Where is Rules of the Game filmed? North West locations of BBC drama

BBC One’s latest crime drama, Rules of The Game, has been a hit with the broadcaster’s audience, as Maxine Peake leads in the fiction crime drama.

The four-part series premiered on Tuesday 11 January and focuses on a sportswear company with a fatally toxic work culture.

Viewers have not only been gripped by the storyline, but also left wondering where the series is set and filmed.

As Bolton-born Peake leads with her northerner accent, one might assume the series is based in Manchester.

So, where was the series filmed and what has Peake said about the series’ production? This is what you need to know.

Where was Rules of The Game filmed?

Manchester

Peake’s character is the COO of the sportswear company, and her home was equally as impressive as her job title (Picture: BBC)

Rules of the Game was in and around Manchester, with some locations not far from where Peake lives in Salford.

Peake plays the role of Chief Operating Officer of Fly Sportswear Sam Thompson, who’s home was filmed in on Chatsworth Road, Eccles.

The houses are almost all detached villas, with garages, driveways and worth between £300,000 and £550,000, according to price history on Rightmove.

Cheshire

Maya’s home was more modest, in a new built estate (Picture: BBC)

The series co-stars Rakhee Thakrar as Maya, the business’ new HR Director, and scenes of her home were filmed in Great Sankey, Warrington, Cheshire.

In keeping with her character’s simple, sophisticated personality, she lives in a newly built estate which Manchester Evening News cited as Wharfedale Close.

Homes in the estate sold for an average price of £339,000 over the last year, according to Rightmove.

The police station featured in the series was set up in a building at Heath Business Park in Runcorn, Cheshire, one of the UK’s leading business and science parks where over 120 businesses are located.

Producers of the series also said most of the scenes were filmed in and around Frodsham, a small market town in Cheshire.

According to Rightmove, it was the most sought after rural location for home buyer in the past year.

Another scene was also filmed on the Mersey Estuary and the surrounding area, and other shots showed off the surrounding wind farms and countryside.

The Mersey estuary was also used as a filming location (Picture: Google Maps)

What did Maxine Peake say about the show’s location?

Peake is originally from Bolton but spent over a decade working and living in London before relocating to Salford.

She said of the filming locations: “It’s great being up North because I live in Salford. My character’s house was a 10-minute walk from where I live, which has never happened to me.”

Peake is also known for being incredibly politically active, and identifies as a socialist and voted for Jeremy Corbyn as leader of the Labour Party in 2017.

Maxine Peake leads in Rules of The Game (Picture: BBC)

It therefore came in handy that filming was so close to her local polling station when the Mayoral Elections took place in May.

“Polling day was great because I could walk to my local polling centre, go in my wig and cast my vote in my scene off,” she said.

“That was a bonus, because a lot of the time you’re away, and after the year we’ve all had, being able to work from home has eased me back into filming after having a bit of a break.”

Rules of the Game premiered on BBC One at 9pm on Tuesday 11 January, episode two airs on Wednesday 12 January and episodes three and four air the following week on 18 and 19 January.

Where is Rules of the Game filmed? locations of BBC drama filmed starring Maxine Peake - including Manchester