TVARK | Soaps | British Coronation Street 1960 - 1964 Coronation Street 1960 The classic Granada series made its debut in 1960, created by Tony Warren. This clip show the very first episode Coronation Street 1961 an edition from 1961. Coronation Street 1964 - 1969 At present we don't have a copy of these black and white titles Coronation Street 1969 - 1975 Coronation Street 1970s These opening titles must have been shot from a tower block in Salford. Only 2 shots feature, with slow panning moves to match the signature haunting theme. Notice the shot of The Street was not filmed on the set, as it lacks the viaduct bridge and extends beyond where Alfs Corner shop should be! It was actually filmed on Archie Street, Ordsall in Salford on which Tony Warren based the Granada built set on.

Archie Street was demolished in the 1971, but during it's heyday local residents nicknamed it "Coronarchie Street" because of it's well known association with the soap. Coronation Street 1975 - 1990 1999 Opening and closing credits from 1999 Coronation Street 2001 A change of typeface is introduced in 2001. Clips show the opening and closing credits. Coronation Street 2002 - 2010 Coronation Street 2002 Widescreen arrives to Corrie in 2002. Special effects were used in every shot of this sequence to give the illusion of the street appearing in a real community. High angle shots were taken of the Granada set whilst the same angles were shot in Salford and the two were matched, to create a seamless, totally believable environment. Brilliantly executed sequence produced by the in-house 360media designers Mark Nuttall and Sue Frost.

Aswell as filming the opening shots, a further 15 shots featuring a variety of weather conditions for the beginning and end of parts were also created, to complement different storylines These images below show the real locations in Salford that were filmed for the compositing shots. The opening scene uses a shot looking down Newport Street in Salford, the first row of houses is Knutsford Street, this row was replaced with the Coronation Street set. For the scene looking through the arch, again shows Newport Street and Pembroke Street. The back alley scene again uses an alley way filmed from Newport Street. In the final scene where the tram goes over the viaduct, the images of the tram were filmed from a station in Old Trafford. Coronation Street 2010 - Present Granada Reports - First Look 2010 Coronation Street celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2010, and moves from SD to HD pictures. With the move to HD Corrie needed a new title sequence. Granada Reports previews the new titles here in the week before the launch. Paul Crone was sent to St. Annes Square in Manchester's city centre to see what the public thought of the new look.

Coronation Street 2010 Coronation Street went HD on May 31st 2010 at 7pm. The new opening titles were designed by John Paul Hersey and Andy Goldie of HerseyGoldieFilms. The tiles feature jib shots of various locations around Manchester including The Printworks for the opening shot, Castlefield locks for the second shot and the chimney pots in the final shot were filmed in West Didsbury. The tram is kept and updated to one of Metrolink's new yellow and silver M5000 series. Filmed on a Red camera at 3k and 33fps, with a long lens meant a really narrow depth of field - foreground elements are sharp, and the background action is kept defocussed. The new typeface is called Trajan. Coronation Street 50th Anniversary In 2010 became the world's longest running drama, it also celebrated it's 50th Anniversary. To mark the anniversary a dramatic tram crash storyline was broadcast over a week. After an expolision a tram comes off the viaduct tracks and ploughs into the Corner Shop and The Kabin with a tragic outcome killing off 3 characters.

A special live episode was broadcast on December 9th, 50 years to the day the first live episode was broadcast on December 9th 1960. Corrie 4 Funerals and a Wedding Promo 2010 This very stylish promo teases the upcoming disaster Coronation Street - Tram Crash 2010 The anniversary week began with a 2 part episode of the tram crash. This clip shows the opening sequence which sees Ken walk down Rosamund Street and Coronation Street, as the camera cranes up viewers were treated to seeing more of Weatherfield and what is on the other side of the viaduct. Three other anniversary programmes were shown during the 50th anniversary week - 50 Years 50 Moments, a two part celebration of the best Corrie moments as voted by the writers and fans. Coronation Street Uncovered: Live, on ITV2 viewers phone in and discuss the tram crash, and finally The Big 50, a gala show quiz to finish the 50th celbrations week off with Paul O'Grady.

Coronation Street 50 Years 50 Moments 2010 Coronation Street Uncovered: Live 2010 Coronation Street: The Big 50 2010 Coronation Street new set in Trafford Wharf was revealed to the press in December 2013 and due to open for business in January 2014. Filming ceased on the former set on Quay Street on December 20th 2013. Below are images of the new exterior opposite Media City in Salford. Crossroads Time has moved on in the Crossroads Motel. right clip - The closing credits from 1986. Crossroads Kings Oak 1988 (Central) In a final attempt to boost ratings, the soap expanded to include the goings-on of the villagers of King's Oak, where the Motel was based. But it wasn't enough, the same year the soap ended. Jill Chance drove off into the sunset with her new man, John Maddingham, and Crossroads had finished forever. Or had it?

