A new Channel 4 show set in Manchester and almost entirely filmed here too is delighting locals as it spotlights various areas around the city centre and county of Greater Manchester.
Everyone Else Burns is the recently released comedy which centres around a religious family who belong to a devout and cult-like puritanical Christian sect who believe that the end times are near.
Starring Simon Bird (The Inbetweeners, Friday Night Dinner) as the patriarch of the apocalypse-obsessed family, the six-episode series has some serious comedy pedigree behind it, but the real star of the show is Manchester itself which serves as the familiar backdrop.
Though set in an unnamed town, the show takes place in and is almost entirely filmed in Greater Manchester, though some scenes were shot in Northwich, Cheshire. Having watched the full thing ourselves, it is very much an exercise in acting out that Leonardo DiCaprio pointing meme in real life.
Meet the Lewises: your average, everyday Manchester family who belong to an ultra-religious order. Oh, and they reckon the world's going to end in the next 10 years. #EveryoneElseBurns starts Monday, 10pm. pic.twitter.com/xumrgWiSfd
Even within the first few minutes of the show starting, before the opening titles have even popped up on screen, the cast begins walking down a familiar cobbled street over in Castlefield, which is just one several Mancunian districts seen in the series.
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The area itself has been used for filming and notable photoshoots increasingly frequently of late with the likes of Peaky Blinders, Manchester City and even Apple Music’s Zane Lowe shooting part of his Matty Healy interview in the last year or so alone.
Nevertheless, it’s always fun to peep recognisable parts of our lovely city on the telly and nearly every episode of Everyone Else Burns is basically part watching and part trying to identify various places across the region. I even spotted my old bus route back in Stockport.
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Better still it isn’t just parts of 0161 that you’ll notice, there’s even a familiar face from The Manc itself…
That’s right, if you’re a regular watcher of our Takeaway Champions series or caught our recent interview with Danny Beard, then you’ll recognise our lovely Sophie Galustian who first appears in episode three.
Playing a key role in the story as the character of Julia — another member of the religious group who quickly befriends teenager Rachel (played by Amy James-Kelly, a Manchester School of Acting alumn) — there is more than meets the eye to this girl.
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We don’t want to spoil anything for you but we can assure you she’s great in it, and we’re not just saying that because she’s one of our own.
You might be used to seeing Soph scanning takeaways and interviewing people for On The Street, but she’s also a poet, spoken word artist; author, actor and comedy writer. She even created her own sitcom for BBC Three called Peck’Eds.
We can thoroughly recommend giving it a try. There’s plenty of laughs and seeing what parts of town you can spot as you watch makes for an added layer of enjoyment.
You can watch the full first season of Everyone Else Burns on All4 HERE.
Another popular British production has recently been greenlit for a TV adaptation too and is also set to be filmed around Manchester.
A new Shrek-themed cafe has opened at Primark in Manchester
Thomas Melia
There’s a new Shrek-themed cafe in Manchester city centre – and Donkey’s prayers for waffles have finally been answered by none other than clothing retailer Primark.
The back corner of the bargain fashion store on Market Street has been taken over by vines and fairytale characters as Shrek comes to town.
The cafe has been home to many iconic brands since its launch, one of the most notable being its 2019 debut as Central Perk, the go-to coffee hot-spot from TV Series Friends.
Shrek himself will also be paying a visit to the store in the coming weeks to sample some of the delicious delights customers can try such as nachos, waffles, shakes and bubble teas – each one with an ogre twist (yes, that is green cheese you see).
The Cafe is Shrek-ogeddon from head to toe with the menu paying homage to some familiar faces from the franchise.
Shoppers can indulge in ‘Fairy Godmother’s Potions’ which are a selection of sweet fruity concoctions, or treat your tastebuds to some Swampchos or Toastie ‘Slabs’, which are more appetising than they sound.
The grand entrance to the Shrek cafe in ManchesterA mural dedicated to the main ogre himself – Shrek!Inside the Shrek Cafe at Primark Credit: The Manc Group
After all those scrumptious snacks you’ll definitely be saying ‘I Need A Hero’ as you face your own battle – the dreaded food coma.
The Shrek Far Far Away Cafe will be a Manchester mainstay til the beginning of November, giving everyone the opportunity to have their happy ever after.
There’s also a handful of Shrek merchandise available storewide that fans and customers alike can get their hands on all-year-round.
Tim Kelly, director of new business development at Primark said: “We’ve gone Far, Far Away to find the inspiration for our latest cafe theme, bringing all the fun in the kingdom to our Primark cafes”.
“Our revolving themes have been so popular with our customers, giving them more reasons to visit their local store. We can’t wait to welcome fans to the cafes and hope they enjoy our limited-edition menu fit for a fairytale!”
And if that wasn’t enough to whet your appetite, fans of the iconic film franchise have just over two years to wait until Shrek 5 debuts in theatres on 1 July 2026.
You can visit the Shrek Cafe at Primark on Market Street and at the Trafford Centre in Manchester now.
Mancs wanted for new BBC adventure travel show with ‘life-changing’ prize
Emily Sergeant
Are you a fan of travelling? Got a bit of a competitive streak in your nature? This might just be your calling then.
The BBC is currently casting for a brand-new travel adventure series.
At this point, not a great deal is known about the new series, with a lot of the details seemingly being kept under wraps, but the broadcaster has revealed that the show currently has the working title of ‘Destination X’, and is being described as “the world’s biggest guessing game”.
The show’s producers, Twofour, are on the look-out for budding travel enthusiasts who love solving clues, playing detective, and outsmarting their competition.
Not only does the experience promise to be “an epic journey”, but there’s also the chance to win a life-changing prize.
Casting is closing towards the end of this week (6 September), and filming for the show is set to begin next month and run through to November.
Putting out a UK-wide casting call for the show on the BBC website, producers Twofour wrote: Have you got what it takes to play the world’s biggest guessing game? Twofour are now casting for the BBC’s brand new travel adventure series. If you love solving clues, playing detective and outsmarting your competition, then we want to hear from you.
“This experience promises to be an epic journey, with a chance to win a life-changing prize.”
Fancy it then? Applications for the exciting new series are now open for anyone over 18 years of age, with a deadline date of this Friday (6 September 2024), and you can find out more information and apply via the BBC website.