Crossroads star Angela Webb ponders Nolly drama

Angela Webb played troubled Iris Scott for five years in the West Midland-based saga.

In November ITV announced they were to make a three-part drama on one of their former stars, Noele Gordon. Noele – called Nolly to her pals – was the first female executive at the broadcaster, hired in 1954 to study commercial television in New York University and NBC a year before ITV launched. With her notes she became Head of Lifestyle and produced such programmes as chat show Tea with Noele Gordon and ad-mag Fancy That?

She became a star in the Midlands with pioneering daily daytime magazine series Lunchbox and later hosted several other series for ITV including Noele Gordon takes The Air where she learned – successfully – to fly a plane, A New Angle on Noele Gordon that saw her take on angling and Live from The Talk of The Town a variety show live from the London nightspot.

Those pioneering early days at ITV were somewhat forgotten about when she was tasked with being the matriarch of ITV’s, and indeed the UK’s, first half-hour daily soap – which was based on the daily daytime hour-long efforts American networks had been producing for years. In Crossroads Noele starred as Meg Richardson from 1964 to 1981 and again, briefly, in 1983.

Noele Gordon became ‘the Queen of British soaps’ when the ATV star starred in Crossroads, winning more awards than any other serial performer between 1966 and 1981.

Speaking to The Mirror Angela Webb recalled how Noele looked after her when she was in her 20s, and how Noele’s sacking by producer Jack Barton left the actress bereft.

“Nolly, despite being a household name, was really kind to me and took me under her wing. Everybody loved her and her departure was hugely sad. It was awful. Nolly was absolutely devastated and soon after she had cancer. It killed Crossroads and killed her.” – Angela Webb speaking to the newspaper

Soap fans were delighted with the news Russell T. Davies is to write the three-part drama on Noele for ITV, which is set to go into production next year and has been well researched with former cast members assisting the team to get the show, entitled Nolly, as accurate as possible. Angela, 64, who as Iris in Crossroads once won a Most Hated Character On TV award, after falsely accusing her uncle Arthur Brownlow (Peter Hill) of sexual assault, has however concerns about the casting of Helena Bonham Carter as Noele Gordon.

“Nolly was quite statuesque and strong, Celtic-like, with piercing blue eyes. Helena is tiny, dark-haired, dark-eyed. It’s a challenge for the make-up department.” – Angela Webb speaking to The Mirror

Angela Webb: The Crossroads years; including a cast photo alongside Lynette McMorrough (Glenda), Kathy Staff (Doris), Noele as Meg and Jane Rossington (Jill).

ITV said of the drama, to be produced by Nicola Shindler’s Quay Street Productions, that it will bring to screen how the establishment turns on women who refuse to play by the rules, the women it cannot understand and the women it fears. And it is a love letter to a legend of television, and to the top rating soap she starred in, Nolly is an outrageously fun and wildly entertaining ride through Noele Gordon’s most tumultuous years and a sharp, affectionate and heartbreaking portrait of a forgotten icon.

“Noele Gordon was a fascinating, complex, brilliant and gutsy woman – none of which I knew before I read Russell T Davies’ script. I’m so thrilled to help tell Nolly’s long overdue and largely forgotten story. Russell’s screenplay is a work of brilliance and I hope I’ll do him and Nolly justice. I can’t wait to start.” – Helena Bonham Carter