Here's some photographs of The Ramada Jarvis Hotel in Sutton Coldfield where the exterior shots were taken Crossroads 2001 It's back, relaunched on ITV1 by Carlton, now the owners of Central. The end titles (right) come complete without a continuity announcer talking over them. Crossroads 2003 ITV1 relaunched the soap again in 2003, deliberately camped up in an attempt to appeal to gay viewers. Dismal! Eastenders Eastenders Promotions 1985 BBC1 would never be the same under Michael Grade. A new look and new schedule changed the face of the channel in early 1985 but at the centre of the shake-up was the new supersoap, EastEnders. In the weeks leading up to Episode 1, a series of promos for the series was screened in which the characters would introduce themselves. Here we meet Debs and Andy, Ethel and Sue and Ali. Then, a reminder to tune in from the eve of the show's launch.

Eastenders Pre-Launch Promo Eldorado Coming Soon Promo 1992 A promotional trailer for Eldorado - the brand new BBC soap opera that would become a ratings flop. The series only broadcast for one year - July 6th 1992 until July 9th 1993. Eldorado (First Programme) 6.7.1992 After much trumpeting, Episode 1 of the ill-fated Eldorado arrived on Monday 6 July 1992. It was a guaranteed success, Beeb bosses thought, EastEnders Mark II. More accurately Eldorado was Triangle Mark II; a costly failure axed after just a year. BBC1 even laid on Crocodile Dundee afterwards, as this trail shows. ITV, however, put out an hour-long Coronation Street which was designed to "strangle Eldorado at birth", as they put it. Andy Taylor is the announcer who heralds Episode 1 with a simple "You're watching BBC1". Was he too embarrassed to say anything else? Judge for yourself and relive one of the BBC's most infamous nights.

Eldorado The last ever episode of Eldorado, including the end credits Emmerdale Emergency Ward Ten 1957-67 (ATV London) British TV's first ever medical soap opera, set in the fictional Oxbridge Hospital, was shown twice weekly on Tuesdays and Fridays. The cast included 21 year-old John Alderton as Dr Moore, and Richard Thorp as Dr Rennie - Thorp is now better known as Alan Turner in Emmerdale. Other doctors and specialists were played by Gabriel Woolfe and Desmond Carrington Among the patients were Albert Finney, Joanna Lumley & Ian Hendry. The clip is from a particular episode that caused a stir in the early 60s, containing British TV's first ever multi-racial kiss.. Emergency Ward Ten Trailer 1957-67 (ATV London) Meanwhile, the 60-second trailer was shown on ITV in 1957, with two members of the cast addressing the camera in character. A nurse tells us which patient annoys her the most, while a smug-looking doctor tells her to tell us not to miss the show. They don't make 'em like this anymore!

Family Affairs Gems 1985 Gems was a networked daytime serial made by Thames , and broadcast 3 times a week. It ran for three series, and was set in a small fashion house in London's Covent Garden. 'Gems' was a company ran by two brothers, Stephen and Alan Stone, who, despite being business partners had little in common, and therefore friction arose. Stephen was a designer with a roving eye for women, while Alan, who looked after the financial affairs was happily married with two children. One contributor to a website is quoted as saying "The first two series were excellent, featuring highly believable actors, but the final one was a lack-lustre affair. By then, I was glad to see it go. Ho Hum." Howards Way Howards Way 1987 OK, so Howard's Way is NOT a soap in the strict sense, just one of those Sunday night 'continuing drama' series. Point taken. But it affected soap glamour and sensation, ending up as a load of old soapy t** w***! Maurice Colbourne starred in it, giving the lead character Tom Howard a certain gravitas, but he was backed up by most of Equity's poorest....

Produced by BBC Pebble Mill Howards Way 1983 Take The High Road 1987 Take the High Road was set in the fictional Scottish village of Glendarroch. Shown twice a week on the ITV network. The soap started in 1980 and was eventually axed by the Scottish TV in 2003. The filming location was the village of Luss, on the banks of Loch Lomond, near Glasgow. The programme title also changed to 'High Road' in 1995. Take The High Road Another Take The High Road clip with some Central continuity High Road Triangle Triangle 1980s Triangle was a BBC television soap opera in the early 1980s, set aboard a North Sea ferry which sailed a triangular route between Felixstowe, Amsterdam and Gothenburg. The series ran for three seasons before being cancelled, but is still generally remembered as "some of the most mockable British television ever produced". The scripts involved clichï¿½d relationships and stilted dialogue, making the show the butt of several jokes (particularly on Terry Wogan's morning Radio 2 programme) which caused some embarrassment to the BBC.

This page has been written and presented by Hayden Walker. The information presented on this page has been researched by me on behalf of TV ARK and is offered in good faith, correct to the best of my knowledge. If any factual errors have appeared here inadvertently, then I would be delighted to hear from anyone wishing to offer corrections. All opinions expressed are my own and no offence is intended. Should they be a cause of concern or distress to any readers, please inform me immediately so that I can remove or amend them accordingly. TV programmes made in Birmingham: Crossroads - Birmingham Mail What's On TV programmes made in Birmingham: Crossroads Popular soap was made at ATV/Central studios in Birmingham with location filming across the Midlands including exterior shots at a hotel in Sutton Coldfield Share Actors Jane Rossington (who played Jill Chance), Ronald Allen (David Hunter) and Sue Lloyd (Barbara Hunter) at the Crossroads Motel Share Get What's On updates directly to your inbox + Subscribe Could not subscribe, try again laterInvalid Email Television soap opera Crossroads was made in Birmingham. The show was broadcast between 1964 and 1988 and produced by ATV until 1981 and then by its successor Central.

