"Crossroads" (1964) TV series 1964-1988

Creators:

Hazel Adair
Peter Ling

Seasons:

1 | unknown

Release Date:

2 November 1964 (UK)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

The four or five times a week adventures of a motel owner, son, daughter and her staff. Drama was never far away from the ringing of the reception bell.

Plot Keywords:

Wobbly Sets | Sergeant | Soap

Cast

Elsie Kelly	...	Mrs. Tardebigge / ... (327 episodes, 1968-1988)
Noele Gordon	...	Meg Mortimer / ... (219 episodes, 1964-1981)
Susan Hanson	...	Diane Parker / ... (201 episodes, 1966-1987)
Ronald Allen	...	David Hunter (196 episodes, 1966-1985)
Paul Henry	...	Benny / ... (168 episodes, 1975-1988)
Roger Tonge	...	Sandy Richardson / ... (151 episodes, 1964-1981)

Also Known As:

The Midland Road (UK) (working title)

Runtime:

30 min (4510 episodes)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Colour:

Black and White | Colour

Sound Mix:

Mono

Company:

Associated Television (ATV)

Trivia:

As the series progressed, a small team of scriptwriters (usually three) would each contribute to an episode, following an overall plan laid down by the storyliner from story conferences. One would handle the main 'dramatic' story arc, one the 'humorous' strand and another would write up the remaining topic(s). They worked independently of each other, and their segments would be pieced together by the script editor into the finished programmes.

Movie Connections:

Spin off Crossroads: A Celebration (1971) (TV)

Awfully Wonderful

The previous reviewer is quite right. Crossroads was of the "so bad, it's good" ilk. Still, during its peak it had its followers including the (then) prime minister's wife, Mrs. Mary Wilson, a staunch follower. Crossroads suffered from a hectic schedule, originally five days a week. No time for retakes, so it was not uncommon to see a camera crew whizzing by in the background, or to witness an overhanging microphone at the top of the TV screen. Fluffed lines guaranteed in every episode. In its favor, it did not bring dead and buried characters back to life, or have five different actors play the same character (as is common in US soaps). Aside from those mentioned, there were many other memorable characters such as the mousy postmistress Miss Tatum (Elisabeth Croft), the "tart with a heart" hairdresser Vera Downend (Zeph Gladstone), and the kitchen gossip Amy Turtle (Ann George, who deserved an award for worst actress).

Looking back years later, and having spent ten years in the States, I can only compare Crossroads star Noele Gordon to Susan Lucci, the queen of US soaps. Gordon was hardly the glamorous star that Lucci is, but she was undoubtedly THE queen of the UK soap. When she was unceremoniously dumped from Crossroads in 1981, there was a public outcry, and the soap's fate was sealed (as was Gordon's who never quite got over her dismissal and died four years later). Crossroads was given an overhaul and plodded on for a few more years. In the last episode, Jane Rossington (Gordon's screen daughter who spoke the first lines in 1964) drove off into the distance (sunset unavailable) and it was the end of an era. Crossroads and Coronation Street often replaced each other at No. 1 in the charts, just as Coronation Street and Eastenders do these day. That's how good/bad it was.