It’s been revealed that a new ITV drama set in the Isle of Man was not actually filmed on the island.
Maryland focuses on two sisters, Becca and Rosaline who have grown apart over the years but due to a tragic event, they have connected once more.
The sisters fly out separately to the Isle of Man after receiving the 'worst news imaginable' about their mother Mary - this is when the siblings discover a deeply hidden family secret.
Amongst the star-studded cast is Suranne Jones (Becca) who is known for her roles in Gentleman Jack, Doctor Foster and Vigil.
How long can family secrets stay buried?
— ITV (@ITV) May 20, 2023
Suranne Jones and Eve Best star in Maryland, a gripping three-part drama.
Starts 22nd of May on ITV1 and ITVX pic.twitter.com/90leE2kiOB
Why was ITV's Maryland not filmed on the Isle of Man?
According to ITV, the then Minister for Enterprise told the Isle of Man Today newspaper the show was not filmed on the island because of its “lack of provisions for corporation tax”.
This is because the UK has a tax credit scheme that provides companies with upfront funding, provided they are within the UK corporation tax net. However, the Isle of Man government (Manx) cannot give the same kind of upfront payment.
It was thought that other support could be given via road closures, equipment and crew – but this idea was never fully agreed.
Writer Ann-Marie O'Connor said although she had lived in Ireland and had family from the area she was "disappointed" not to have filmed the series on the Isle of Man.
O'Connor said: "I love Ireland although I was really disappointed to not be able to use the Isle of Man.
"I would have loved to film there. There’s a real specificity to the island.
"But I think we’ve done a really good job of selling the Isle of Man with Ireland and the locations that we found."
Starring Suranne Jones and Eve Best, #Maryland is a gripping three-part drama about two estranged sisters, reunited by tragic events and family secrets.
— ITV (@ITV) May 18, 2023
Starts 22nd May on ITV1 and ITVX pic.twitter.com/aQv8GUzdBm
How many episodes of Maryland on ITV1 are there?
The series began on Monday, May 22, and airs for three nights on ITV1.
If you have missed the previous episodes during the week so far, all episodes are available on ITVX.
Full cast list for ITV’s Maryland series
Becca: Suranne Jones
Rosaline: Eve Best
Pete: Hugh Quarshie
Richard: George Costigan
Jacob: Dean Lennox Kelly
Jim: Andrew Knott
Lauren: Rhiannon Clements
Molly: Yasmin Davies
Cathy: Stockard Channing
Mary: Judy Clifton
DT Ian Quayle: Ben Addis
Solicitor: Steph Lacey
Mallory: Geraldine McAlinden
Nick: Ed White
The next episode of Maryland is on ITV1 tonight (May 23) at 9pm.
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