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''Crossroads'' (later known as ''Crossroads Motel'' and ''Crossroads King's Oak'') is a
British television Regular television broadcasts in the United Kingdom started in 1936 as a public service which was free of advertising, which followed the first demonstration of a transmitted moving image in 1926. Currently, the United Kingdom has a collection ...
soap opera that ran on ITV over two periods – the original 1964 to 1988 run, followed by a short revival from 2001 to 2003. Set in a fictional motel (hotel in the revival) in the Midlands, ''Crossroads'' became a byword for cheap production values, particularly in the 1970s and early 1980s. Despite this, the series regularly attracted huge audiences during this time, with ratings as high as 15 million viewers. It was created by Hazel Adair and Peter Ling and produced by
ATV ATV may refer to: Broadcasting * Amateur television *Analog television Television stations and companies * Ràdio i Televisió d'Andorra * ATV (Armenia) * ATV (Aruba), NBC affiliate * ATV (Australian TV station), Melbourne * ATV (Austria) * AT ...
(until the end of 1981) and then by ATV's successor, Central Independent Television until 1988. The series was revived by
Carlton Television Carlton Television (now part of the non-franchised ITV London region) was the ITV franchise holder for London and the surrounding counties from 9.25am every Monday to 5.15pm every Friday. The company is now managed with London Weekend Televi ...
in 2001; however, due to low ratings it was cancelled again in 2003.


