City’s pedigree as star of the small screen...

MANCHESTER has provided the backdrop for some cracking shows over the years.

Last week we brought you ten of our favourites – from fine comedies like The Royle Family and Shameless, to gritty dramas like Cracker and The Street.

But it turns out ten just isn’t enough to represent the wealth of great TV filmed on our doorstep. So here are a few more brilliant shows set in the region suggested by M.E.N. readers... This laugh-out-loud sitcom set in a Bolton working men’s club became a huge hit when it was first broadcast in 2001.

Peter Kay played multiple roles in the cult comedy, from owner of the Phoenix Club – wheelchair user Brian Potter – to Max, one half of bouncer duo Max and Paddy, who had their own spin-off show.

Phoenix Nights depicted an exaggerated portrayal of northern life, making it hilarious but weirdly relatable. It won the People’s Choice Award at the British Comedy Awards 2002. Life in a sleepy Stockport pub resonated with audiences far and wide when this sitcom hit the screens in 2003. It was penned by Phil Mealey and Craig Cash – the latter famously co-wrote The Royle Family with Caroline Aherne. This show wasn’t just your run-ofthe-mill BBC drama. It centred on ordinary people who worked at a textile factory, but who lived complex, troubled lives.

Each episode focused on the home-life of a different character, and their stories became darker as time went on. It pulled in some big names too including Christopher Eccleston, Ricky Tomlinson and Sarah Lancashire. You’d think a show about a GMP detective chief inspector waking up after a car crash in 2006 to find he’s