At least 450 child actors auditioned for the role of Alan but it was Oliver Savell who was ultimately chosen when Alan Carr himself got choked up watching his audition.
All six episodes were edited in a shed in the editor's garden.
One of the dinner ladies, Val, is most impressed to hear a Coronation Street scout is visiting the school to watch the drama club version of Animal Farm, and claims they could get talent spotted to appear in the big show. In real life, Val herself has been in both Coronation Street and Eastenders, the latter for two decades. To date, Alan has not appeared in Coronation Street - can only be a matter of time.
Outdoor scenes were not filmed in Northampton.
A non broadcast pilot was made with BBC Studios in February 2022.