Nolly - General Discussion

[chitowngirl]

Nolly, starring Helena Bonham Carter (The Crown, Harry Potter) debuts on PBS on Sunday, March 17, 2024 at 9/8c. The Guardian (UK) calls Bonham Carter’s performance “brilliantly camp” and the series itself “impeccably put together.”

Nolly reveals the story of Noele “Nolly” Gordon, one of the most famous faces on British TV in the 1960s and 70s, whose unceremonious firing from her hit show at the height of her career was front-page news. A bold exploration of how the establishment turns on women who refuse to play by the rules, Nolly is an outrageously fun and wildly entertaining ride through Gordon’s most tumultuous years, and a sharp, affectionate, and heart-breaking portrait of a forgotten icon.

Along with Academy Award®-nominated Bonham Carter, the cast includes Mark Gatiss (Sherlock, Game of Thrones), Con O’Neil (Happy Valley, Our Flag Means Death), and Augustus Prew (The Morning Show, About a Boy), among others.

[JudyObscure]

Sounds fun, but when did a new story, written by a screen writer, become a masterpiece?

[DanaK]

27 minutes ago, JudyObscure said:

Sounds fun, but when did a new story, written by a screen writer, become a masterpiece?

That’s just the label PBS uses for some of their British imports

Speaking of the show, here’s the trailer from PBS

 

[chitowngirl]

All 3 episodes are up on Passport….

Edited March 18 by chitowngirl

[DanaK]

I laughed when Nolly called the press to assemble and revealed she was sacked instead of the cover story that she resigned

Pretty good, entertaining episode. Nolly sure lorded it over the show, at least according to this series

[AngieBee1]

Absolutely adored it and was so disappointed that there was no BAFTA love for Helena Bonham Carter and Augustus Prew.

[libgirl2]

That was really fun! Looking forward to next episode. 

[Badger]

Here's a link to a youtube video about the real Noelle Gordon

It has spoilers in it so you might want to hold off until the show finishes to watch it.

[proserpina65]

Honestly, I could see why they wanted to fire Nolly, or at least not extend her contract.  If they were looking to take the show in a different direction, and hiring an actress with a regional accent they actually wanted her to use hinted at that for me, she'd have been very resistant to any changes which did not meet with her approval.  Of course, the way they did it was lousy, but hardly some national scandal, imo.  I'll probably watch the rest since it's only 3 episodes but I can't I enjoyed it, exactly.

[Driad]

Do the writers want us to like Nolly or not?  Her line about a coworker "may be late, I saw her at the bus stop when I went past in my car" sounded like a character we are expected to hate, but in some later scenes Nolly was more sympathetic. 

[sugarbaker design]

11 minutes ago, Driad said:

Do the writers want us to like Nolly or not?  Her line about a coworker "may be late, I saw her at the bus stop when I went past in my car" sounded like a character we are expected to hate, but in some later scenes Nolly was more sympathetic. 

Personally, I love a deeply flawed protagonist.  It will be interesting to see what transpires in the next two episodes.  I'm not familiar with the actor who plays Adams, but I'm developing a serious crush.

[DanaK]

The show got some Bafta TV nominations.

Leading Actress for Helena Bonham Carter

Original Music: Fiction

Production Design

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/bafta-tv-awards-nominations-2024-the-crown-black-mirror-1235855482/

[EtheltoTillie]

I have a question about episode one. At the rehearsal Nolly was scoffing about Poppy’s having learned the whole script by heart. But then it seemed she was secretly doing just that at home. Did I understand correctly?  The real Nolly was apparently trained at RADA. 

[sugarbaker design]

3 minutes ago, EtheltoTillie said:

I have a question about episode one. At the rehearsal Nolly was scoffing about Poppy’s having learned the whole script by heart. But then it seemed she was secretly doing just that at home. Did I understand correctly?  The real Nolly was apparently trained at RADA. 