Storylines


1964–1988

The original premise of ''Crossroads'' is based around two feuding sisters, Kitty Jarvis (Beryl Johnstone) and Meg Richardson ( Noele Gordon). Meg is a wealthy woman who, with the help of her late husband Charles' insurance money, and compensation money from the council for them building a motorway through their land, turned her large Georgian house into a motel. "The Crossroads Motel" was located on the outskirts of the small village of King's Oak, which is on the outskirts of Birmingham. With Charles, Meg had two children. The elder was a girl named Jill ( Jane Rossington) (born 1946) followed by Alexander, or "Sandy" (
Roger Tonge Roger is a given name, usually masculine, and a surname. The given name is derived from the Old French personal names ' and '. These names are of Germanic origin, derived from the elements ', ''χrōþi'' ("fame", "renown", "honour") and ', ' ( ...
), in 1950. Kitty, on the other hand, is married to the unemployed Dick (Brian Kent) and is not wealthy. Dick and Kitty purchased a newsagents and tobacconists shop in the nearby town of Heathbury a few years after the show started. Kitty and Dick had a son called Brian (David Fennell), born in 1945. The idea of the sisters feuding was soon dropped. The character of Kitty was written out in 1969 after the death of actress Johnstone. The show had several characters in its early years. They included Meg and Kitty's brother, Andy Fraser (Ian Patterson), who marries motel secretary Ruth Bailey (Pamela Greenhall) in 1965; Meg's close friend, former actress Tish Hope (Joy Andrews); hotel chef Carlos Raphael (Anthony Morton), his wife Josefina (Gillian Betts), and waitress Marilyn Gates ( Sue Nicholls and later Nadine Hanwell). Kitchen assistant
Amy Turtle Ann George (5 March 1903 – 8 September 1989) was an English actress best known for her role as Amy Turtle in the television soap opera ''Crossroads''. Early life and career George was born in Smethwick, and entered show business as a ...
(
Ann George Ann George (5 March 1903 – 8 September 1989) was an English actress best known for her role as Amy Turtle in the television soap opera ''Crossroads''. Early life and career George was born in Smethwick, and entered show business as a ...
), later briefly arrested as a suspected Soviet spy, joined the series in 1965, as did postmistress Edith Tatum (
Elisabeth Croft Elisabeth Croft (22 September 1907 – 13 January 2003) was an English actress, known for playing Edith Tatum in the ITV soap opera ''Crossroads''. She is not to be confused with another English actress, Elizabeth Croft. Personal life Croft ...
) and motel handyman Philip Winter (Malcolm Young). Long running character Diane Lawton ( Susan Hanson) arrived in 1966. Later additions included suave manager and later motel director David Hunter ( Ronald Allen); his first wife Rosemary (Janet Hargreaves); their son Chris (Freddie Foote and later Stephen Hoye); David's second wife Barbara ( Sue Lloyd); chefs Gerald Lovejoy (William Avenell), Bernard Booth (David Lawton) and Shughie McFee ( Angus Lennie); hairdresser Vera Downend ( Zeph Gladstone); the Harvey family, consisting of father Wilf (Morris Parsons) and his grown children Stan (Edward Clayton and later Terry Molloy) and Sheila (Sonia Fox); accountant and later motel manager Adam Chance ( Tony Adams); and cleaner Doris Luke ( Kathy Staff). Perhaps the most memorable character proved to be the mentally challenged Benny Hawkins ( Paul Henry), whose trademark was a woolly hat worn all year round. His fans included British troops serving in the
Falklands War The Falklands War ( es, link=no, Guerra de las Malvinas) was a ten-week undeclared war between Argentina and the United Kingdom in 1982 over two British dependent territories in the South Atlantic: the Falkland Islands and its territorial de ...
in 1982, who nicknamed the Falkland Islanders "Bennies" after the character. Instructed to stop using the name, the troops came up with "Stills" for locals – because they were "still Bennies". Over the years the series dealt with storylines which were controversial for the times. A single parent working at the motel was hugely controversial in the mid-1960s; and Sandy Richardson was injured in a car accident in 1972 and needed to use a wheelchair. The storyline was developed when actor Roger Tonge had himself become a wheelchair user off screen as a way to keep him in the series, thus becoming the first
paraplegic Paraplegia, or paraparesis, is an impairment in motor or sensory function of the lower extremities. The word comes from Ionic Greek () "half-stricken". It is usually caused by spinal cord injury or a congenital condition that affects the neural ...
regular character portrayed in a British soap opera. The series also saw black characters appearing regularly – a follow-on from the 1960s BBC soap '' Compact'', also created by Hazel Adair and Peter Ling. Melanie Harper ( Cleo Sylvestre) arrived at the motel in 1970 as Meg's foster daughter (itself a taboo issue). Sylvestre was given the role by producer
Reg Watson Reginald James Watson (27 August 1926 – 8 October 2019) was an Australian television producer and screenwriter. He was executive producer on ''Crossroads (British TV series), Crossroads'' and created Australian media exports serials such as ' ...
after press coverage of racial tensions in the Birmingham area at that time. In 1978, garage mechanic Joe MacDonald ( Carl Andrews) arrived. The year before, an interracial summer romance took place between Cockney garage mechanic Dennis Harper (Guy Ward) and motel receptionist Meena Chaudri (Karan David). 1981 saw a highly controversial storyline about a false accusation of rape; a 1983 storyline saw a
test tube baby In vitro fertilisation (IVF) is a process of fertilisation where an ovum, egg is combined with spermatozoon, sperm in vitro ("in glass"). The process involves monitoring and stimulating an individual's Ovulation cycle, ovulatory process, remo ...
born to Glenda and Kevin Banks (Lynette McMorrough and David Moran). The subject of Down syndrome was also raised in 1983 with an insight into the life of Nina Weill, a little girl who, as Nina Paget, was befriended by three of the regular ''Crossroads'' characters. The character of Meg Richardson was axed in 1981 and was thought to have died in a fire that gutted the motel, but turned up alive aboard the ''
QE2 ''Queen Elizabeth 2'' (''QE2'') is a retired British ocean liner converted into a floating hotel. Originally built for the Cunard Line, the ship, named as the second ship named ''Queen Elizabeth'', was operated by Cunard as both a transatlantic ...
'', about to sail to a new life overseas. Newspapers reported that three endings were planned for Meg: she would either die in the fire, take sleeping pills or disappear for a while and turn up on the ''QE2''. Viewers were surprised to see producers had used all three. Meg returns briefly in 1983 for a reunion with Jill and Adam on their honeymoon in
Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400  ...
. In 1985, new producer Phillip Bowman was planning to bring the character of Meg Richardson back into the show as a "permanent occasional." Plans were well advanced and scripts were written when Noele Gordon died in April of that year, aged 65. Edward Clayton was brought back as Jill's ex-husband Stan Harvey to read the lines originally written for Gordon. In 1986, the new character Ray Grice played by Al Hunter Ashton was introduced as part of an attempt to create wider storylines. Recording for the show ended at Christmas 1987 with the final episode (a feature length finale) broadcast in April 1988 where Jill drives off into the sunset with her lover to open a "little hotel in the West" that she thought they could call "Crossroads".


