Cold Feet star's backing UCLan

The star is fronting a 
video to promote the university’s new fast track BA (Hons) Continuing Drama Production course.

It is the university’s first fast-track degree, with students studying for 12 months of the year so they complete the course in two years instead of three and will see students making a real drama for airing on local TV.

Designed to tackle the skills gap in television production, the course will provide students with the skills needed to produce, film, and edit a drama shot in locations arranged specifically for the course. The former Lamb and Packet pub has been bought for filming interiors, and can be adapted to serve as different locations. An outside lot has also been created to provide a shooting space for the drama.

Dr Andrew Ireland, executive dean of the faculty of culture and the creative industries, said: “We have shaped this course specifically with the needs of prospective students and future employers.

“It’s essentially about training students with the practical skills they can transfer to industry.

“We have worked closely with contacts in the industry to shape the content and we are proud to be offering a course which is both flexible and tailored to the skills required.

John Thompson said: “This is an exciting and innovative course that will give students a real-world experience.

“It will focus on creating the next generation of producers, directors, sounds engineers, editors, writers and camera operators, giving them the practical skills and training they need to stand out in a very competitive industry.”