
Residents of a quiet west London street were left bewildered earlier this week as their normally calm road turned into a bustling film set. Residents of Ealing woke up to flashing police cars on Tuesday morning (March 22) on their usually quiet road.
Residents of Balfour Road, Northfields, quickly felt at ease when they realized no crime had been committed. In fact, it turned out that film crews had taken to the streets for two days this week to film a new BBC series.
Film crews on location confirmed they were filming a scene for Strike – Troubled Blood , a new series based on the books by JK Rowling. This is the fifth installment in the television adaptations of the Harry Potter author’s best-selling crime novels written under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith, which follows the adventures of private detectives Cormoran Strike and Robin Ellacott.
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(Image: Sam Ormiston/MyLondon)
Although people were bewildered at first, the excitement quickly took over when news spread that the quiet residential street had turned into a BBC film set for the day. The crew seemed to be using a particular house in the center of the street. A lot of sound equipment was scattered along the street, while cars were easily diverted along adjacent streets.
Amelia Warren, a resident of nearby Hessel Road, told MyLondon: “I was shocked when I was taking my daughters to school and nursery this morning and saw two police cars with lights flashing blues.I’ve seen a lot of crime going on in West London lately so I immediately assumed the worst.
“I quickly realized it was a film set and I was so relieved. I actually felt a bit silly afterwards because after watching it a second time it was pretty obvious it was a film set.”
A resident of Balfour Road, who chose to remain anonymous, added: “I have lived here with my husband for seven years and I think this is the first time I have seen a police car on this street. In fact, there are two I’m really looking forward to seeing the show when it comes out, even though I’m not a fan of JK Rowling.”
Margaret Shillinglaw, 67, who lives a block away on Midhurst Road, said she was “very excited” to see filming outside her door. She said: “When you live alone you get excited about these little things. I was a bit alarmed at first when I saw the police cars on their way to do my shopping at Tesco – but then I saw film crews and actors.”
A sign at either end of the street, located about a 10 minute walk from Northfields tube station on the Piccadilly line, reads: ‘Attention, filming in progress. The producers and crew wish to apologize for any inconvenience caused during the preparation and filming of this production. We appreciate your cooperation and thank you for your patience.”

(Image: Sam Ormiston/MyLondon)
BBC One has released a synopsis for the series. They wrote: “Private investigator Cormoran Strike is visiting family in Cornwall when he is approached by a woman asking for help in finding her mother, Margot Bamborough, who disappeared under mysterious circumstances in 1974.
“Strike has never tackled a cold case, let alone a 40-year-old, but despite the slim chance of success, he’s intrigued and taking it on, adding to the long list of cases on which he and her agency partner Robin Ellacott are currently working in. And Robin herself is also juggling a messy divorce and unwanted male attention, all while struggling with her own feelings about Strike.
“As Strike and Robin investigate Margot’s disappearance, they come up against a devilishly complex case with leads that include tarot cards, a psychopathic serial killer, and witnesses not all of whom can be trusted. And they are learning that even 40-year-old cases can prove fatal.”
Strike – Troubled Blood will be broadcast on BBC One. Past series are currently available to watch online now via BBC iPlayer. MyLondon has contacted the BBC press office for further details.
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I’m Sam, a reporter at MyLondon with a particular interest in legal and crime reporting. I started in September 2021, and am based in Ealing. You can follow my Facebook page here.
Three stories I’ve been working on over the past month that I’m particularly proud of are:
Coming from a small town in the Scottish countryside, my favorite thing about London is the amazing mix of people and exploring all the amazing independent pubs, restaurants and cafes the city has to offer.
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