The latest series of the BBC drama "Vigil," which depicts a British special forces agent murdered at a remote Arctic research station, utilized a Kia car showroom in Glasgow for much of its filming.
While stars Suranne Jones and Rose Leslie did film for six days in the actual Svalbard archipelago, located hundreds of miles north of the Arctic Circle, the majority of the interior scenes were shot approximately 1,600 miles away in Coatbridge, Lanarkshire. Producers employed "clever joining" of scenes and visual effects to seamlessly blend the Glasgow-based sets with the footage from Svalbard.
Svalbard experiences winter temperatures that can plummet to -20C, with summer highs rarely exceeding 8C. Jones, who plays DCI Amy Silver, described Svalbard as "amazing, so beautiful" and noted the need to wear heavy layers, even joking that they were "too hot" when filming resumed in Glasgow while still in their Arctic attire. The cast sampled local cuisine, including moose stew.
Additional interior filming took place at Stirling University, and a quarry in Shotts, North Lanarkshire, served as an Arctic landscape. Exterior shots were captured at the real scientific research unit Unis Svalbard in Longyearbyen.
Producers consulted with experts who had previously worked on filming in Svalbard for "Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning." These experts provided insights into managing the challenges of shooting in the harsh Arctic environment, adapting techniques for "Vigil's" more limited budget. The aim was to create a "Svalbard that felt bespoke to Vigil."
"Vigil" has achieved significant success for the BBC. The first series in 2021, focusing on a murder aboard a nuclear submarine, drew approximately 12 million viewers and earned a BAFTA nomination. The second series, aired in 2023, centered on a drone attack and was one of the year's most-watched dramas. The current series explores international politics and espionage related to the Arctic's resources, involving competition between the UK, the US, Russia, and China.