2001–2003

With the revival in 2001, changes were made to characters and stories. Jill Chance had married John Maddingham ( Jeremy Nicholas) and been widowed, but was calling herself Jill Harvey again, the name by which she had been known prior to her marriage to Adam Chance in 1983. In the revival, Jill Harvey owned thirty percent of the hotel, which was never explained as she had divested all her interest in the hotel in 1985 and the original series ended with her opting not to buy the hotel back with her estranged husband Adam Chance. The battle over Jill's shares formed the backbone of the storylines for the new series' early episodes. References were also made to the Russell family taking over a "failing motel", despite Crossroads having become a hotel in the late 1980s. In the final episode of the original series, the name 'King's Oak Country Hotel' was seen over the entrance doors. Lack of real links to the past, and the killing of Jill a few months into the new run, turned many fans away. Popular characters in the new ''Crossroads'' included new owner Kate Russell (Jane Gurnett), supercilious receptionist Virginia Raven ( Sherrie Hewson), and womanising deputy manager Jake Booth ( Colin Wells). The storyline of the final episode was the revelation that the revived series and glamorous hotel had been a dream of supermarket worker and Crossroads fan Angela, with all the other characters revealed as shoppers. Angela even approaches a female customer in the supermarket and tells her she recognises her as "Tracey Booth from Crossroads". Tracey's mother-in-law, Kate, was also shown as one of Angela's colleagues in the supermarket. In the end, Crossroads aired its last ever episode on 30 May 2003.


Characters


Production history


Original start dates

* 2 November 1964:
ATV ATV may refer to: Broadcasting * Amateur television *Analog television Television stations and companies * Ràdio i Televisió d'Andorra * ATV (Armenia) * ATV (Aruba), NBC affiliate * ATV (Australian TV station), Melbourne * ATV (Austria) * AT ...
, Border Television and Ulster Television * 4 January 1965: Anglia, Associated Rediffusion, Grampian Television, TWW,
Southern Television Southern Television was the ITV broadcasting licence holder for the South and South-East of England from 30 August 1958 to 31 December 1981. The company was launched as 'Southern Television Limited' and the title 'Southern Television' was con ...
, Westward Television and Channel Television. * 11 January 1965: Tyne Tees, but the series was dropped and then picked up again several times until January 1972. * 29 March 1965: Scottish Television. * 5 November 1968: Yorkshire Television, but also dropped the series for a short period, until January 1972. * 11 September 1972:
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.


ATV era

''Crossroads'' began its run on Monday 2 November 1964 and was first shown five days a week. The episodes were then recorded "as live", a very common practice at the time, with very limited opportunities for retakes. Within a few months, 10 of the ITV companies had started broadcasting the series, though
Granada Granada (,, DIN 31635, DIN: ; grc, Ἐλιβύργη, Elibýrgē; la, Illiberis or . ) is the capital city of the province of Granada, in the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the fo ...
never screened it during the 1960s. The Independent Television Authority (ITA) decreed in 1967 that ''Crossroads'' should be reduced in frequency to four episodes per week to improve its quality,John William
"Crossroads – The 1960s"
BFI screenonline
by which point the series was no longer networked and each ITV station broadcast the series on different days. The series was widely derided by critics who criticised the wobbly sets and fluffed lines but gained many fans, most famously Prime Minister
Harold Wilson James Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, (11 March 1916 – 24 May 1995) was a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from October 1964 to June 1970, and again from March 1974 to April 1976. He ...
's wife Mary, who complained when the newly formed Thames Television (the franchisee for the London area) decided to stop showing the series in 1968. The decision proved unpopular with viewers and was reversed six months later. Although initially placed in a late afternoon slot,Anthony Haywar
Obituary: Peter Ling
''The Independent'', 27 September 2006
the gap in transmissions meant viewers in the Thames region were about six months behind the rest of the country for several years. ''Crossroads'' was not fully broadcast to all ITV companies until 1972, when Granada took it up. Though second to ''
Coronation Street ''Coronation Street'' is an English soap opera created by Granada Television and shown on ITV since 9 December 1960. The programme centres around a cobbled, terraced street in Weatherfield, a fictional town based on inner-city Salford. Origi ...
'' in the ratings at the beginning of the decade,John William
"Crossroads (1964–88, 2001–03)"
BFI screenonline
''Crossroads'' did occasionally beat it, gaining audiences of up to 15 million viewers.Anthony Haywar

