Entertainment

Filming for McMafia series two under way in London

The BBC drama was recently sold to air in Russia, following criticism it was a ‘cliche’ by the Russian embassy.
The BBC drama was recently sold to air in Russia, following criticism it was a ‘cliche’ by the Russian embassy. The BBC drama was recently sold to air in Russia, following criticism it was a ‘cliche’ by the Russian embassy.

Filming on the second series of the BBC’s Russian mob drama McMafia is taking place in London.

A crew was seen setting up in Bayswater, prepping for a scene outside a house on a residential road on Tuesday.

The first series saw Norton’s character Alex Godman, the son of a Russian ex-mobster, being dragged back into his family’s shady past.

The slick international organised crime drama, filmed in countries including the UK, Russia, Czech Republic and India, is based on Misha Glenny’s non-fiction book of the same name, and was created by Hossein Amini and James Watkins.

In the final episode of the first series, Alex was seen securing his place as a powerful mafioso after succumbing to the crime world he was trying to avoid.

The filming comes after it was confirmed that McMafia will air in Russia.

The Russian embassy had previously criticised the show, saying it was a “cliche” that depicted “Britain as a playground for Russian gangsters”, but the BBC later sold the rights to Russian free-to-air channel Friday.

McMafia
McMafia McMafia (Todd Antony/BBC)

It was part of a wider deal with the broadcaster, which has also secured the rights to air the BBC’s Sherlock and Planet Earth in Russia, among other programmes.

McMafia has already aired in more than 200 countries, including America.

Shooting for the forthcoming new episodes also comes after Norton was recently revealed to be departing ITV series Grantchester after four series.

The actor, who has been tipped as a contender to play James Bond, has starred as the charismatic, crime-fighting clergyman Sidney Chambers in the series based on the novels by James Runcie since it began.