Nolly was commenting on Poppy learning the script before the run-through with the director (because that's when it gets heavily edited by Nolly).  After the run-through and blocking (and Nolly's edits), Nolly takes the script home, takes off the fur, turns on 16 lights and memorizes the script.

[DanaK]

People say it's a mystery why Nolly was fired, but her Wikipedia page claims that the show was inherited when the network changed from ATV into new company Central Independent Television (which is currently named ITV Central) and CIT was obliged to carry the show. The listing claims Nolly was sacked in the hopes that the show would be canceled because the ratings would dive. The below page suggests the bosses were embarrassed by the show and its low outdated production values compared to the more glossy Coronation Street though some dispute that saying at least one boss loved the show and was happy with it. But the article also says some of those in charge wanted to make the show more of an ensemble instead of focused on one person like Nolly, So it's still not really clear on why it happened

https://crossroadsmotel.co.uk/fanclub/fact-files/decades/crossroads-80s/

Edited March 20 by DanaK

[DanaK]

From PBS, what’s fact and fiction in Episode 1 https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/specialfeatures/whats-fact-or-fiction-in-nolly-episode-1/

[12catcrazy]

Ok, so it looks as if they are using many of the exact same sets as "Funny Woman" (I wonder if both shows were filming at the same time?).  

I'm enjoying the show and got a laugh when a character said "Sister George", because that was the first thing that came to my mind about the entire premise of this show.  

"The Killing of Sister George" started out as a "shocking" (due to it's lesbian theme)  early 1960s play and was made into a shocking- for- it's- day movie in 1968.   "Sister George" is the name of a beloved older woman character in a soap opera type tv show who the studio bosses decide must be killed off.  The actress playing Sister George is a very tough cigar smoking old broad who is not going to go quietly.   I saw the movie about 10 years ago and it was uh, interesting.  

"Nolly" is taking place almost 15 years after "Sister George" so the movie would have been known to most of the "Cross Roads" cast and writers. 

[sugarbaker design]

12 minutes ago, 12catcrazy said:

"Nolly" is taking place almost 15 years after "Sister George" so the movie would have been known to most of the "Cross Roads" cast and writers. 

And known to some viewers of Nolly. 😉

Edited March 21 by sugarbaker design

[pasdetrois]

I binged it and liked it. Great ensemble cast. It's always fun to see 60s/70s environments - hideous as they could be - and I want Nolly's pink foofy dressing gown for swanning about at home.

[DanaK]

The second episode was a downer with it being about Nolly’s final episodes on Crossroads as well as her revealing to her friend that no one will hire her for a role in TV. But the acting was good and the bus speech was hilarious

[Ancaster]

I thought Helena Bonham Carter was brilliant in the third episode - it was by far my favourite.

[libgirl2]

9 hours ago, Ancaster said:

I thought Helena Bonham Carter was brilliant in the third episode - it was by far my favourite.

She really was. What an actress she is! 

[proserpina65]

Honestly, Nolly (as presented here) did seem really hard to work with and definitely a bit of a bully, so I don't blame the director for saying that.  Although thinking the network guy wouldn't use that against her if it suited him was very naive.

Still, I couldn't help but feel indignation at how Nolly was treated by so many of the men who'd had power over her life and career.  Val was a real piece of work in that respect, to both her and his wife.  And the end, oh man, that absolutely had me tearing up.

[Driad]

PBS article: Fact or Fiction in Nolly Finale

[One4Sorrow2TooBad]

That ending had all of us gutted, HBC was excellent in this. 

[sugarbaker design]

Excellent third act with an awesome Bonham-Carter.

[StatisticalOutlier]

I hate those sweeping camera movements they had in the first scenes showing them blocking or rehearsing or whatever, where they swing the camera around to the other side of the room to show another character instead of making a cut.  I almost turned it off but hoped maybe it wouldn't permeate the whole thing, and sure enough, it didn't.  I'm so glad they cut that crap out, because I thought the show was delightful. 

Although I was a little distracted by some crinkling on the area below the outside edge of her left eye (right eye, to the viewer).  It's like it had tape on it or something--didn't look like skin.