Nolly is a British three-part biographical television 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 was broadcast on ITV1 for three consecutive nights from 27 December 2023 to 29 December.
| Nolly | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Biographical drama |
| Created by | Russell T Davies |
| Written by | Russell T Davies |
| Directed by | Peter Hoar |
| Starring | Helena Bonham Carter |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of episodes | 3 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
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| Producer | Karen Lewis |
| Production companies |
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| Original release | |
| Network | ITVX |
| Release | 2 February 2023 |
Synopsis
editThe series tracks the great success of the TV star Noele "Nolly" Gordon, and then the betrayal and sudden firing that followed.
Cast
edit- Helena Bonham Carter as Noele Gordon
- Max Brown as Michael Summerton
- Antonia Bernath as Jane Rossington
- Bethany Antonia as Poppy Ngomo
- Mark Gatiss as Larry Grayson
- Emily Butcher as Fiona Fullerton
- Augustus Prew as Tony Adams
- Richard Lintern as Ronnie Allen
- Chloe Harris as Susan Hanson
- Tom Bell as Rodney
- Clare Foster as Sue Lloyd
- Lloyd Griffith as Paul Henry
- Con O'Neill as Jack Barton
- John Mackay as John Logie Baird
- Tim Wallers as Charles Denton
- Boro' Brass as the Brass Band on the docks
Production
editNolly 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.[1]
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.[2][3]
Principal photography took place in and around Manchester. In May 2022, Bonham Carter was spotted filming at Salford Lads' Club in Ordsall.[4] Cast and crew were then spotted in Bolton at Le Mans Crescent.[5]
Episodes
edit| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | UK viewers (millions) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Episode 1 | Peter Hoar | Russell T Davies | 2 February 2023 | N/A | |
|
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. | ||||||
| 2 | Episode 2 | Peter Hoar | Russell T Davies | 2 February 2023 | 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. | ||||||
| 3 | Episode 3 | Peter Hoar | Russell T Davies | 2 February 2023 | 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
editITV shared a first look at Bonham Carter in costume in June 2022.[6]
It was broadcast in the US on PBS as part of their Masterpiece series, premiering on 17 March 2024.[7]
Critical reception
editOn Rotten Tomatoes, 100% of 14 critic reviews are positive for the miniseries, with an average rating of 7.7/10. The critics consensus states, "Enlivened by Helena Bonham Carter's barnburner performance and Russell T. Davies' delicious dialogue, Nolly gives a fallen star her joyous closeup."[8] On Metacritic, it has an average rating of 79 out of 100 based on 9 critic reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[9]
Doctor Who crossover
editIn 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
editDavies won Best Writer at the 2023 BAFTA Cymru Awards,[12] and Bonham Carter was nominated for Best Actress at the 2024 British Academy Television Awards.[13]
References
edit- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Jeffery, Morgan (1 June 2022). "Mark Gatiss to play Larry Grayson in Russell T Davies' ITV drama Nolly". Radio Times. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
- ^ Fitzpatrick, Katie (2022-06-01). "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.
- ^ Harrigan, Joe (31 May 2022). "ITV's Nolly starring Helena Bonham Carter starts filming in town". The Bolton News. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
- ^ "First look image on Russell T Davies' upcoming ITVX and ITV drama, Nolly, starring Helena Bonham Carter as Noele Gordon" (Press release). ITV. Organic PR. 1 June 2022. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
- ^ Rice, Lynette (2023-09-14). "'Nolly': Masterpiece Reveals Premiere Date, Trailer For Helena Bonham Carter Miniseries". Deadline. Retrieved 2023-09-21.
- ^ "Nolly - Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 2024-05-27.
- ^ "Nolly". Metacritic. Red Venture. Retrieved 2024-05-27.
- ^ "Doctor Who's Russell T Davies confirms "in-universe crossover" with ITV drama". Digital Spy. 2023-10-13. Retrieved 2023-11-25.
- ^ The Giggle: Behind the Scenes. YouTube. Doctor Who. Retrieved 2023-12-10.
- ^ "2023 BAFTA Cymru Awards: The Winners". British Academy of Film and Television Arts. 2023-10-15. Retrieved 2023-12-10.
- ^ "BAFTA Television 2024: The Nominations". British Academy of Film and Television Arts. 2024-03-15. Retrieved 2024-04-20.