RETURN TO CROSSROADS, An ATV NETWORK MIDLANDS PRODUCTION
X2 Hour Episodes. Online/DVD Presentation
ATV Network is proud to 'Return To Crossroads' with a look at the award winning serial which debuted on ITV back in 1964 and was soon climbing up the television ratings.
A TV critic once said "Crossroads is the biggest hit of 1965" and the programme went on to be voted "Best ITV programme 1967". Throughout the 1970s the series also was bestowed gongs including winning Best TV Programme three years running in The Sun Television Awards. It wasn't just populist publications; Telegraph readers placed it as their most favourite serial in 1974 too. The show's leading lady, Noele Gordon, was crowned 'Queen of Serial' when she won numerous awards in the TV Times yearly celebration of ITV stars.
It wasn't all sweet however. Despite reaching up to 18 million viewers at teatime the UK's first full length daily serial was attacked by some critics who compared it to hit shows such as Coronation Street. Corrie at that time only aired twice a week and was produced as a continuous drama serial. Very working class Britain. Often described as 'kitchen sink drama'. Crossroads was based on the American Soap Opera format and was more escapist and melodramatic.
For every critic who hated the show there were famous faces willing to stand up and defend it. None more so that comedian and presenter Bob Monkhouse who appeared in the series back in 1966 and hosted a Variety Club celebration of the saga in 1980. Other stars to enjoy Crossroads - many who went on to appear in the programme include Sue Nicholls, Ken Dodd, Bryan Mosley, Paul O'Grady, Victoria Wood, Tony Blackburn and Prince Philip who at his request visited the set.
By the 1980s Crossroads wasn't alone in the soap world - other daily serials arrived on UK screens including The Young Doctors and Neighbours. Despite this the show was still deemed 'low budget' and snipes remained. At the same time Crossroads was able to command up to 16 million viewers despite not being shown on the same night or time across the UK. In Wales viewers saw the Midland serial at 5.20pm in the North East at 6.00pm and in the south at 6.30pm.
Interestingly Emmerdale Farm, which aired at 7pm, rarely managed to rate better than the ATV series; this rather disgruntled the television watchdog who frowned upon a daytime soap topping the ratings and more so beating prime time 'more polished' serials. The IBA said the motel based saga was "distressingly popular."
In the end Crossroads was revamped in 1985 making it one of the most modern soaps on British television. The show had always been more glamorous and middle class and this was re-established as the case in the mid-1980s. However ITV bosses in the Midlands were fast becoming ashamed of "soap" and decided that drama was to be the future. In 1987 Crossroads was discontinued in order for more drama slots to be allocated to the studios of ATV Centre in Birmingham.
This new documentary aims to chart the on-screen and off-screen events that shaped a show that has become a Midland institution and many of its characters have gone into British folk law. The show has, despite being off air for 20 years, proved to still be fondly remembered with ITV and Network DVD releasing over 20 volumes--that's over 300 episodes--of classic editions.
The proceeds of the documentary on DVD will be donated to the Crossroads Caring for Carers charity Birmingham and Solihull branch. This charity--now one of the biggest in the world--was founded by ITV and ATV Network in 1973 after a storyline in the soap saw one of the characters confined to a wheelchair. It soon became clear that families across the country were not getting the support they needed and so ITV and ATV stepped in by launching Caring for Carers with a £10,000 investment.
Over the years ATV and ITV have continued to support the charity; including in 1989 when a stage show was held to celebrate 25 years of the series and all profits from the event were donated to the caring scheme. The documentary has already seen a great deal of generosity.
The last Crossroads documentary the crew were involved with was the 2001 special which looked at the new Carlton version of series made in 2000-2003. Our researchers also were involved with the main serial production in 2000 and 2001.
Prior to this some of our team researched the Central production 'Crossroads 30 Years On' in 1994. Both documentaries at that time were for ITV1. We have also researched segments for other programmes including Drama Trails and TV Towns for ITV3 and The 50 Greatest TV Endings for SKY1. With some of the best researchers in the business we're confident this new documentary will be the most in-depth and extensive ever produced on the series.
