Helena Bonham Carter leads a brand new ITV drama called Nolly - and Russell T Davies is behind it. 

Nolly is a three-part series tells the story of actress Noele Gordon (Bonham Carter) as she is fired from the long-running British soap Crossroads. 

The drama will also explore how society "turns on women who refuse to play by the rules, the women it cannot understand and the women it fears," ITV has said. 

Here's everything you need to know about the drama from the cast to how to tune in.

Who was Noele Gordon?

Born on Christmas Day 1919, Noele Gordon was a beloved English actress who was best known for her role as Meg Mortimer in the soap Crossroads.

Gordon attended RADA before she appeared in various West End productions like Brigadoon, The Lisbon Story and Call Me Madam.

She also appeared in a few British films and presented The Weekend Show for Associative Television. 

When her acting career stalled, she studied Television at New York University and then returned to produce and presented the Birmingham-based ATV Midlands.

Gordon became the first woman to interview a British Prime Minister during her chat show Tea with Noele Gordon.

Why was Noele Gordon sacked from Crossroads?

In 1964, Gordon joined a new soap opera - Crossroads - in a part that was specifically designed for her.

As the motel owner, Meg Richardson ( later Mortimer), Gordon was reportedly the only cast member that had a permanent contract.

In 1981, after 17 years in the role, Gordon was sacked when ATV was reconstituted into a new company called Central Independent Television (CIT)

CIT wanted to cancel the soap entirely but couldn't due to ATV's commitment to the soap.

The reason why Gordon was fired from the series was reportedly because the CIT hoped viewers would desert the show and therefore they could cancel the series in favour of other programmes.

What did Noele Gordon do after Crossroads?

After she was fired, Gordon returned to Crossroads in 1983 for two episodes and was even asked back again in 1985 when the show got a revamp and was renamed the Crossroads Hotel.

In the end, Gordon was actually too ill to return to the series. 

Following her exit from the soap, Gordon continued to act and appeared in various theatre productions across the country including in Leceister, London and Plymouth.

In 1982, Gordon underwent two operations for stomach cancer and then retired to her home in Birmingham, where shed lasted died in 1985.

She is now buried in the churchyard of St Mary's Parish Church in Ross-on-Wye.

What is ITV's Nolly about?

"Noele (or Nolly to her friends) was a legend in her own lifetime. As flame-haired widow Meg Richardson in the long-running soap opera Crossroads, she was one of the most famous people in Britain, " ITV's synopsis reads.

It adds: "Then in 1981, at the height of the show’s success and the peak of Nolly’s fame, she was axed without ceremony, without warning and with no explanation.

With the boss’s words “all good things must come to an end” ringing in her ears, Noele Gordon found herself thrown out of the show that was her life for over 18 years.

"Nolly brings the true Noele Gordon once more into the spotlight. The Queen of the Midlands, a star who could be tough, haughty and imperious, grandly sweeping into rehearsals from her Rolls Royce, but also a hard-working actress who was fiercely loyal and loved by cast and crew alike.

"And at last, the biggest question of all can be answered – why was she sacked? Nolly reveals the truth, the consequences, and the legacy of that terrible day."

ITV has also said that the series will be a "love letter to a legend of television, and to the madcap soap she starred in".

The broadcaster concludes:" Nolly is an outrageously fun and wildly entertaining ride through Noele Gordon’s most tumultuous years, and a sharp, affectionate and heart-breaking portrait of a forgotten icon".

Nolly trailer

If you want to get a taster of the new series, you can watch the Nolly trailer here:

 

Nolly cast

Nolly boasts an impressive and star-studded cast - fronted by Academy Award nominee Helena Bonham Carter.

The Crown actress will be joined by Augustus Prew as Nolly’s Crossroads co-star and friend Tony Adams. 

Viewers will recognise Prew from his roles in Apple TV's The Morning Show and Amazon's The Rings of Power.

Sherlock and Doctor Who fans will be happy to hear that actor and writer Mark Gatiss will also be joining the series.

Gatiss plays Larry Grayson who was an entertainer and close friend to Nolly.

Additionally, Silent Witness actor Richard Lintern takes on the role of Ronnie Allen, who played Crossroads’ suave hotel manager David Hunter.

Here is the rest of the cast of Nolly including the actors and their respective roles:

  • Antonia Bernath - Jane Rossington
  • Clare Foster - Sue Lloyd
  • Chloe Harris - Susan Hanson
  • Lloyd Griffith - Paul Henry
  • Con O’Neill - Jack Barton
  • Tim Wallers - Charles Denton
  • Bethany Antonia - Poppy Ngomo

What time is Nolly on TV?

Nolly will premiere on ITV's new streaming service ITVX on Thursday, February 2 2023.

Viewers will also be able to see the true story behind the drama in the documentary 'The Real Nolly'.

The documentary will also be available on ITVX from February 2.

Nolly premieres on ITVX on February 2 2023.