In which city was the British 1990s television drama 'Cracker' primarily set?

'Cracker' is a British crime drama created by Jimmy McGovern (born 1949). Set in Manchester, the show focuses on the criminal psychologist (or "cracker"), Dr Edward "Fitz" Fitzgerald, played by Robbie Coltrane (born 1950). Fitz works alongside the Greater Manchester Police to solve crimes. Despite Fitz's intelligence and brilliance at his job, he is an overweight alcoholic with a foul mouth. In one episode, Fitz admits, "I drink too much, I smoke too much, I gamble too much. I am too much."

The main three series of 'Cracker' were aired from 1993 to 1995, but a 100-minute special set in Hong Kong was released in 1996 followed by a two-hour story a decade later. Police cases usually spanned several episodes and involved complex psychological motivations. Some storylines were loosely based on real-life events but with fictional characters and outcomes. The 1989 Hillsborough disaster, caused by a stampede of people at Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield, resulting in 97 deaths, was the basis of one police case.

As the series developed, the storyline started to involve the lives of the policemen more than the cases they solved. Several British actors starred as members of the police, including Christopher Eccleston and Ricky Tomlinson.

According to Jimmy McGovern, Dr Edward Fitzgerald is named after the English poet of the same name (1809-1883). The significance of this is not certain. Coltrane won three consecutive BAFTAs (British Academy Film Awards) for the role.