Nolly
Title card of Nolly
GenreBiographical drama
Created byRussell T Davies
Written byRussell T Davies
Directed byPeter Hoar
StarringHelena Bonham Carter
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes3
Production
Executive producers
ProducerKaren Lewis
Production companyQuay Street Productions
Original release
NetworkITVX

Nolly is a British three-part biographical miniseries, created by Russell T Davies, starring Helena Bonham Carter as Crossroads star Noele Gordon. The series premiered on 2 February 2023, on the new streaming platform ITVX. It will be broadcast on PBS in March 2024. [1]

Synopsis

The series tracks the great success of the TV star Noele "Nolly" Gordon, and then the betrayal and sudden firing that followed.

Cast

Production

Nolly was the debut commission for Nicola Shindler's ITV-backed Quay Street Productions. In November 2021, it was announced Helena Bonham Carter would star as Noele Gordon in the three-part series.[2]

In June 2022, it was announced Augustus Prew would play Tony Adams and Mark Gatiss would play Larry Grayson. Also joining the cast were Richard Lintern, Antonia Bernath, Bethany Antonia, Clare Foster, Chloe Harris, Lloyd Griffith, Con O'Neill, and Tim Wallers.[3][4]

Principal photography took place in and around Manchester. In May 2022, Bonham Carter was spotted filming at Salford Lads' Club in Ordsall.[5] Cast and crew were then spotted in Bolton at Le Mans Crescent.[6]

Episodes

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateUK viewers
(millions)
1Episode 1Peter HoarRussell T Davies2 February 2023 (2023-02-02)N/A
Drama based on real events. Noele Gordon has been the star of ITV's flagship soap Crossroads as motel owner Meg Mortimer... but in 1981, at the height of her fame, she is axed.
2Episode 2Peter HoarRussell T Davies2 February 2023 (2023-02-02)N/A
With her exit from Crossroads looming, Nolly is desperate to know how she is going to be written out, and fears that her character Meg might die.
3Episode 3Peter HoarRussell T Davies2 February 2023 (2023-02-02)N/A
To save her career, Nolly returns to the stage in one of theatre’s hardest roles. Riddled with self-doubt, can she prove her detractors wrong?

Release

ITV shared a first look at Bonham Carter in costume in June 2022.[7]

It will be broadcast in the US on PBS as part of their Masterpiece series, premiering on March 17, 2024. [1]

Critical reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, 100% of 10 critic reviews are positive for the miniseries, with an average rating of 7.7/10.[8] On Metacritic, it has an average rating of 80 out of 100 based on 6 critic reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[9]

Doctor Who crossover

In October 2023, Davies confirmed that the 60th anniversary specials of Doctor Who would feature an "in-universe crossover" while emphasising that the events of the show would be considered "truly canonical".[10] The episode titled "The Giggle" included John Mackay as John Logie Baird, the man who put Gordon on television, with a particular focus on Baird's initial transmissions using Stooky Bill.[11]

Accolades

Davies won Best Writer at the 2023 BAFTA Cymru Awards.[12]

References

  1. ^ a b Rice, Lynette (2023-09-14). "'Nolly': Masterpiece Reveals Premiere Date, Trailer For Helena Bonham Carter Miniseries". Deadline. Retrieved 2023-09-21.
  2. ^ Ritman, Alex (23 November 2021). "Helena Bonham Carter to Lead New Russell T. Davies Drama 'Nolly' About U.K. TV Star Noele Gordon". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
  3. ^ Goldbart, Max (1 June 2022). "'The Morning Show' Star Augustus Prew Boards Russell T Davies' ITV Drama 'Nolly' Starring Helena Bonham Carter". Deadline. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
  4. ^ Jeffery, Morgan (1 June 2022). "Mark Gatiss to play Larry Grayson in Russell T Davies' ITV drama Nolly". Radio Times. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
  5. ^ Fitzpatrick, Katie (May 2022). "Helena Bonham Carter transforms into soap legend as she films Russell T Davies ITV drama Nolly at Salford Lads' Club". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
  6. ^ "ITV's Nolly starring Helena Bonham Carter starts filming in town". The Bolton News. 31 May 2022. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
  7. ^ "First look image on Russell T Davies' upcoming ITVX and ITV drama, Nolly, starring Helena Bonham Carter as Noele Gordon". ITV. 1 June 2022. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
  8. ^ "Nolly - Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes.
  9. ^ "Nolly". Metacritic.
  10. ^ "Doctor Who's Russell T Davies confirms "in-universe crossover" with ITV drama". Digital Spy. 2023-10-13. Retrieved 2023-11-25.
  11. ^ The Giggle: Behind the Scenes. YouTube. Doctor Who. Retrieved 2023-12-10.
  12. ^ "2023 BAFTA Cymru Awards: The Winners". British Academy of Film and Television Arts. 2023-10-15. Retrieved 2023-12-10.

External links

Russell T Davies
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