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The Ridge represents the newest drama to grace BBC screens. The psychological thriller centres on Scottish anaesthetist Mia Beaton, portrayed by Outlander's Lauren Lyle, who travels to New Zealand for her sister Cassy's wedding, only to discover that Cassy has perished. The Ridge was shot on location across New Zealand and Scotland with backing from New Zealand On Air, the NZ Screen Production Rebate and Screen Scotland. Production in New Zealand primarily occurred in and around greater Auckland. The production team utilised Coatsville for shooting sequences, in the semi-rural region north of Auckland, alongside rugged West Auckland, at Bethells Beach. In Scotland, footage was captured in and around Glasgow, reports the Daily Record . Discussing the New Zealand shoot, Lauren, who resided there for approximately five years during her teens, remarked: "It's the most amazing lifestyle and the people really are some of the coolest. "The New Zealand crew are also some of the best I've ever worked with - such positive, funny, talented people who really made me as the outsider most welcome. We'd sit and have beers at the set's unit base on all the camera/costume trucks on Fridays after work and it was one of the best traditions I've ever been a part of." She continued: "There is something to be said for working in the sunshine, in insane landscapes to help a day's work feel good. I had the coolest commutes to work being driven up a mountain through the bush hanging out a pickup truck at 7am - episode four gives you a glimpse into that." The Ridge centres on Mia, who is escaping addiction whilst leaving her shattered professional career behind in Scotland. She receives a wedding invitation from her estranged sister in New Zealand – only to discover the bride-to-be has died when she arrives. Engulfed in mourning and drawn by a sinister attraction to her deceased sister's fiancé Ewan, portrayed by New Zealand actor Jay Ryan, recognised for Territory, Top of the Lake, It Chapter 2, Mia quickly discovers that closeness within a tight-knit community breeds secrets and tensions, threatening the fragile foundation of the town itself. However, whilst Lauren managed to film in New Zealand, Jay unfortunately didn't experience shooting in Scotland. He revealed: "I actually thought I'd get to film in Scotland also! But not this time. I adore Scotland. I've had the pleasure of working alongside some of your greatest actors... James Mcavoy, Peter Mullan and now Lauren Lyle!". "My maternal side of the family is Scots. I grew up in my grandmother's home in NZ, full of Scottish trinkets, stories and treasures from the 'old country'. Scotland has always been present in my past. I was lucky enough to perform my one man show many moons ago during a Summer at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival - I remember turning up one day to the Castle's ancestry library, hoping to find some kind of family genealogy or connection and the lady at the office just laughed at me as if to say 'good luck finding anything amongst the thousands of dusty old files!' "The Ridge gave me an excuse to look back into my Scottish roots. They are in there somewhere."
