TV cameras were out in force as Bolton became the backdrop of two more shows yesterday. Our reporter KIT VICKERY went on location to find out more.

EAGLE-EYED viewers will have spotted Bolton as the backdrop for a number of popular programmes over the last few years.

And, in the same week the town kicks off its own film festival, two more TV shows have joined a long list of impressive names bringing the town to the small screen.

Sky’s brand new sci-fi drama Intergalactic took over the former BHS store in Victoria Square yesterday.

The ten-part series by Moonage Pictures follows Ash, a young flight cadet who was falsely imprisoned before being involved in a prison break-out.

Promotional material for the series says: “Across their perilous escape through space, this disparate gang of dynamic women fight, fall in love and betray each other. But one thing is for certain, the further they travel from Earth, the closer they come to understanding who they truly are.”

Across the road, another crew were filming for series nine of popular ITV drama Cold Feet.

Filming took place inside the old magistrates on Le Mans Crescent, but passers-by could get a glimpse of the stars on the steps if they walked past at the right time, with John Thomson making an appearance around midday.

Filming for the current season began on September 9, and the series is set to air on ITV in 2020.

The BAFTA winning comedy drama stars James Nesbitt, Hermione Norris, Robert Bathurst, Fay Ripley and John

Thomson.

The show started in 1997, with the first five seasons following the lives of three 30-something Didsbury couples.

In 2003, the series took a substantial break, returning with a highly anticipated series six in 2016.

Now the characters are in their 50s, and quite a lot has changed.

Adrian Barber, the Director of Bolton Film Festival, says he believes that each new set in the town inspires Bolton residents who are interested in the industry.

He said: “It’s good to see the town come alive with filming and show our residents that there are jobs available in the industry.

“They might not be director roles, but there’s acting and scriptwriting – every film set needs a caterer, and there’s a lot of

subsidiary roles on a film set too. Electricians can transfer their skills onto a film set, and these skills have a 20 per cent shortfall at the moment.

“Our film festival starts today and we want to encourage anyone who is interested in film to come and get involved. We want people to realise that making films is viable and not a distant dream.”

The international festival will run until Thursday October 3, with a variety of free talks and screenings open to everyone.

Five venues across the town will showcase over 150 short films, with masterclasses and networking events taking place

throughout the event.

In August, Bolton Council launched its own film bureau on the back of the number of requests for filming in the town.

The existing marketing, events and communications team have become a “one-stop” shop for location managers.

We reported in August how the council had made £106,550 since April from production companies choosing to film in Bolton.

Cllr David Greenhalgh, leader of Bolton Council and Greater Manchester portfolio lead for culture, said: “We pride ourselves on being film friendly and the popularity of Bolton as a filming destination is growing all the time.

“Our filming team offer a ‘onestop-shop’ to location managers and work incredibly hard to facilitate requests.

“We’ve had so much filming happening recently, it brings a real buzz to the town and there’s lots more in the pipeline!”

The council have dealt with hundreds of filming requests over the last two years, with almost 200 requests made in the 2016/17 financial year alone.

Requests have come from some of the biggest TV production companies, including Netflix, the BBC, and ITV