Alan Carr Changing Ends: All the times Chronicle & Echo got a mention in new sitcom based in Northampton

It is well-known that popular comedian Alan Carr grew up in Northampton and is the son of former Cobblers manager, Graham Carr.

Now any proud Northamptonians can catch a more in-depth glimpse into Alan’s childhood growing up in the town as the 46-year-old has penned and produced a sitcom about growing up in the 1980s in Northampton.

‘Changing Ends’ is split into six half an hour episodes, all of which dropped on ITVX on Thursday June 1, and unsurprisingly, Chronicle & Echo is mentioned a lot throughout the series.

The comical, easy-to-watch series, portrays this newspaper as very much being a part of daily life for the Carrs - and other town residents.

Here is every time the Chronicle & Echo is mentioned in the series

Episode one: As Cobblers prepare to take on arch rival Peterborough United, crowds swarm into the County Ground for the Derby day. As fans - including Alan, his mum and brother - enter the stadium they walk past vendors selling the Chron and shouting ‘Chronicle & Echo, its Derby day’ over and over again.

Episode two: In the second episode, Alan starts ‘big lad school’, called Easton Lovell Upper School (a nod to where he actually attended - Weston Favell School). At school he attempts to hide his name so bullies do not know that he is Graham Carr’s son. All is going well on the concealing his identity front until… The sit down Wimpy opens in Abington Street. Being the manager of the town’s beloved football team, Alan’s dad is invited to the grand opening and he takes the whole family. Photographer ‘Don from the Chron’ turns up and asks Graham for a photo of him cutting the ribbon. He says no, but his wife convinces him to do it and gets the kids in the photo, which then appears on the front page of the next day’s Chron. Lads at Alan’s school are then seen reading the Chron in the playground, which blows Alan’s cover and lets everyone know he is Graham Carr’s son. It’s downhill from there for Alan.

Episode three: As Alan excitedly chats to his mum about his new drama teacher at school, Graham is seen tentatively listening to the conversation in their living room while reading the Chron, back when it was a broadsheet.

Episode four: Graham, the chairman of Northampton Town and Alan all head out to Watford Gap Services, where “many football transfers were made on neutral ground”. While waiting for the new star player, bird-loving Alan is looking through binoculars to try and spot a pelican that escaped from Twycross Zoo. The men ask what he is doing he explains and says: “It even got a mention in the Chronicle & Echo.”

Episode Six: Cobblers make it to the quarter final of the ‘Milk Cup’ (the Football League Cup) and in the build up to the quarter final against Swindon at the County Ground there are shots of historic editions of this newspaper covering the preview.

During the making of the sitcom, the production company was in regular contact with Chronicle & Echo about archived copies of the paper. We were, of course, more than happy to oblige for one of the town’s most famous sons.