Southport Pleasureland has appeared in several popular TV shows and films. Get your popcorn ready…

Author: Simon Edward

Southport Pleasureland is a landmark attraction in one of the UK’s most esteemed seaside towns.

You could say we’re a bit of a local celebrity. We’re lucky enough to attract visitors from far and wide, who flock here to try our family rides and enjoy some proper family fun.

And, from time to time, we’ve even had the chance to hobnob with some real-life stars.

See, Pleasureland is catnip for location scouts. Our exciting themed lands, classic carnival amusements and all-around happy atmosphere make us the ideal filming location for any story that’s set in an amusement park.

So, as you might imagine, we’ve appeared in a fair few films and television shows. The latest aired in 2022 and the earliest – well, the earliest we know about – dates back all the way to 1969.

Fancy catching your favourite theme park on screen? Here’s where to tune in.

Princess Mirror-Belle

Kids will no doubt know this one.

Princess Mirror-Belle is a popular CBBC show starring a normal girl and her mischievous, mirror-dwelling double.

Pleasureland featured in the first episode of the second season, “Wobblesday”. The story sees the show’s protagonist, Ellen, enter a hall of mirrors, where the titular Mirror-Belle makes an appearance.

As ever, hilarity and drama ensue.

Filming for the episode took place in June 2022, when hordes of cameras, microphones and crew members descended on the park. It was chaotic – but a whole lot of fun!

We were delighted when the episode aired on 21 November 2022. At the time of writing, you can still catch the whole thing on iPlayer. Enjoy!

Tin Star

What connects Pleasureland and Planet of the Apes?

If you guessed “Tim Roth”, you’re bang on the money.

Yes, in 2019, the Hollywood legend visited Pleasureland to film an episode of the Sky Atlantic crime drama Tin Star.

The series saw Roth star as Jim Worth, a former Met detective turned Canadian police chief. Our episode takes place after he returns to his native Merseyside and is part of the thrilling series finale.

It was big news in Southport. As Pleasureland owner Norman Wallis told Southport Visiter at the time:

“It was great to have Tim Roth filming for Tin Star here at Pleasureland last week.

“It’s not only Los Angeles and New York that can attract the big stars. Southport is a great place and the fact that so many companies choose to film here is testament to the stature of our great town.”

Hollyoaks

If you’re a fan of this long-running soap, you’ll know it’s no stranger to dramatic and sometimes shocking storylines.

One of these narratives reached a chilling conclusion in a scene filmed at Southport Pleasureland in 2012.

We won’t go into all the gory details here. Let’s just say that one of the soap’s most notorious villains, Andy Holt, met a rather grisly end.

Eek. How about something a little more cheerful?

What’s Good For the Goose

This is more like it: a classic comedy from the master of slapstick, Norman Wisdom.

In this 1969 flick, Wisdom plays a middle-aged bank employee called Timothy Bartlett. He heads to Southport on business but ends up reliving his youth after meeting a couple of young students.

The film is a real time capsule. It captures many era-defining cultural moments, such as hitchhiking, the hippy movement and – in a memorable scene for fans of 1960s rock ‘n’ roll – a performance by Kentish psychedelic group The Pretty Things.

It also captures several Southport landmarks, including the pier, the since-demolished Birkdale Palace Hotel and our very own Southport Pleasureland.

The scene at Pleasureland is a riot of colour and fun. It sees Wisdom and co-star Sally Gleeson visit the hall of mirrors, take a tumble in a jolly tube and experience a number of historic Pleasureland rides.

It’s well worth a watch to see Pleasureland as it was more than 50 years ago. As fun as it was back then, we’ve heavily revamped and improved the park since. If Wisdom could visit today, we’re sure he’d have an even more terrific time!

Wonderful Life

Anyone remember this one?

Black’s “Wonderful Life” is a bona-fide pop classic. Released in 1987, the song peaked at number eight on the UK singles chart – and it performed even better in several European countries, including Austria, where it took the top spot.

Like any single worth its salt in 1987, the song launched alongside a glossy, dramatic music video.

Black was a Liverpool native, so it should come as no surprise that he chose Merseyside as a filming location for what would become his biggest audio-visual hit. And several of its most memorable moments were filmed right here in Southport.

Watch and you’ll spot a few historic Pleasureland rides.

At one minute and 25 seconds, Black stands forlornly in front of Looping Star: an 80-foot tall rollercoaster that was a Pleasureland favourite at the time. And at the four-minute mark, you can see our vintage pirate ship ride swinging into frame.

Other Merseyside locations are well-represented too. Look out for the New Brighton Lighthouse, which perches on an outcrop next to the most northerly point of the Wirral Peninsula.

What’s next?

As we’ve seen, Pleasureland has enjoyed a long and storied history on screens of all sizes.

But you haven’t seen the last of us yet. We’re sure it’s only a matter of time before our theme park has its next Hollywood outing.

In the meantime, why not see what all the fuss is about? After all, our screen appearances only show you a slice of the action.

This year promises to be the biggest and best yet. Visit our Southport theme park this season and you’ll enjoy UNLIMITED access to 30+ rides and four themed zones – as well as lots of fun, games and food options to choose from.

Sounds exciting, right? It’s quick and easy to book your tickets online.

(P.S. If you’re a location scout looking for a theme park, we’re always happy to talk. Just get in touch with our team and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.)