ALIENS landed in Little Hulton during the summer - and no-one noticed. At least, not until Wednesday night, when the star-studded comedy sci-fi Hyperdrive hits our TV screens.

The new six-part series has been filmed at the Web Film Studios in Little Hulton

Set in 2151, Hyperdrive follows Commander Henderson and his crew of the HMS Camden Lock as they protect Britain's business interests.

Their mission is to encourage aliens to relocate their businesses to Britain.

Hyperdrive stars Nick Frost, of Spaced, and the cult horror flick Shaun of the Dead, Kevin Eldon, of Nighty Night and Big Train, and Miranda Hart, of French & Saunders and Absolutely Fabulous.

Essex-born Frost said: "I would arrive for work and walk through the ship's airlock and then walk along one of the corridors. It was fantastic."

Frost plays Commander Henderson, who is determined to persuade alien race The Glish that the Peterborough Enterprise Zone would be the ideal location for their business.

He said: "The Glish are a strange race who like to lick people as a form of greeting. But our meeting doesn't go to plan."

The Glish leave a lethal, man-eating parasite on the ship which wreaks havoc.

Programme producer Alex Walsh-Taylor said: "The studios were very good and geared up for all our needs.

"We needed a lot of space, which they provided and we were able to film continually in two of the studios, one very large the other much smaller.

"All the extras came from the locality too."

But the cast and crew did not need any persuasion locating filming of the three-month project to the Web Film Studios, in Ravenscraig Road.

The studios, which have seen such stars as Helena Bonham-Carter, Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney film there, were used six days a week from September to November.

Studio manager Craig Sykes said: "The whole series of Hyperdrive was shot here except for a few days on location in Bolton.

"The crew were here for six weeks building the sets and then there was about 10 weeks of shooting.

"The programme came out of the BBC's Manchester division. Our studios are one of the best around so they did it here.

"It was funny seeing the cast walking about made up as aliens, the make-up and costumes were fantastic."

For Web Studios, business is booming.

New Street Law, a court room drama starring John Hannah, of box-office smashes Four Weddings and a Funeral, and The Mummy, is filming at the moment.

It is the fourth long-running series filmed back to back at the Little Hulton studios.

"We have been busy since we opened two years ago," said Mr Sykes. "The continued business has allowed us to build a 42ft stage, one of the biggest in the country."

l Hyperdrive is on Wednesday, BBC 2 at 10pm.