Missed Call on Channel 5: Filming locations include historic European village with pesky drawback for cast and crew
British teenager Katie Gleason vanishes during a school exchange in southern France...
Channel 5‘s Missed Call follows British teenager Katie Gleason who vanishes during a school exchange in southern France, but what filming locations were really used?
The five-part series stars TV favourite Joanna Scanlan as Katie’s mother Sarah, who rushes to Saint-Michel in a desperate bid to find her daughter – and get answers.
However, once there, she is met with evasive police and hostility from Katie’s powerful host family, the Morvans. Fraught mum Sarah launches her own investigation alongside local detective Lieutenant Virginie Taylor… And they subsequently exposed “buried secrets, abuse, corruption, and trafficking within the tight-knit town”.
But does the Channel 5 thriller Missed Call really use France as a filming location? Here’s everything you need to know about the “iconic natural settings” used by cast and crew.
Where is Missed Call set?
New Channel 5 thriller Missed Call is set in the “quiet coastal town of Saint-Michel”. We’re told a “disturbing scene unfolds deep in the woods” after teenager Katie Gleason goes missing during a school exchange in southern France.
Meanwhile in England, single mother Sarah Gleason awaits news from her daughter. However, late one night, Sarah misses a call from her daughter. When Katie suddenly stops answering messages, Sarah’s concern turns to alarm. The host family, the school, and the supervising teacher all insist that Katie is simply out with friends. But something about their explanations feels wrong.
Unable to shake the feeling that her daughter is in danger, Sarah flies to France. Once in Saint-Michel, she finds a town reluctant to answer questions…
The events are set against the backdrop of picturesque French village Saint-Michel. But what filming locations were actually used in Missed Call on Channel 5?
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Where was Missed Call on Channel 5 filmed?
Unlike most Channel 5 dramas recently, Missed Call was actually filmed where it’s set! Well, sort of. Although the village of Saint-Michel isn’t actually real, cast and crew did film in the South of France. Specifically the historic Manufacture Royale de Villeneuvette in Hérault (more on that below), although they stayed in nearby Montpellier.
The recent series The Teacher was set in Sheffield, but actually filmed in Northern Spain. And it’s not unusual for thrillers such as The Game, The Couple Next Door, and Girl Taken to be set somewhere completely different to where filming took place.
However, Missed Call WAS filmed in France. In fact, every single scene moment was filmed in France, even the bits that are supposed to be British.
Cast and crew shot near Montpellier, where there are some very beautiful villages and towns. Filmed in summer 2025 with a largely French cast, Missed Call will also air in France with Joanna Scanlan’s voice dubbed.
Is the village of Saint-Michel real?
Although the village of Saint-Michel is not real, cast and crew of Missed Call stayed in and around Montpellier. Montpellier is described as a “vibrant, sunny city in southern France” specifically the Occitania region.
It’s known or its medieval, pedestrian-only city center L’Écusson, world-renowned medical university – one of the oldest in Europe – and a blend of historic charm with modern architecture.
Montpellier is located 10km from the Mediterranean, and has close access to beaches. Its Mediterranean climate with hot, dry summers and mild winters, makes it an ideal filming location all year around.
Talking about filming in South France, President of Pernel Media Samuel Kissous said: “Missed Call is not your typical ‘kidnapped girl’ story. It has extremely surprising twists but all the clues are hidden in plain sight early on, giving a chance to astute viewers to decipher the truth!
“Filming in the actual location where the story is set, in some of the most iconic natural settings in the South of France, makes the story grounded in reality while providing viewers with a proper escapist pleasure.”
‘Beautiful locations that have such deep, dark mysteries’
Missed Call is a five-part thriller series produced by Pernel Media for Channel 5. Pernel Media is a leading European production company established in 2009, headquartered both in France and in the UK.
Actor Rupert Graves told us about the perks of filming in France, saying: “The wine and the food were amazing. I love Montpelier where we were staying. We had the best bakery in France one block from the hotel, which did the most amazing croissants.”
Talking about the series, he added: “Saint-Michel seems like a very quiet, sweet place but it’s teeming. It’s a bit like the beginning of David Lynch’s Blue Velvet. You’ve got the white picket fence and the guy with his garden hose; he has a heart attack, and you go down beneath the lawn and it’s teeming with worms. This is the same sort of thing.”
Missed Call on Channel 5 filming locations
Joanna Scanlan, who plays distraught mum Sarah Gleason, loved filming in France with French actors, and believes it adds to the drama’s atmosphere.
