Was the Channel 5 drama shot on a real cruise ship?
Those of you tuning into The Good Ship Murder, a new Channel 5 drama starring Shayne Ward and Catherine Tyldesley as an unlikely detective duo on-board a cruise liner, are probably wondering where the mystery series was filmed.
Did the cast and cameras pitch up on a real ship, or did the VFX producers work their magic?
Now, Ward and Tyldesley reveal all.
The Good Ship Murder filming location
Shayne Ward told RadioTimes.com and other press that they filmed on a “real ship”.
He explained: “I think at one point, there were around 6,000 passengers on board. At the time, it was the UK school break, and then they got off and it was the Scottish school break, so it was quite a busy ship.”
“Everything is intensified,” said Tyldesley of filming on a working ship for “five or six weeks”, which “adds to the drama”.
“In that real situation, everything does become more heated, feuds become more heated, love affairs are more intense,” she explained. “And so it gave us that real sense of what it’s like to be on a ship full of 6,000 people when you can’t get off.”
She went on to say: “Logistically, it was sometimes quite difficult for the crew, but it made things all the more real.”
As for where in the world they were, Ward said they were largely stationed in Malta.
“I think Cath and I didn’t realise how much gets filmed in Malta,” he said, adding: “It was amazing, very hot. We doubled up [locations], of course, trying to get as many places [from one area].”
Read more:
- Catherine Tyldesley and Shayne Ward on reuniting for The Good Ship Murder
- Shayne Ward and Catherine Tyldesley solve crimes in The Good Ship Murder trailer
And because they filmed on a real cruise ship, a number of the passengers were also extras in the show.
“Because they’re there for a full cruise, they paid for it, and they let us know that they paid for it, which is funny,” said Ward. “And they will be in the background sometimes. They’ll be on sun loungers, sometimes you’ll get the same people coming back to be waiters.
“So they’re excited for this to come out as well. It was a lot of fun.”
The Good Ship Murder premieres on Channel 5 at 9pm on Friday 13th October 2023. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what’s on.
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