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Stockport turns into 1830s London for filming of new BBC series

Emily Sergeant - 4th August 2021

Stockport town centre went back in time earlier this week for the filming of a new BBC series depicting early Victorian London.

Crowds gathered round and snapped pictures as filming took place next to Stockport’s iconic Market Hall on Monday, where a set depicting a traditional 1830s Victorian market could be seen alongside crew and actors.

Crews were filming for a new “fast-paced comedy drama” titled The Dodger.

Set before the events of Charles Dickens’ iconic novel Oliver Twist, the ten-part series is to star Salford-born Doctor Who actor Christopher Eccleston in the role of Fagin, while Burnage-born Shameless actor David Threlfall will play Sir Charles Rowan, the Chief of Police.

Stop in Stockport shared images of the filming on social media, adding: “Stockport gets chosen for more filming.”

Teasing the plot of the new series in a statement, the BBC said: “There are some familiar characters and a whole gallery of colourful new ones [and] each episode is a standalone adventure brought together at the end of the series with some dramatic reveals and surprises.”

Series writer Rhys Thomas added: “I thought it would be fun to create a family show with Dodger at its heart and see how he came to be a master criminal in Victorian London.

“Working with the very best material as a springboard, it’s a total delight to expand Dickens’ rich world of characters and create a few of my own [and] to top it all, we have an incredible cast who are starring in the show – I can’t wait for families all over the world to see it.”

The series is also to feature Billy Jenkins, Saira Choudhry, Ellie-May Sheridan, Connor Curren, Mila Lieu, and Sam C Wilson, according to the BBC.

It’s not yet clear if any of the main cast were featured in the filming in Stockport.

Stockport won’t be the only familiar location doubling up as London for the new series, as filming is said to have begun back in May at several other places across Greater Manchester and the North West.

Each episode of the ten-part series is scheduled to air on CBBC and iPlayer next year.

Featured Image – Credit: Facebook (@Stop In Stockport)