Where was Hostage season 1 filmed? Complete guide to all filming locations and other production details

Netflix's latest show, Hostage season 1, brings a tense political thriller to the streaming platform. The series follows British Prime Minister Abigail Dalton as she faces the toughest challenge in her life when her husband is kidnapped. As French President Vivienne Toussaint visits the UK, a risky video clip brings in numerous threats and difficulties for her.

With both leaders in peril, Hostage season 1 depicts their struggle to fight against all odds to come out of danger. The series was mainly filmed across different locations in the United Kingdom and Spain.

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Every major filming location where Hostage season 1 was filmed

A still from the series (Image via Netflix)

Hostage season 1 delivers unique scenes to viewers, ranging from high-profile events to the dingy sites of kidnapping. From political gatherings to high-risk spots, the series places its characters in varied settings, incorporating a variety of filming locations. The backdrops of Spain and England help make every shot more lively and impactful for viewers.

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1) London, England

The capital city, London, serves as one of the main backdrops of the series. While it has been a pivotal location for several films and series before, its inclusion in Hostage season 1 becomes relevant to the story. Shoreditch Town Hall, located at 380 Old Street, was one of the key areas where a large part of the series was filmed. Several other London locations were also used, including those representing the French Embassy, hospital scenes, and more.

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2) Hertfordshire, England

One of the most unique sets prepared specifically for Hostage season 1 was based in Hertfordshire, England. Since the series revolves around the British Prime Minister, scenes featuring 10 Downing Street were important. As filming there was not possible, set designers Arwel Jones and Laura Mayall replicated the location in Hertfordshire. Bovingdon Airfield Studios was used to construct this prominent set.

The settings of Langleybury House/Mansion in Abbots Langley in Hertfordshire were also heavily used for the filming of Hostage season 1. The set design team had to make several arrangements to suit the show's needs without hampering the original aesthetics of the location.

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3) La Palma, Spain

The kidnapping of the British Prime Minister's husband is one of the most pivotal parts of the series. La Palma, an island in the Santa Cruz de Tenerife province of the Canary Islands, Spain, was chosen as the filming location for the puzzling, action-packed sequences surrounding the kidnapping. The location doubled as French Guiana in the series.

From the site where the hostages were held to the elaborate car chase scenes, La Palma provided the backdrop for some of the high-risk scenes in Hostage season 1.

Isabelle Sieb, the director of Hostage season 1, expressed that there were several challenges faced by the team while shooting in La Palma. As reported by Cosmopolitan, Sieb said:

"On Las Palmas there were logistical issues that were really time consuming. For example, the car chase we shot there - which was one of my favourite things to do, because I love directing action - was tough because there's only small roads on the island, and just getting access to them with our multiple vehicles lead to a lot of time delays - which is time we never got back."

Seib added:

"So I often had to think on my feet and make sure that we get everything we needed, even though it sometimes meant that I had to let go of a few dream shots. Hopefully though, the viewer will watch the sequence and never know that it was challenging."

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Other production details of Hostage season 1

A still from the series (Image via Netflix)

One of the highlights of Hostage season 1 is its elaborate sets, specially designed to bring authenticity to the backdrop of every scene. While several real-life locations were incorporated, the team also had to create special designs to meet the show's specific requirements.

The set design for 10 Downing Street was one such prominent creation by the team. Set designers Jones and Mayall had to take the help of Google Maps to replicate the location, as the original site could not be accessed.

Sharing their experience with TVGuide, Arwel said:

"We knew we couldn’t shoot at the real place. Although we did ask whether we could go and measure up at Downing Street. But we were denied for some reason. While ideally you would survey the real thing, Laura worked out the scale of it from using Google Maps."

Further elaborating on the process, Mayall added:

"While we watched a lot of footage and looked at a lot of images online, the main resource for us in recreating it was Google Maps. That was able to give us the relative position of everything. Then we had to work out how much we needed to build… In the end, the set was about 55 metres in length. We replicated both sides of the street, and ended up building it to the height of the ceilings of the first floor."

Even the House of Commons was recreated for the show. While the shooting was supposed to happen at the real location, a change in the government led to differences, pushing the team to create a new set for the same.

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What is Hostage season 1 all about?

A still from the series (Image via Netflix)

British Prime Minister Abigail Dalton faces a challenging situation when her husband, Dr. Alex Anderson, is kidnapped. Her daughter, Sylvie, is also disturbed by the intense media attention she receives due to her mother's career. Meanwhile, French President Vivienne Toussaint visits the UK and faces a threatening fate due to a secret video clip.

With dangerous forces targeting their political careers, the two leaders push their limits to save both their political careers and their personal lives. Suranne Jones plays the role of British Prime Minister Dalton, while Julie Delpy takes on the role of French President Toussaint.

Corey Mylchreest appears in the series as Matheo Lewis, Toussaint's stepson. Other prominent cast members include Lucian Msamati as Kofi Adomako, Ashley Thomas as Dr. Alex Anderson, Isobel Akuwudike as Sylvie Anderson, and more.

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Watch Hostage season 1 on Netflix.