Friends star's Fylde coast visit in TV spotlight

A Fylde couple were delighted to have a reminder of when a top TV comedy stall came to call as their business featured on national TV.
Former Friends star Lisa Kudrow with 12-year-old Izzie Roberston while filming Feel Good in St AnnesFormer Friends star Lisa Kudrow with 12-year-old Izzie Roberston while filming Feel Good in St Annes
Former Friends star Lisa Kudrow with 12-year-old Izzie Roberston while filming Feel Good in St Annes

The beach huts at St Annes, run by Stuart and Zoe Robertson, were among the Fylde coast scenes used in an episode of the new comedy Feel Good.

Currently being broadcast weekly on Channel 4 and also available for streaming on Netflix as well as All4, it was filmed almost a year ago and features former Friends star Lisa Kudrow as the mother of the series’ lead, Canadian comedian Mae Martin.

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Although Lisa’s character Linda wasn’t in the St Annes scenes shown, she spent time during filming at the seafront apartments also run by Stuart and Zoe – and was happy to pose for photos with family members.

Stuart and Zoe Robertson at the St Annes Beach HutsStuart and Zoe Robertson at the St Annes Beach Huts
Stuart and Zoe Robertson at the St Annes Beach Huts

“It was good to see the show on TV,” said Stuart. “We are of course closed at the moment because of the coronavirus outbreak but it brought back happy memories and it was great to be chosen as a location.

“They approached us initially just to film at the huts, but then asked if they could hire out all our apartments.

“We didn’t really know who all the cast were until the filming actually started.

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“All were an absolute delight to deal with and we were thrilled to feel part of such a big professional production.”

The series, co-written by Martin, was switched from its working title of Mae and George to Feel Good before broadcast .

It is part biopic, following the Canadian’s story, exploring her issues with love and her addiction.

Lisa Kudrow said of it: “I’m thrilled to be playing Linda but I first fell in love with Mae and the scripts. It’s sweet, very funny and well observed.”

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Feel Good was produced by Objective Fiction out of OMG Scotland with international partners, all3media international.

The crew spent two days in St Annes, with an array of trucks based at North Beach car park.

Filming in Blackpool saw the North Pier, the beach just to the north of it and the Pleasure Beach ghost train all heavily featured.

The storyline was that lead character’s family came to Blackpool to scatter a friends’ ashes.

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But as they travelled by train from their home in the south, the East Lancashire preservation terminus at Bury Bolton Street stood in for a Fylde coast station in the railway platform scenes.

The series concludes on Channel 4 on Wednesday, April 22 but is available to stream on All4 and Netflix.