For three days last month, iconic locations around the Mystic area, from St. Mark’s Episcopal Church to the Stonington Borough, were the sets for a new murder mystery show pilot.

“Mystic” is a classic “whodunnit” centered around the investigation of a local murder. Executive producer Frank Durant said there is already a large market for murder mysteries, especially with the return of “Twin Peaks” to television next year. The town lends itself well to the story, from its historical significance to its hometown feel, and even the name of the town is a play on words and has a mysterious feel.

“Mystic itself is part of the story. Mystic has a lot of stories to tell,” he said. He included characters that represent various aspects of the town, including an artist from Mystic’s vibrant art community and a Native American character to represent the Pequot tribal influence.

Over three days in November, Durant and a collection of cast and crew from the New England area filmed footage that would eventually become a 30-minute pilot episode for the series. He said that in addition to featuring the great local sights, he also wanted to hire locally to showcase the talents of the area, including Groton resident Malcolm Cameron on sound production.

“Malcolm represents many years of stage talent and being a sound man,” he said. “I’m not worried about whether this is going to sound good or bad, it’s going to sound perfect.”

“It’s been a nice shoot,” Cameron said, adding that he enjoyed not having to commute. “Monday [Nov. 14] we filmed at Angie’s Pizza, and I used to go there when it was The Shack.”

Once the footage is edited, the episode will be submitted to film festivals dedicated to pilots to attract a producer for the rest of the series. Filming for future episodes would return to Mystic and take place during the off-seasons.

On the last day of filming Nov. 16, cast and crew gathered outside the Mystic Healthcare Nursing and Rehabilitation Center on High Street to prepare for an inside shot. Hannah Yun, a resident of Cambridge, Mass., who plays a nurse in the scene, was impressed by the scenery.

“It’s so pretty, even just on this road looking up,” she said. Her family was coming out from California to visit, and she was excited to show them the area.

Rachael Perry, a Jamestown, R.I., resident who plays Aidan, the daughter of the murder victim, concurred.

“It’s a great spot for leaf peeping,” she said. “It’s fun to bring New Englanders in to produce such a New England thing.”

Rand Alan Sabatini, another executive producer who has worked with Durant on a number of projects, said he got the chills when he first got the script. He was wearing a sweatshirt from Angie’s Pizza that he picked up as a souvenir from that Monday’s shoot.

“When I read the screenplay, I was like, ‘Okay, I definitely want to be a part of this,’” he said. “We’re all going to love the characters in a short amount of time.”

Durant said members of the Mystic community, from residents to the police departments and Chamber of Commerce, welcomed the cast and crew with open arms.

He hopes the show will be able to benefit the town, citing the tourism draw that the movie “Mystic Pizza” brings nearly 30 years later.

“I want to be a part of Mystic, I’m not looking to make a movie just to make a movie,” he said.

a.hutchinson@theday.com