Hotel’s set alight for new drama
HUDDERSFIELD’S landmark George Hotel is due to be set alight – but don’t panic! It’s all part of filming for Sky T V’s new political thriller, COBRA.
Starring Robert Carlyle, of Trainspotting and Hamish Macbeth fame, the drama will be screened later this year.
Set in the halls of Westminster, the series follows Prime Minister Robert Sutherland (Carlyle), and his Chief of Staff Anna Marshall (Victoria Hamilton), as they try to deal with a national emergency.
The pair must bear attacks from their political opponents, face family pressures and lead the COBRA committee, a team of experts and politicians, to ensure the nation’s safety.
The drama is written by Ben Richards, (Strike), and produced by New Pictures, COBRA’s cast also includes Richard Dormer (Game of Thrones), David Haig (Killing Eve) and Lucy Cohu (Broadchurch).
Of his new role, Carlyle said: “I am really looking forward to stepping into the role of the Prime Minister in a story that feels almost too true to be fiction.
“COBRA is a palpably thrilling and witty take on a political drama but with a humanity at the heart of the series.”
The six-part series will air on Sky One and Now T V this autumn.
Many people have seen activity at the derelict hotel since Monday and a van used by a firm of specialist cleaners for the film industry has been parked up outside. Asked for confirmation about the filming, Dr Altaf Hussain, who has owned the hotel building for several years, said: “That’s true. It should be an interesting programme.”
The hotel is one of Huddersfield’s most iconic buildings. Grade II listed it is famous as the birthplace of rugby league football in 1895.
The filming will mean a restriction on the number of parking bays in the adjoining Huddersfield Railway Station car park until Friday, April 5.
Filming for the series has also taken place in Victoria Square, Bolton, recently too.