A revived version made by Carlton Television was launched in 2001 and cancelled in 2003. The series was set in the fictional Crossroads Motel in the equally fictional suburb of Kings Oak - most likely an amalgam of the real area names Kings Norton and Selly Oak - with interior scenes shot at studios in Broad Street and Gas Street in Birmingham. Several buildings were used for exterior shots of the motel over the years including Walford Hall near Baschurch in Shropshire, Golden Valley Hotel in Cheltenham and Penns Hall Hotel (now the Ramada) in Sutton Coldfield . Baschurch and then Tanworth-in-Arden stood in for Kings Oak when outside shots of the surrounding area were needed in the programme. Occasionally, Bournville , Yardley , Sutton Coldfield, Handsworth , Alvechurch and Cannock were also used.

View gallery Among locations used for Crossroads stories were LM Motors in Bristol Road South, Northfield ; the Esso petrol station in Reddicap Heath Road, Sutton Coldfield; House of Robin Leisure Centre in Bournville; Moseley Modern Secondary School; Dame Elizabeth Cadbury School in Bournville; Holy Trinity church in Smethwick ; Birmingham Register Office; Birmingham Cathedral (where Meg and Hugh Mortimer’s marriage was blessed); Ward End Library; Beecher House in Cradley Heath; and Liberty’s nightclub on Hagley Road. During the mid-1980s, the Birmingham Mail’s former offices at Colmore Circus in Birmingham city centre were used as the setting of the fictional Midland Gazette. Other locations included the Gas Street Basin (called King’s Oak Canal in the story) while the Chateau Impney hotel near Droitwich (named Droitwich Hotel on screen) was where the wedding reception of Meg and Hugh Mortimer was filmed. Filming was also carried out at the long-gone Penderfield Airfield near Wolverhampton - seen on screen as the private runway of the Crossroads Motel.

Half Penny Green Airport (now Wolverhampton Airport) was where the studio set was taken and set alight in 1981 for a storyline in which the motel reception burned down. In addition, a fake graveyard was created at the airport for the filming of Meg Richardson’s funeral - this was never shown on screen but was an elaborate plan to mislead journalists trying to find out how Noele Gordon’s character would be leaving the series. The revived version of Crossroads in 2001-2003 was still set in the West Midlands, but was recorded in Nottingham with exterior shots filmed in and around Nottingham. Crossroads (TV series) Crossroads (TV series) IMDb profile Crossroads was a British television soap opera set in a motel near Birmingham , England . It was first broadcast on ITV between 2 November 1964 and 4 April 1988 produced by ATV ( 1964 - 1981 ) and Central Independent Television ( 1982 - 1988 ). The programme was not adopted immediately by all of the ITV regions; it was not shown across the whole ITV network until the early 1970s.

During the 1970s and 1980s it became a byword for cheap production values, unlikely storylines and poor acting, yet was still one of the most popular programmes on British television. Spoiler warning : Plot and/or ending details follow. Contents [ edit ] ATV series Crossroads first aired five days a week, until the ITA decreed that it would go to four airings a week in 1967 , in order to keep storylines from being watered-down and in an attempt to improve the programme's quality, Dorothy Hobson recalled in her book about the series this ITA action was carried out despite their own research showing that the show was popular with viewers. The ITA decided to appease the press and industry critics by cutting an episode, the 'quality' replacement they called for ended up being talent contest ' New Faces '. In 1979 the decision was made to cut the show to three weekly showings from 1980 onwards.

ATV had planned to replace the 'fourth episode' with a spin-off serial called 'A Family Affair' as confirmed in the 1980 book of the same name - however with the arrival of a new Head of Drama, Margaret Matheson, this idea was dropped. The location of the Crossroads Motel was a fictional village near Birmingham, " King's Oak " (there are real Birmingham suburbs called Kings Norton and Selly Oak ). The main character in the original series was motel owner Meg Richardson, played by Noele Gordon . Meg's children - Jill ( Jane Rossington ) and Sandy ( Roger Tonge ) - also played a prominent role in the storylines. Other major characters during the early years of the show included the chef Carlos Raphael ( Anthony Morton ); the postman Vince Parker ( Peter Brookes ) and his waitress wife Diane ( Susan Hanson ); Brummie waitress Marilyn Gates ( Sue Nicholls ), the postmistress Miss. Tatum ( Elisabeth Croft ) and the charlady Amy Turtle ( Ann George ), a character later satirised by Julie Walters as "Mrs Overall" in the Victoria Wood spoof Acorn Antiques ) in 1985 .

