The BBC living history series being filmed in Shepton Mallet's centre will be the best advertisement the town will ever get and people should grasp the opportunity with both hands, according to one businessman.

"This is undoubtedly the best piece of advertising this town could ever wish for – six hours on prime time TV – you just could not put a price on it," said Kevin Newton.

He was speaking at last Thursday night's public meeting, called to discuss ways of capitalising on the programme that will cast the town into the spotlight and could open up a huge host of community, tourism and business opportunities for the future.

He said the new series – focussing on the changes in British shopping habits over the years – will generate interest not just nationwide but worldwide when it goes global.

Property developer Mr Newton, who also owns The Academy, has let his own empty shops be used by the Wall to Wall production company and transformed to reflect different eras for the filming.

"I am absolutely amazed at what they have done," he told the meeting.

But Mr Newton urged for a more positive view across the whole town and no more negativity. He has commercial interests in the town but he also has a deep community interest, he assured the meeting.

He wants to see the town succeed – and that is why he took the risk to invest his business interests in Shepton six years ago, he said.

He warned he risked huge personal financial risk and had turned down prospective tenants from some of the properties to allow filming to take place.

"If it all goes wrong it will have a direct effect on me," he told residents, councillors and businessmen and women at the meeting.

"But I thought it was well worth going forward with it for the good of the future of Shepton.

"And we need to keep it going and get it right for the benefit of the whole town.

"Too many people have a misguided preconception of what Shepton is like.

"But they never come to look at it. People are the same with the Academy – they have never come to support it.

"How many have come to the shows we had there, or the Digital Arts Festival?"

Mr Newton said if it was not for the recession hitting his businesses like others, his proposed regeneration plans for the town would have been well underway.

Residents voiced concerns that when the series is screened thousands of people will rush to the town to have a look – and find the film crews long gone and the shops derelict and empty once more.

However, Mr Newton said a whole army of estate agent and media and marketing teams is poised to promote the town and its business opportunities when the series is aired in November.

Ideas for a community co-operative scheme and an industrial heritage centre were put forward at the meeting.

These will be discussed further at the next public meeting on August 9 along side other suggestions from the community.

Mr Newton said: "There is a fighting spirit to take all this forward.

"All the ingredients are there – it is just up to the rest of Shepton Mallet to support it," he said.