The popular B.B.C. light entertaining programme Seaside Special used a number of locations on the railway in August of 1979 including brief scenes at Castletown (then painted in a blue scheme) towards the end of a song-and-dance number Chattanooga Choo-Choo which is certainly, erm, of its time.

More extensive scenes were captured at Port St. Mary and Port Soderick and the results can still be found on video-sharing sites today. Also featured on the programmer were Boney-M atop a double-deck horse tram and the Irish comedian Frank Carson among others.