She said: “I think it adds a layer of class and sophistication to our mystery. I’m a huge lover of French cinema. It is probably my favourite. I thought it might also give oneself an inferiority complex but, as it turned out, we had much more in common than I expected. You had to just work the scene for what it was. What the beats were in the storytelling and how the characters related to each other. That is nicely done between the French and British actors.”
Talking about the beautiful filming location and the “claustrophobia” of Saint-Michel, she added: “Director Sheree Folkson was very keen to create that. She didn’t want it to seem like A Year in Provence. Behind this seemingly attractive medievalism lies something that just doesn’t sit nicely in the gut.”
Meanwhile, Joanna’s co-star Robert Lindsay agreed, saying: “There is that whole thing of beautiful locations, like Don’t Look Now in Venice. Beautiful locations that have such deep, dark mysteries.”
The challenges of using France as a filming location for Missed Call on Channel 5
If you think all that sounds idyllic, there were some pesky annoyances for the cast and crew. And it’s something we can all relate to – mosquitoes.
Joanna said: “There were so many mosquitoes.”
While Robert added: “The most challenging days were the ones with the heat, the mosquitoes, and the costumes. We weren’t really dressed accordingly. My scene in episode one with Sarah, I remember sitting there and I only had one line, ‘Bonsoir, madame’. I sat there for hours. I thought I was going to die. It must have been 40 degrees. Then when they turned over and said ‘action’ I forgot what I was supposed to say.”
Missed Call filmed in the Manufacture Royale de Villeneuvette in France
Much of Missed Call on Channel 5 was filmed in the historic Manufacture Royale de Villeneuvette in France. There are multiple scenes of Sarah in the cobblestone square within the village. Viewers see the exchange students driving under the iconic ‘Honneue au Travail’ arch, which means ‘Honour to Work’. The gendarmerie nationale, aka local police station, was also filmed in the famous location.
The Manufacture Royale de Villeneuvette is a former royal manufacturing village established in the 17th century. It is known for its well-preserved industrial architecture and traditional Provençal stone buildings.
The area is now a popular destination for tourists exploring the Hérault hinterland. It’s located near other notable sites like Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert and the Vaison-la-Romaine area.
Described as “one of the most beautiful villages of the Hérault”, the other name for this former industrial village is “la belle endormie”. It begins with an avenue of centuries-old plane trees, and leads to the former royal cloth factory.
The shady Place de Louis XIV is a square featuring a central fountain and drinking trough, a major feature of the former factory. Today, the former Villeneuvette Royal Factory is a tranquil, preserved historic site and village in southern France with charming, restored buildings.
What building was used as Emma Morvan’s house in France?
Château Saint-Martin-de-la-Garrigue was used as the “mansion” Katie stays in until her disappearance. Her exchange student Emma Morvan is “seriously loaded” – and her house reflects that.
In reality, the building is a historic French estate, situated in Montagnac in the Languedoc-Roussillon region of Southern France. Its origins date back to 987 AD, and it is a prominent example of Renaissance-style architecture.
The estate covers approximately 160 hectares (400 acres), and features extensive vineyards that produce local wine. Today, the château operates as a luxury venue offering accommodations, event rentals, and wine tastings.
Key filming locations for Missed Call on Channel 5:
Specific filming locations used in the Channel 5 thriller Missed Call, include a historic French estate, famous cemetery, and a 12th century church…
- The stunning Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert was also used as a filming location in Missed Call. There are several aerial shots of the medieval village in southern France. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site located along the Gellone river valley, and is considered one of the “most beautiful villages in France”. It is also a significant stop on the Santiago de Compostela pilgrimage route.
- The 12th century Church of St Martin de Londres in Herault, Southern France, is also featured in the C5 thriller. Specifically, dramatic aerial shots of the bell tower. Listed as a historical monument, this Romanesque church is known for its central dome with Byzantine influence, and its close resemblance to the famous Abbey of Gellone. It is situated in the heart of the village of Saint-Martin-de-Londres, near the Pic Saint-Loup and north of Montpellier.
- In episode 1, a drone captures footage of a DFDS ferry navigating the Port of Dover, a key shipping hub connecting the UK and Europe.
- Viewers also see teacher Neil on the phone in the Cimetière Marin (Marine Cemetery) located in Sète, Southern France. The historic graveyard is situated on the slopes of Mont Saint-Clair, overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. Sète is known as the “Venice of Languedoc” and lies on the Mediterranean coast about 30km southwest of Montpellier.
