in Benwell, formerly a pub and nightclub. But plenty of other Byker locations did appear – the metro station, the Byker Wall and Raby Street Youth Club. Fans of the show might be excited to learn that Ant & Dec themselves are behind a Byker Grove reboot due in 2024!
Stormy Monday (1988)
Perhaps hoping to repeat the success of Get Carter, Stormy Monday is another Newcastle-set gritty crime thriller, although this time the cast is packed with big names: Melanie Griffiths, Tommy Lee Jones, Sean Bean and local lad Sting. A film about gangsters, crime, revenge and jazz, it’s the film debut of director Mike Figgis and has camerawork from the acclaimed Roger Deakins. The film is rich in Newcastle locations – the High Level Bridge is featured prominently and there are also scenes in the Metro Centre, Walker, Queen Street and the Royal Station Hotel. While not a huge success, Stormy Monday has its fans and there’s a lot of location spotting to be done!
Spender (1991 – 1993)
Spender was quite a remarkable TV series, acclaimed for the complexity of its characters and story and the high production values and strong cast, which makes the BBC’s decision to cancel it after just three seasons seem strange. In some ways a vehicle for Jimmy Nail as Detective Sergeant Freddie Spender, the city of Newcastle was a constant, with scenes filmed at all sorts of Tyneside locations including Shields Ferry, the Metro, Tynemouth Castle, Whitley Bay Ice Rink, Sunderland University and Durham Racecourse.
Payroll (or I Promised To Pay) - 1961
A decade before Get Carter came Payroll, a big favourite among the sort of people who obsess over things like filming locations! A neo-noir thriller about a heist gone wrong, it had a weighty cast with people like Michael Craig and Billie Whitelaw, and lots of Newcastle-set action (quite unusual for the period, when most films were studio-based). Most notably, the security van containing the payroll at the centre of the robbery collected said wages from Lloyd’s Bank on Grey Street, still very much there. The Swing and Tyne Bridges both appear, as well as Pilgrim Street.
Goal! (2005)
A film drama all about football, Goal! is the first of a trilogy about Mexican immigrant Santiago Muñez and his attempts to make it in football, starting in Newcastle. It was filmed with the cooperation of FIFA so the production team had access to lots of real teams and players. It wasn’t a hit (although that didn’t stop them making two more in the series) but it does feature plenty of scenes at St James Park.
55 Degrees North (2004-2005)
If it’s not about football, it has to be about crime! 55 Degrees North was a BBC drama in the mid-noughties featuring DS Nicky Cole (Don Gilet), a cop forced to relocate from London after whistleblowing on some police corruption. The show featured plenty of Newcastle locations, most notably the HMS Calliope on the banks of the Tyne in the shadow of The Glasshouse (formerly the Sage), the reservist training centre that stood in for the fictional Tyneside Police Station.
School for Seduction (2004)
It’s fair to say this relatively daft movie is nobody’s favourite but it has its fans. A wafer-thin plot has Kelly Brook as a saucy Italian ‘romance teacher’ who brings her School For Seduction to Newcastle and unleashes all manner of passions in the process. Ahem. There are plenty of city centre locations used, including Bigg Market, Grey Street and the Quayside.
Geordie Racer (1988)
Geordie Racer was actually a BBC schools programme which nonetheless is remember fondly by those who were the right age to see it (not least because of its Derek Griffiths theme song). Well-regarded for bringing a harder edge to the usually quite anodyne educational programmes of the era, it featured pigeon racer Spuggy and his prize-winning pigeon Blue Flash (with soon-to-be famous actor Kevin Whateley as his dad). Filmed in Newcastle, one episode had a plot that featured the Great North Run at its centre.
The Likely Lads (1964 – 1966) and Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads? (1973-1974)
Perhaps saving the best till last, the two Likely Lads series are hugely loved and still get repeated today (although only ten episodes of the first series survive). The story of two working class Geordie lads – Terry (James Bolam) and Bob (Rodney Bewes) – trying to make their way in a tough, industrial world, both series found a lot of heart and humour in often grim circumstances, and some episodes are still considered classics. Most of both series was shot in London studios but the house Bob shared with his wife Thelma was shown to be in Killingworth.
We think we’ve found a selection of classic (and a few not-so-classic) films and TV shows filmed in and around the city, giving you plenty of opportunities to location-spot. Who knows, maybe your nan’s house or your primary school will pop up in one of them?
