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The Lady's Companion, Netflix's new period drama, was mostly shot in Spain, not in the UK, as one would expect from its ornate costumes and historical backdrop. About 60% of the show was shot at Netflix's Tres Cantos production center in Madrid.
The other 40% of the shoot was done on location in different areas of Madrid and Barcelona. Although the action occurred in Madrid in 1871, the series does not use available historical locations or Georgian properties for its setting. Rather, bespoke sets were designed to portray the period and settings required for the narrative.
Although the series has an 18th-century feel with a focus on the aristocracy, the filming did not involve heritage mansions or period architecture that exists in Britain. Instead, the production team recreated extravagant indoor environments inside sound stages to convey the social and cultural atmosphere of Spain in the late 19th century.
Shooting mostly within studios gave more creative control in the representation of the era, with outside locations in Spain serving only as shots required to deliver the feel of the period.
Principal photography location of The Lady's Companion: Netflix's Tres Cantos studios in Madrid
The interior scenes of The Lady's Companion were filmed at Netflix's Tres Cantos studio campus. The studio campus boasts several sound stages with the most advanced filming equipment. Shooting within the contained studio environment, the production crew could construct sets from the ground up, modifying each aspect to fit the 1871 Madrid setting of the series. Perhaps the most crucial set constructed was the one for the Mencia family—a standout location in the series.
The home was designed to meet the tastes and élan of late 19th-century upper-middle-class Spanish society. Although the series occurred decades before the golden age of Georgian architecture, production designers incorporated aspects such as grand staircases, huge chandeliers, and lavish woodwork to induce an aura of grandeur and potency appropriate to the characters. These settings were not based on real homes but rather created as stylized versions to suit the tone and direction of the show.
On-location shoots of The Lady's Companion in Madrid and Barcelona
Though interior scenes were studio-shot, there were some exterior scenes shot on location in Madrid and Barcelona. Locations provided genuine city textures that enhanced the show's realism. The crew opted for old districts, old streets, and building facades visually similar to what Madrid would have appeared during the 19th century.
In Madrid, shooting likely happened at locations preserved with historical particulars, providing adequate imagery for streetscapes, outdoor activities, and transitions. In Barcelona, locations that had period structures and cobblestone roads were employed to recreate the ambiance of the era.
The blend of studio-created locations and actual locations enabled the production to meet the demands of visual narrative control with authenticity through genuine Spanish structures.
Set design and historical representation in The Lady's Companion
Rather than filming inside historical houses or museums, The Lady's Companion adopted a policy of controlled and stylized depiction. Through the use of sets, the producers were free to emulate the distinctive look of the late 1800s while not compromising on cinematography versatility, staging flexibility, and lighting freedom.
These sets had drawing rooms, parlors, studies, and other interior home spaces designed with period reference in mind but built for functionality in contemporary shooting. The art team worked with historical consultants and set designers to ensure that while the setting was fictional, it appeared in keeping with the time.
Objects such as wall motifs, furniture style, window dressings, and furnishings were chosen to recreate 19th-century Madrid, even if they were not direct copies from actual places. Care was also taken about the texture, color schemes, and general ambiance of each scene.
Unique narrative focus and genre approach of The Lady's Companion.
It should be mentioned that The Lady's Companion breaks the traditional structure of British period drama. In contrast to being structured around royalty or highly recognized events, the series is based around lesser recognized characters that were in Madrid in 1871. The series adds a bit of humor in the genre, with a tone difference compared to serious period pieces.
This tone discrepancy translates into set and filming styles as well, where character development is more of a priority over re-creating scenes of historical events. The use of studio sets and urban Spanish locations serves to underpin this narrative trajectory. The flexibility afforded by tailor-made environments makes possible a wider range of scene construction—be it in the guise of witty repartee in sumptuous halls or quiet personal moments in intimate chambers.
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Also read: Netflix to end period drama The Empress with a third and final season
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