The new BBC series Two Weeks in August, premiering on 23 May, follows a group of friends on a Greek island holiday that descends into chaos. Despite its Greek setting, the eight-part drama was filmed entirely in Malta and Gozo, with creator Catherine Shepherd citing cost as the primary reason for the location switch.
Shepherd explained that Malta and Gozo offered enough seaside locations and rugged beaches to convincingly stand in for a Greek island. The production team searched extensively, eventually finding a suitable harbour beach on Gozo, which is less populated and lacks hotels in the background, making it ideal for a deserted island feel.
Key filming sites include the Dwejra cliffs on Gozo, featured in a scene with characters Dan and Zoe in episode three. The harbour market scenes were shot at Mġarr ix-Xini on Gozo, a historic inlet with a 16th-century watchtower. However, a seafront taverna at Ghar Lapsi, used in an early episode, was destroyed by Storm Harry earlier this year.
The villa where the friends stay was specially constructed for the show, including a pool added to a small farmhouse, but was deconstructed after filming wrapped. Shepherd noted that finding a house that didn't look distinctly Maltese was a major challenge for production designer Jon Henson.
