Russell T Davies will make his long-awaited return as Doctor Who showrunner next year – but before then, the It’s A Sin creator has another new series coming to our screens.
Three-part drama Nolly will arrive on ITVX in February 2023 and sees Helena Bonham Carter starring as Noele Gordon, the late Crossroads actress whose career was suddenly halted when she was unceremoniously axed from the soap at the peak of her fame.
According to ITV, the new drama will “bring the true Noele Gordon once more into the spotlight”, serving as a “bold exploration of how the establishment turns on women who refuse to play by the rules, the women it cannot understand and the women it fears”.
And now fans have been treated to a first look at the new series, which shows Bonham Carter as Nolly shortly after she received the news that she was being sacked from the show.
“Now remember, you’ve resigned,” she’s told as she prepares to speak to the press. “This is fine, this was always your plan. You’ve handed in your resignation because you wanted to, the decision to resign is yours and yours alone.”
But, as soon as she’s faced with the gathered group of journalists outside, Nolly refuses to play ball.
“Gentlemen, I have been sacked,” she tells them, in no uncertain terms. You can check out the clip in full below.
Speaking exclusively to RadioTimes.com, Davies revealed that the series will be “very mad in places” but also promised that everything included in the show really did happen.
“It’s quite an extraordinary story, and quite an eccentric story,” he said. “It’s very mad in places. A whole generation will remember Benny and Miss Diane of the Crossroads reception, so there’s a lovely sigh of recognition. But that’s not what it’s about.
“It’s also genuinely about the hard work of making a soap opera,” he added. “This still goes on today. Those actors work so phenomenally hard and never get appreciated for it, so I hope it’s waving a flag for all of them.”
The cast for the series – which reunited Davies with executive producer Nicola Shindler – also includes Mark Gatiss, Con O’Neill, and Richard Lintern.
Additional reporting by Abby Robinson
Nolly will air on ITVX in February 2023. For more news, interviews and features, visit our Drama hub, or find something to watch now with our TV Guide and Streaming Guide.
The latest issue of Radio Times is on sale now – subscribe now. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to the Radio Times View From My Sofa podcast.