However, Crossroads fans at the time felt that whilst Mrs Overall's fluffing of her lines and position as char at the antiques shop were based on Amy, the character's mannerisms, voice and clothing were far more evocative of Charmian Eyre's character Mavis Hooper, who appeared in the series from 1981 - 1985 . Later additions to the cast included Ronald Allen as the suave manager David Hunter, Sue Lloyd as his wife Barbara, Angus Lennie as obstreperous Scottish chef Shughie McFee, Zeph Gladstone as hairdresser Vera Downend, Tony Adams as accountant Adam Chance and Kathy Staff as cleaner Doris Luke. Easily the most memorable character however was the village-idiot character Benny Hawkins ( Paul Henry ), whose trademark was a woolly hat worn all year around. His fans included British troops serving in the Falklands War in 1982 , who nicknamed locals 'Bennies' after the character. (The troops were soon instructed not to call the Falkland islanders 'Bennies'. They then adopted the name 'Stills' for the locals - because they were "still Bennies").

Despite being critically derided for its low production values and far-fetched scripts, Crossroads nevertheless was hugely popular - high profile fans included Mary Wilson , the wife of former Prime Minister Harold Wilson ) - and maintained high ratings and a loyal audience throughout its 24-year run on ITV . The federation-style of regional companies that ITV was in the past meant that some stations, particularly new ones, tended to drop Crossroads, due to its' reputation. In 1968 the new London station Thames Television decided against continuing to show the soap opera as its' predecessor Rediffusion had done. This brought howls of protest, allegedly including complaints from Harold Wilson; Six months later it was restored but viewers in London were six months behind other areas for many years to come. Some viewers living in the east of the Granada Television region were reported to have redirected their aerials to receive coverage from Yorkshire Television as they showed the series while Granada didn't.

[ citation needed ] It should also be noted that the series dealt with a number of controversial storylines - Sandy Richardson was injured in a car accident and left confined to a wheelchair, becoming the first paraplegic regular character in British soap opera, a sadly ironic story as the actor Roger Tonge himself ended up in a wheelchair as the 70s progessed, the introduction of garage mechanic Joe MacDonald ( Carl Andrews ) as the first black character to appear regularly in a British soap and the test tube baby born to Glenda and Kevin Banks ( Lynette McMorrough and David Moran ). There was a big inter-racial summer romance in 1977 between cockney garage mechanic, Dennis Harper (played by Merlin Ward but credited as Guy Ward) and Motel receptionist Meena Chaudri (Karan David). [ edit ] Central TV series Crossroads was made by ATV until the company lost its broadcast franchise at the end of 1981 and was relaunched with new management as Central , who began to make various controversial changes to the series.

To public outcry, Noele Gordon was sacked in 1981 - Meg was initially thought to have died in a fire that gutted the motel but later turned up alive aboard the QE2 about to sail away to a new life overseas. Crossroads carried on with the same name and many of the same characters until March 1985 , when it was totally overhauled with new filming locations, new sets - and many new characters. More long-term characters, such as David and Barbara Hunter, were axed from the show. The theme tune was updated and new longer opening titles were introduced. The show was renamed Crossroads Motel with many of the storylines revolving around new motel owner Nicola Freeman ( Gabrielle Drake ). In 1987 , a new producer, William Smethurst took over Crossroads and he was ordered to change the soap into a wittier, more upmarket serial, by shifting the focus onto the nearby village of King's Oak. Yet more long-running characters, such as Diane Hunter, were dropped, much to the regret of the show's fans, who jammed Central's telephone switchboard, many of them in tears, to protest.

The character Benny Hawkins was last seen in episodes broadcast in late 1987 . Plans were set out in April 1987 to change the show beyond recognition. It was to be called 'Kings Oak' and would have brand new opening titles, and a totally new theme tune. The motel/hotel would be renamed and the "Crossroads" name lost forever. The new theme tune and look went ahead, in the transitional phase the show was known as "Crossroads, King's Oak", but the grand vision came unstuck, as plans to axe the show were announced in June 1987 . Crossroads Kings Oak finally came to an end in 1988 . The last, specially extended, episode was broadcast on Easter Monday, 4 April, with Crossroads finally becoming "The King's Oak Country Hotel" and Jill riding off into the sunset with lover John Maddingham ( Jeremy Nicholas ). As she left King's Oak behind for a new life in the West, she was asked what she would name the new hotel she would be running.

She remarked, a little sadly, "I always thought Crossroads was an awfully good name." [ edit ] Crossroads Locations A number of real life hotels doubled up as 'Crossroads Motel'. The original 'Crossroads' was filmed actually at a real motel just south of Birmingham City Centre. It was called CherryTrees, however it closed many years ago and the buildings made famous by Crossroads were demolished in 2001 . After CherryTree's and the infamous motel fire (in the series) The Golden Valley Hotel in Cheltenham made its debut in 1982 as the post fire revamped complex. Later 'Penns Hall Hotel' in Sutton Coldfield became 'Crossroads' in 1985 . The story line devised to explain the new look 1985 motel was one of major rebuilding work. This also saw brand new studio sets to tie-in with the change of filming locations. Tanworth-in-Arden was used for King's Oak location filming from 1970 - when the programme was given the use of a film unit - although "outside scenes" were only used occasionally, although after 1982 much more location footage was used.

