New comedy Small Town, Big Story has debuted on Sky, with some viewers questioning if the events of the series are real and if they can visit the locations. 

Small Town, Big Story sees a major production roll into the quaint town of Drumbán in Ireland as TV producer Wendy Patterson (Christina Hendricks)  returns to her hometown of Drumbán, Ireland after more than 20 years.

Having left under mysterious circumstances, Wendy crosses paths with her ex and local doctor Séamus Proctor (Paddy Considine), setting the stage for sparks to fly and secrets to be revealed.

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Chris O'Dowd wrote the series during lockdown and decided to set the show in a fictional rural Irish village, despite drawing heavy inspiration from his hometown of Boyle.

He hasn't specifically discussed why he opted for a fictitious setting or the inspiration behind the name, but it could be because the series isn't intended to mock the actual residents of Boyle.

While the show itself is fictional, it is, however, based on his experiences filming in a small town for 2010s comedy series Moone Boy.

He shared: "When I was thinking about a place to set the show, I wanted somewhere small that was more like a village. I imagined my mother's home, which is 10 miles or so outside Boyle. I'd shot Moone Boy in Boyle and I always wanted to go back.

"What I found funny, while filming Moone Boy, was people from the town and passers-by walking around in their best clothes or with more make-up on, just in case they were caught on camera."

David Rawle, who played Martin Paul Moone in Moone Boy, has reunited with his co-star and series creator Chris O'Dowd in Small Town, Big Story. The young Irish actor plays Sonny Proctor, the son of Séamus Proctor.

The show was shot near where O'Dowd's mum still resides in the countryside of west Ireland, in Boyle and its surrounding areas, reports . Boyle Today confirmed that filming took place around the King Harman Monument (Town Clock) in Boyle town in September 2023. However, scenes were also captured in Wicklow, south of Dublin.

Series writer and creator Chris O'Dowd makes a cameo appearance as Jack E. McCarthy, the writer of I Am Celt, leaving viewers questioning whether he actually wrote the material.

Small Town Big Story airs Thursdays at 9pm on Sky Atlantic with all episodes streaming on NOW.