Crossroads Crossroads: 1964-1988, 2001-2003

Carrie Fairchild

Carrie Fairchild

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On the subject of Ann George, here’s a couple of press clippings from 39 years ago, when her return was announced.

Incidentally, how long did she actually come back for? It says here that she was due to come back for two episodes, but that was extended. I only recall seeing a couple of scenes where she chats with Jill, Adam, Bomber and Nicola and then another where I think Adam shows her the new swimming pool.
 
Angela Channing

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Carrie Fairchild said:
Incidentally, how long did she actually come back for? It says here that she was due to come back for two episodes, but that was extended. I only recall seeing a couple of scenes where she chats with Jill, Adam, Bomber and Nicola and then another where I think Adam shows her the new swimming pool.
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That's more or less my recollection too. She came back as Bomber's friend and she did 2 scenes in one episode based at the motel and a single scene in another episode, I think at Bomber's house. It definitely wasn't an extended stay.
 
Monzo

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I'm currently watching Russell T. Davies' Nolly for the first time. All I know about Crossroads is the title, so this is something new for me. While watching, I've come up with a few questions that neither the miniseries nor the internet can answer, but maybe you can?

How many viewers did Nolly's last episode of her original run have? The miniseries and online sources consistently mention a peak of 15 million viewers for Crossroads, but I can't find any data on the much-hyped Nolly exit episode. Did this episode actually see such a significant increase in viewership, or did the number roughly correspond to the usual figures for the soap?

Is it known what the producers' original plan for Meg's exit was? Were viewers supposed to only find out they were watching Nolly's last episode while watching? Did the producers themselves want to announce her exit in advance and control the hype? Did they intend to make it seem like Nolly left the soap voluntarily? Was it planned from the beginning that Nolly's exit would generate a huge buzz, or did this only develop due to the intense media attention? The miniseries mentions that Nolly's exit was intended to be the British version of Who Shot JR?. Was this something Russell T. Davies simply wrote into the script, or is there some truth to the Dallas comparison?

During my research on the miniseries, I read that Nolly was a ratings disaster for ITV, failing to even crack the weekly top 50 and attracting fewer than a million viewers when it first aired on TV in late 2023. What might have been the reason for this?

The miniseries claims that Nolly was glad her character didn't die, but that neither she nor anyone else in the cast was thrilled that Meg started a secret new life because it was out of character. Do Crossroads fans see it the same way?
 
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Carrie Fairchild

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Monzo said:
How many viewers did Nolly's last episode of her original run have? The miniseries and online sources consistently mention a peak of 15 million viewers for Crossroads, but I can't find any data on the much-hyped Nolly exit episode. Did this episode actually see such a significant increase in viewership, or did the number roughly correspond to the usual figures for the soap?
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The fire episode got 15.6m viewers while the QE2 departure got 15.8m, which placed Crossroads in 3rd place of ITV shows both weeks (behind the two Coronation Street episodes, which were pulling 16m).
Monzo said:
During my research on the miniseries, I read that Nolly was a ratings disaster for ITV, failing to even crack the weekly top 50 and attracting fewer than a million viewers when it first aired on TV in late 2023. What might have been the reason for this?
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There’s two things that come to my mind. Firstly, the show was released on streaming on ITVX in February 2023, so by the time it made it to ITV’s linear channel, it had been available to watch on demand for ten months.

Secondly, while a treat for soap fans like us, it’s actually a bit of a niche show for the general viewing public to get into. The story of the axing of a soap star (who granted, was a big name), 42 years ago, from a soap that had been off the air for 35 years. I’m delighted that it got made and I enjoyed watching it but it wouldn’t have had a wide appeal in my opinion.
 
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Monzo said:
Is it known what the producers' original plan for Meg's exit was? Were viewers supposed to only find out they were watching Nolly's last episode while watching? Did the producers themselves want to announce her exit in advance and control the hype? Did they intend to make it seem like Nolly left the soap voluntarily? Was it planned from the beginning that Nolly's exit would generate a huge buzz, or did this only develop due to the intense media attention? The miniseries mentions that Nolly's exit was intended to be the British version of Who Shot JR?. Was this something Russell T. Davies simply wrote into the script, or is there some truth to the Dallas comparison?
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I agree with the answers @Carrie Fairchild gave so I'll add my thoughts on these additional questions.

The decision to get rid of Noel Gordon was released by the producers of Crossroads to generate interest in the show. They never attempted to make it appear like anything other than it being their decision to sack her. They didn't want to control the hype, they wanted to encourage it. At the time they said they took the decision because they wanted to make the show appeal to a younger audience because that's what the advertisers were demanding. I recall them making a comment about how they wanted Crossroads to appeal to an audience that would buy cars rather than an audience who would buy soap powder.

There was no real comparison with Who Shot JR? but they did want to keep how Meg was leaving a mystery until it was broadcast so that's why some people suggest a similarity with Dallas. They filmed various different exits, including ones in which Meg died. I've seen a photograph of one of the alternate exits in which Jill Chance is seen mourning at Meg's graveside however, I can't find a copy of it online. The producers also leaked a storyline of a character from the past returning to shoot Meg but I think that was just to feed the hype and they always planned not to kill off the character.
 
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Not long back from the opening night of Les Liaisons Dangereuses at the National Theatre. A very good production made better by seeing Gabrielle Drake (Nicola Freeman) in the cast playing Valmont's Aunt. It wasn't a big role but she was very good in it and still looks great.

This is her entry in the programme.

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Here's and image from the play:

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Barbara Fan

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Carrie Fairchild

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www.atvtoday.co.uk

70 Years of ITV: Soap Opera and Serials - ATV Today

As ITV turns 70, we take a look at some of the popular drama serials and soap operas screened by the network over the decades… …
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At the bottom of this article, I came across this random curiosity of a show called Driveway. It was a soap set in a driving school that was apparently being lined up as a Crossroads replacement. I’m not sure why replacements were being lined up but the show aired in 1968, the same year that Noele Gordon resigned, and subsequently unresigned, so maybe things were a bit uncertain behind the Crossroads scenes at this time.

Premiering in July 1968, ATV Midlands moved Crossroads from 6.30pm to 4pm, to accommodate Driveway and a number of other programmes at 6.30 (Driveway only aired twice a week), while Thames dropped Crossroads from its schedule completely, again for the new show and other series.

Unsurprisingly, a drama set in a driving school didn’t exactly set the ratings alight and it ended in September, after its initial six week run. It would be 1969 before ATV Midlands returned Crossroads to the 6.30pm timeslot, while Thames reintroduced the show to its afternoon schedule in January 1969, with a special recap episode hosted by Noele Gordon.
 
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