Wolverhampton was also used for some early King's Oak location filming. Other locations include the canal directly behind ATV's former studios in Birmingham City Centre, this was the 'Kings Oak Canal' in Crossroads where Jill had a barge. The Chateau Impney Hotel featured numerous times - famously when Hugh proposed to Meg there in 1973, and they held their wedding party at the location two years later - in the series the Chateau Impney was renamed Droitwich Hotel. In 1985 Crossroads gained its first set of 'full length' opening titles, these were filmed around Sutton Coldfield and Birmingham City Centre. [ edit ] Carlton series Crossroads was subsequently revived as a Carlton Television production with a more glossy format (Carlton having bought Central and acquired the rights to all ATV programmes) in 2001 . The relaunched series returned in March 2001 and was broadcast at 5pm on weekdays on ITV1. The only familiar characters to reappear were the cleaner Doris Luke ( Kathy Staff ), Jill Richardson (Harvey) and her ex-husband Adam Chance ( Tony Adams ). Initial reactions from the critics were favourable but there were some continuity-related storyline puzzles.

[ citation needed ] Jill Chance had apparently married John Maddingham, who had later died, but she was now calling herself "Jill Harvey" again. She hadn't been Jill Harvey since her marriage to Adam Chance in 1983. References were made to the Russell family taking over a "failing motel", but Crossroads had become a hotel in the late 1980s. In the final episode of the original series, "King's Oak Country Hotel" was clearly seen emblazoned over the hotel entrance doors. Lack of any real links to the past and the killing of Jill just a few months into the run turned many fans of the original series away. [ citation needed ] Despite this, the series did pick up a respectable number of viewers to become one of ITV's highest rating daytime shows. 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 ). Unfortunately the producers used a break in production to re-vamp the show once again.

(The show was off-air from August 2002 - January 2003) The re-modelled series appeared to be a self-consciously camp parody, with Jane Asher cast as new central character, the glamorous and bitchy Angel Samson. The series also featured guest appearances from the likes of Kate O'Mara , Lionel Blair , Les Dennis and Tim Brooke-Taylor . Eventually after a few months the falling ratings led to the axe. The storyline of the final episode (broadcast in May 2003) was the revelation that the glamorous hotel had been a dream that had been dreamt by Supermarket worker Angela. Angela was of course the 'real life' Angel. All of the other characters were also revealed to be just ordinary shoppers at the Supermarket. During this final episode, Angela approaches a female customer in the Supermarket and proclaims that she recognises her as Tracey from the 'TV soap Crossroads' which would suggest that it was only this series that was supposed to be the dream and therefore had no real connection to what had gone before.

However, even this didn't work, as Jane Gurnett's character (Kate) was shown to be one of Angela's colleagues in the supermarket, yet Kate was Tracey Booth's mother-in-law in the 2001-2 series. [ edit ] Trivia During its original run the show was usually only 20 minutes long excluding commercials. To save time, there was no opening title sequence, simply a title caption superimposed over the start of the first scene, accompanied by a brief snatch of the theme music . The show's closing titles originally consisted of two superimposed roller captions, one vertical and one horizontal. As one credit would roll off screen vertically the next would roll on horizontally, and vice-versa, thus symbolising the show's title. Until the mid- 1980s the show would always end with a brief post-credits scene in which a character would speak a single line of dramatic dialogue, before the final bar of the theme tune played over the closing ATV/Central logo. In the 70s, Wings recorded an alternative arrangement of the show's theme music which was meant to be played over the closing credits whenever the show ended on a particularly dramatic cliffhanger.

The show was parodied in Acorn Antiques , a spoof soap opera which was a regular sketch on Victoria Wood - As Seen On TV , screened in the mid- 1980s . 2006 it is a hit musical touring Britain. Victoria Wood is a member of the Crossroads Appreciation Society, and sometimes uses this fact in her jokes. [ edit ] DVD release Very few archive recordings exist before 1981 because ATV wiped and re-used most of the videotapes, and no episode survives before September 1966. Network have issued two volumes of the series on DVD (Region 2, UK) with twelve of the original ATV episodes (the first release including Meg's 1975 wedding, the highest rating' edition) in 2005 in each volume. A third volume will be released in February 2007 . The third release had been delayed due to the loss of ATV documents listing what episodes still exist, and Granada Television staff having to use other resources to locate the episodes required.

Crossroads (Soap Opera) Encyclopedia Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia Crossroads (Soap Opera) Encyclopedia Wiki Edit This is a wiki on the TV soap opera Crossroads which began in November 1964 and ran until April 1988 and was resurrected in 2001 and axed again in 2003. From Meg Mortimer to Benny the handyman this wiki aims to be a comprehensive biography of the ATV soap opera which was screen on ITV. In the 1970s Crossroads was beating Coronation Street in the ratings. Noele Gordon played Meg Mortimer who was in many fans eyes the star of the show. Crossroads 2003 - The Final Episode ITV - YouTube Crossroads 2003 - The Final Episode ITV Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. The interactive transcript could not be loaded. Loading... Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later.

