Thrillers inspired by books are always intriguing, and ITV’s newest show, Platform 7, is a good example. Starring Jasmine Jobson (Top Boy, Surge), this British series has taken inspiration from Louise Doughty’s Platform Seven.
Platform 7 centers on Lisa Evans, a woman who finds herself at a railway station and continues to witness events that somehow seem to be connected to her life. Although ITV has released it as a thriller series, Platform 7 would be better off being called a psychological horror based on the supernatural elements we see throughout the show.
With 4 episodes in total, this Paula Milne mini-series stars Jasmine Jobson in the role of Lisa Evans, Toby Regbo as Matthew, Yaamin Chowdhury plays Akash, Sacha Parkinson plays Melissa, Reece Ritchie stars in the role of Richard, and Tabata Cerezo plays Rosaria. Emily Carey, known for playing younger versions of Wonder Woman and Lara Croft, plays Ella in the series.
Platform 7: Filming Locations
In Louise Doughty’s book, the railway station that Lisa witnesses the events on is inspired by the Peterborough Railway Station in Cambridgeshire, England. Opened in 1850, this place is one of the major stations and is controlled by the London Northeastern Railway.
Doughty revealed the reason why she chose this station was her attachment to it, which had developed over years of using the place to travel during her college days. While the station does have a perfect vibe for a supernatural series, it isn’t the place where Platform 7 was filmed.
Major Filming for Platform 7 took place in Chapel Allerton, a suburb of Leeds. Filled with stunning homes and warm community culture, this place offers a good place to live for those looking to shift to a much more sophisticated area.
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Platform 7: All the best photos of cast filming new ITV thriller in Leeds suburb of Chapel Allerton https://t.co/6sRrzaBUxZ pic.twitter.com/R4da08c3NB— TOBY REGBO ITALIA Blogger 🇮🇹 (@tobyregboitalia) January 27, 2023
Many locals recall spotting the ITV crew while Platform 7 was filmed in Chapel Allerton. Besides this Lisa Evans starring show, other TV series and movies that have taken place in Chapel Allerton include Official Secrets, Sirens, The Quest, and Ghost Stories (2017).
A family-run Florist shop, The Perfumed Garden, located at 19 Harrogate Road in Chapel Allerton, was also featured in Platform 7 with the name changed to “Forget Me Not.” This small team of florists has been operating in the town since 1997 and is known for its beautiful collection of flowers, pots, and other home accessories.
The Harrogate Road, which is where this shop is situated, was seen in the ITV show too. The 2010 movie Come Rain Come Shine was the first film to showcase the road in their scenes.
The famous Indian restaurant from Leeds, Sheesh Mahal, is where one of the scenes of Platform 7 took place. When the ITV crew were present at the place for the shoot, the restaurant had to be closed down to visitors, and curtains were draped over their windows to prevent any disturbances.
Sheesh Mahal, run entirely by Azram Chaudhry, is a reputed place to have Indian food in all of Yorkshire. The place regularly wins all kinds of awards for its food, which explains why it was popular enough for the crew to shoot their scenes there. This restaurant, with a dark yet cozy atmosphere, is situated on Kirkstall Road, Burley.
Platform 7 is named so because that’s where Lisa finds herself awake yet unable to communicate with anyone else. It’s also where she witnesses the terrible event before realizing that things seem to be much more connected than she first thought they were.
The station does play an important role in giving the show a perfect setting, and this place, which was turned into “Great Central Station’s Platform 7,” was the Keighley Railway Station located in Keighley, West Yorkshire. One of the locals had posted an image of the ITV crew filming there on the station.
Filming at Keighley.. Hmm. Need to look out for Great Central Platform 7 being featured. Don't know what the production is. pic.twitter.com/TusdSPqik8
— Tony D (@tonypdickinson) November 7, 2022
Operating since 1847, this train station is located on the Airedale line and is one of the most used train stations in the area. Keighley, where the station is located, has served as a filming site for many well-known shows like Peaky Blinders, Happy Valley, Downtown Abbey, and The English Game.
The Keighley station was also showcased in a 2013 two-part drama called “The Great Train Robbery.” Using this place for a supernatural show was one of the best decisions for the ITV crew since the architecture, design, and everything else about the station goes perfectly with the vibe of Platform 7.
At present, Platform 7 is available to stream only at ITVX.