Stockport back in the spotlight as backdrop for latest BBC show

Stockport’s unique architecture and culture have once again been in the spotlight as the backdrop for the BBC’s latest show, Daddy Issues.

Continuing the boom that has seen a plethora of national and internationally acclaimed shows such as Peaky Blinders, Years and Years and Inside No. 9 film in Stockport, the BBC’s latest production ‘Daddy Issues’ used several locations in the area for filming at the end of 2023.

The show, which began airing on Thursday 15 August, follows Gemma, who with the support of her father Malcom, navigates her way through nine months of pregnancy. It’s a light-hearted and heart-warming series about a father-daughter relationship. Gemma is played by Stockport’s own Aimee Lou Wood, while her father is played by David Morrissey.

During the filming the Sleepy Parrot Studios, located on Little Underbank, was transformed into a hairdressers, while St Marks Church, Bredbury was also incorporated in several shots.

Stockport is a popular location spot as its unique geography and history offers a mix of location opportunities including:

• Beautiful countryside;
• Urban ‘grit’ offering the perfect backdrop for a wide range of circumstances and eras;
• A rich cultural landscape that’s grown and developed over hundreds of years;
• Medieval streets and Victorian mills and monuments;
• Listed sites and fascinating buildings including 13th century halls, iconic 1960’s and 1970’s buildings and ultra-modern state of the art office developments.

Stockport has previously been lauded by many industry professionals as a great place to film on location and the increased demand to use Stockport as a filming location brings huge benefits for the area, as well as the wider Greater Manchester region and include:

• Employment opportunities it creates for local crew members, many of these will be based in Stockport;
• Filming inside business premises and work for local suppliers including security companies, caterers, kit hire, chaperones and tutors who look after children;
• Opportunity for income generation for the Local Authority from paid for services used during productions such as Parking, Highways, Parks/Greenspaces and Property/Assets through venue hire;
• Opportunity to bring visitors who are fans of certain productions into the town and the boost for local hospitality and leisure businesses.

Cllr Mark Hunter, Leader of Stockport Council, said:

“It’s fantastic that Stockport has become one of the ‘go to’ locations for so many film and television productions over recent years. We have a rich architectural history and diverse culture on offer, all of which can offer any production company a range of options to match any period in history, genre or geographical location that they wish to portray.”

“The influence of the creative arts has a tremendous impact on our local economy in a number of ways, boosting our commercial aspirations and enhancing our appeal as a cultural and tourist destination. It’s a tremendous achievement for everyone concerned that Stockport, as a film location, can rival many of the more established locations.”

Stockport’s bustling filming trade comes on the back of the town’s tenure as Greater Manchester’s Town of Culture for 2023/24, which welcomed tens of thousands of visitors from all over the country to embrace Stockport’s biggest year yet.