Published on Apr 14, 2014 Final ever episode to ITV's long running soap opera Crossroads Category Crossroads (soap opera) - Wikipedia, Photos and Videos Crossroads (soap opera) NEXT GO TO RESULTS [51 .. 100] WIKIPEDIA ARTICLE Website Crossroads was a British television soap opera that ran on ITV . Set in a fictional motel (later a hotel) in the Midlands in England, 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. [1] It was created by Hazel Adair and Peter Ling and produced by ATV (until the end of 1981) and then by ATV's successor, Central Independent Television until 1988. The series was revived by Carlton Television in 2001, however due to low ratings it was cancelled again in 2003.

Contents 1964–1988[ edit ] The original premise of Crossroads was based around two feuding sisters, Kitty Jarvis (Beryl Johnstone) and Meg Richardson (Noele Gordon). [2] Meg was a wealthy woman who, with the help of her late husband Charles's 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 was on the outskirts of Birmingham. With Charles, Meg had two children. The elder was a girl named Jill (born 1946) followed by Alexander (known as Sandy) in 1950. Kitty, on the other hand, was married to the unemployed Dick and was not wealthy. Dick and Kitty bought 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, born in 1945. The idea of the sisters feuding was soon dropped. The show had several characters in its early years.

They included Meg and Kitty's brother, Andy Fraser, who became engaged and later married to motel secretary Ruth Bailey in 1965. Hotel chef Carlos Raphael and his wife Josefina who was a waitress along with Marilyn Gates. Kitchen assistant Amy Turtle , later briefly arrested as a suspected Soviet spy, [3] joined the series in 1965 as did postmistress Miss Edith Tatum. Also featured was motel handyman and groundsman Philip Winter. Long running character Diane Lawton arrived in 1966. Other additions included Meg's close friend, former actress, Tish Hope; the suave manager and later motel director David Hunter; his first wife Rosemary and son Chris and his second wife Barbara; chefs Mr. Lovejoy, Mr. Booth and Shughie McFee; hairdresser Vera Downend; the Harvey family, consisting of father Wilf and his grown children Stan and Sheila; accountant and later motel manager Adam Chance; and cleaner Doris Luke. Perhaps the most memorable character proved to be the "village idiot" Benny Hawkins, whose trademark was a woolly hat worn all year round.

His fans included British troops serving in the Falklands War in 1982, who nicknamed the Falkland Islanders "Bennies" after the character. [4] Instructed to stop using the name, the troops came up with "Stills" for locals - because they were "still Bennies". [5] Over the years the series dealt with storylines which were controversial for the times. A single parent working at the motel seems staid now, but was hugely controversial in the mid-1960s; Sandy Richardson was injured in a car accident in 1972 and need to use a wheelchair, the first paraplegic regular character portrayed in British soap opera. This permanent character development was made to accommodate actor Roger Tonge who had been developing increasing ill health. In the months running up to the character's accident, Tonge had become increasingly immobile and was limited in scenes to sitting, lying in bed or standing rigidly still. Rather than lose the character, the accident storyline allowed the actor to use his wheelchair on screen. 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 (played by Cleo Sylvestre ) arrived at the motel in 1970 as Meg's foster daughter (itself a taboo issue). Cleo was given the role by producer Reg Watson after press coverage of racial tensions in the Birmingham area at that time. [6] In 1978, garage mechanic Joe MacDonald (played by Carl Andrews ) arrived. The year before, an inter-racial summer romance took place between Cockney garage mechanic, Dennis Harper (played by Merlin Ward, but credited as 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 born to Glenda and Kevin Banks (played by Lynette McMorrough and David Moran). The subject of Down syndrome was also raised in 1983 with an insight into the life of Nina Weill, [7] a little girl who, as Nina Paget, was befriended by three of the regular Crossroads characters.

The character of Meg Mortimer was axed in 1981 and was thought to have died in a fire that gutted the motel, but turned up alive aboard the QE2 , about to sail to a new life overseas. Newspapers reported that two endings were planned for Meg - one that she would die in the fire, the other would have her disappear for a while and turn up on the QE2. Viewers were surprised to see producers had used both. Meg returned briefly in 1983 for a reunion with Jill and Adam on their honeymoon in Venice. In 1985, new producer Phillip Bowman was planning to bring the character of Meg Mortimer 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. 2001–2003[ edit ] With the revival in 2001, changes were made to characters and stories.

The returning character of Jill Chance had married John Maddingham and 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. 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. ATV era[ edit ] Crossroads title sequence (1969) 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 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. [2] 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 '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 it was placed in a late afternoon slot [8] but, as a result of the gap in transmissions, viewers in the Thames region were about six months behind the rest of the country for several years. [2] Crossroads was not fully networked until 1972, [8] when Granada, Tyne Tees and Yorkshire took it. (Each ITV station was able to broadcast the episodes at different times on the same day). Though by the early 1970s it was second only to Coronation Street in the ratings [9] it did, occasionally, in the mid-1970s beat Coronation Street gaining audiences of up to 15 million viewers during the decade. [7] 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, with the chairman of the IBA Lady Plowden reportedly [10] describing the soap opera as "distressingly popular".

