It’s time to go back on the beat in Belfast, as hit police drama Blue Lights returns for its fourth season.
This new run of the show will continue to follow the working lives of the PSNI team, including Grace (Siân Brooke), Stevie (Martin McCann), Tommy (Nathan Braniff) and Annie (Katherine Devlin), while it will also feature a highly anticipated flashback episode.
That episode will see the return of Richard Dormer as Gerry, who was killed back in season 1, while we will also see the trial for his murder getting underway throughout the season.
Ever since the show’s first episode, Belfast has been as much of a character as any of the cast in Blue Lights, and there are a raft of local locations used in the filming of the BBC series.
Wondering just where the police drama was filmed? Read on for everything you need to know.
Where is Blue Lights filmed?
As with seasons 1-3, the entirety of Blue Lights season 4 was shot in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
In previous seasons, specific areas which have been used for filming have included the Monkstown area of Newtownabbey and the Granton Park housing estate, as well as city centre and the High Street locations, Dundonald, Victoria Park, and the greater Belfast area.
The show’s creators have consistently praised the crew in Northern Ireland who help put the show together and, when asked about the overall response to the series being set and filmed in Belfast, series co-creator Adam Patterson said: “We generally get a very warm welcome whenever we are on location in Belfast.
“When we have the lead actors filming, there are a lot of requests for selfies. None of us mind that in the least; it’s a privilege to have these actors and characters that people seem to connect to.
“Similarly, the response from the police has been very positive. The thing they say most often is that they feel the series humanises them, even though as writers we do our best to show the problematic sides of the organisation alongside the positives.”
Previously, ahead of season 2, Declan Lawn explained that Belfast was “more of a character in this series” than the first, and that “you see the full spectrum of the city” throughout those episodes.
Patterson continued: “Stylistically, in series two we wanted to evolve and show more of Belfast, and I don’t just mean having more shots of officers in Belfast, but standalone shots of the city that mean something to the storyline.
“We really worked hard to find the tapestry and the blanket imagery that would lead into our worlds and people, and that led to it feeling more visceral and real. We wanted to show more of this place that we love but that is still in many ways troubled.”
Where is Blue Lights set?
Blue Lights is set entirely in Belfast, following the day-to-day lives of officers working there for the PSNI (Police Service of Northern Ireland).
Co-creator Adam Patterson said of the series: “We wanted to make a show that we were proud of, that people in Northern Ireland loved, and a show they felt represented the place we all love. We invested a lot of ourselves in the first series.”
Meanwhile, co-creator Declan Lawn added: “Blue Lights is set in a very specific place. It’s hyper local, yet universal in its themes. Everyone has started a new job, has felt under pressure, and to some extent, everyone has found a family that’s not their own family.
“These things affect all of us, regardless of where we are from, so perhaps that had something to do with why it seemed to resonate so much.”
Ahead of season 4 airing, co-creators and executive producers Louise Gallagher and Stephen Wright spoke about why it was so important to tell these stories in Belfast.
“It’s home,” Gallagher said. “These are the stories and communities I know best, so they’re the stories I want to tell.”
Meanwhile, Wright added: “Our experiences here give us a unique perspective, but the themes are universal. Conflict, identity, community and change resonate far beyond Northern Ireland. That’s why the show has travelled so well internationally.”
What year is Blue Lights set in?
Blue Lights is set in contemporary Belfast and chronicles fictional events set in the present day.
Speaking about the show’s timeless quality, co-creator Adam Patterson previously told Radio Times: “I think I speak for everyone who I know in the world and say it really felt like a horrible flashback from a time that we all thought we’d left behind. But a reminder as to why the show is so important.”
Patterson continued: “We can’t just ignore the fact that there is still a lingering threat for these people that literally lay themselves on the line to uphold our civic duty. That’s amazing, and we just love the police for that. Of course, they’re a flawed machine; like many machines, they have their issues.”
Blue Lights season 4 is available to watch in full on BBC iPlayer now.
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