As seen on screen

Cornwall
Cornwall has been used as a spectacular backdrop on TV as far back as 1956 for Doctor Who. In the 1970s, the major television series The Onedin Line was filmed in Falmouth and Mousehole, as was Poldark. You might also recognise St Ewe from the 1990s detective series Wycliffe and Port Isaac from the more recent Doc Martin.

Dorset
The Jurassic coastline of Dorset has added gravitas to both the silver and small screen. The birthplace of Thomas Hardy, it was used for the film adaptation of Far from the Madding Crowd. The resort of West Bay, along with other nearby locations at Eype and Freshwater will also be familiar to millions of viewers as the setting of Broadchurch.

London
It’s hard to find a location in London that hasn’t been committed to celluloid. Famous landmarks such as Tower Bridge and Big Ben regularly pop up in blockbusters like The Da Vinci Code, Skyfall and Bridget Jones, whereas Minder, London’s Burning and Mr Selfridge are just a few of the TV shows recorded here.

Manchester
The backstreets and Gothic buildings of Manchester are frequently used in film shoots to recreate New York, as seen in Captain America and the 2004 remake of Alfie. Salford Quays is home to the accessible Coronation Street studios tour, while other shows such as Life on Mars, Waterloo Road and Shameless have all been filmed and set here.

Oxford
Think of Oxford and Inspector Morse usually springs to mind. Yet the buildings and villages of Oxford have been the backdrop of many other dramas and films too, such as the Harry Potter series and Midsomer Murders. Just a few miles south of Oxfordshire is Highclere Castle, the main location of period drama Downton Abbey.

Yorkshire
Scenic Yorkshire has been the setting of some of British TV’s best-loved series, including Heartbeat, Emmerdale and the world’s longest-running comedy, Last of the Summer Wine. Scenes from Harry Potter were filmed here, while the Yorkshire Dales towns of Kettlewell and Settle were in the hit film Calendar Girls.

Benidorm
Benidorm is warm, sunny and beloved by holidaymakers all year round. Just as popular is comedy drama Benidorm – now in its tenth series. If you’ve ever wanted to sit around the pool at the Solana resort, ordering cocktails from Mateo while avoiding the Garveys, you’re in luck, as you can stay at the hotel where the programme is filmed!

Greece
Greece, both ancient and modern, has been used as a source and setting for many stories, TV dramas and films. Head to beautiful Kefalonia if you love Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, or the gorgeous islands of Skiathos and Skopelos, used as the setting for the fictional island of Kalokairi in the feelgood film Mamma Mia.

Hawaii
For an exotic TV-themed holiday, look no further than Hawaii. As well as being home to Hawaii 5-0 and Magnum PI, these stunning islands were the location of mystery drama Lost. You’ll also find Hālona Cove, from the famous kissing scene in From Here to Eternity here, too.

Los Angeles
Home of Hollywood, Los Angeles is the TV and film capital of the world, and as you’d expect, there’s loads of movie magic to experience here. Take an accessible sightseeing bus tour and see famous filming locations and movie stars’ homes, or tour one of the major studios to get a behind-the-scenes look at the wonder of the silver screen.

New York
So many productions were recorded in New York it’s hard to keep track, but luckily you can take in the best from one of many guided tours. Highlights to look out for include the Friends apartment, the iconic Ghostbusters headquarters and Carrie Bradshaw’s Sex and the City pad. There’s also an excellent wheelchair-accessible tour of NBC studios.

New Zealand
Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies were all filmed in New Zealand’s stunning scenery, which lends itself perfectly to the fantastical world of Middle Earth. The lush dairy-farming landscape near the town of Matamata was used to portray the peaceful Shire region, while the forested areas of Mount Victoria doubled as Hobbiton Woods.