[11] ATV planned to replace the fourth episode with a spin-off series called A Family Affair, [12] but this idea was dropped. Series star Noele Gordon , who played matriarch Meg Richardson, regularly won the TV Times Most Popular Female Personality viewers award during the 1970s. [3] 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". [13] The series producer Jack Barton agreed with Denton, thinking that Gordon's character had become too dominant, [7] but the episode gained heavy coverage in the press for some time. [14] Central era[ edit ] Crossroads Kings Oak title sequence (1987–1988) ATV, having lost its ITV franchise at the end of 1980, 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. [15] Further changes were introduced in March 1985, when new filming locations, sets and characters were introduced.

Many storylines began to revolve around the new motel owner, Nicola Freeman (played by Gabrielle Drake ). More long-term characters, such as David and Barbara Hunter, 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. In 1986, a new producer, William Smethurst, took over following the sacking of his predecessor, Philip Bowman. Smethurst, who had been brought in by Central Television's new head of drama, Ted Childs , ordered changes, aimed at creating a wittier, more upmarket serial, and at improving the production values of the show. Smethurst shifted the narrative centre to the nearby village of King's Oak. Yet more long-running characters, such as Diane Hunter and Benny Hawkins, 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; he had, after all, reversed the declining fortunes of the BBC radio soap The Archers . Smethurst insisted he only got the flak because his was the name the public knew. [16] Michelle Buck guided the show through its final few months on air as series producer, with William Smethurst still on hand as executive producer. Further changes included the series being renamed Crossroads Kings Oak for a time, with the intention in the future of shortening this to merely Kings Oak. Also, the familiar theme tune was replaced 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. However, this final change was overtaken by the decision in June 1987 by Andy Allen, Central's director of programmes, to axe the series. 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 ).

The last, extended episode saw the character of Jill ( Jane Rossington ) riding off with her 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[ edit ] Crossroads title sequence (2001–2002) In April 2000, Carlton Television 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 (Carlton having bought Central back in 1993) to the surprise of the wider media. [17] 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 . 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: Doris Luke ( Kathy Staff ), Jill Harvey ( née Richardson), Jill's ex-husband Adam Chance ( Tony Adams ), and Jill's daughter Sarah-Jane Harvey (Joanne Farrell/Holly Newman). Initial reactions were favourable; [18] however, changes in story from the original were puzzling for fans and did not help ratings. Kathy Staff left in dismay at the amount of sex, [19] and told ITV Teletext she felt it was no longer the family-friendly show she had originally been part of. The decision to kill original character Jill Harvey, who was murdered by ex-husband Adam Chance three months into the series' revival, proved unpopular with fans of the original show. [20] Jane Rossington said she did not want to commit herself to another long run in the show, but warned Carlton it would be suicidal to kill Jill. [20] Jane Asher appeared in Crossroads as Angel Samson in 2003 Episode 137 of the second 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 BST.

At the halfway commercial-break point however, the programme was interrupted to hand over to ITV News for then very sketchy details of the developing situation in the USA . As the afternoon went on and the seriousness of the situation became clear, all ITV Network daytime programmes, starting with CITV transmissions at 15:15, were relegated to Digital Terrestrial Television channel ITV2 to continue rolling news coverage. The semi-dropped episode was therefore transmitted in full on ITV2 at 17:30 BST. However, at the time, the channel was only available to a small number of viewers able to view the subscription-based ITV Digital , Telewest or NTL . As a result, the episode remains unseen by most of the programme's regular fanbase, including the entire Channel Islands who could not receive ITV Digital. A short re-cap of events in Episode 137 was screened before both the 14:10 and 17:05 showings of Episode 138 on 12 September 2001. The episode was included in the Omnibus edition that Sunday; again, however, this only went out on ITV2 .

The series was reduced to four episodes a week from November 2001 until January 2002. The series went into a hiatus from August 2002 to 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 - the glamorous and bitchy Angel Samson. [21] The series also featured appearances from Kate O'Mara , and people associated with light entertainment , such as Lionel Blair , Les Dennis and Tim Brooke-Taylor . The revived series also launched the careers of Freema Agyeman ( Doctor Who , Law & Order: UK ), Luke Roberts ( Holby City and Mile High ), Lucy Pargeter , Shauna Shim and Jessica Fox . Yvon Grace admitted she was aiming the new Crossroads towards the LGBT TV audience, but fans were not happy with her ambivalence towards unresolved storylines from the 2001-2002 run.

[22] 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. [23] With ratings continuing to decline, the revived series was also axed in March 2003, [24] with the final episode being broadcast on Friday 30 May 2003. The 2003 series was criticised by fans who felt the series had moved away from the 1964-88 series and the 2001-02 series, as well as being "too gay". Later, Jane Asher apologised to fans as a result of the way the 2003 series went. [25] Theme tune[ edit ] The Crossroads theme tune was composed by Tony Hatch . In 2004 Hatch said: "The budget for the music was low and it would have to be recorded in a TV studio in Birmingham - not the perfect acoustic conditions in comparison with the dedicated music recording studios I was used to. ... The original theme was actually two tunes.

