Crossroads Motel,Can I Help You?

[Nyder]

"How's the job going Myrtle?"

"Fine thanks Mrs Turtle"

Poetry at the Motel - bliss!

[SiHart]

In the more innocent days of 1979, affairs were conducted off screen. We can only imagine what's going on between Captain Ted Hope and Mrs Kathryn Fisher... and that's probably for the best. She's an odd looking woman, and American, and he's, well, not the catch of the day.
Poor old Tish was crying, off screen, down the phone. I wouldn't cry for him. You're better off without him dear, him and his dreary antiques.

Elsewhere Diane proves to be very intuitive and has worked out Val is pregnant and that's why she's living with Jill and Adam. Because what other reason could there be? This storyline is pretty dull and is just stopping the natural frisson between Jill and Adam from taking spark. GET THE WELSH GIRL OUT AND GET IT ON YOU TWO!

[Nyder]

I've jumped forward another few months - to New Year's Eve 1974 to be precise. Big HURRAH - my 2nd fave Crossroads character Shughie McVee has arrived (Meg is my No.1 of course). I'd forgotten how camp Wee Shughie was. And he looks like Larry Grayson! Mr Lucas from Are You Being Served? was in this ep too.

Talking of Meg, she looks delighted with her party frock:-



I do think those green circles are inappropriately placed though.....

[SiHart]

It's nice to see her happy, because this morning she's been in a mood. I think it's justified since the motel is currently housing the man who caused her husband's death... Chris Hunter is back, and he's in the sitting room.

Meg strides in interrupting a less than cosy tea with David, Rosemary and Chris. There's a pause. She looks away. David apologises, Rosemary simpers and Meg just turns and says "Hello Chris." There's so much put into those simple words. She's on fire. As Rosemary makes her excuses and scuttles off, Meg asks Chris to stay and she calmly delivers one of her monologues at him. Superb. She won't forget, but she'll be civil and make it all the harder for him. Fabulous!

[stuartdg]

Kath Brownlow's wedding was an unexpected delight,imagine her surprise at the high tech wedding gift of a video recorder......how times change


One thing I'm not too impressed with is the scriptwriters treatment of Benny who is dumbed down just for the sake of it

[Nyder]

Wee Shughie is flat-hunting with an eye to entertaining The Lassies.

I love how he refers to Amy as "The Widow Turtle".

And what does the chef-about-town wear when not in uniform? Why a purple polo neck of course!

I love the 70s!!

[stuartdg]

Fast forward to 2001 and Crossroads is back,the opening episodes see Jill return as a widow and alcoholic(again).Despite aiming for a younger audience,the show succeeds because of its pacing.There are great scenes between Jill and Doris for example and the new cast largely work although I'm not overly keen on the revamped theme tune.

[SiHart]

I always loved the 2001 version of the theme- one of the many things the 2001 version got right. That and the cliffhanger of Jill turning up and owning the hotel and the marvellous Phil Berry!

[stuartdg]

Alas that is all I do own from 2001 my biggest bone of contention is that many of the storylines were too similair,I do have a a decent set of the 2003 episodes awaiting,although the theme from that is a travesty!

[SiHart]

Most of the 2003 series was a travesty. It's a shame they couldn't have continued the 2001 version- the basis was there for a great soap, it just need a small tweak- not the whopping great twist it was given in the end.

[stuartdg]

I enjoyed the storylines from 2003 but the biggest problem is they never evolved beyond a week,everything was dealt with there and then,the less said about how it all ended the better really

[Nyder]

I'm confused!

Meg's daughter Jill (Harvey) calls Wilf (Harvey) "Dad". So is Jill Meg's step daughter? I can't imagine that Wilf & Meg were ever married!

Help!

[SiHart]

Wilf is her Father in Law. Does that help?

This morning we had more of the tedious Jill-Val-Adam storyline that is going on and on and on, but which is showing Adam is human if nothing else.

More exciting was a storming scene for Tish and Ted Hope. We see their flat for the first time, as Tish confronts Ted about his day out at the auctions with Kathryn Fisher. Marvellous stuff and it's a real joy to see Joy Andrews finally get some decent material to work with. She makes Tish seem vulnerable and strong all at once and far more real than usual. Lovely.

