5 min readThe third season of Bristolian Stephen Merchant's hit comedy thriller The Outlaws begins on BBC One in the UK on Thursday 30 May 2024, and will also be available to stream on BBC iPlayer and Amazon Prime Video.
Set and filmed in Bristol, the series once again returned to the city for another extensive shoot which took place at The Bottle Yard Studios and on location across Bristol, supported by the city's Film Office.
Made by Big Talk Productions and Merchant’s own company Four Eyes, The Outlaws follows a group of strangers from different walks of life forced together to complete a community payback sentence in Bristol. Production for the new five-part series was based at The Bottle Yard Studios, where sets were built for key interiors, and on location at a host of Bristol landmarks during the 14-week shoot.
Watch the series trailer:
Where did The Outlaws series three film in Bristol?
St Werburgh’s City Farm
In the new series, the six ‘Outlaws’ are completing their community service on a farm under the watchful gaze of their supervisor Diane (Jessica Gunning). Filming took place at St Werburgh’s City Farm from late May to early June 2023. An independent registered charity, the Farm offers “a green oasis in the heart of Bristol” and provides educational and recreational services, including a working livestock farm, gardens and playground open daily with free entry, environmental youth work, community events, building hire and café.
Image: The Outlaws cast filming on location at St. Werburgh's City Farm
Weston-super-Mare
Production returned to the seaside town near Bristol in May 2023, with the beachfront kiosk featured in the second season having had an extensive makeover for season 3.
Other Bristol filming locations include:
- St Peter's Rise, Knowle
- Belland Drive and Emmet Wood, Whitchurch
- The Washington Guesthouse, Clifton
- Guthrie Road, Clifton
- The Kensington Arms, Redland
- Francombe House and Redcliffe Underpass, Redcliffe
- The Architect Bar, Bristol Harbourside
- King Square, Stokes Croft
- Hillyfield Road, Headley Park
- Somerset Street, Kingsdown
- The Tbilisi Room, Bristol City Hall
- Unite Students, Brunel House, St George's Road
The Bottle Yard Studios
Bristol’s biggest studio facility in Hengrove was home to sets including:
- Greg's flat
- Myrna's flat
- Ben's flat
- Halloran & Sons factory offices
- Probation offices
- Police station interview rooms
- Fertility clinic
Please note that The Bottle Yard Studios is not open to visitors.
Image: Writer Michael Jenkins (centre) with directors Stephen Merchant (right) & Curtis Vowell (left) at The Bottle Yard Studios
What the cast said about filming in Bristol
The show's creator, writer, director and actor Stephen Merchant (Greg):
"I was born and raised in Bristol. The show is very much a love letter to Bristol. I love the fact we get to feature different pockets of the city, and in the instance of series three, we are in a city farm. I love showcasing the city. It's very visual, it's full of street art, and it's very hilly which adds interesting depths to the show. Also, the people of Bristol are very welcoming to us. I like the idea of making it another character in the show. In this show it gets to play itself."
Image: Stephen Merchant with the filming crew behind the cameras on location at St Werburgh's City Farm
Gamba Cole (Ben):
"I love anytime that we’re in Bristol. We really wanted to make sure we showcased Bristol in every light. I think we’ve done a good job of that. When people approach me when I’m out and about, they talk about how much they love the show, and they always mention the roads that they recognise, the buildings they recognise, the art on the walls that they love. I think that’s really nice, because we wanted to make sure that the whole of Bristol felt a part of this story, it didn’t belong to the Outlaws, it belongs to Bristol."
“It’s amazing to film the series in Bristol, especially for me personally, having being born here, and having family here. It’s like a full circle moment for me, I’m grateful to be there. I love when we’re filming in places and areas that I grew up in. It’s really nice, and it always feels good to be back.”
Clare Perkins (Myrna):
"I love Bristol. If I ever move out of London, I’m going to Bristol. I love Cotham, I love Clifton, and Bedminster with all the independent shops. I like the restaurants. I like the vintage shops. I love Bristol. It’s my favourite city in the UK."
Jessica Gunning (Diane):
"All of my favourite scenes were the ones we filmed on the City Farm in Bristol."
You may recognise Jessica from the recent Netflix drama series Baby Reindeer, in which she starred as Martha.
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All images credit: BBC, Amazon Studios, Big Talk Studios, Four Eyes.
