Towards Zero's coastal filming locations that had 'insane' production challenges

The latest Agatha Christie drama, Towards Zero, is finally available for fans to binge-watch on BBC iPlayer, and viewers are keen to discover where the series was filmed.

The classic whodunit is set in rural England in the mid-1930s and follows British tennis star Nevile Strange (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) and his ex-wife Audrey (Ella Lily Hyland). They make the unusual decision to spend a summer together at Gull's Point, their childhood home on the coastal estate of Nevile's aunt, Lady Tressilian (Anjelica Huston).

To add to the ever-growing tension, Nevile is joined by his new wife Kay (Mimi Keene) and a group of enigmatic characters—one of whom is set to be murdered.

"A troubled detective must rediscover his purpose to untangle a toxic web of jealousy, deceit, and dysfunction. Can he solve the crime before another victim meets their death?" the logline concludes.

With all three episodes released on BBC iPlayer on Sunday (March 2), ahead of the show's premiere on BBC One, fans are itching to learn more about the behind-the-scenes action, including the filming locations and logistics.

Towards Zero was filmed across Bristol and Devon in the summer of 2024. The production team carefully recreated the 1930s setting with authentic locations, set design, and costumes.

Devon's stunning coastline provides the perfect backdrop for an aristocratic country getaway, while Bristol's Victorian and Georgian architecture captures the era's historical charm.

Speaking to The Mirror and other media at a press event for the series, BAFTA-nominated writer Rachel Bennette, who has adapted the series for screen, explained the "insane" challenges of filming on an island.

The location was so remote that once it got dark, the cast and crew had to be evacuated by a sea tractor - a motor vehicle that's designed to travel through shallow seawater, carrying passengers on an elevated platform.

"We made the decision to film on an island which was, I remember our commissioner saying, 'You do understand the production implications of filming on an island which is only accessible by a sea tractor when it gets dark?'" Rachel said.

"So, it was like, everybody off, it was some kind of SAS survival of the fittest kind of thing, getting all of the crew off the island in a tractor in the dark through the water. It was insane."

Kay actor Mimi Keene said it was "so cold," and Rachel confirmed that filming had to be stopped one day because it was "so rainy."

The cast also discussed the challenges of filming on a pebble beach and having to walk across the jagged rocks when filming outdoor scenes.

Mimi later expressed her gratitude to her on-screen husband Oliver Jackson-Cohen, who carried her out of the freezing seawater after shooting a romantic swimming scene: "[It was] the kindest thing anyone has ever done. I was [thinking] you would fall, it was that cold."