SET in Warrington and filmed entirely in the North West, you can expect Ordinary Lies to be uttered in the same breath as phrases like “it’s grim up north” and “gritty northern drama”.

But really Danny Brocklehurst’s new series could not be more different.

The journalist-turned-screenwriter, who has written episodes of Shameless and Accused , successfully walks the line between comedy and drama.

Ordinary Lies is about a car showroom team who are harbouring many secrets and explores the consequences when a simple lie gets out of hand.

Unlike much of his previous work, Danny manages to keep the drama light hearted despite some dark themes.

Each episode will focus on a different character with the first being Jason Manford’s character Marty’s story.

Late for work one too many times and with his sales figures in a slump, he has a moment of madness and says that his wife has died.

All the sympathetic staff rally around Marty but one of his colleagues Grace (Rebecca Callard) seems to want to provide more than a shoulder to cry on.

At first you will probably laugh and then you go on a journey with Marty as you begin to better understand the point he is at in his life.

This is comedian Jason’s first major drama role and it is a credit to him.

He is hugely likeable as everyman Marty and it makes you forgive him a little as he goes on to do some pretty terrible things.

That is at the crux of Ordinary Lies – you have to be able to relate to these characters – and the show’s cast have been really well selected in that regard.

Max Beesley has a commanding presence as showroom boss Mike, and Sally Lindsay is like the office matriarch as PA Kathy.

Newcomer George Bukhari is also great as bumbling salesman ‘Fat Jason’.

Look out for his horrendous – but funny – joke in the first episode.

Others like party-loving receptionist Tracy (Michelle Keegan) and hypochondriac ‘Paracetamol Pete’ (Mackenzie Crook) we will get to know more as we go along.

Although the first episode was ‘Marty’s story’ the series also teases and hints at things to come.

Marty’s ‘loss’ brings back painful memories for head of admin Beth (Jo Joyner) whose husband Dave is missing. In the episode she receives mysterious phone calls, finds evidence that could help reveal what happened and finds her feelings for Mike difficult to ignore.

This appears to be the big story that will hold all the other plot threads together and it seems quite telling that Beth’s episode is the final one of the series.

Expect a big revelation and a cliffhanger. After all, Danny Brocklehurst has already said he is hoping for a second series.

A well-polished and slickly- produced series by the team at Red Production Company, Ordinary Lies is essentially about the drama of everyday life.

And with its themes and characters easy to relate to, it is bound to get people talking about what they would do if they were in the same situation.