Maryland, the long-awaited ITV series that is set in the Isle of Man but not filmed here, will air next week.

The three part series will air at 9pm next Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

It tells the story of two partially estranged sisters who reunite after the body of their mother is found on Laxey beach.

The synopsis says: ‘Two sisters, Becca and Rosaline, have grown apart over the years but through tragic events learn to love and respect one another again.

‘Each sister flies out to the Isle of Man to discover and repatriate the body of their mother, Mary, who they learn has been living a double life, leaving their father at home in Manchester, whilst creating another world for herself.’

The show is created by Suranne Jones and written by Anne-Marie O’Connor, with Jones admitting that she drew from her own experience of grief from losing both parents.

It is filmed on the Howth Peninsula just east of Dublin as well as the Isle of Wight.

Last year, when the plans for the production of the show were made, the then-Minister for Enterprise Alex Allinson explained why the show was not being filmed in the island despite being set here.

Dr Allinson had said that in the UK there is a tax credit scheme which provides companies with up front funding, provided they are within the UK corporation tax net.

He said that as the Isle of Man does not have corporation tax there isn’t the same tax credit system here, so the island cannot give that up front funding out of taxpayers’ money.

Members of the production company making the series had met with Department for Enterprise political members, where this was explained to them.

They were then instead offered non-financial support (such as with equipment, crew and road closures) in the hope that ‘some of this production can take place on the Isle of Man’.

He had cited the Public Accounts Committee’s report into the historic Media Investment Fund, which showed that the films being invested in [between 2007 and 2012] were not delivering ‘tangible cash returns’.

He said: ‘‘In terms of financial benefit from films being shot in various locations, I think some of the evaluation of that hasn’t shown that that initial investment has produced the right results.

‘So I again think we need to be very careful when it comes to how government is seen to spend taxpayers’ money to promote films and television productions which may not actually generate employment and wealth for the very people who are paying for it.’

Maryland stars George Costigan (Gentleman Jack, Happy Valley), Hugh Quarshie (Stephen, Riches), Dean Lennox Kelly (Tom Jones, Jamestown) and Andrew Knott (Ackley Bridge, Tin Star).