A brand-new “genuinely laugh-out-loud” sitcom set in Stockport and starring Aimee Lou Wood and David Morrissey is due to air on BBC Three next year.
Filming is now underway on the six-part comedy series, which is titled Daddy Issues.
The show follows Gemma, played by Manchester actress Aimee Lou Wood – who is most-known for her role on Netflix’s Sex Education – who lives for the weekend when she can “get blasted and party hard” in Stockport.
But after joining the mile-high club with a random hook-up on her way back from a holiday to Portugal, she finds out she’s pregnant.
The pregnancy couldn’t have come at a worse time for Gemma, as the only person she has left in her life is her dad Malcolm – played by David Morrissey – who is “kind hearted but useless”, and is suffering from the collapse of his family and living in a bedsit for divorced men.
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Gemma and her dad end up living together in Gemma’s flat, as she needs support at a critical time in a woman’s life, and he needs help microwaving rice without it exploding.
📢 BBC Comedy orders Daddy Issues for @bbcthree with Aimee Lou Wood and David Morrissey to star
At its heart, the new series is a classic odd couple comedy about two funny, deeply flawed characters, who just happen to be father and daughter
According to the BBC, at its heart, Daddy Issues is a “classic odd couple comedy” about two funny but deeply-flawed characters, who just happen to be father and daughter, and along the way, there’ll be dating disasters and failed romances, toxic friendships and messy family dynamics, plus a dangerously-sociopathic antenatal teacher.
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The show is written by Danielle Ward, who has notably written for other shows such as Brassic, and In The Long Run.
“It had been a very long time since a script had made me laugh out loud, but Danielle’s did exactly that,” commented Aimee Lou Wood as the new show was announced.
“Then when I heard David was involved, I was even more excited, as he’s someone I have admired throughout my life. Watching shows like Blackpool and Red Riding when I was younger fuelled my interest in acting and so it feels surreal and amazing to be working with someone I class as a legend and inspiration.”
David Morrissey added: “I’m delighted to be working with Aimee Lou Wood as she’s someone I’ve admired for a while now. She’s a truly unique and gifted talent. Danielle has crafted such a funny and heartfelt piece and I’m so excited to be part of it.”
Daddy Issues will air on BBC Three sometime in 2024, with the full casting and scheduling set to be announced “in due course”, according to the BBC.
Featured Image – BBC
TV & Showbiz
Beloved Manc butty shop Bada Bing set for a sensational return to the city centre
Danny Jones
Sandwich lovers rejoice because one of the finest butty shops to ever grace Manchester is returning: that’s right, Bada Bing is bada-back!
The Sopranos-inspired deli and sandwich shop that took its name from one of the central locations featured in the iconic US drama (yes, the strip club), was a huge success when it first opened in Manchester a few short years ago, so it was a huge blow when it closed in February 2022.
Starting out by serving sandwiches out of a window at The B Lounge pub on Paton Street near Piccadilly, before moving to a small kitchen on Radium Street and eventually setting up their stall inside Ancoats General Store, they would regularly have lines around the block every lunchtime.
These Italian-American sarnies were so popular you’d often struggle to get your claws on one – and believe us, they really are a two-handed task – as they’d sell out on what felt like most days. But now, whether you were a regular or someone who missed out, there is hope once again:
Announcing their sensational return to a new site over in the Northern Quarter, which will now mark the fourth premises they’ve popped up at, Bada Bing is back with a bang and, as you can, they dropped the news with one of the best reveal videos we’ve ever seen.
If you know, you know…
Set to take over 125 Oldham Street, owners Sam Gormally and Meg Lingenfelter haven’t yet graced us with an opening date but the new unit should hopefully be open sooner rather than later.
The duo, who previously worked at fellow NQ favourite Another Heart to Feed, came up with the concept during lockdown and it didn’t take long for the idea to take off, nor for them to earn their spot amongst the very best sandwich places in Manchester.
Seriously, these things were so big and unwieldy (in the best way possible) that they even used to come with eating instructions: both hands and the trademark Tony Soprano hunch recommended, though the slightly stained wife-beater, boxer shorts and open dressing gown look is optional.
From slices of provolone cheese, all the thinly sliced Italian meats you could think of and the closest thing to actual ‘gabagool‘ as you’ll find in Greater Manchester, the menu was fitting of being served up to the iconic characters that once sat outside Satriale’s and a big approving grin from the man himself.
Simply put, we cannot wait and we will certainly keep you posted when we find out exactly when Bada Bing confirms their official reopening date.
Will Mellor’s new BBC documentary about real-life Post Office scandal victims airs tonight
Emily Sergeant
A new BBC documentary about real-life victims from the Post Office scandal fronted by Will Mellor is hitting TV screens tonight.
As the country finally starts to wake up to the full scale of the Post Office scandal – which involved the British postal service pursuing thousands of innocent subpostmasters for apparent financial shortfalls caused by faults in an accounting software system between 1999 and 2015 – actor Will Mellor is on a mission to find out what happened to the real-life sub-postmasters in this new BBC documentary.
The Stockport-born actor famously played the part of Lee Castleton in the ITV drama, Mr Bates vs the Post Office, and says he feels a “real affinity” will the families he spoke to for the programme.
For the new documentary and accompanying five-part BBC Sounds podcast series – which is titled Surviving the Post Office – Will actually speaks to Mr Castleton himself, as well as four other affected people and their families whose lives have been “torn apart”.
Will Mellor has fronted a new BBC documentary about real-life Post Office scandal victims / Credit: ITV
Surviving the Post Office ventures to all four corners of England, including East Yorkshire, County Durham, Lincolnshire, West Sussex, and Cornwall, as Will discovers that many of the sub-postmasters want to “take back control of their lives”.
According to the BBC, for some facing the past, that proves to be a “troubling experience”, while for others, it ends up being a “liberating” step forwards.
As well as exploring the financial losses for many, including the people featured in the documentary and podcast series, Will also gets to find out how they are coping with their emotions, trying to move on from the whole ordeal, and how the victims are finding support in unexpected ways.
📢 Actor Will Mellor meets the real-life victims of the Post Office scandal in a brand new documentary from BBC Local
Surviving The Post Office is coming to @BBCOne and @BBCiPlayer tonight at 8.30pm. The podcast series is on @BBCSounds now
“I feel a real affinity with these families, so it was a privilege to hear their stories for this documentary and podcast,” Will said ahead of the documentary airing on BBC One.
“What shocked me the most after meeting so many sub-postmasters is just how far the impact and trauma has spread – the effect it’s had on people’s health, their children, and their whole communities has been massive.”