Watch the District

TV Series | 1992 – 2010 | ITV | 75-101 minutes | 15 seasons | 41 episodes | Rated 12-15

What: DI Jack Frost is an unconventional policeman with sympathy for the underdog and an instinct for moral justice. Sloppy, disorganised and disrespectful, he attracts trouble like a magnet. Starring David Jason as DI Frost.

Where in the district: Several scenes in and around Wakefield, Pontefract and Castleford. Notable locations include Carlton Lanes Shopping Centre in Castleford, Rishworth Street and Westgate in Wakefield.

Where to watch: All series are available to watch for free on ITVX here.

TV Series | 2016 | Channel 4 | 45 minutes | 1 season | 4 episodes | Rated 15

What: Paul Finchley is one half of a much-loved comedy double act – a cherished household name with a career that spans several decades. He’s a bona fide national treasure. But, in the face of accusations of historic sexual offences from the 1990s, the life of this adored comedian begins to unravel. Starring Robbie Coltrane and Julie Walters.

Where in the district: County Hall in Wakefield, parts of Pontefract and Normanton.

Where to watch: Watch for free on Channel 4 here.

TV Series | 2018 | BBC1 | 56 minutes | 1 season | 3 episodes | Rated 15

What: In 1933, retired detective Hercule Poirot is targeted by a taunting killer who sends letters signed “ABC”, which Poirot must decode in order to discover the identity of the murderer. Starring John Malkovich, Rupert Grint and Tara Fitzgerald.

Where in the district: Church of St John the Baptist and St John’s Square in Wakefield.

Where to watch: Watch for free on BBC iPlayer here.

Advert | 2015 | 2 minutes

What: Sylvester Stallone pitches a hot movie idea to Warburtons about a team of mercenaries doing whatever it takes to make people’s sandwiches worthwhile.

Where in the district: Warburtons’ factory in Normanton, Chantry Bridge in Wakefield, the canal footbridge in Castleford and Heath Common.

Where to watch: Watch for free on YouTube here.

Short Film | 2019 | 13 minutes

What: A filmed version of what is often called ‘the prison speech’ in William Shakespeare’s history tragedy Richard II, taken from the beginning of Act 5, Scene 5. The scene of the king’s final speech is set at Pontefract Castle and had never before been filmed at the historic site.

Where in the district: The dungeons at Pontefract Castle.

Where to watch: Watch for free on YouTube here.

Promotional Film | 1965 | 16 minutes

What: Made by the Wakefield Amateur Cine Club this is promotional film about the city of Wakefield in 1965. The film presents Wakefield as an industrious, modern and progressive city, highlighting its shopping centres, schools, parks and gardens – plus a trip to the Wakefield Seaside School.

Where in the district: Wakefield.

Where to watch: Watch for free on the Yorkshire Film Archive website here.

TV Show | 2019 | Channel 4 | Series 14, episode 17 | 23 minutes | Rated 12

What: B&B owners throw open their doors and take turns to stay with one another – and pay what they consider is fair for their stay. The second visit in this round is to Glencoe Villa Guesthouse in Featherstone, owned by Ewa Hunt. The cosy bedrooms aren’t to everyone’s taste, and there’s a debate over dinner.

Where in the district: Featherstone’s Glencoe Villa Guesthouse and Pontefract Castle.

Where to watch: Watch for free on Channel 4 here.

TV Show | 2020 | Channel 4 | 47 minutes

What: Comedian Tom Allen champions small-town Britain. He spends a week in Wakefield, where he sees the sights and meets some extraordinary people, before putting on a show to celebrate the city. Concluding his week in Wakefield at the beautiful Theatre Royal Wakefield, Tom is joined by his assistant for the night, Spandau Ballet’s Martin Kemp, to host a full house of locals.

Where in the district: All over Wakefield, including Wakefield Cathedral, Wetherby Whaler Empire Outwood and Theatre Royal Wakefield.

Where to watch: Watch for free on Channel 4 here.