''The Independent'', 31 October 2002
In 1979, the Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) – then commercial television's regulator – decided production should be reduced further to three episodes a week from April 1980; the IBA chairman, Lady Plowden, reportedly describing the soap opera as "distressingly popular". ATV planned to replace the fourth episode with a
spin-off Spin-off may refer to: *Spin-off (media), a media work derived from an existing work *Corporate spin-off, a type of corporate action that forms a new company or entity * Government spin-off, civilian goods which are the result of military or gove ...
series called ''A Family Affair'', but this idea was dropped. Series star Noele Gordon, who played matriarch Meg Richardson, won the '' TV Times'' 'Most Compulsive Female Character' viewers award eight consecutive years during the 1970s. After winning for the eighth time, Gordon was placed in the TVTimes "Hall of Fame" and thenceforth ineligible for the award in the future.John William
"Crossroads – The 1970s"
BFI screenonline
Viewers reacted negatively at the dismissal of Gordon in 1981, an action taken by head of programming Charles Denton who became a "national hate figure". The series producer Jack Barton agreed with Denton, thinking that Gordon's character had become too dominant, but Gordon's final episode gained heavy coverage in the press for some time. In November 2021, ITV Studios announced a new drama production which is to feature Helena Bonham Carter as Noele Gordon. Written by Russell T Davies, the production is titled "''Nolly''" and follows her period in ''Crossroads''.


Central era

Despite having maintained its ITV franchise at the end of 1981, ATV was ordered by the IBA to reform into Central Independent Television, which took over the franchise on 1 January 1982 and was thought to show limited enthusiasm for the programmes it inherited.John William
"Crossroads – The 1980s"
BFI screenonline
Further changes were introduced in March 1985, when new filming locations, sets and characters were introduced. Storylines began to revolve around new motel owner Nicola Freeman ( Gabrielle Drake), and long-term characters like David and Barbara Hunter ( Ronald Allen and Sue Lloyd) were axed. The theme tune was also updated, and the opening titles replaced with a longer version. Finally, the show was renamed ''Crossroads Motel'' – although this fact was never formally announced by the show's production team, and the word "Motel" was simply incorporated into the opening titles. The closing titles, which had scrolled in horizontal and vertical ' crossroad' directions since the first ever episodes, were replaced with conventional scrolling credits. In 1986, William Smethurst took over as producer following the dismissal of his predecessor, Philip Bowman. Smethurst had been brought in by Central Television's new head of drama, Ted Childs, and ordered changes aimed at improving production values and creating a wittier, more upmarket serial. Smethurst shifted the narrative centre to the nearby village of King's Oak, and yet more long-running characters, including fan favourites Diane Hunter ( Susan Hanson) and Benny Hawkins ( Paul Henry), were dropped; as with earlier changes, this was unpopular with viewers, who telephoned Central in protest. Smethurst gained the nickname "Butcher Bill" but was unfazed, having successfully reversed the declining fortunes of BBC radio soap '' The Archers''. Smethurst insisted he only got backlash because his was the name the public knew. Further changes included the series being renamed ''Crossroads Kings Oak'' for a time, with the intention in the future of shortening this to merely ''King's Oak''. However, this final change was overtaken in June 1987 by Andy Allen, Central's director of programmes, who chose to axe the series. The familiar theme tune was replaced in September 1987 by a new theme composed by Max Early and Raf Ravenscroft . New titles were introduced to accompany the new theme, which featured stills of King's Oak and the new King's Oak Country Hotel. Michele Buck guided the show through its final few months on air as series producer, with William Smethurst still on hand as executive producer. In January 1988, the series was reduced to only two episodes a week, with ''Crossroads King's Oak'' finally coming to an end on 4 April 1988 (the Easter
bank holiday A bank holiday is a national public holiday in the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland and the Crown Dependencies. The term refers to all public holidays in the United Kingdom, be they set out in statute, declared by royal proclamation or held ...
). The last, extended episode saw the only remaining original character, Jill Chance ( Jane Rossington), riding off with her new lover John Maddingham ( Jeremy Nicholas). Asked what name she would give the hotel she would be running in her new life, the character remarked, a little sadly, "I always thought Crossroads was an awfully good name".


