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.”
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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.
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“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.
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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.
Major pop star crowns humble rice and three cafe as ‘Jewel of Manchester’ ahead of sold-out gig
Thomas Melia
A beloved city centre takeaway has been given the title of ‘Jewel of Manchester’ by chart-topping UK singer Sam Smith.
Known for hits like ‘Stay With Me’, ‘I’m Not The Only One’ and more recently ‘Unholy’, UK pop-ballad act Sam Smith also likes to drop a food review every once in a while.
Currently on the road with a run of shows in Manchester and London for their ‘To Be Free’ live shows, Sam Smith is stopping off at some of our city’s much-loved spots.
On their food-reviewing account titled ‘Sam Served’, where they adopt the aptly-fitting nickname ‘Ham Smith’, Sam has visited restaurants across the globe – and most recently turned their attention to Manchester’s own This & That.
Smith decided to pop in and grab a cheeky rice and three from long-standing backstreet food business This & That, and it certainly went down a treat.
After sampling their amazing selection of meat, vegetable and vegan curries, the musician crowned this family-run Indian takeaway a ‘Jewel of Manchester’.
The hitmaker described this Northern Quarter Indian eatery as ‘Everything food should be’ and definitely enjoyed all the curries on offer ‘leaving belly and heart full’.
This & That prides itself on affordable and comforting food with its ‘Rice and Three Curries’ starting from just £6 – not bad for a city centre foodie spot.
Sam has racked up an impressive 490k followers via their ‘Sam Served’ profile, with famous faces like Lily Allen, Denise Welch and CMAT all wanting to know the superstar’s foodie thoughts.
After enjoying a curry or three, Sam Smith also made sure to feed their soul to by venturing down to Afflecks and getting lost in the music at Mars Tapes.
Recognised as one of the UK’s only cassette and tape shops, Mars Tapes lets you flick through their crates of physical media and even preview tracks before you buy with its dedicated listening areas.
It’s safe to say that Smith has ‘Latched’ onto Manchester’s independent business scene and we’re here for it.
The London-born artist has just released their latest album Hazel Eyes and is currently amid a UK residency tour with two dates in Manchester’s Albert Hall and eight shows set for London Coliseum.
You can now have a private sleepover amongst all the history inside Manchester Museum
Emily Sergeant
Manchester Museum is now offering one lucky family the chance to have a sleepover with Stan the Tyrannosaurus rex.
For the first time in Manchester Museum’s history, one lucky family will be given the chance to experience an incredible night at the museum.
This unique opportunity is being offered as part of a prize draw, allowing visitors to find out what happens once the sun goes down inside the Fossils and Dinosaurs gallery – in the company of Stan, the famous Tyrannosaurus rex, of course.
The Fossils and Dinosaurs gallery is one of the most iconic spaces within Manchester Museum.
Having opened to the public all the way back in 1888, it’s part of the museum’s original building designed by celebrated Alfred Waterhouse, who also designed Manchester Town Hall and London’s Natural History Museum.
Not only will the lucky winning family enjoy an overnight stay in the gallery, but they’ll also be treated to a guided torchlight tour of the galleries after the Museum has closed, as well as other fun activities and a film screening too before bed.
You can now have a private sleepover inside Manchester Museum / Credit: The Manc Group
“We can’t be completely sure what happens when the sun goes down in our Fossils and Dinosaurs gallery, because nobody has ever spent the night in there before, but we can only imagine the kind of fun that can be had with Stan the T. rex and his friends,” said Dean Whiteside, Head of Commercial and Operations at Manchester Museum.
“This is a chance to be a part of museum history and enjoy the kind of once-in-a-lifetime experience you can’t usually buy.
“At the same time, Manchester Museum is a charity so, by getting behind this initiative, you’ll be helping to support vital work that impacts the lives of people across Greater Manchester and beyond.”
Fancy it then? You can enter the prize draw by buying a ticket for £5 from the Manchester Museum Shop, with each ticket counting as one entry and the winner set to be chosen at random from all valid entries.
The prize draw is now open and closes on Monday 28 September 2026.
Emily Sergeant -
4th August 2021 
