Channel 5 head to ‘the real Crossroads Motel’
In the sixties motels were the future of roadside accommodation in the UK. However the glamour of the American image of a ‘Motorway Hotel’ didn’t really rub off and even soap opera Crossroads changed its motel to a hotel eventually.
Crossroads – a family run night-stop run by the Richardson family – Meg (Noele Gordon), Jill (Jane Rossington) and Sandy (Roger Tonge) followed the events of staff and guests played out near the M6 motorway just south of Birmingham, for nearly 24-years.
Now Channel 5 has commissioned a four-part access-all-areas factual series capturing life on the move in Britain today at The Motorway Hotel.
The series is commissioned by Lucy Willis, Commissioning Editor, Unscripted, Channel 5 and Paramount+
“This is a very human series exploring the team working behind the scenes at The Moat House Hotel, who juggle the everyday challenges of running a hotel alongside one of Britain’s busiest motorways. BriteSpark will take our viewers on an insider’s journey, getting to know the people, stories and struggles that make this hotel tick.”
Located in the very heart of England, The Motorway Hotel follows the triumphs and travails of staff and guests at family business The Moat House Hotel, a bustling and fast-paced commuter hotspot located near the M6, the motorway known as the backbone of Britain. Born out of a 14th Century farmhouse and now an extended site attracting visitors from across the UK, the series follows a diverse range of characters and their eclectic stories at the 24/7 hotel catering for a stream of customers from one of Britain’s busiest motorways.
“The location, origins and engaging resident characters offer a contemporary and entertaining take on life at a highway hotel resonant of iconic TV soap Crossroads.” – Channel 5
The reins for the family-run business recently passed over to 26-year-old daughter Emily from her father and owner of The Moat House Chris, now in his fifties and a reluctant retiree who still likes to keep his hand in.
A third of the 100-strong staff have worked there since the last millennium including sisters Stacey and Kirsty who run the reception and know every finite detail about their regular customers’ requirements and 78-year-old Moat House institution Ida, who washes the pots. The location, origins and engaging resident characters offer a contemporary and entertaining take on life at a highway hotel resonant of iconic TV soap Crossroads.
BriteSpark’s Tom Porter:
“This access-all-areas series is an entertaining and enjoyable journey following the stories of busy Brits on the move today, captured through the fascinating characters, commuters and visitors found in this beautiful hotel beside the M6. We’re delighted to win three new commissions from Channel 5 as we continue to build on BriteSpark’s best ever year in 2022.”
Interest in Crossroads has had a resurgence since the recently launched ITVX drama Nolly, which tells the story of Noele Gordon and her time on the serial which was one of ITV Daytime’s highest rating programmes.