Carlton era

In April 2000, Carlton Television (who had bought Central in 1994) announced that they would be reviving ''Crossroads'' for the daytime slot on ITV. The first revived episode was broadcast on 5 March 2001 with a glossy format, to the surprise of the wider media.John William
"Crossroads – The 2000s"
BFI screenonline
The revived series was sponsored by washing detergent Surf and was broadcast each weekday at 1.30pm and 5.05pm on ITV, with a Sunday omnibus on
ITV2 ITV2 is a British free-to-air television channel owned by ITV Digital Channels, a division of ITV plc. It was launched on 7 December 1998. For a number of years, it had the largest audience share after the five analogue terrestrial stations, a ...
. The revived series was also broadcast in Ireland on RTÉ One and in New Zealand on TV One. Four characters from the original series returned: Jill Harvey, her daughter Sarah-Jane (Joanne Farrell/Holly Newman), her ex-husband Adam Chance ( Tony Adams) and motel cleaner Doris Luke ( Kathy Staff). Initial reactions were favourable; however, changes in story from the original were puzzling for fans and did not help ratings. Kathy Staff left in dismay at the show's emphasis on sex, telling ITV Teletext that she felt it was no longer the family-friendly show she had originally been involved with. The decision to kill original character Jill Harvey, who was murdered by Adam Chance three months into the series' revival, proved unpopular with fans of the original show.Jane Rossington Interview
Jane Rossington has said that she did not want to commit herself to another long run in the show, but warned Carlton it would be suicidal to kill Jill. Episode 137 of the second revived series remains the only episode never to be shown in full on ITV. The lunchtime screening on Tuesday 11 September 2001 began at 14:10, but during the advertisement break, the programme was interrupted by ''
ITV News ITV News is the branding of news programmes on the British television network ITV. ITV has a long tradition of television news. Independent Television News (ITN) was founded to provide news bulletins for the network in 1955, and has since conti ...
'' with coverage of the 9/11 attacks in New York City. A short recap of events in Episode 137 was screened before both the 14:10 and 17:05 showings of Episode 138 on 12 September 2001, and the episode was included in the Omnibus edition that Sunday. The series was reduced to four episodes a week from 10 September 2001 until July/August 2002 before increasing 5 episodes per week until 30 August 2002. From there, the series went into a hiatus from until January 2003, during which time further changes were made. The remodelled series, under producer Yvon Grace, appeared to be a self-consciously camp parody with Jane Asher playing a new central character, Angel Samson. The series also featured appearances from Kate O'Mara and Anne Charleston, as well as
light entertainment Light entertainment encompasses a broad range of television and radio programming that includes comedies, variety shows, game shows, quiz shows and the like. In Great Britain In the early days of the BBC virtually all broadcast entertainment wou ...
names including Lionel Blair, Les Dennis and Tim Brooke-Taylor. This remodelled revival also launched the careers of Freema Agyeman (''
Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the u ...
'', '' Law & Order: UK''), Luke Roberts (''
Holby City ''Holby City'' (stylised on-screen as HOLBY CIY) is a British medical drama television series that aired weekly on BBC One. It was created by Tony McHale and Mal Young as a spin-off from the established BBC medical drama ''Casualty'', and pr ...
'' and '' Mile High''), Lucy Pargeter,
Shauna Shim Shauna Shim (born 28 March 1979) is an American-born English actress. Early life Shim was born in Miami, Florida, United States to her African-American mother and Chinese father. She is of African-American and Chinese descent. When Shim was 10 ...
and Jessica Fox. Yvon Grace admitted she was aiming the new ''Crossroads'' towards an LGBT audience, but fans were displeased by her ambivalence towards unresolved storylines from the 2001–2002 run. Plans were in place to bring Adam Chance back on a three-month contract in a last attempt to bring in more viewers; actor Tony Adams said that a down-on-his luck Adam would have been taken under Angel's wing as her personal assistant. But as rating continued declining, the revived series was also axed in March 2003, with the final episode being broadcast on Friday 30 May. The 2003 series was roundly criticised for moving too far away from the premise of the original 1964–88 series and the initial 2001–02 series, as well as for becoming "too camp". Jane Asher later apologised to fans for the way the 2003 series went.


