The upcoming psychological thriller Playing Nice, is set to air on ITV but where was this gripping drama shot?. The series, described as being "set against a sweeping Cornish landscape", delves into the lives of two couples - Pete (James Norton) and Maddie (Niamh Algar), and Miles (James McArdle) and Lucy (Jessica Brown Findlay) - who discover their toddlers Theo and David were switched at birth.
Pete is a dedicated Cornishman and former journalist turned full-time dad whose world is shattered by the revelation. This four-part series, adapted from JP Delaney's best-selling novel, explores themes of parenthood, class, masculinity, and the nature vs nurture debate. The first episode will be aired at 9pm on Sunday (January 5) on ITV 1, with the entire series available on ITVX.
Cornwall Live reports James Norton, who also took on the role of executive producer, stated that Cornwall is "very much intrinsic to the series" and praised the county as "very beautiful". Despite the original book being set in London, the series was predominantly filmed in Cornwall. The production team chose Cornwall as they sought a distinctive backdrop for the four-part drama.
Poppy Gordon-Clark, the locations manager who also lives in Cornwall, had a keen sense of which cliffs, beaches and sites would make ideal filming spots. Filming across Cornwall occurred in late 2023 and early 2024, with production crews opting to shoot outside of the tourist season to sidestep the influx of holidaymakers.
During the shooting schedule, the production team set their scenes in picturesque Cornish locations, capturing the beauty of St Ives and Padstow, with Mawgan Porth Beach providing the perfect setting for surfing sequences. They also taped a significant portion at Park Head in North Cornwall.
