Actor Dan Ryan who stars in Morecambe-based TV drama The Bay says he has grown to love the town and wants to see it thrive.
Dan plays Detective Inspector Tony Manning, one of the main characters in the crime series which begins again on ITV1 this Wednesday night (March 8).
The cast and crew of The Bay have been visiting Morecambe since before the first series aired in 2019 and the show has grown in popularity ever since with millions of TV viewers getting to see the town on screen.
And Dan said he absolutely loves coming to film in the resort and hopes The Bay can be a part of its ongoing regeneration.
LISTEN to our full exclusive interview with Dan Ryan (pictured below with Marsha Thomason, who plays DS Jenn Townsend)
The Bay is written by Lancaster-based Daragh Carville and most of the series is filmed in Morecambe.
"The home and heart and soul, the absolute treasure in the show is Morecambe and everything it has to offer," said Dan.
"Everyone seems really pleased that we're there and I'd like to think that it's good for the town and that we're welcome. It feels that way.
"Morecambe has got this incredible beauty but it's also got a gritty underside which plays straight into the heart of our show.
"What I love about it is that we're not in Morecambe pretending that it's called some made-up name. It's Morecambe. We use recognisable places.
"It's an entire joy to come to Morecambe every single time.
"If we're on the seafront and people are coming by, people say hello and they want a selfie, and it's great.
"I even came up (in 2021) for the launch of a new lifeboat and I was asked to be part of the ceremony there and do a little speech. These are honours that are so so lovely to do, not being from Morecambe, to be asked to be part of Morecambe, is such a beautiful thing."
Dan said he hopes that The Bay has attracted people to visit Morecambe and he has first-hand experience of this.
"I've bumped into people on the front who say they came because they saw the show on the telly.
"I'm happy about that. It's a town that I really want to see do well and I want to see it thrive...with the news about the Eden Project. Now it's happening.
"The redevelopment of the Winter Gardens is looking beautiful. All of this is just great for somewhere that I've now grown to love and I want to see the place do really really well.
"If we're even a miniscule part of that then it's a beautiful thing. "
In series 4 of The Bay, DI Manning and his team investigate an arson attack which leads to the tragic death of a mother-of-four.
In the meantime, the inspector, who has been through a marriage break-up in previous series, may have some long-awaited joy in his personal life.
"Manning seems to be a bit distracted at work and they all seem to think he's got a relationship on the go, he's made a new lady friend, so we'll see how that pans out," said Dan.
"He's married to the job, he's a very diligent and passionate worker, about being a policeman, and very dedicated to his team. And his love life took a bit of a tumble because of that.
"Maybe there's a hope of something good around the corner for him. We shall see!"
The Bay series 4 begins on ITV1 at 9pm on Wednesday March 8 and then all episodes will be available on ITVX.
Related Story: First images released of new series of The Bay - Beyond Radio
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