Theme music

The ''Crossroads'' theme tune was composed by Tony Hatch. In 2004 Hatch said: A selection of cues were recorded, including ''Meg's Theme'' which eventually became the standard opening theme, ''Kitty's Theme'' which was phased out as action focussed on the motel, the closing theme which combined both ''Meg's'' and ''Kitty's'' themes, and a variety of background pieces. A rerecording by The Tony Hatch Sound was issued as a single by Pye Records in 1965. A special arrangement of the theme by Paul McCartney and Wings was occasionally used from the late seventies, usually when an episode ended with a dramatic event; that version appears on the band's 1975 album Venus and Mars. Central Independent Television's head of music Johnny Patrick rearranged the tune in 1985 for piano and synthesiser, upon the show's relaunch as ''Crossroads Motel'' by producer Philip Bowman. Following William Smethurst's arrival as producer in 1987, this recording was overdubbed with added synthesisers. An entirely new theme aired in late 1987 when the series was relaunched as ''Crossroads, Kings Oak'', composed by Johnny Patrick with Raf Ravenscroft, Max Early and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. This later formed the basis of the single released by actress Shona Linsdey, "Goodbye", to commemorate the end of the show in 1988. The B-side of Linsdey's single featured the original version of the 1964 Tony Hatch arrangement. The 2001 revival brought back the original Tony Hatch theme, this time arranged and performed by Tony Flynn. Another version, in 2003, was arranged by Patrick Dineen and performed by the
Liverpool Philharmonic Royal Liverpool Philharmonic is a music organisation based in Liverpool, England, that manages a professional symphony orchestra, a concert venue, and extensive programmes of learning through music. Its orchestra, the Royal Liverpool Philharmo ...
.


Locations

The fictional Crossroads Motel was in an equally fictional village near Birmingham, Kings Oak (there are real suburbs in south-west Birmingham called Kings Heath, Kings Norton and Selly Oak). A number of real-life hotels doubled for location filming; it is stated in the 1982 ''Crossroads Special'' that the Longshoot Motel (Nuneaton) was used as a 'blueprint' in designing the motel and it is likely that some scenes were filmed there during the run of the series. In 1970, the series gained an O.B unit, giving it the freedom to do location shooting. Originally, Tanworth-in-Arden was used for King's Oak, although outside scenes were only occasionally used. Under Central, more location shooting began to be featured. Some early King's Oak location material was also filmed in Wolverhampton. The most famous location – as seen in the programme during the 1960s and 1970s was not a motel at all, but The Shropshire Agricultural Institution (now called North Shropshire College). In October 2019 two of the buildings used during filming, teaching block and Bridden accommodation block were removed from the site. It has also been suggested that ''Crossroads'' was filmed at a 1960s motel on Stratford Road in Alcester Warwickshire called CherryTrees (the buildings were demolished in 2001 and a care home was built), however it was a nearby petrol station (now closed) that was used in the early 1980s for filming a couple of outdoor scenes of the Crossroads garage. After the in-story destruction of the motel by fire, the revamped motel was filmed from 1982 at the Golden Valley Hotel (now Jurys Inn) in
Cheltenham Cheltenham (), also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a spa town and borough on the edge of the Cotswolds in the county of Gloucestershire, England. Cheltenham became known as a health and holiday spa town resort, following the discovery of mineral s ...
; from 1985 filming moved to the Penns Hall Hotel (now Ramada Jarvis Birmingham) in
Sutton Coldfield Sutton Coldfield or the Royal Town of Sutton Coldfield, known locally as Sutton ( ), is a town and civil parish in the City of Birmingham, West Midlands, England. The town lies around 8 miles northeast of Birmingham city centre, 9 miles south ...
, the changed appearance explained as being due to rebuilding. At the time of the move to Sutton Coldfield, new studio sets were also introduced. Other locations included the canal (including Gas Street Basin) behind the studios in Birmingham; in-story this was the King's Oak Canal, on which hairdresser Vera Downend had a barge. The Chateau Impney Hotel also featured numerous times, most famously when Hugh proposed to Meg in 1973, and it was used to hold their wedding party two years later. The Chateau Impney was renamed the Droitwich Hotel on-screen. St Laurence's Church in Alvechurch was the setting for Jill and Adam Chance's wedding in 1983. Hagley Hall was used for the wedding reception. Helios Health Club based in Brierley Hill was used as the location for the Motel Health Club, filmed on Mondays when the health club was closed. In 1985, ''Crossroads'' gained its first set of full length opening titles, filmed around
Sutton Coldfield Sutton Coldfield or the Royal Town of Sutton Coldfield, known locally as Sutton ( ), is a town and civil parish in the City of Birmingham, West Midlands, England. The town lies around 8 miles northeast of Birmingham city centre, 9 miles south ...
, Tanworth-in-Arden and in Birmingham city centre. The revived ''Crossroads'' from 2001 was still set in the West Midlands; however, exterior shots were filmed at locations in and around Nottingham, such as Bingham and Redmile. The original series was recorded at ATV's/Central's Broad Street studios in Birmingham, while the revived series was filmed at
Carlton Studios Carlton may refer to: People * Carlton (name), a list of those with the given name or surname * Carlton (singer), English soul singer Carlton McCarthy * Carlton, a pen name used by Joseph Caldwell (1773–1835), American educator, Presbyterian ...
in Nottingham.


