Nolly, as Noele Gordon was popularly called from the long-standing British soap opera “Crossroads” now has a biographical TV show under the same name. This show brings to light how Nolly and “Crossroads” related with each other over time.
The series is full of emotions, tragedies, comedies and strong characterizations.
Russell T. Davies created and wrote the script that gave way for an award-winning range of acting performances, meaningful comments on life and interesting scene making.
Noele Gordon’s acting in all three episodes is exceptional; she deserves to be called ‘the queen of Midland’. By this time her face had become synonymous with English households, with some viewers even claiming to have seen her playing Meg since their great grandmothers’ days. Meg became a favorite character for many fans of Crossroads.
That being said, Noelly’s abrupt exit as Meg plunged the Midlands into chaos. The early 80s saw thousands of letters as well as telephone calls pouring into the offices of show runners while Nolly’s fans went street-protesting demanding her return to Crossroads. As a result television rating points (TRP) started going down for the series. Eventually she moved abroad having entered another sector of visual arts.
What made Nolly abandon a role she had played in several thousands episodes? What motivated Nolly at sixty years leave her own country? What happened to Britain’s longest-running television serial after its star left it? But did she eventually go back there or not? If you want answers you’ll have to watch this program online.
There’s plenty to nitpick about this series but Helena Bonham Carter’s performance as Noele Gordon isn’t one of them. She seamlessly takes on the role from beginning to end. Whether it is church scene in episode one or casual moments like window shopping or intense verbal fights with Jack Barton, however, Helena acts them all out.
Augustus Prew has also done a wonderful job in his portrayal of Tony Adams which is another reason to watch this show. Besides, their on-screen chemistry is nothing but heartwarming, be it the impulsive midnight window shopping or the confrontations that are really intense. Tony was Nolly’s best man ever and Augustus did it quite right.
Finally, there is Jack Barton acted by Con O’Neill who is an interesting character arc. He truly reveals what potential that character may have had as he oscillates between being a TV producer and some kind of antagonist. T Davies’s writing has several great scenes that stand out in the play: one such moment comes when Noele asks Jack if she can escape death.
“Meg isn’t dying, you are,” replies Jack igniting off one of those fiery exchanges that make this scene stand-out as one of the most memorable moments in the entire series.
If you want to create a beautiful series, it’s not enough to just have good scenes and talented actors. The screenwriting must be followed from day one through finishing where Russell Davies may lag at times in ‘Nolly’. Sometimes too much talking makes it boring for others because they do not take any actions at all.
Nolly season 1 presents a combination of outstanding acts, competent technical assistance and characters with depth. However, the script could be better. It is interesting to observe the life of one famous person who is called Noele Gordon. If you love British TV history, particularly their front lady, then this show should not miss from your screen. All in all it’s alright but there’s plenty of room for enhancement.
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