TV Show | 2022 | Channel 4 | Series 4, episode 5 | 58 minutes

What: Comedian Susan Calman travels the country in her vintage camper-van “Helen Mirren”, visiting places of interest, meeting local people and trying her hand at a range of activities – including making her own neon artwork! In this episode she returns to an old favourite: Yorkshire.

Where in the district: Wakefield’s Neon Workshops and Fusion Skating Wakefield.

Where to watch: Watch for free on My5 here.

TV Show | 2008 | Channel 4 | 4 episodes | 47-48 minutes

What: Grand Designs presenter Kevin McCloud follows an innovative community-led regeneration scheme in the former mining town of Castleford in Yorkshire.

Where in the district: Castleford.

Where to watch: Watch for free on Channel 4 here.

TV Show | 2015 | ITV | 1 series | 3 episodes | 60 minutes | Rated 15

What: Police constable Jo Gillespie’s world is thrown into turmoil when husband Ryan, an undercover police officer, is killed in mysterious circumstances. She resolutely sets out to discover who murdered him and has to confront difficult truths about her family life and marriage to Ryan. Starring Sheridan Smith and Douglas Henshall.

Where in the district: Castleford.

Where to watch: Watch for free on ITVX here.

TV Show | 2008 | ITV | 1 series | 4 episodes | 45 minutes | Rated 12

What: A twist on Jane Austen’s classic novel Pride & Prejudice sees disillusioned modern working girl Amanda Price ‘swap’ her life for Austen’s celebrated heroine, Elizabeth Bennet. Trapped in the unfolding fiction, Amanda must try her utmost to fit in among the Bennets, Bingleys and Darcys, but her presence in the characters’ lives sets unforeseen episodes in motion. Starring Jemima Rooper and Hugh Bonneville.

Where in the district: Kindred Spirit, Market Street and The Counting House in Wakefield.

Where to watch: Watch for free on ITVX here.

Film | 1963 | 128 minutes | Rated 12A

What: Despite success on the field, a rising rugby star senses the emerging emptiness of his life as his inner angst begins to materialise through aggression, so he attempts to woo his landlady on hopes of finding a reason to live. Starring Richard Harris and Rachel Roberts.

Where in the district: Wakefield Trinity’s Belle Vue Stadium, Locarno night club on Kirkgate (now The Ridings Shopping Centre) and Prudential Buildings in Wakefield.

Where to watch: Watch for free on ITVX here.

TV Show | 2015 | Netflix | 3 episodes | 44 minutes | Rated 15

What: In the aftermath of a massive explosion, photojournalist Jennifer Preston begins to see phantoms in her photographs of the Quarantine Zone and launches a search for the truth behind what could be a vast government conspiracy. Starring Natalia Tena and Iwan Rheon.

Where in the district: The Hepworth Wakefield.

Where to watch: Watch for free on Pluto TV here.

TV Show | 2022 | Channel 5 | 1 series | 6 episodes | 60 minutes

What: The Queen of Wakefield goes on a tour of the place she calls home: Yorkshire. On a very personal journey, she explores the county and its rolling hills, big skies, quaint villages, and bustling towns and cities. She shares personal anecdotes and happy memories while also providing insight into the local history and culture.

Where in the district: Various locations across the district, including The Hepworth Wakefield, Wakefield Cathedral and the National Coal Mining Museum.

Where to watch: Watch for free on My5 here.

TV Show Pilot | 2020 | 29 minutes

What: The first episode of a proposed historical drama series based on the diaries of Wakefield resident Clara Clarkson, an early suffragist and Unitarian who rejected social conventions around class and gender and publicly embraced the acceptance of all faiths.

Where in the district: St Peter’s Church, Warmfield, and the former “Cheesecake Inn”, a nearby farmhouse.

Where to watch: Watch for free on YouTube here.

TV Show | 2023 | BBC | Series 3, episode 2seasons | 58 minutes

What: Taking place seven years after the events of the second series, Catherine is coming close to retirement age. After being called to investigate the discovery of human remains found near a reservoir, she comes to realise the murder suspects share a history with Royce, who has since been transferred to a cell in Sheffield and is awaiting trial for a string of unseen offences.

Where in the district: HMP Wakefield.

Where to watch: Watch for free on BBC iPlayer here.