Right now the UK feels like we could be in Greece thanks to this glorious weather, however, if you’re still craving some European sunshine and that holiday feeling then may we suggest switching on BBC One tonight at 9pm, where you can escape to Greece with the first two episodes of new drama series Two Weeks in August.
The eight-part drama series sees a group of old friends reunite for two weeks in August (we see what they did there) with their families, in a gorgeous villa in Greece. However, as the holiday kicks off it’s clear there’s more than just friendly dynamics between this group, as secrets are unveiled, tensions rise and it’s far from a relaxing trip abroad.
But while the characters may be having a stressful time, when we’re watching it we can’t help but be transfixed by the stunning surroundings and wondering if we should book a holiday to Greece, that’s decidedly less stressful than theirs of course.
However, before you start Googling flights to Greece you may want to read our guide to where Two Weeks in August was filmed as the majority of the show wasn’t actually filmed in Greece at all, instead taking place in another equally stunning European country.
So here’s what you need to know about the real-life filming locations of Two Weeks in August.
Where was Two Weeks in August filmed?
Throughout the series the setting of Greece almost acts as another character, with references to Greek mythology and history interwoven throughout, and the atmospheric setting heightening the drama. However, in reality the show was actually filmed on location in Malta and the Maltese island of Gozo.
Catherine Shepherd the executive producer, creator and writer of the series revealed Malta was a great stand-in for the Greek island they set the show in.
“Malta is a stunningly beautiful place, which is very important to the story, because it’s about trying to find paradise – a place of escape where all worries and anxieties disappear. The island has a dramatic, rugged landscape and, like Greece, is steeped in thousands of years of ancient history; it truly has everything,” she revealed. “Filming there has been wonderful. The island is a character in its own right; it is beautiful, but a bit dangerous. When things get difficult for our characters, it won’t be there to protect them.”
While it may have been stunning, the weather was far from ideal. Jessica Raine who plays lead character Zoe revealed it was actually “freezing” when they filmed in March last year.
“We filmed at the beginning of March, and I’ve never been so cold in my entire life, and I’ve shot in Iceland! There’s a birthday party scene we filmed early on where we’re all in summer clothes, but everyone’s secretly got thermals on underneath wherever they can fit them. We were packed with hot water bottles. People didn’t believe me when I called home at the beginning of the shoot and said it was freezing,” she shared. “Thankfully, the weather did change for the better. The locations were stunning – shooting on Gozo was a real treat.”
The real life locations you can visit from Two Weeks in August
Dwejra Bay
A really breath taking location that features in the third episodes of the series, is a dramatic cliff-side side and it was filmed on location at Dwejra Bay. Dwejra Bay is on the west side of Gozo and features a 60 metre tall monolithic rock formation. It was previously seen on screen during Game of Thrones in season one for Daenerys Targaryen and Khal Drogo’s wedding.
Mġarr ix-Xini
The first episode of the series sees the group travel to a local market where Zoe and Dan (Damien Molony) are essentially pressured into cooking the first dinner of the week. This was filmed on location at Mġarr ix-Xini, which is a small bay in Gozo. It’s a very popular destination with divers and has also appeared on screen before in the film By The Sea starring Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt.
Can you stay in the villa from Two Weeks in August?
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but, not exactly no. The beautiful villa that becomes the main location throughout the series, where a lot of the drama goes down is technically a small farmhouse.
Shepherd explained to the Independent there were a lot of challenges when it came to sourcing the perfect location for the villa.
“The main challenge for the designer, Jon Henson, who is really amazing, was to find a house … the Maltese houses look quite distinctive in that beautiful sandstone, [but] they didn’t look so Greek,” she told the publication.
She went onto reveal the farmhouse didn’t have a pool and so Henson went onto have a pool installed.
“It was a really big job getting the villa right. But it’s all gone now. We had to deconstruct it, take down the swimming pool, take down the kitchen, and it’s all gone back to this little farmhouse,” she said. So yes sadly it’s not really available to stay in.
Two Weeks in August starts on BBC One and BBC iPlayer tonight at 9pm
