Tower Bridge is one of the most famous bridges in the world, so there’s no wonder it regularly features on screen. From Hollywood blockbusters (directors love to blow up the Bridge), to TV, music videos, computer games and in books, we’ve compiled some of our favourite times that Tower Bridge has appeared in popular culture.
From early black and white silent moving pictures to multi-million-dollar modern blockbusters, Tower Bridge has graced the big screen from the very beginning.
Gorgo (1961) is an early example of the aforementioned destruction of Tower Bridge. In this British homage to Godzilla, the Bridge is unceremoniously ripped apart as the titular monster rampages through London searching for its kidnapped offspring. More recently, you’ll see Tower Bridge attacked in Spider Man: Far from Home (2019), Independence Day: Resurgence (2016) and Hellboy (2019).
Only Fools and Horses, Top Boy, Dr Who, Inspector Morse - Tower Bridge has appeared in many of our favourite TV series.
In the classic American sitcom Friends (1994-2004) episode, The one with Ross’ Wedding: Part 1, the gang head to London and set about seeing the sights. Having bought an embarrassing Union Flag hat from Richard Branson (yes, of Virgin Group fame) outside the Tower of London, and said hat being complimented by Fergie (yes, the Duchess of York), characters Joey and his roommate Chandler can be seen passing along Tower Bridge on an open-top bus - proof that a visit to London isn’t complete without seeing Tower Bridge.
Gone are the heydays of MTV and VH1, but music videos are still a key part of the listening experience for the billions of people watching YouTube every year.
To create their music videos, artists sometimes choose exotic locations with expensive cars and champagne. And sometimes they dare the heights of Tower Bridge’s walkways, like international pop-sensation One Direction.
For their 2014 hit Midnight Memories, the chart-topping foursome ditch a drab house party for a night out on the town, which includes grabbing a kebab, racing mobility scooters and stealing a police boat. The evening culminates with the four boys singing their hearts out atop Tower Bridge – such a great night!
Video games now entertain billions of us every year, transporting players to far flung and imagined places - from lands filled with dragons and magic, to futuristic megacities on distant worlds. And other times they take you to a real place, like London!
In the recent Watch Dogs Legion (2020), a near-future version of London has deteriorated into a sci-fi dystopia, where an oppressive regime curtails the freedoms of the public – you are tasked with recruiting a resistance to take back the capital city. This involves infiltrating Tower Bridge, which has become a base for the bad guys. Although not a 100% faithful recreation of the Bridge’s guts, it’s still fun to sneak through the Towers, along the Walkways and onto a platform atop the Towers to complete your objective.
Image © Ubisoft
We hope you’ve enjoyed this article about Tower Bridge’s influence on culture. By no means is this meant to be an exhaustive list – we’ve added a few honourable mentions below. Why not let us know your favourites on Facebook or Twitter. Or plan your visit to step inside the iconic Bridge itself.
Tower Bridge also appears in:
Other TV appearances include:
Some more music videos to feature Tower Bridge include:
Other London-based games we loved include:
