Nolly

I am a Brummie and remember Crossroads from my childhood, I could never relate to the other English soaps and I think this is the reason why.

It answers the question of why CrossRoads had to end the way it did and why the other soaps have kept going,

Benny was one of my favourite characters and Miss Diana, but without Meg the show didn't have a leading lady. They is only so much you can do in a motel, which was so out of place in the Birmingham I know.

It was a bit awkward listening to the Brummie's accent during the show, but it is what it is and I think it shows a very positive view of what happens to a very strong women.

The story here is everything. Noele Gordon is fired from her long-running daily soap opera and must confront the reality of the situation.

We see Nolly as both domineering on the set but also caring deeply for her co-workers and appreciating her fans. She's not a hero or a villain and even the executives who fired her turn out to be sympathetic characters.

It's not good versus evil. There are no scenes designed to manipulate our emotions, it's just a simple story. The acting is top-notch from top to bottom, everyone is believable in their roles. The sets, the score, the cinematography, and all the rest are beautifully done.

Even the ending doesn't give us the triumph we want but just completes the story nicely.

This show truly illustrates the concept of telling a compelling story without embellishment. I can understand why an audience expecting a happy ending with the bad guy defeated might find this a bit slow, dull even, but I loved it.

I wish we had more this and less of the blockbuster stuff, but I suspect I'm in the minority.

Noele Gordon, Nolly was famed for appearing in Crossroads, the soap opera set in a Motel, she and The Nation were stunned to learn that her character Meg was to be killed off.

Russell T Davies does it once again, I went in to this knowing virtually nothing about Noele Gordon, someone that would have switched Crossroads straight off, after this, I felt like I knew her a little better.

It's entertaining, it's moving, it's very funny, what an obscure story to tell, but it works. I wish they'd gone into her early years perhaps a little more, although I totally get why they focused on The Crossroads era.

After episode one, I was left in no doubts as to where Acorn Antiques came from, wonky sets, improvisation, demanding leading lady, I could just see Mrs Overall.

Helena Bonham Carter absolutely nails it, she's fabulous throughout, August's Prew is great as Tony, and a special mention for Mark Gatiss, who creates Larry Grayson incredibly well.

Charming and funny.

8/10.

We take soap operas for granted these days but back in the 1970s there were very few to choose from and all of them in the days of just three channels were all on ITV. Emmerdale was just a farm, Coronation Street was on twice a week, and then you had crossroads the first five nights a week soap opera.

In years to come crossroads would become a byword for badly made television, wooden acting terrible scripts and shaky scenery. The star of the show was Noel Gordon who was already something of a star in her own right. But it was Crossroads who put her into the nation's living rooms five nights a week and in the days of three channels over 15 million people with tune into this rubbish because really there was nothing else on!

This is a wonderful nostalgic return to the 1970s and a reminder of how bad TV was in those days.

Helen Bonham Carter is terrific as the matriarch character Meg Richardson, But there was far more to this woman than just crossroads. Russell T Davies script and high production values make this a must watch for those like me who remember this period in television history. 9 out of 10.

Terrific performances and wonderful settings but parts of the script left a lot to be desired. The searching for why she was sacked is ridiculous, it's because she had a massive ego but little talent. This is clearly portrayed so to suggest it was because men were afraid of her is nonsense.

There is much to like about the show, particularly the performances of Helena Bonham Carter and Mark Gattis, although the rest of the ensemble were excellent as well. It was very well shot and the Manchester Opera House made a lovely substitute for whatever theatre they ere supposed to be in. It's definitely worth watching but don't believe everything you see or.