The story
Noele 'Nolly' Gordon is the reigning star of the soap Crossroads, riding high on years of success. Then, without warning, she is let go. Russell T Davies's three-part drama, with Helena Bonham Carter in the title role, follows her at the height of her fame and in the bewildering aftermath of her abrupt dismissal from the show that made her.
Why it matters
Nolly went to ITVX in February 2023 and reached ITV1 only that December, a clear example of ITV putting a major Russell T Davies drama online first. It was also the first commission for Nicola Shindler's Quay Street Productions, and Helena Bonham Carter earned a BAFTA nomination for the title role.
Born online
Nolly premiered on the streaming platform ITVX on 2 February 2023 and was only broadcast on ITV1 more than ten months later, from 27 to 29 December 2023. It was the debut commission for Nicola Shindler's ITV-backed Quay Street Productions.
Notable facts
- In the US it premiered on PBS as part of Masterpiece in March 2024. (source)
- Russell T Davies won Best Writer for it at the 2023 BAFTA Cymru Awards. (source)
- A Doctor Who 60th-anniversary special, "The Giggle", featured a crossover with John Mackay reprising John Logie Baird. (source)