Each one represented one of the families and these tunes could be played separately or, because they shared the same chord sequence, together in counterpoint with each other. ... As the budget was small I decided to use a small rhythm section plus a harp and feature the first theme on a 12-string guitar with the second theme played on the oboe. Right at the beginning I put the famous 9-note motif - the call-sign which gets the family in front of the TV set." [26] 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 also used from the late seventies, usually when an episode ended with a dramatic event.

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 and Max Early, with the CBSO . This later formed the basis of the single released by actress Shona Linsdey, "Goodbye", to commemorate the end of the show in 1988. 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 . Locations[ edit ] 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. Kings Oak In 1970, the series gained a film 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 an agricultural college in Shropshire .

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 in Cheltenham ; [27] from 1985 filming moved to the Penns Hall Hotel (now Ramada Jarvis Birmingham) in Sutton Coldfield , 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 Vera 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 , 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 in Nottingham . Critical reception[ edit ] Despite the popularity of Crossroads with the viewing public, the show was often criticised by TV reviewers and ridiculed by British comedians. [1] 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." [1] 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 ." [1] The revived series also received mixed reviews from critics. [28] [29] Acorn Antiques[ edit ] Spoof soap opera Acorn Antiques , created by comedian Victoria Wood as part of Victoria Wood As Seen On TV , is a deliberate parody of Crossroads. [30] The final episode of As Seen on TV in 1987 features a hoax documentary, 'The Making of Acorn Antiques', in which the actress playing Mrs Overall ( Julie Walters ) - a character based on Crossroads' Amy Turtle - 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, both 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 and making a dramatic speech, just as Gordon did. DVD release[ edit ] Very few recordings officially exist of episodes broadcast before the end of 1981 [31] because ATV wiped and re-used most of the videotapes , and no episode survives before no.126 from April 1965. Network DVD 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 Granada Television 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 DVD was in the process of releasing all the surviving episodes 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 DVD re-released the 21 volumes - including Volume 1.1, see below - in a 41-disc box-set.

The move angered some fans who had already bought the individual volumes on their original release. 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 telerecordings ). Repeats[ edit ] From 1996 until 2001, episodes of the original series were repeated on UKTV channel, UK Gold . Since 2015, the original series has aired on Big Centre TV on Freeview channel 8 in the Midlands or available online live at 9.00pm each evening Monday to Saturday, which can also be watched on the catchup service free. Comic strip[ edit ] Crossroads was adapted into a weekly comic strip in 1972 by Dutch comics artist Alfred Mazure , published in TVTimes . [32] Welcome to Crossroads 2001 An unofficial website celebrating the ITV and Carlton revival of one of Britains most famous soap operas.

The site began in 2003 and we are now the longest running, continually updated site dedicated to the new series of Crossroads. We were given permission to use images by Carlton Television in 2003 and we are proud to work closely with the Crossroads Appreciation Society in preserving the history of this small part of the Crossroads story. Crossroads 2001 as it is generally known was first broadcast on 5th March 2001. It featured four characters from the classic series, including Jill Harvey (Jane Rossington), Adam Chance (Tony Adams) and Doris Luke (Kathy Staff). Joining them were familiar faces from television including Jane Gurnett as Kate Russell, Roger Sloman as Rocky Wesson and Sherrie Hewson as Virginia Raven. Originally planned as a replacement for Home and Away when ITV was outbid by Channel Five, the show was based on the hugely popular motel soap that had been broadcast on ITV between 1964 and 1988. In keeping with the original series it was set in a family run hotel in Kings Oak, a small village just outside Birmingham.

In reality it was filmed at the Lenton Lane studio complex in Nottingham (home to other shows such as Peak Practice, Supermarket Sweep and Family Fortunes) and in several of the neighbouring villages including Bingham and Redmile. In an attempt to banish the somewhat persistent reputation of the original series, Carlton spent millions of pounds building an impressive (and remarkably sturdy) set that even featured working lifts and furniture produced by genuine hotel suppliers to give an added touch of reality to the four star establishment. Initial expectations for the series were high and at one point it was even hoped that the show might lead to guided tours of the Lenton Lane complex (similar in style to the Granada Studios Tour in Manchester) However this was sadly not to be. Despite impressive reviews for the opening episodes, and over 9 million viewers (in total) watching the first episode, interest in the show failed to reach the heights of the classic series. After such a positive reception, the press (and indeed many fans of the original series) turned on the show. This was brought to a head when series mainstay Jill (played since 1964 by Jane Rossington) was murdered on her wedding day by new husband Adam (Tony Adams).

This was completely out of character and only served to highlight the differences (and many continuity errors) from the original series. In the end, the producers decided to make substantial changes which led to the show being off air for several months, dropping several gripping storylines in the process and losing many popular characters. This resulted in a drop in viewing figures and the shows cancellation in 2003. Ultimately the show remains one of ITVs most successful daytime programmes, having regularly reached audiences of 3.5 million viewers, and although it only lasted for 320 episodes it was well written, well acted, fun, escapist drama. What more could you want from your favourite soap? Heathbury, August 2016 Feel free to look around the site. If you worked on Crossroads between 2000 and 2003, or if you have any memories of the show that you would like to share with us, then please get in touch using the address at the top of the page.

Question: Kings Oak was the location for which TV soap opera?
Answer: CROSSROADS