Nigel Harman

The new series of Mount Pleasant starts tonight and, although it's new, it'll give you a weird sense of deja vu. You'll constantly be thinking you've seen it before, and asking where the nagging sense of familiarity comes from. It's probably because all of the cast have appeared in other soaps. There's Sally Lindsay, also known as Shelley from Coronation Street. There's Samantha Womack who played Ronnie in EastEnders and also her old co-star Nigel Harman, who was Dennis Rickman, plus Paula Wilcox from Emmerdale and several other recognisable faces.

Perhaps Mount Pleasant is where the soap actors go whenever work dries up. Being in its fifth series it certainly sounds like a nice, steady source of employment for them.

The show is set in a quiet Manchester cul-de-sac and describes itself as "dramedy", which isn't a camel but a melding of drama and comedy.

In this episode, the main characters, Lisa and Dan, are having marriage problems, which are exacerbated by the arrival of some new neighbours.

Women are either dizzy or gutsy in Mount Pleasant and Lisa (Sally Lindsay) falls into the second category, which is unfortunate for Fergus, who'' trying to cover up his work blunders and hang on to new employee Angie. Over at the house, mysterious Tanya (Samantha Womack) and Bradley (Nigel Harman) finally reveal why they're on the run after Greg realises they're in danger. That's the drama covered, so in the comedy corner, Bobby Ball leads the charge at a car boot sale. Great cast, great comfort telly.

Third series of the brightly coloured comedy drama set on a suburban Manchester estate, now with added Samantha Womack and Nigel Harman, who have migrated north from EastEnders to play new arrivals Tanya and Bradley. They cause instant trouble for Dan and Lisa (Daniel Ryan and Sally Lindsay), while their daughter catches the eye of young Gary. It's chocka with accomplished soap actors and is basically like Corrie crossed with One Man Two Guvnors. Think plucky violin underscore and waggling eyebrows. Kind of fun.

The soap merry-go-round takes a spin and finds one ex-EastEnder and a current one climbing aboard the frothily undemanding Mount Pleasant. Nigel Harman and Samantha Womack are the Southern party animals causing a stir in the suburban Northern street. He's a dodgy geezer, she's a glamorous control freak and they add a touch of spice to plots that otherwise revolve almost entirely around the tangled love lives of the residents - though redundancy and lesbianism get a bit of a look in.

"If you don't like me, don't watch telly in September," Samantha Womack said to RT recently, referencing the fact that she's in both EastEnders and the third series of Sky Living's amiable but oddly aimless comedy drama. But she and screen husband Nigel Harman (who 'Enders fans will no doubt remember as Den Watts's son Mini Den) actually make a good impression in this opening episode by bringing some off-kilter laughs to the table. Otherwise, Mount Pleasant does just seem to be a parade of massive hairdos, loosely connected scenes and larger-than-life performances from the likes of Paula Wilcox and James Dreyfus.

Nigel Harman interview

Former EastEnder Nigel Harman, 40, stars in Mount Pleasant and Downton Abbey. He will also play Simon Cowell in The X Factor musical - but he's keeping shtum.

Nigel Harman interview

Former EastEnders bad boy Nigel Harman is swapping a recent stint on the stage for roles in comedy-drama Mount Pleasant.

Samantha Womack and Nigel Harman interview

Earlier on this year I went up to Manchester to visit the set of Mount Pleasant to find out exactly what the new neighbours have in store for the residents of Mount Pleasant and more importantly why they've moved up to Manchester. Here's what they both had to say...

EastEnders favourites Samantha Womack and Nigel Harman swap Albert Square for a cul-de-sac up north in the third series of eccentric dramedy Mount Pleasant - and if you've ever dreamt about Ronnie Mitchell and Dennis Rickman getting it on in an alternate 'Enders timeline, you're in lucky, as the pair are playing a couple!

But it's not long before lovebirds Tanya and Bradley are causing trouble for their neighbours, with a housewarming bash turning into a theatre of tears and tantrums following a series of unfortunate events in Mount Pleasant - including Lisa (Sally Lindsay) unexpectedly losing her job, Charlie (David Bradley) and Pauline (Paula Wilcox)'s wedding plans going up in the air and Bianca (Sian Reeves) being refused a big insurance payout after her late husband's death.

Nigel Harman cast in Harry Hill's X Factor musical

Nigel Harman has been cast as a character based on Simon Cowell in the upcoming X Factor musical written by Harry Hill.