Drones Played This Huge Role In New 'Silent Witness' & The Results Are Breathtaking

A new series of Silent Witness begins tonight, and while fans of the show will be excited to see what happens in series 22, they may also be wondering what goes on behind the scenes. So without further ado, here's the answer to the big question: where is Silent Witness filmed?

Well, according to The Sun, there are a number of locations across the UK where the show is filmed, most commonly in London and Brighton. However, the show has not always been filmed here; indeed when it first hit our screens in 1996, it was apparently in Cambridge that most of the action was shot.

When it comes to the filming locations in our capital, it sounds as though the acting takes place pretty much all over, with many boroughs and locations being named. And while West Acton is reportedly where it's filmed most often, the following places have been used, too:

• Ealing
• Brent
• Camden
• The City
• Hackney
• Haringey
• Hounslow
• Islington
• Kensington and Chelsea
• Lambeth
• Richmond
• Southwark
• Westminster

Confirming that the show is largely set in London, Richard Lintern, who plays Dr Thomas Chamberlain, told the Radio Times:

“I think there was a conscious decision taken on this particular series of Silent Witness to focus on London, to bring London more in as a character than it’s been before. And I think that’s coincidental with the advent of drone photography which has allowed you aerial access to cities in a much cheaper and more cost efficient way than it used to be.”

It's also been reported by The Argus that certain scenes are shot down in Brighton. The Gold Coast Jewellers in Brighton was temporarily converted into a tattoo parlour, for example, while Chesam Place also saw a scene shot for one of the episodes.

Barry Tuck, who owns The Gold Coast Jewellers, told The Argus: “It was the production team’s original plan to use the shop next door, but then we took on the challenge. It’s really good fun and it’s great to support the film industry and I hope it attracts a lot of attention.”

So what can we expect from the new series? Well, season 22 follows a team of forensic pathologists in the Lyell unit who investigate shocking crimes in London. There will be five new stories told across the series, with two episodes dedicated to each, meaning ten in total.

Emilia Fox will of course be returning Dr Nikki Alexander, alongside Richard Lintern as Dr Thomas Chamberlin, David Caves as forensic scientist Jack Hodgson, and Liz Carr as forensic lab scientist Clarissa Mullery. Speaking about the new series, Fox explained what her character would be dealing with:

"This series sees Nikki trying to make a transatlantic relationship work with Matt Garcia (Michael Landes) who she met in the last series. She must juggle this with the five very different cases she is involved with across the series - all of which explore themes of identity and family."

Silent Witness series 22 begins at 9 p.m. on January 8 on BBC One, and continues on January 9. From the following week, episodes will air on Mondays and Tuesdays.