Critical reception

Critics disliked the show from the start, but it struck a chord with the viewing public, and trounced rival daytime soaps like ''
General Hospital ''General Hospital'' (often abbreviated as ''GH'') is an American daytime television soap opera. It is listed in ''Guinness World Records'' as the list of longest-running television shows by category, longest-running American soap opera in pro ...
''. Because it was made on a shoestring budget, and because of the number of episodes produced per week, its flaws and inconsistencies became noticeable. The sets wobbled, actors fluffed their lines and some popular characters simply disappeared; for example, Benny Hawkins ( Paul Henry) was last seen on-screen ascending a ladder to put a fairy at the top of a Christmas tree, and never appeared again. Despite the popularity of ''Crossroads'' with the viewing public, the show was often criticised by TV reviewers and ridiculed by British comedians. Television historian Hilary Kingsley stated that ''Crossroads'' never failed "to provide its critics with ammunition. Some of the acting would have disgraced the humblest of village halls; many of the plots were so farcical they could have been written in a bad dream, and much of the dialogue was pathetic." ''The Guinness Book of Classic British TV'' noted that "''Crossroads'' was the series that no-one seemed to love. Yet at its peak, it was watched by more viewers than any other soap except ''
Coronation Street ''Coronation Street'' is an English soap opera created by Granada Television and shown on ITV since 9 December 1960. The programme centres around a cobbled, terraced street in Weatherfield, a fictional town based on inner-city Salford. Origi ...
''." The revived series also received mixed reviews from critics.


''Acorn Antiques''

Spoof soap opera '' Acorn Antiques'', created by comedian Victoria Wood as part of ''
Victoria Wood As Seen on TV ''Victoria Wood: As Seen on TV'' is a British comedy sketch series written by and starring comedian Victoria Wood, with appearances from Julie Walters, Celia Imrie, Duncan Preston, Susie Blake and Patricia Routledge. The show was televise ...
'', is a deliberate parody of ''Crossroads''. The final episode of ''As Seen on TV'' features a hoax documentary, 'The Making of Acorn Antiques', in which the actress playing Mrs Overall ( Julie Walters) – a character based on ''Crossroads'' characters Amy Turtle (
Ann George Ann George (5 March 1903 – 8 September 1989) was an English actress best known for her role as Amy Turtle in the television soap opera ''Crossroads''. Early life and career George was born in Smethwick, and entered show business as a ...
) and Mavis Hooper (Charmain Eyre) – is revealed as a rather grand character who considers herself a huge star. This portrayal, plus a later pretend news item, in which it is revealed she has been sacked from the show, suggest the actress character (later given the name Bo Beaumont in the musical based on the sketches) is based on Noele Gordon, with Bo making her 'goodbye' appearance to the press in headscarf and large sunglasses, similar to Gordon.


