Borough rolls out the red carpet!
Dobcross Square used in the movie ‘Yanks’
TV and film crews have been saying ‘Hooray for Hollinwood’ and ‘Yanks for the memories’ after choosing the borough as a location for a string of productions.
Over the coming months residents should keep their eyes peeled as some well-known local landmarks and faces appear on our screens.
The BBC recently filmed parts of a new drama series around Hollinwood and Failsworth.
The Driver stars Award-winning actor David Morrissey and former Coronation Street star Sacha Parkinson.
Morrissey plays taxi driver Vince McKee in the three part thriller written by former Shameless writer Danny Brocklehurst.
Oldham’s own Brian Cox filmed segments for the BBC’s Human Universe science series on King Street – near to the old infirmary where he was born – and at Alderman Hill in Saddleworth.
A spokesman for the production team said: “We had a great experience filming in Oldham, due in no small part to Oldham Council, who was incredibly friendly, helpful and efficient.
“Through them, everything was organised seamlessly and smoothly, and any queries we had were immediately dealt with. We know if we film there again, we’d be in safe hands.”
Recently, former England striker Gary Lineker and current Manchester United star Shinji Kagawa were spotted in Alexandra Park filming a commercial for a Far Eastern mobile phone company. The Japanese international also made the short trip into the town centre for a few scenes in front of the camera.
The location manager of the shoot commented that the Victorian era park was one of the best kept in Greater Manchester.
A couple of town centre landmarks may also feature in a future series of a major BBC2 series but details of that are under wraps.
And horror flick fans should look out for ‘Thorn’, a low budget movie filmed at the former South Chadderton School.
Councillor Shoab Akhtar, Cabinet Member for Business and Town Centres, said: “It is great news that so many film and television companies are choosing Oldham for their locations shots.
“Productions like Yanks have left a lasting impression and every year hundreds of people flock to the annual ‘Yanks’ event in Saddleworth – bringing an economic boost for local businesses.
“All across the borough we have some great and varied locations for people to choose from and I’m sure residents like it when they see famous faces or camera crews turning up on their doorstep – it creates a buzz.”
The borough has a rich history when it comes to the silver and small screens. The films ‘Yanks’, starring Richard Gere, and ‘Brassed off’ were filmed in Saddleworth and Dorah Bryan, Bernard Cribbins and Eric Sykes are just some of the big names who hail from the ‘home of the Daleks’.
If you would like to know about filming opportunities in Oldham contact the Investment Team on invest@oldham.gov.uk or 0161 770 2077.
Oldham Council works in partnership with Creative England.
Author: Jude Gidney - Editor
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