In the week ending the 17th March, Timothy Spall was spotted filming at Woking railway station, with a large film crew present alongside extra security. The mysterious filming took place over a couple of days, with commuters immediately recognising the BAFTA-nominated actor. So what was the British actor filming?
The show being filmed is understood to be Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams. The series will be ten episodes long, with Channel 4’s website describing each installment as “a sharp, thrilling standalone drama adapted and contemporised for global audiences by a creative team of British and American writers.”
The TV series aims to explore Phillip K. Dick’s “prophetic vision and celebrate the enduring appeal of the prized Sci-Fi novelist’s work.” Phillip K. Dick (who died in 1982) wrote famous science-fiction novels that have been adapted for cinema such as Blade Runner and The Adjustment Bureau.
“I saw a lot of cameras and fictional rail signs” commented local resident and sixth form student Laurence De Savigny-Bower, “there was a film crew of about 40 people there, all wearing high-visibility jackets”. According to De Savigny-Bower, among the scenes filmed at Woking station included a section where “Timothy Spall’s character was standing by the train, banging on the door, telling them to stop it”.
Timothy Spall is best known for his role in the Harry Potter series and more recently, as Winston Churchill in The King’s Speech. The series will also feature Oscar-nominated actor Bryan Cranston of renowned TV series Breaking Bad.
The drama will premiere in the UK on Channel 4 with the first episode entitled “The Commuter”.
George Lanigan – St George’s College, Weybridge
