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.
Gary Lineker set to leave BBC this week following more controversy
Danny Jones
Former footballer and veteran presenter Gary Lineker is set to leave the BBC earlier than expected following further political controversies and social media backlash.
Lineker has been butting heads with the presenter for a couple of years now, being suspended by the national corporation back in March 2023 for his comments about language used by the Conservative government, and has continued to take issue with certain aspects of their news coverage.
He has since gone on to share a further video expressing his regret over what he called an “honest mistake”, as well as confirming that he will be making a premature exit from the BBC.
As you can see in the clip above, he says: “I apologise unreservedly for the hurt and upset caused,” insisting that he didn’t see the emoji in question
Lineker is now expected to leave following his final Match of the Day programme this weekend after having already confirmed he would be leaving the role after 26 years at the end of the season.
The ex-English footballer was set to present the 2026 FIFA World Cup next summer, but given the latest furore, he will be stepping away ahead of schedule.
Having gradually wound down his work with networks like TNT Sports (previously BT Sport) and the BBC in recent years, he has been slowly shifting his focus to his own Goalhanger Podcasts company, which includes several popular audio formats under The Rest Is… brand, including his own flagship The Rest Is Football show.
He goes on to add that he’s “stood up for minorities and humanitarian issues and against all forms of racism all my life.” Since the most recent Israel-Palestine conflicts began, he’s been particularly outspoken on the events. One recent interview with the BBC itself sparked plenty of discussion online.
Gary Lineker, "What's going on there (Gaza), the mass murder of thousands of children is something we should have an opinion on"
Amol Rajan, "The BBC needs to be impartial about it"
Lineker reiterated that he would never “knowingly share anything antisemitic” and removed the problematic post as soon as he was made aware.
Nevertheless, the BBC and director general Tim Davie have been facing pressure to address the situation ever since it happened, with many calling for the household name to be sacked.
It seems the ex-Everton, Leicester, Spurs and Barcelona player has made the decision for them.
As he goes on to conclude, despite expressing gratitude regarding his relationship with the BBC, he feels the “time is right […’ to go our separate ways.”
An outdoor cinema is screening a Wicked sing-a-long this autumn
Thomas Melia
There’s an outdoor cinema screening a sing-along version of the global phenomenon Wicked later this year near just outside of Greater Manchester.
Arley Hall, in Cheshire, is hosting a very special screening of one of the biggest films of 2024, Wicked, where guests will be allowed to sing along during the film.
This one-off event will come as a relief to some fans of the movie-musical, as back when it was released, one attending was encouraged not to sing along as it may disrupt the film itself.
With a musical stacked with hits like ‘Popular’, ‘Dancing Through Life’ and obviously the huge number that is ‘Defying Gravity’, how could you not take a moment to test out the vocal cords?
Maybe we’ll see some mini Elphabas and Glindas showing up at the Wicked sing-a-long, Arley Hall.Sit back, relax, and defy some gravity.
Now, Arley Hall has teamed up with events and entertainment company Adventure Cinema for an outdoor experience that promises to be a fantastic, family-friendly day out watching Elphaba and Glinda on the big screen.
There are various ticket options available for this Wicked sing-along showing, which are all priced under a reasonable £30 range.
The standard ticket, which requires you to bring your own camping chair or blanket, is only £17.37, while the premium ticket (including a premium deck chair and prime position) costs £25.21.
Throughout the weekend, Adventure Cinema are making themselves comfy in Arley Hall‘s grounds, as they are set to play some huge movie titles and host even more wonderful events.
For instance, there will be an ‘Outdoor Cinema ExtrABBAganza’ courtesy of Mamma Mia!, a double-whammy thanks to ‘The Gruffalo’ and ‘The Stick Man’ playing back to back as well as ‘Andrea Bocelli 30: The Celebration’ and ‘Pretty Woman’ too.
There’s an ExtrABBAganza coming to Arley Hall the same weekend.Just you, your blanket and a crowd of Wicked fans ready to sing their hearts out.
While we wait eagerly for the second part of the Wickedmovie-musicaladaptation, why not let yourself loose and see if you can out-sing the witches of Oz – Think I’ll leave the singing to Cynthia and Ariana.
The movie-musical became one of the backbones of pop culture in 2024, generating various quoted phrases and viral moments, including the unforgettable ‘Holding Space’ meme alongside many others.
Anyone looking to attend the Wicked sing-along at Arley Hall on Friday, 19 September from 6pm to 10:15pm can find all ticket prices and more information HERE.
Danny Jones -
6th February 2023 
