The Isle of Wight as seen on screen – from TV comedies to Bollywood epics

The Isle of Wight’s scenic landscapes and characterful buildings are no strangers to a little bit of lights, camera, action. From TV comedies to feature films and even Bollywood epics, we’ve hosted numerous directors and their film crews going all the way back to 1939!

There’s always a ripple of excitement around the Island when film crews are spotted in the neighbourhood. Given our rolling hills, sparkly seas and assortment of historic houses and landmarks, it’s perhaps not surprising that we’re one of their favoured destinations. One thing’s for sure, though, if you see camera lenses being polished, boom microphones being wielded and golf buggies ferrying around an actor or two, you can bet one local lady will be in the thick of it: Dadina Sagger. She’s the founder of Isle of Wight Film Fixers CIC and also runs a location directory, Isle of Wight Locations, and a talent agency, Island People. Today, she continues our long and fairly illustrious history of being featured on the silver screen.

Delving back into the archives, you’ll find the 1939 film I Met A Murderer is usually considered the Isle of Wight’s first appearance in a commercially-produced feature-length film. Described as a “low-budget” thriller, it featured James Mason (who later became a major Hollywood star) and culminated with a dramatic police chase at Whale Chine, near Atherfield. Then, in the 1970s, Ringo Starr and David Essex crossed the Solent to film That’ll Be The Day, parts of which were shot in Sandown, Shanklin and at a Pontin’s holiday park in Wootton. More recently, the Island has been the backdrop to Mrs Brown (1997), the Spanish-British horror film Fragile (2005), as well as Victoria & Abdul (2017) – for which Dadina assisted with casting, logistics and local crew.

There are also the many TV crews who’ve set up their tripods across the Island, with two important programmes having already aired so far in 2026. Back in March, Lord Sugar sent his candidates here for an episode of The Apprentice, where the teams frantically scampered from The Garlic Farm and Adgestone Vineyard, to Grace’s Bakery and Island Harbour, to source nine locally relevant items. Then in April, Channel 4 released the first episode of Paul Merton: Driving Amazing Trains, which saw him whizz through lush, sun-dappled countryside on the Isle of Wight Steam Railway, having crossed the Solent on a Wightlink FastCat, sat beside captain Sergejs Parahovniks.

So, what makes the Isle of Wight such a destination for film crews?

“Well, the Island is a serious and accessible filming destination,” Dadina explains. “We offer an exceptional diversity of locations, all within a very compact area. Productions can move between coastline, countryside and period settings often within a single day, creating both creative flexibility and real efficiencies in time and budget.”

On top of that, Dadina’s companies can provide local talent, crew and production services, helping to attract shows such as UKTV Gold’s The Cockfields (starring Joe Wilkinson and Sue Johnston).

However, there’s one genre that has particularly taken a shine to the Island in recent years, and that’s Bollywood. Ever since the 2017 film Victoria & Abdul was shot amongst the sumptuous interiors of Osborne House (telling the story of Queen Victoria and her South Asian servant Abdul Karim), film and TV crews from India have been finding it hard to stay away.

Back in 2022, Dadina assisted with the Netflix Bollywood production An Action Hero, which featured The Blacksmith’s Arms, The Met Wine Bar, and a high-stakes chase across the scaffolding outside Ventnor’s old police station. Then in 2024, the second series of Netflix production Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein opened with a police chase down the Military Road and up Tennyson Down before one of the cars (via special effects, thankfully) drives straight out into the English Channel. Other recent South Asian productions for Isle of Wight Film Fixers have included Miss Shetty Mr Polishetty (2023), Asvins (2023) and SIKAAR (2024).

“It’s been great to host major Bollywood projects here in the UK,” Dadina adds, “as well as producers from the rapidly growing Tollywood industry, which makes Telugu-language films in and around the city of Hyderabad in Southern India. It’s led to a big increase in Indian and British-Asian tourists to the Isle of Wight, who want to see the locations featured in these films and online streaming service series. With our current set-up, I’m able to connect directly with production companies and demonstrate that the Island offers far more than beautiful views – it provides the infrastructure, support and expertise needed to deliver successful productions.”

So, for your next trip to the Isle of Wight, consider a little bit of televised background research, and you’ll soon be spotting the corridors Judi Dench bustled down dressed in her Victorian finery at Osborne or the woody walkway where Paul Merton spotted his first red squirrel at Alverstone. And with plenty more productions on the way, don’t be surprised if you start a new film or TV series and the background looks just a little bit familiar.