Mash up of news reports of the sacking of real life actress Noele Gordon from TV Crossroads with that of fictitious Mrs Overall from Acorn Antiques. Extended with their last scenes.
Victoria's stifled yawn during Mrs Overall's farewell speech and Celia's upstaging face scratching - it's these fine details that raises this beyond genius.
Noele Gordon really part of that generation of grande dame soap stars where it really went to their heads a bit and they acted more like they thought they were Hollywood Stars. It was said of Pat Phoenix that she was "The Joan Crawford of Manchester" and she spent a lot of her time opening butcher's shops wearing fur coats. Gloriously over the top. Noele Gordon very much in that mould. Perhaps Julie Goodyear was the last of that type.
Indeed. A nod to Amy Turtle of Crossroads. Interestingly, Ann George, who played Amy Turtle, and Mrs Overall, portrayed by Julie Walters, were both born in Smethwick, Birmingham.
Crossroads was a real classic in so many ways whether you liked it or not somehow! After Noele Gordon left, it was not the same really somehow. As for Acorn Antiques, Victoria Wood and co had it really down to a tee. Thank you!!
Also when ATV ended in 1981, and then Central took over as the ITV Midlands area from 1982 onwards, although the series continued of course, it was after alas Noele left also, the series perhaps was not the same either I wonder?
She was our neighbour for a good 10 years and I’ll tell you something now she was an absolute legend the sweetest kindest sharp witted this person you’ll ever meet and she didn’t suffer fools gladly and shit was a star and she knew it
I used to love the patronising annou cer...especially when she says things like....This is a message for all you people in the North....How awful for you....always cracks me up as a northerner...
"Oh dear. It's in black and white. I don't like things in black and white. I'm always worried someone might come in and think you can't afford colour." Suzy Blake was the only one of the regular cast not to appear as multiple characters. Victoria Wood wanted the continuity announcer to seem genuine and not someone acting the part.
Hi there, the documentary about crossroads, was a doc about Noele Gordon in a series of stars/actors called "The Unforgettable Noele Gordon" I've just found the full episode already on youtube, link is below :-) ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-7gN9DrV6kjI.html
Crossroads ware perfect fodder for making fun of ..not only were it's production values modest it was shot on very tight schedule so very little time to improve anything .I would say that the plot lines and dialogue as well as the overly dramatic performance from the cast just adds to the fact that Crossroads never had the quality of coronation Street in any sense ...Acorn Antiques was showcase for Julie Walters mimicry of a Brummie working class woman ...very funny
Yes indeed, but at the time Crossroads was the second most popular series after Coronation Street on ITV, or indeed any channel at the time-BBC1 or BBC2 as well. Also of course it joined their rosta of soaps at the time, including Emmerdale Farm, Take The High Road and Albion Market later on. Of course this was also really at a time before the other channels did too-such as BBC1 with EastEnders and then Eldorado, Channel 4 with Brookside and Hollyoaks, and Channel 5 with Family Affairs which later ended anyway. Thank you of course!!
It just shows what a different time this was, we’d never see an issue such as Noele Gordon being sacked today, with Covid-19, Brexit! The only sacking I’d like to make headline news today would be Boris Johnson kicked out of top job! Oops, did I actually say that! 🤭🙄🙃
Noele Gordon lives in Much Wenlock, Shropshire. I was a Postman for 13 years and met her a few times when I covered that delivery - it was amusing how snooty she was, she really thought she was something special but she was only in some genuinely awful soap decades earlier! 🤣🤣🤣