DVD release

Network issued four volumes of the series on DVD (UK Region 2) in 2005, with 12 of the original ATV episodes in each volume (the first release including Meg's 1975 wedding, the highest rated episode). The third release was delayed due to the loss of ATV documents listing which episodes still exist, and ITV staff having to use other resources to locate episodes. ''Crossroads Volume 3'' was released on 26 February 2007. There are two versions of the DVD, one being a special limited edition, which contains an extra third disc – featuring recently found episodes from 1976. ''Crossroads Volume 4'' was released on 17 September 2007. Network was in the process of releasing all known surviving episodes (at the time) in transmission order exclusively through its website. The first set of 16 episodes was released in January 2008 and contained some episodes not previously available on earlier DVD releases. There are apparently 1,700 episodes of ''Crossroads'' in existence; most of these are from Central Television's run of the show from 1982 to 1988. Over 20 archive volumes of ''Crossroads'', "with each and every surviving episode in transmission order", have been released so far, with ''Crossroads Archive Volume 20'' the most recently released, in April 2009. On 2 November 2009, to coincide with the show's 45th anniversary, Network re-released the 21 volumes – including Volume 1.1, see below – in a 41-disc box-set. Susan Hanson, who played Diane Hunter, appeared on '' The Alan Titchmarsh Show'' and ''
Loose Women ''Loose Women'' (previously known as ''Live Talk'' from 2000 to 2001) is a British talk show that broadcasts on ITV1 weekdays from 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm. The show focuses on a panel of four female presenters who interview celebrities, talk about ...
'' on 6 and 13 November 2009 respectively, to promote the box-set. A black and white ''Crossroads Archive Volume 1.1'' has also been released, containing the episode from April 1965, along with 2 further episodes (nos. 1884 and 1886 from March 1973, which were both originally made in colour but now survive only as black and white
telerecording Kinescope , shortened to kine , also known as telerecording in Britain, is a recording of a television program on motion picture film, directly through a lens focused on the screen of a video monitor. The process was pioneered during the 1940 ...
s). On 1 December 2022, Network distribution announced a new DVD boxset titled ''Crossroads: The Noele Gordon Collection'', a 94-disc DVD boxset. Containing over 700 episodes, of every episode known to exist from 1964, until the episode that originally aired on, 31 December 1981 including Gordon's last appearance in November 1981. Alongside special features, including. Noele's return - the episodes filmed in Venice in 1983, Original trailers and promos. Archive interviews with Noele Gordon, Crossroads: Thirty Years On, and Crossroads Revisited documentaries. An Exclusive photo souvenir magazine and much more! Is due for release on 30 January 2023.


Repeats

From 1996 until 2000, episodes of the original series were repeated on UKTV channel '' UK Gold'', airing three times a day at 7.30am, 12.00pm and 6.00pm starting on Monday 4th November 1996 onwards, the first episode shown was Episode 3543 (originally aired on Thursday 3rd December 1981) until the last original episode (Episode 4510 - aired on Monday 4th April 1988) concluded the repeat run on Friday 28th July 2000. For a brief period between February and September 2015, the original series aired on
Big Centre TV Local TV Birmingham (typeset as LOCAL TV Birmingham) is a British local television station, serving Birmingham, the Black Country, Wolverhampton and Solihull in the West Midlands of England. The station is owned and operated by Local Television ...
on Freeview channel 8 in the Midlands or available online live at 9.00pm each evening Monday to Saturday, which could also be watched free on their catchup service. As of 15 July 2021, a few selected episodes from the original series are available on BritBox, a subscription only service curated by the BBC and ITV. https://www.itv.com/presscentre/britbox/press-releases/britbox-july-2021-highlights


Spin-offs


Comic strip

''Crossroads'' was adapted into a weekly comic strip in 1972 by Dutch comics artist Alfred Mazure, published in TVTimes.Rich Thomassen, ''En Maz creëerde Dick Bos. Het verhaal van de baanbrekende strip'', Aspekt, 2014, page 281-282.


References


External links


Crossroads Appreciation Society
Unofficial and not ITV approved fan club's website. Not endorsed by creators Ling and Adair and Central TV.
Crossroads 2001
All about the second series of ITV's hotel soap opera.
Destination Crossroads
Views and opinions on all three series of the soap. * *
Planet Crossroads
fan site
Freema Agyeman as Lola Wise in Crossroads III 2003


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