When did Crossroads air? All your questions answered
Once upon a time there were only three TV channels to choose from, Crossing was one of the most popular shows in Britain.
The ATV Birmingham-based soap opera hit viewers’ screens as early as November 1964. recorded live, Crossing was panned by critics for its shaky sets, actors who regularly fluffed up their lines, and characters who disappeared for months. But despite all of that, the show has garnered a huge following and was seen by 15 million viewers at its peak.
It’s now the subject of a new ITV drama, nollywhich explores the summarily dismissal of Crossing’ Leading actress Noele Gordon. The adored actress (played by Helena Bonham Carter) was dropped by the show’s producers without warning, a decision that sparked national outrage.
But what else is there to know about the soap that launched Noele Gordon into an international star? We have all your questions too Crossing covered…
Was Crossroads a real show?
Yes, very even. Crossing was the brainchild of screenwriters Hazel Adair and Peter Ling.
The television soap opera, produced by ATV, was originally based on two feuding sisters – Meg Richardson (Noele Gordon) and Kitty Jarvis (Beryl Johnstone). Wealthy widow Meg used her late husband’s fortune to convert their spacious Georgian home into The Crossroads Motel.
Playing in the fictional Midlands guest house, Crossing originally aired five days a week, it pioneered its era by addressing controversial issues in the 1960s.
When did Crossroads air?
The first episode of Crossing aired Monday 2 November 1964.
It was recorded “as live” on a low budget, meaning the cast had limited opportunity for repeat work and there was no room for error. As a result, actors frequently screwed up their dialogue, and sets often visibly shook.
After complaints were filed, The Independent Television Authority declared in 1967 Crossing should be reduced to four episodes per week to improve quality. This was later reduced to three in 1979 and 1988 Crossing was only aired twice a week.
Recording for the show ended at Christmas 1987 and Crossing’ The feature-length finale aired on April 4, 1988.
The show was revived by Carlton Television in 2001, but poor ratings led to the reboot being canceled after just two years.
Why was it called Crossroads?
The popular teatime show was named after the fictional Crossroads Motel, which the main character of which Meg Richardson ran.
Red-haired Meg had used her late husband’s money, along with city government compensation to build a highway through her land, to convert her family’s home into a motel.
The Crossroads Motel was located on the outskirts of the fictional village of King’s Oak, near Birmingham.
Although originally named Crossingit later became known as Crossroads Motel and then crossing royal oak.
Where was Crossroads filmed?
The original series of Crossing was filmed at ATV’s Broad Street Studios in Birmingham, although a number of actual hotels were occasionally used for filming purposes.
The layout of the Longshoot Motel in Nuneaton provided the blueprint for the design of the Crossroads Motel and the CherryTrees Motel in Warwickshire was sometimes used as a backdrop. In 1982 filming moved to the Golden Valley Hotel in Cheltenham, then to the Penns Hall Hotel in Sutton Coldfield.
For the rarely shown exterior scenes, the show’s crew used the small Warwickshire village of Tanworth-in-Arden to portray King’s Oak. Previous location footage was filmed in Wolverhampton.
The series reboot, which aired in 2001, was still set in the West Midlands. Interior scenes were shot at Carlton Studios in Nottingham and the crew used local areas such as Bingham and Redmile for the exterior shots.
Who was the biggest star of Crossroads?
The undisputed star of the show was actress Noele Gordon, who played motel owner Meg Richardson (later Meg Mortimer).
The role was created by the Crossing’ Writers eyed the RADA-trained Noele, and she was the only cast member to receive a permanent contract.
Adored by her co-stars and fans alike, Noele, aka Nolly, became known as the “Queen of Soap” and won the TV Times Award for Favorite TV Character a whopping eight times.
But in 1981, after 17 years at the helm, she was fired from the soap without warning or explanation.
The truth behind this shocking turn of events is now being brought to light in the ITV drama. nollya loving tribute to a forgotten icon created by writer Russell T. Davies.
Why did Crossroads end?
Despite being the constant subject of television critics’ jokes, Crossing enjoyed great popularity among viewers. It even occasionally beat the UK’s leading soap opera, Coronation Street Ratings with 15 million ratings – that is practically unknown today.
Its slow decline began in 1981 when Charles Denton was appointed program director at ATV and wanted to end it Crossing to focus on more high-end dramas.
Rather than give the soap the chop, the decision was made by Charles and other executives to fire Noele Gordon, hoping viewers would suddenly turn off in protest.
The risky move backfired, and Crossing continued for another seven years before ending in April 1988.
When did the Crossroads reboot air?
Crossing made a much-anticipated return on March 5, 2001 with a slick “Millennium” reboot.
The former Crossroads motel has been converted into a glamorous hotel and featured Jill Harvey, a popular character from the original series and the daughter of former owner Meg.
Other characters included new owner Kate Russell, snooty receptionist Virginia Raven, and female assistant manager Jake Booth.
However, it did not go down well with fans and the decision was made by Carlton Television to end it one day.
The final episode of Crossroads aired on May 30, 2003. And in a truly zany twist, it was revealed that the revived series had been a supermarket worker’s dream and Crossing Fan, Angela, and the characters were revealed to be their customers.
Where can I see Crossroads?
In December 2022, Network Distribution released a new 94 disc DVD box set titled Crossroads: The Noele Gordon Collection. It includes every episode known to exist from 1964 to Gordon’s last appearance in November 1981, as well as a number of special features.
In addition, a select number of episodes from the original series are now available on ITVX, as well as on the subscription services BritBox and YouTube.
