The trailer and first look images of a new TV drama series filmed in parts of Manchester have been released.
The Stolen Girl tells the story of mother-of-two Elisa Blix, played by Denise Gough, who allows her nine-year-old daughter Lucia to stay over at her new best friend Josie’s house… but the next day, when she goes to collect her, everyone has gone, and Elisa and her husband Fred’s, played by Jim Sturgess, world is turned upside down.
The five-part psychological drama, which also stars Manchester-born actress Holliday Grainger as Josie’s mum Rebecca Walsh, and One Day‘s Ambika Mod, who plays chaotically persistent journalist Selma Desai, will be available to stream next week on Disney+.
The first full length trailer, and a series of images showing the cast at work, have been released before the show hits our screens from next Wednesday (16 April).
First look images of the new Disney+ series The Stolen Girl / Credit: Disney+ UK
The gripping trailer takes us to the heart of suburbia, where life is not quite as tranquil as it first seems, as when Elisa and Fred’s daughter, Lucia, goes missing after what appears to be a normal sleepover with a school friend, the couple’s mundane existence spirals into chaos.
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Elisa is forced to embark on a high-stakes chase across Europe to discover the shocking truth about her daughter’s disappearance.
Exactly why did Rebecca Walsh take her daughter? Was Lucia a random target? What personal price will she have to pay to get her back? These are the questions Elisa grapples with as the series progresses, as the slowly unsettling truth emerges.
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Eventually, audiences see that what started as a textbook abduction, quickly evolves into something much darker.
Bronagh Waugh, Layo-Christina Akinlude, and Michael Workéyè also form part of the supporting cast.
Waugh stars as DI Shona Sinclair, and Akinlude takes on the role of DS Lizzie Walker, who are both the lead investigators looking into Lucia’s disappearance, while Workéyè plays Kaleb Negasi, who is Selma’s exasperated editor that wishes she would focus on anything other than this case.
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According to producers, much of The Stolen Girl has been filmed in and around Manchester, with additional scenes being filmed over in France.
The Stolen Girl is airing on Disney+ from next Wednesday 16 April.
Featured Image – Disney+ UK
TV & Showbiz
Iconic Manc movie 24 Hour Party People is set to return to cinemas for its anniversary
Emily Sergeant
One of Manchester’s most iconic movies is set to return to the big screen next month.
Remastered in 4K and returning to UK cinemas to mark 24 years since its original release, Michael Winterbottom’s 2002 biographical comedy drama film, 24 Hour Party People, tells the story of Manchester‘s popular music community from 1976 to 1992 – specifically about Factory Records‘ founder Tony Wilson.
The film begins with the punk rock era of the late 1970s, before moving through the 1980s into the rave and DJ culture, and of course, the ‘Madchester‘ scene of the late 1980s and early 1990s.
The narrative largely follows the career of Tony Wilson, played by Middleton-born actor Steve Coogan, while also covering the careers of the major Factory Records artists – especially Joy Division and New Order, as well as A Certain Ratio, The Durutti Column, and Happy Mondays.
If you haven’t seen 24 Hour Party People before, it’s a dramatisation based on a combination of real events, rumours, and urban legends, as the film is sure to make clear.
Coogan is joined by a cast by a mixture of big names and, at the time, rising stars like Paddy Considine, Shirley Henderson, Lennie James, John Simm, Ralf Little, Andy Serkis, Sean Harris, John Thomson, and even Peter Kay, alongside cameos from other figures connected to the Manchester music scene.
Before it returns to cinemas, the film will first open music and media festival/conference, Beyond The Music, at MediaCity in Salford on 6 October.
The screening at the festival will also be followed by a Q&A with Coogan, Winterbottom, and producer Andrew Eaton.
24 Hour Party People will then be re-released in UK cinemas from 9 October, and you can check your local cinema for screening times and book tickets online now.
Featured Image – Altitude
TV & Showbiz
Bury actress Kate O’Flynn wins big at 2026 Emmys with record-breaking comedy show
Emily Sergeant
Did you know that one of the big winners at the 2026 Emmy Awards last night was actually an actress from Bury?
In case it wasn’t on your radar, American television‘s biggest night, the Emmys, took place yesterday evening over in Los Angeles, and several records were broken in the process – including Apple TV’s comedy horror Widow’s Bay taking home the most Emmys ever for a single series of a comedy show, with 14 of them.
Widow’s Bay tells the story of mayor Tom Loftis, played by Welsh actor Matthew Rhys, who is trying to boost tourism on his rugged New England island, but must navigate several strange events that suggest it might be cursed.
Created by Katie Dippold, and executive produced and directed by Hiro Murai, Widow’s Bay was released in late April to widespread critical acclaim.
At the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards last night, the show scooped a record 14 awards, including for Outstanding Comedy Series, several acting wins, and wins for directing and writing too.
One of those acting wins was Kate O’Flynn for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series – an actress who hails from the Greater Manchester town of Bury.
Kate stars as Patricia Moyer, mayor Tom’s eccentric assistant in the show.
She grew up in Holcombe Brook near Ramsbottom, and was educated at Bury Grammar School, before she went on to train at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Acting in 2006.
Taking to the stage to accept her award last night, Kate said in her speech: “I want to thank our mayor [Matthew Rhys] and all the residents of Widow’s Bay, in front and behind the camera – you’re amazing. This is the role of a lifetime, thank you Katie and Hiro for trusting a Lancashire lass to play a sassy broad like Patricia. And thank you Apple [TV] for saying yes.
“Thank you Nicky and Tony for looking after me, my family back home, my mum and dad, and the loves of my life, my husband and our darling daughter – another sassy broad in the making.
Emily Sergeant -
8th April 2025 
