TV

Exploring filming locations of ‘The Madame Blanc Mysteries’ beyond France

Shocker - it's not France!

The Madame Blanc Mysteries is set in the south of France but you may be surprised by where the show is filmed.

It’s certainly not France! So, where are the show’s filming locations? And is Sainte Victoire a real place?

Here’s all you’ll want to know…

Left to right standing: - NIALL (AONGHUS WEBER), CELINE (MARGEAUX LAMPLEY), CARON (ALEX GAUMON), JEAN (SALLY LINDSAY), GLORIA (SUE VINCENT), DOM (STEVE EDGE), XAVIER (DAVID HECTER), CLAUDETTE (ALAIS LAWSON), Sitting left to right: - JUDITH (SUE HOLDERNESS), JEREMY (ROBIN ASKWITH), SIMONE (DJINDA KANE) and CHARLIE (SANCHIA MCCORMACK)
The cast of The Madame Blanc Mysteries (Credit: Acorn TV/Channel 5)

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Is Saint Victoire a real place?

The Madame Blanc Mysteries is set in the fictional village of Sainte Victoire.

While Montagne Sainte Victoire is a limestone mountain ridge in the south of France extending over 18 kilometres, no real Sainte Victoire village exists.

Real villages such as Vauvenargues provide inspiration for the show’s setting.

Sally Lindsay, who stars in and created the show, says: “I remember sitting in my caravan in rainy Manchester filming Cold Call thinking it would be nice to somewhere sunnier.

“That was a big influence on where The Madame Blanc Mysteries would be set!”

Sally Lindsay as Jean - The Madame Blanc Mysteries _ Season 1, Episode 1 - Photo Credit: Mark Cassar/AcornTV
The Madame Blanc Mysteries features some lovely scenery! (Credit: Acorn TV/Channel 5)

Where is The Madame Blanc Mysteries filmed?

Although mainly set in France the series was actually filmed on the islands of Malta and Gozo.

Sally admits she was initially sceptical about filming on Malta: “We were going to film in France, but it proved so complicated to do that.

“Channel 5 suggested Gozo, but I wasn’t really sure… I’d been to Malta a couple of years ago when my father was passing because it was on his bucket list, and the bit we went to looked more like Spain than the South of France.

“We got the ferry to Gozo, but it was unbelievable – literally just a tiny drive in and it was like we were in the South of France. Even our French actors thought it looked like France!

Producer Andy Morgan shares this about turning Malta into the South of France: “I was always confident that we could create Sainte Victoire on Gozo. Once I set foot in the square there, it just felt absolutely right.

“We had our church, our police station and our pub – create some shop signs, dot some French cars around and you’re there if you use clever framing.

“When shooting we would close the square so that we could drive cars on the other side of the road, and simple things like that work really well.”

judith and jeremy hug in a promo pic
Ever wondered where Judith and Jeremy’s gorgeous manor is filmed? (Credit: Acorn TV/Channel 5)

What is the filming location for Judith and Jeremy’s manor?

The Prime Minister of Malta’s secondary residence was used for Judith and Jeremy’s chateau!

Producer Andy Morgan shares: “We used the Prime Minister’s wife’s secondary residence for Jeremy and Judith’s chateau. It was basically like filming at Chequers.

“We turned their dining room into a lounge – it was being wasted as a dining room as it looked out onto the beautiful gardens. I feel like we made the place even more homely.

“I really wanted the PM and his wife to visit the set and get some ideas from us, but we didn’t see them during filming.”

Sally Lindsay as Jean and Steve Edge as Dom - The Madame Blanc Mysteries _ Season 1, Episode 2 - Photo Credit: Mark Cassar/AcornTV
Sally Lindsay creates, writes and acts in the show! (Credit: Acorn TV/Channel 5)

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The Madame Blanc Mysteries filmed under COVID…

Producer Andy Morgan shares: “We had our first meeting in March 2020 to discuss the show together. I said, “Have you heard about this Covid thing, apparently quite bad in Italy.”

“Two weeks later production shut down! I was very keen to still be involved when they were finally able to shoot.”

The cast and crew had to work around a lot of logistical issues around Covid, with Andy explaing: “Sourcing props was really tricky in general, because the pandemic meant there were no shops open.

“So, there were some clandestine trips to the back doors of shops, trying to source the basics!”

The Madame Blanc Mysteries will return this December with a Christmas special on Channel 5.

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