Wild Bill currently airing on ITV, starring Rob Lowe of West Wing and 80’s Brat Pack fame, had some key scenes filmed in East Barnet Library.

The series is a fish out of water story set in rural Lincolnshire.   Rob Lowe’s character is an American police officer newly appointed as Chief Constable of the East Lincolnshire Police Force.

The ITV Production’s art department transformed the library to match the rural setting of the show.  They also created a large library staff room and dressed an upstairs room as a judge’s chamber.

Nick Black, manager of East Barnet Library, was there during filming and recalls the excitement of having a Hollywood star on set:

“Filming in the Library caused a real flurry of excitement, with many locals coming out in the January cold to see what was going on.  For three days, our car park was full of filming and catering trucks, while the inside of the library was transformed into something a little different, a little more Lincolnshire. Once the filming was finished, everything was restored exactly as was, as though all the lights, cameras and action had never been there. ”

FilmFixer who runs Barnet Film Office worked hard with the Production, Barnet Library Services and Inclusion Barnet to ensure public services were disrupted as little as possible.

Inclusion Barnet runs East Barnet and South Friern Libraries, in partnership with Barnet Council.  Inclusion Barnet, a Peer-Led Deaf and Disabled People’s Organisation (DDPO) received a large proportion of the funds generated from filming at the Library.