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New Manchester-set ITV crime series sees Noel Clarke join forces with Fleabag director

Clarke - who shot to fame with Kidulthood in 2006 - will play a lead role in the five-part series titled Viewpoint, which is based on an idea by Fleabag and Emmy award-winning director Harry Bradbeer.

The Manc The Manc - 27th August 2020

A new crime series shot and set in Manchester is the first ITV drama to begin filming since UK production shut down.

Noel Clarke – who shot to fame with Kidulthood in 2006 – will play a lead role in the five-part series titled Viewpoint, which is based on an idea by Fleabag and Emmy award-winning director Harry Bradbeer.

Filming has begun at Space Studios in Manchester and will continue across numerous locations around the city in the coming weeks.

Co-created and written by award-winner Ed Whitmore, the series follows a ‘tense police surveillance investigation into a tight knit Manchester community and explores whether it is ever possible to observe the lives of others with true objectivity and zero effect.’

Clarke plays surveillance detective, DC Martin King, who sets up an observation post in the home of single mum and secret voyeur, Zoe Sterling, played by Alexandra Roach (No Offence, Black Mirror).

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Viewpoint has been billed as a ‘contemporary, character-driven mystery with a seductively intimate feel’ which is as ‘much about friendship, trust and community as it is about solving a crime.’

Alongside Clarke and Roach in the cast list are Catherine Tyldesley (Scarborough, Coronation Street), Bronagh Waugh (The Fall, Unforgotten), Sarah Niles (Trust Me, Catastrophe), Shannon Murray (Get Even, EastEnders), Phil Davis (Whitechapel, Poldark) and Ian Puleston-Davies (Tin Star, Pennyworth).

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Head of Drama, Tiger Aspect Productions and Executive Producer, Lucy Bedford said: “Harry and Ed have crafted a compelling, tense, claustrophobic thriller that turns the spotlight on the observer rather than the observed.  

“With the incredible Noel Clarke and Alexandra Roach leading the cast, we are extremely excited to be back in production.”

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Richard Ashcroft says Robin Park gigs could help make Wigan ‘a focal point in music’

Danny Jones Danny Jones Richard Ashcroft wants Robin Park gigs to make Wigan a focal point for music

Manc music veteran Richard Ashcroft has big hopes for the upcoming season of live music at Wigan’s Robin Park, insisting that gigs like his self-titled double bill could help his hometown become “a focal point music for the first time in years”.

The former Verve frontman turned successful solo artist was speaking to host Anna Jameson on BBC Radio Manchester earlier this week when he explained just how big a deal this series of Wigan concerts could be for the area.

Beyond the likes of himself, his former band, The Lathums and Railway Children, to name just a few, there aren’t too many notable music names to have come out from the WN postcode – but that isn’t to say there isn’t plenty of talent and potential to do so.

Bigging up the borough as an “amazing place” that’s perhaps sometimes overlooked, he’s keeping his fingers crossed that Mancs and people from all over the region, including the local council, can “get right behind” the upcoming calendar of Wigan concerts to shine the spotlight on it once again.

As he goes on to tell Jameson, he envisions this going on to become a platform for new, up-and-coming artists not only from Wigan but across Greater Manchester, insisting that “there’ll be this week where young bands play venues, bigger bands come” and so on, giving grassroots something “to build to”.

Noting that the foundations have already been lain with this first lot of gigs, with the likes of fellow natives The Stanleys and Maxwell Varey named as two of Richard Ashcroft‘s warm-up acts this summer, alongside more well-known outfits like Cast and The Zutons.

In the middle of the pack, you also have rising Scouse stars Red Rum Club and The Royston Club from Wrexham, who are also making plenty of waves, so it looks like the groundwork is very much there.

There are a variety of other gigs at Robin Park as the area looks to emulate the early success seen from similar bookings over in Wythenshawe like Noel Gallagher’s headliner in 2023 and in Wigan later this year, as well as Blossoms’ mini-festival.

Blossoms announce massive Wythenshawe Park gig next summer

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The 52-year-old believes his shows among the others at Robin Park this summer could leave a “legacy” and give something for people to look back on and remember it as a moment in which, “for the first time in years, Wigan became a focal point for music” in the North and across the country.

Speaking to ITV earlier this week also, the Britpop legend admitted that despite coming up in the same era as the likes of The Stone Roses and Oasis, not to mention in such close proximity, those figures always seemed “larger than life” but that it’s an honour to go back home on such a big scale.

It’s been over two and a half decades since he and The Verve played their iconic Haigh Hall gig to more than 33,000 locals and the two Robin Park gigs on 20-21 July are set to be on an equally massive scale.

You can still try and grab tickets and listen to the rest of his interview on BBC Sounds HERE.

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — BBC Radio Manchester/Ed Webster (via Flickr)

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Manchester MMA star Tom Aspinall slams ‘unfair’ start times for UFC 304 at Co-op Live

Danny Jones Danny Jones Tom Aspinall says UFC 304 Manchester start time is absolutely terrible and unfair on UK fans

Local MMA star Tom Aspinall has come out to criticise the start times for UFC 304 here in Manchester, calling it ‘unfair’ for fans here in the UK.

In case you missed that rather big announcement, the UFC is returning to Manchester after nearly a decade and will be the very first sporting event held at the brand-new Co-op Live Arena, which is finally set to open this week following multiple delays (touch wood).

However, in an effort to keep broadcasters and the UFC‘s massive audience back in the US, the fight card will be starting until around 3am – and that’s at the very earliest.

Responding to the decision the Atherton-born and Salford-based fighter posted a video on his socials saying, “As a fan who wants to watch it live, I think it is absolutely terrible”.

@tomaspinallofficial My thoughts on UFC Manchester fight times for you UK fans 🤛 #ufc #manchester #foryoupage #viralvideo #fans #tomaspinall ♬ No Loss – Instrumental Version – Canon

He goes on to say that “it’s just not fair on the fans – the UK fans obviously. It’s predominantly an American audience so I understand that, they want to sell to them, but why can’t they sell to them in the afternoon which is our evening time?

While he admitted it “doesn’t make that much difference” to him as a fighter, the 31-year-old went on to ask, “Why can’t the American watch it in the afternoon and Manchester, the UK and European fans can all fly to the event and sell out this new arena?”

“I mean, it’s going to sell out regardless, mate”, Aspinall reiterated, adding that “we’re very lucky to have a pay-per-view event in Manchester” but that forcing the British audience and Mancs to watch something just down the road at a US-convenient time just doesn’t seem right.

There’s been plenty of backlash amongst MMA fans online too, with many stating that it simply goes to show that the UFC as an organisation “don’t care” about overseas supporters as much as they claim to.

Tom Aspinall isn’t the only one complaining about the UFC 304 start time.
Others have been less negative about it.
Aspinall has been having digs ever since the announcement.

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As the current interim heavyweight champion, Aspinall will be right up at the top of the billing for UFC 304, which is the first time the event has been in the UK full stop since 2016.

The promotion’s last British fight was here in Manchester too, on a night when local legend and adopted Manc Michael Bisping retained his middleweight championship belt against Dan Henderson.

We can only hope for similarly victorious scenes for the North West this July.

As for the shiny new venue, Co-op Live, after a fair few teething problems it looks like they are now on course to open just a week or so after the initial launch date. Not so bad.

A guide to the brand-new Co-op Live Arena: drinks prices, how to get there, capacity and more

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — Tom Aspinall (via TikTok/Instagram)

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