Business

After spat, BBC spy show gets access to ancient Greek temple

03 of April 2018

FILE - In this June 20, 2016 file photo, the full moon rises near the ancient marble Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion, southeast of Athens. The Greek government has slammed a decision by the country’s powerful archaeological council not to allow the BBC to film part of a serialized adaptation of a John le Carre novel in Cape Sounion, site of an ancient temple of Poseidon. Lefteris Kretsos, general secretary for media and communication, said on Thursday, March 29, 2018 the decision by the Central Archaeological Council, or KAS, to reject the BBC’s request to film part of The Little Drummer Girl in Sounion “highlights once again the issues we have as a country.” (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris, file),FILE - In this June 20, 2016 file photo, the full moon rises near the ancient marble Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion, southeast of Athens. The Greek government has slammed a decision by the country’s powerful archaeological council not to allow the BBC to film part of a serialized adaptation of a John le Carre novel in Cape Sounion, site of an ancient temple of Poseidon. Lefteris Kretsos, general secretary for media and communication, said on Thursday, March 29, 2018 the decision by the Central Archaeological Council, or KAS, to reject the BBC’s request to film part of The Little Drummer Girl in Sounion “highlights once again the issues we have as a country.” (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris, file)

A panel of archaeologists has granted a British television crew access to an ancient site near Athens to film scenes for a TV adaptation of spy novelist John le Carre's "The Little Drummer Girl." The move reverses a decision last week following strong government criticism. The panel granted access to the 2,500-year-old Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion for a day as Greece seeks to attract more film productions.

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — A panel of archaeologists has granted a British television crew access to an ancient site near Athens to film scenes for a TV adaptation of spy novelist John le Carre’s “The Little Drummer Girl” — reversing a decision last week following strong government criticism.

The Central Archaeological Council on Tuesday granted access to the 2,500-year-old Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion on April 12 after the production company said it would limit the number of hours needed.

The miniseries being produced for the BBC and the U.S.-based cable network AMC is due to be released next year.

Greece’s government has launched a new campaign to attract film productions as part of a wider strategy to lure investors back after eight years of a crippling financial crisis.