ITV’s Victoria used pound shop props to stretch £10 million budget

The lavish new period drama also used art school students to paint shells in gold
Lavish: ITV's sumptuous new period drama Victoria used props from the pound shop
ITV
Ben Travis23 August 2016

ITV’s brand new period drama Victoria is primed to become the new Downton Abbey – but despite its lavish production values, it wasn’t all as expensive at it looks.

While the series has managed to recreate the interiors of Buckingham Palace, the production team were thrifty when it came to some of the props.

The show, which chronicles the reign of an 18 year-old Queen Victoria, used swords from pound shops and recruited art school students to paintscallop shells in gold, according to its star Jenna Coleman.

Talking about the series, the former Doctor Who actress revealed to the Telegraph: “[Michael Howells, Production Designer] spent a lot of money on very expensive chandeliers from Croatia, but in order to counteract that, he’s driven up to Scotland and got 22,000 seashells for free, and bought swords from the pound shop, all sprayed in gold.”

The first series of the new show cost £10 million to produce eight episodes, portraying the opulence of the royal family in the 1800s.

“We ran courses with Leeds College of Art and their students came and we taught them how to guild and decoupage,” explains Howells.

ITV's Victoria Premiere

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“It was a real team effort. We had a lot of people working and a lot of workshops which were actually really fun because you get this great momentum of everything being made.”

The series stars Coleman alongside Rufus Sewell as Prime Minister Lord Melbourne, Tom Hughes as Prince Albert, and Peter Firth as Duke of Cumberland.

Following its first episode, Victoria will go head-to-head with the return of the BBC's Poldark, as both dramas will air in the Sunday 9pm slot.

Sunday, ITV, 9pm​

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