FILMING of a brand-new BBC TV special has taken place in East Lothian as the village of Tyninghame stepped back into the 1950s.
Crews descended upon the village last week to film an upcoming Agatha Christie special earmarked to air during the Christmas period.
Based on the 1939 novel, Murder is Easy, the village was chosen after scouting by filmmakers to find the right idyllic setting to recreate a “wonderful 50s feel”.
The cast includes a number high-profile actors including Morfydd Clark, Douglas Henshall, David Jonsson, Tom Riley and Penelope Wilton among others.
The story concerns the efforts of retired police officer Luke Fitzwilliam (Jonsson) to discover the identity of a serial killer, active in a small village.
He learns that the series of deaths were mistaken for accidents by the locals, while the local nobleman Lord Whitfield (Riley) attributes most of the deaths to divine justice.
Much of the village was closed off during filming with all modern elements, where possible, removed.
The production also heavily used the village hall and Tyninghame Smithy tea rooms, for the desired 1950s look.
David Wakefield, a resident of the village and owner of the Tyninghame Smithy, was delighted to have the crew visit.
He pointed out all the great work they did to beautify the village by trimming hedges, planting plants and generally tidying the village up.
He said: “It has been amazing! The crew respected the village and made some improvements to the village as well.
Wakefield lives directly opposite the cafe and was excited to see his own home feature in a massive production.
He added: “I am really excited and will definitely be watching – it was a great experience.”
The two-part Agatha Christie’s Murder is Easy Christmas special will be shown on BBC1 with Tyninghame featured throughout.
