Hertfordshire has long been graced by some pretty famous faces, from Colin Firth to Olivia Coleman, on the big and small screens. But there’s one show that was filmed right here in Herts that really stuck with us, pulling at our heartstrings and giving us a warm hug when we needed it – that show was Netflix’s Afterlife! Ricky Gervais stars as Tony, who is struggling to come to terms with his wife's death and adopts a gruff new persona in an effort to push away those trying to help. Ultimately, (and no spoliers alert, obviously!) it might be those he pushes away who might try and save him. Full of heart and of course, hope, the three series of Afterlife is one to check out if you haven’t already! And did we mention that it is filmed right here in Dacorum, Hertfordshire? Yes, our town of Hemel Hempstead doubles as Tambury in the hit series!
For those who are already fans of the show, you’ll know Gervais’ leading lady is his faithful dog, Brandy – but to those in the know, that perfect pup is none other than Antilly the Wonderhound, the beautiful stunt dog that stole our hearts on her walks around Tambury. So to celebrate the success of the show and let you in on the real life filming spots in Herts, we invited Antilly and her owners back to Dacourm for the day, to show you some of their favourite spots and get a sitdown interview – Tambury Gazette style! – with the leading lady herself... (with a little help from her owners, Ashley and Beth!)
Q: What was it like working on the set of Afterlife?
A: For Antilly the Wonder Hound it was a pretty normal day at the office as she has done a lot of film work most often playing a police dog performing exciting action scenes. Often After Life was *literally* a walk in the park for her!
Q: How did Antilly get into the film and TV industry?
A: She had been trained from a young age to do a sport called IGP competing in three phase trials consisting of tracking, obedience and protection. Her first role was playing a police dog who attacks Michael Fassbender in a film called “Trespass Against Us”, which was filmed around Hemel Hempstead.
Q: Is Antilly just as gentle and calm as Brandy in real life?
A: She always has been the perfect dog at home which she shares with three other dogs, a rescue cat called Agnes Nutter and pet African Land Snails. She comes along to open mic nights where she sings with us, loves a cup of tea with oat milk and watches Netflix on the sofa. If you want to see what her home and work life is like follow her on Instagram @antilly_the_wonder_hound
Q: What was Antilly's favourite scene to shoot in Dacorum?
A: She had a great couple of days shooting the Tambury Fair as we had 6 “rescue dogs” on the Dog’s Trust stand for the last episode, some of whom she lives with. They were also being handled by my wife in costume so the whole family were together in one scene!
Do you too want to walk in the footsteps - pawprints, we mean! - of Antilly the Wonderhound? Check out our feature on where to find all the Tambury gems you know and love in real life Hemel Hempstead here - including exactly where the special Afterlife 'Hope is Everything' bench, donated to Hemel from Netflix.
Visit Herts would like to extend a special thanks to Antilly, Ashley and Beth for their interview - make sure you follow the adventures of Antilly the Wonderhound here!