This is Hull and East Riding --A NEW TV drama scheduled for prime-time Christmas screening will transport an East Yorkshire stately home into the living rooms of millions of viewers.
Burton Agnes Hall, the fine Elizabethan house near Driffield, has a role in the BBC's forthcoming festive production of The Thirteenth Tale.
Location scouts fell in love with the hall and its Red Drawing Room, and thus it was "cast" for scenes in the 90-minute drama.
The Beeb recently spent two days there, filming for The Thirteenth Tale, an adaptation of Diane Setterfield's novel of the same name.
It will star Bafta award-winning actress Olivia Colman and Vanessa Redgrave, of the famous acting dynasty.
"We are delighted that the hall was chosen for filming," said Simon Cunliffe-Lister, who lives at Burton Agnes Hall with his wife, Olivia, and their three children.
"They had agents scouring the whole of the north of England for the perfect locations, and they fell in love with the Red Drawing Room – I think there were a couple of scenes shot outside as well."
Two further locations in Yorkshire were also selected for the production. Produced by the company behind the Harry Potter films, The Thirteenth Tale tells the story of Vida Winter (Vanessa Redgrave).
A famous novelist with failing health, Vida enlists an amateur biographer, Margaret Lea (Olivia Colman), to hear her story and ghostwrite her autobiography.
Lea has some family secrets of her own, and the process of unraveling the past for Winter forces her to confront her own ghosts.
It is a haunting psychological mystery set in the modern day, with poignant flashbacks starting in 1940.
Ben Stephenson, commissioning controller of BBC Drama, described The Thirteenth Tale as a treat for audiences that "illustrates BBC drama at its best – attracting the highest calibre of talent and making the most ambitious content possible".
The 90-minute film has been written by Christopher Hampton, who adapted Atonement and won an Oscar for Dangerous Liaisons.
Programme schedulers have their eye on a Christmas Day slot – 9pm on BBC Two – for airing The Thirteenth Tale.
"We will definitely be watching," said Simon. "I am thrilled we have attracted a high-profile television production to Burton Agnes Hall, and that the beauty of our home has been recognised by the BBC."
He said: "It was quite a strange experience while they were here filming – they brought in a whole lot of furniture and it felt as though someone else had moved in.
"We had to close off a good part of the house, even though they were using the Red Drawing Room, because of the sounds that might interfere with the filming."
The public, who normally have access to the areas that were out of bounds, were instead allowed to see parts of the Hall that are not usually on the tour.
Burton Agnes Hall is not a stranger to TV cameras. It was the backdrop for a Hairy Bikers' Mums Know Best At Christmas special on BBC Two; it's appeared in Ladette To Lady for the LifeStyle Channel and also helped set the scene for a spooky TV tale in the Chiller series, welcoming actor Nigel Havers through its doors.
Simon said: "It is very exciting for all the team here to welcome film stars to our home.
"Olivia Colman and Vanessa Redgrave were charming, and Olivia got a private tour of the house as well, because she said she was interested in seeing it."
The Thirteenth Tale is the latest leading role for Olivia Colman, who won two Bafta awards this year for her performances in BBC shows Twenty Twelve and Accused.
Her profile has increased since she appeared in the ITV hit Broadchurch earlier this year and she recently filmed BBC One drama The 7.39.
Vanessa Redgrave is a star of stage, big and small screen. She has had top roles in more than 80 films and won a best supporting actress Oscar in 1978 for her turn in Julia.
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