In BBC’ss Sherlock, Mark Gatiss played the titular detective’s influential older brother, Mycroft Holmes. In the new period thriller Bookish, Gatiss portrays a protagonist cut from the same cloth as Sherlock, albeit with a more supportive approach to the authorities. Gatiss is Gabriel Book, an unconventional second-hand bookseller who uses his antiquarian collection to help police solve crimes.
Bookish is a return to form for the Emmy winner, who also serves as co-writer alongside broadcaster Matthew Sweet. Recreating London in 1946, Bookish serves as a delightful throwback to detective mysteries of the era while touching upon the perils of post-war Britain.
Read on to discover how the detective thriller’s world came to life. And if you have Gabriel Book’s smarts, you’ll spot that most of the filming locations were surprisingly not even in London.
Namur, Belgium
The heart and soul of Bookish lies in London, but the production team subtly recreated the city’s post-war bleakness overseas. Most of the series was filmed in Belgium in 2024, with additional photography taking place in the UK.
Namur, a city located in southern Belgium, features prominently in Bookish as the location where street sets for Archangel Lane were built. This fictional London lane is where Gabriel Book runs his second-hand bookstore, which also doubles as a base of operations for Book’s investigative activities.
Gare de Binche, Binche, Belgium
Other Belgian filming locations for Bookish include Gare de Binche, a Gothic-style railway station in the city of Binche. The station’s archaic architecture and wartime-era inscriptions freeze the passage of time, making Gare de Binche a suitable fit for the show’s 1940s setting.
Theater De WAANzin, Ghent, Belgium
Gabriel Book’s many adventures across London take him to all kinds of spots in the city, including a brief detour to a theatre. Standing in for this theatre space is Theater De WAANzin, located in the heart of Ghent, Belgium. The theatre is a cozy venue that hosts several amateur productions today.
Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-Waver, Belgium
Bookish’s Belgian connections continue with this scenic village located a few miles from major cities like Brussels and Antwerp. Fitting the show’s grim post-war realities is the Parish Church of Our Lady, the village’s neo-Gothic church that remains its biggest tourist attraction. The village’s town hall is also heavily influenced by Gothic Revival architecture, adding to the area’s hauntingly beautiful atmosphere.
What Other Belgian Locations Were Used for Filming?
Other London-set scenes filmed in Belgium took place in the country’s major cities, including the capital Brussels, La Louvière, Antwerp, Charleroi, Sint-Niklaas, the municipality of Londerzeel, and the village of Huizingen.
Was Any of Bookish Filmed in London?
Despite the majority of production taking place in Belgium, the crew did film some scenes in London as well. Beyond capturing landmarks like Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, some scenes were filmed in central London to recreate the fictional Waddingham Hotel. Several central London roads were blocked for filming, complete with vintage 1940s-style cars and old-school hotel bellhops. Other London locations include National Liberal Club, Albert Embankment, Inner Temple, and Gordon Square in Bloomsbury.
Who Stars in Bookish?
Sherlock actor and screenwriter Mark Gatiss takes top billing in Bookish as bookseller-turned-detective Gabriel Book. Gatiss is joined by Bridgerton and HBO’s Rome star Polly Walker, who plays Book’s wife Trottie, and Olivier Award-winning theatre actor Elliot Levey, who plays Inspector Bliss. Other cast members include Buket Kömür (Generation Z), Daniel Mays (A Thousand Blows), and Blake Harrison (The Inbetweeners).
Where Can You Stream Bookish?
Bookish is available to stream in the UK on U&Alibi and on Max in Australia.
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