Lithuania to host Sky’s drama documentary series The Royal Mob

Pay-TV company Sky’s drama documentary series The Royal Mob, directed by Fraser McDonald, will be filmed in Lithuania. The show tells the saga of a large royal family that once ruled much of Europe and how their loves, marriages and feuds sparked World War I, reports Film New Europe.

It’s a story told from the perspective of Britain’s Queen Victoria’s four favorite granddaughters, the Hesse sisters, each of whom married into one of the most powerful royal courts in Europe. “The series will combine world-class scripts with a diverse cast of seasoned historians to tell the story of one of the most compelling, powerful, yet dysfunctional families in history,” Sky said in a statement when the show was announced in May.

Filming, which will take place from July 4th to 30th, will be overseen by Baltic Film Services and will benefit from the Lithuanian Film Center’s tax incentive scheme. The shooting took place in Vilnius and its surroundings, including Trakų Vokė, Užutrakis and Pažaislis and Rundale Palace in Latvia.

“Lithuania is the ideal country to bring this epic story to life,” showrunner Tom Stubberfield said in a statement. “The wealth of historic buildings lends a stunning authenticity inside and out, giving the series the distinctive historic look it deserves. Lithuania really is the perfect location for this project and we are excited to be shooting here.”

Jamie Brittain and Abigail Wilson wrote the screenplay, and British actress Michele Dotrice plays Queen Victoria.

The Royal Mob is a co-production between A+E Networks UK, Sky and Nutopia. Ben Goodold and Jane Root are executive producers. Kate Bullions is Production Manager.

The series will air on Sky History in November 2022.

It is one of six fact shows that Sky announced in May. The others were The Assassination of Olof Palme, The Essex Murders, Libby Are You Home Yet?, Arctic From Above with Liz Bonnin, and Italia 90.

This article is published in partnership with Film New Europe, an online news service that covers film and television industry news from across Central and Eastern Europe.