The first episode of Nolly begins in 1938. John Logie Baird (John Mackay) tells young Noele Gordon (Silvia Presente) that she is the first woman on colored television. After Nolly introduces herself, the show jumps forward in time to 1975. Jack Barton (Con O’Neill) has to keep fans out because they want to see Noele (Helena Bonham Carter). He tells her that they have a problem because there are thousands of people outside. They’ve come to see Nolly, but it is her character Meg getting married. Jack explains that Meg owns a motel in Birmingham and has 16 chalets so he can’t imagine why he’d show the crowd on television.

Nolly questions what kind of person would send them away when they come out there to support them even though they can barely afford their rent and gas. When Jack says not him, Nolly says problem solved. In 1981, Tony Adams (Augustus Prew) drops Noele off. She signs autographs and talks to fans about why they had to kill off her husband. Moments later, she joins Poppy (Bethany Antonia) in the elevator. Nolly tells the director Rodney (Tom Bell) that he is forcing them into an impossible situation. Liz (Amy Booth-Steel) welcomes Poppy and explains how everything works. When she almost sits in Nolly’s chair, the others quickly stop her and ask her to sit elsewhere.

San Hanson (Chloe Harris) grabs her a chair. Nolly comes in and asks if they told her she couldn’t sit in her chair. She claims they have equal status because the motel is the star of the show. Poppy tells her that she is playing Honour. The others say that Kitty sponsored her adoption. Poppy interrupts to tell her that she is sorry about Sandy whose name was Roger. Although he wasn’t her real son, he was like family. As they head to the scene, Poppy tells Nolly how her mom told her she was representing the entire black community. Tony catches up with them. Nolly doesn’t understand why Adam would be sitting when he never sits. He stands up and the rehearsal begins.

Nolly is not impressed with Poppy’s accent so she begins grilling her about it. Instead, she asks her to do an RP. Poppy tries a posh voice. They’re happy with it. Nolly says they can tell Jack she is making the show better. As they leave, Nolly tells Poppy more about their schedule. When they rehearse in front of Jack, he reminds Poppy that they specified a Birmingham accent. Nolly refuses to accept that and says no. Nolly tells Poppy about recording live although it isn’t live. She says they pray that they don’t get an underrun when they run under. If that happens, they’ll make the telephone ring and they have to answer it.

Nolly promises to handle it before they talk about getting 15 million viewers each night. They record the episode. Keith learns that Gary is gone to the hospital so he won’t be there for scene five. They’re going to have an underrun. Once the phone rings, Nolly answers it and tells Poppy it is for her. Nolly spends the night alone practicing her lines. She calls Tony and pleads with him to go window shopping with her. They walk around and run into a woman who talks to Nolly about why they got rid of her husband. Tony says she was rough on Poppy today. Nolly admits she was but says she went upstairs and told Jack she was excellent. Tony says his mother sailed up the Amazon in a canoe.

Nolly reveals she still hears a crack from upstairs sometimes. She thinks she has 30 seconds to put the kettle on. It has been two years now. Nolly thanks God she isn’t at the Variety Club dinner tonight. Tony says he would’ve been top table. Nolly believes he’d be with his wife and she’d be as far away as possible like they barely knew each other. It has been nine years since he died. Nolly always says she wanted a man in her life but got the next best thing which is Tony. She reveals that Michael is seeing Charles Denton tomorrow about her contract. Michael (Max Brown) meets with Charles (Tim Wallers) who tells him that all good things must come to an end.

Michael calls Nolly to tell her there is no new contract. She wants him to negotiate and thinks he doesn’t know how the industry works, but Michael says there were no negotiations. He explains that they have plans for the future of the show without her. They’ll give her six months and then they’re going to kill Meg. Tony comes over and learns that Jack is supposed to phone her at eight. Jack tells her the same and reveals it was Charles’s decision to kill Meg. Nolly finds out that she is the only one getting cut. She isn’t going to beg since she expects to find work immediately. She isn’t sure she can wait until February. They agree to November.

When they get to work, Nolly tells Adams not to say a word to anyone. She goes through the day without saying anything. Barbara and David talk about Meg and how time moves on. Barbara says there will be a lot of work and money left for everyone when she is gone. Then, Meg shoots a scene with Peggy who stole something. Susan checks on Nolly when she walks out of the room, but Nolly says nothing. Later, Nolly and Tony talk to Susan about what has happened. Tony suspects they want to kill the show. Susan says Charles sounds like a scorned lover, but Nolly quickly denies that. Susan thinks she’ll get another job easily although Nolly worries her name will be poison after getting sacked.

Susan urges her to tell the press that she has resigned. She claims it is Nolly leaving the old soap and becoming the star she always was. The next day, Poppy arrives at work and finds that it is filled with members of the press. Nolly walks out and tells everyone that she has been sacked. The other actors and actresses can’t believe it. Nolly tells someone from the ATV that they wouldn’t have a job if it wasn’t for her. She takes credit for building daytime TV and says Crossroads was built around her. Nolly watches a news report about it at home. Fans begin calling in to complain about her being sacked. Charles receives a bunch of letters and is told he stirred up a hornet’s nest.

At home, Nolly watches Charles on television as he says they don’t know how Meg will die. During filming, Nolly takes off. Susan confesses she wouldn’t blame her if she never came back. She doesn’t think it would’ve happened with Reg Watson. Tony thinks they want to end the show and suspect they’re next. Susan argues that they should all go if she goes. They’re recorded as they discuss a spot being open at the top of the motel once she is gone. Shughie McFee enters and threatens to go with Meg if she leaves. Susan says this marks the end of the Crossroads Motel before it is called the best episode ever.

Nolly confronts Jack to ask him about Concorde only to be told they haven’t decided how she dies yet. She hopes they wouldn’t have an airplane land on her head. He says they’re paid to decide. Nolly reminds him they plan it in the boardroom and have no idea what it is like on the shop floor. Jack won’t accept that since he has done the hard work. Nolly knows she said she wouldn’t beg, but she doesn’t want Meg to die. Jack admits his hands are tied and the budget has been drawn up for next year without her. Nolly mentions everything she has gone through including her on-screen son dying four months ago. She pleads with him to change the story and not kill her.

 

Nolly Review

Nolly stars Helena Bonham Carter as soap star Noele Gordon who learns that she is being written off Crossroads. After lashing out, Nolly tries to come to terms with having to move forward with her career. The opening episode was superbly acted by the likes of Helena Bonham Carter, Con O’Neill, Augustus Prew, and others. It was an easy watch that did well with the basics.

The recreation of the old television series is good as well although it might be overused. However, the script could be better. Since the show is named after Noele Gordon, one would expect to learn a lot about Nolly. In reality, little was revealed about her in the opening episode which mostly focused on a newcomer to the show and Nolly’s impending removal from Crossroads.

It, unfortunately, felt like a missed opportunity to really get to know Noele Gordon.  Instead, the series is more of a retelling of Nolly’s departure from the series and the aftermath. After the first episode, little is known about Nolly or her background leading the characters to feel like caricatures instead of representations of the actual people. In other words, it isn’t a biography.

The episode scores a 6 out of 10. Recaps of Nolly are available on Reel Mockery here. Find out how to support our work at this link. Learn more about advertising opportunities on Reel Mockery here.