Naman Shrestha
Created by Holly Walsh, ‘The Other One’ is a British comedy series that focuses on two half-sisters of the same name, Catherine Walcott, who don’t know about each other’s existence. When Colin Walcott meets his demise at his own birthday party out of the blue, his wife Tess and her daughter Catherine ‘Cathy’ Walcott find out that he had a long-term mistress named Marilyn. If that wasn’t enough, they also discover that he has a daughter with her and that too of the same name, Catherine ‘Cat’ Walcott.
Finally, the two half-sisters meet, but they can’t decide where to scatter their father’s ashes, which leads to police intervention. Later, they learn that there might be yet another woman in Colin’s life. Besides the hilarious narrative, what might keep you intrigued is the usage of interesting locations throughout the series. Moreover, there have been wilder instances of adultery in real life, which begs the question — is ‘The Other One’ based on actual events? Well, we are here to answer all your questions and put your curiosities to bed!
Is The Other One a True Story?
Yes, ‘The Other One’ is partially based on a true story. Even though the narrative draws from a real-life incident, it can be credited to the creative minds and excellent writing of Holly Walsh and Pippa Brown, who join forces to devise a hilarious twist while maintaining the tale’s authenticity. Since Holly has previously worked on other productions, including ‘Motherland’ and ‘The Time Surgeon,’ she used her experience to craft an entertaining story for ‘The Other One.’
In an early June 2020 interview with Digital Spy, Holly opened up about her real-life inspiration for the BBC show. She revealed, “Quite a while ago, my friend was telling me about a friend of her parents, who in the ’70s had two families, and he’d called both the kids the same name just to cover his tracks. And I thought, ‘Oh my God, that’s a ready-made sitcom idea already.'” However, the creator explained that what got her interested was not the man but the story of the women who were affected, which made her wonder how they would react to such betrayal.
“So I wrote the pilot, and Pippa Brown – who’s the producer – we co-wrote the series together, and we flipped that story on its head and looked at what was happening if you took him out of the equation and just had all the women who had been affected by his decisions,” Holly added. Thus, although ‘The Other One’ is somewhat fictitious, the overall premise is inspired by a true event, as stated by the show’s creator.
The Other One Filming Locations
‘The Other One’ is filmed entirely in England, specifically in the Greater Manchester and Cheshire counties. While the principal photography for the inaugural season seemingly took place in 2020, filming for the sophomore round commenced around July 2021. Without further ado, let’s jump right into the specific locations that appear in the comedy series!
Greater Manchester, England
Several pivotal scenes for ‘The Other One’ are lensed across Greater Manchester, a metropolitan county and combined authority area in North West England. While an estate in the town of Royton doubles for Cat and Marilyn’s house, The Halfway House at 499 Rochdale Road in Royton was transformed into a fancy restaurant for taping Cat and Cathy’s joint birthday party scene in season 1.
Moreover, the Forum Centre on Simonsway in Wythenshawe serves as the backdrop for Cathy’s office car park, and Horrocks Wood car park on Scout Road in Bolton is where the half-siblings scatter their father’s ashes in the first season. Markland Hill in Bolton and Chadderton Hall Park on Chadderton Hall Road in Chadderton also served as prominent filming sites in season 1.
Furthermore, some pivotal sequences for the debut iteration were recorded in the Bridal Path boutique at 13 Market Street in Altrincham and Go Ape Rivington on Great House Barn on Rivington Lane in Horwich. The former is where Tess and Cathy select a wedding dress, and the latter is the home to the adventure course.
In addition, Marple is the location used to depict the fictional Shamley Arms, Colin’s favorite pub. While its interiors are filmed in Ring O’ Bells at 130 Church Lane in Marple, the exteriors are shot next to the iconic Marple Locks, one of the steepest flights in Britain. Other than that, the cast and crew moved just out of the county to Glossop to shoot scenes involving Cathy and Marcus’ new home in season 1.
Cheshire, England
Additional portions for ‘The Other One’ are taped across Cheshire, a historic and ceremonial county in North West England. Greenwood Fryery at 76 Marsh House Lane in Warrington and JTF Mega Discount Warehouses at 1 Chesford Grange, Woolston in Warrington, serve as important production sites for the comedy series. Besides, a few portions of the series are lensed in Cheshire West and Chester Council Northwich Household Waste Recycling Centre on Leicester Street and Arley Hall & Gardens, both of which are in the town of Northwich.
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