[Nyder]

Oh no! Amy's in the slammer for shoplifting!! It ain't her fault Guv - she's grief stricken (according to Google)

It looks like Amy's days at Crossroads are numbered. I have a sad face on. Look:-

:-(

[Nyder]

Wilf is her Father in Law. Does that help?

Thank you Si! Is it just me, or is it a bit weird to call your father-in-law "Dad"?

[SiHart]

My Dad always called my Grandma and Granddad Mum and Dad, so maybe it doesn't feel so odd to me? However I don't think I'd do it myself- maybe it's something that was more common in the older generations?

Well it was confirmed this morning- there is something going on between Kathryn and Ted Hope- they kissed before the end of Part One credit came up. A full on smoocher! Blimey! Poor old Tish. Looking forward to seeing the dinner party from hell coming up soon now- with Tish and Ted and Lloyd and Kathryn. That's going to be a joy, and no tensions there at all...

Elsewhere, that wrong'un Gerry Hurst has got his feet under the table at Shughie's flat. he's spent all his life savings wining and dining Glenda. He has such small horizons. You can tell he's bad because he pinched Diane's bum. You don't get away with that!

[Nyder]

It's THE wedding episode tomorrow. Woop-woop and thrice woop!!!

[SiHart]

Look out for the awesome Edwin Richfield playing the vicar!

[stuartdg]

2003 sees Freema Agyeman as Lola Wise a far cry from Martha Jones and also the daughter of Linda Robson from Birds of a Feather.The episode mostly involves Stuart Milligan as Max Sampson covering up a murder.The pacing is great,there is plenty going on and its surprisingly watchable

[Nyder]

Ooh I do like a nice wedding. And how nice that just one or two (hundred) members of the public waited outside. Must be a popular motel ;-) Jill looked like she'd escaped from the KGB with that big fur hat she wore!

I'm sure the producers thought they were filming Songs Of Praise though. The shots of the hymn singing went on far too long (i.e. for the whole of the hymn!) and there were far too many shots of the cathedral and organ when they should have been concentrating on the radiant Mrs Mortimer!!

Still, we got to see Granny Fraser though!!

[SiHart]

The wedding of Meg and High should be great, but my goodness, it goes on and on and on! Still it's amazing how many people came to see a small motel owner marry a businessman in Birmingham...

This morning the dinner party from hell... Captain Hope and Kathryn flirting over the fish, too many shots of people fondling candlesticks, antique talk... blimey, it was all so loaded and blatant and in front of Tish too. Poor old Tish- so many close ups of her fearful eyes.

Meanwhile Chris and David are having a father son chat. Oh dear. It didn't go well. They pussy footed around for a while before each decided the other was a disappointment. And so they told each other and Chris stormed off before the second brandy- that's how bad things got.

[stuartdg]

Crossroads 2003 clearly owes a lot to Dynasty particularly in its characterisations,not least Jane Asher's Angel Sampson,whose demands for the unveiling ceremony of the new statue send Jane Gurnett's Kate Russell into a strop of monumental proportions.It's over the top and nonsensical but very watchable because of it!

[Nyder]

Back at the motel after a quick break - Meg & Hugh's wedding reception is going with a swing. Jill Darling kept her pesky Russian fur hat on throughout the entire meal & speeches. She must have been having a REALLY bad hair day.

Someone called Holly Brown (who looked suspiciously like Stephanie de Sykes) turned the whole of the Droitwich soft focus as she sang "We'll Find Our Day". And of course there was THE money shot as Larry Grayson was Chauffeur for the day!

I was about to say it doesn't get more surreal than that, but I haven't seen that Christmas episode yet!

[SiHart]

You wait until Christmas arrives at the motel... They're all unique experiences!

Today David Hunter lost his temper. Well I say lost his temper, it more like he raised his voice a little. This is the man that at the end of the recent episode managed to say "I'm pleased" without any degree of pleasure or happiness or any other emotion. Amazing stuff and I love him so much for this performance.

Today they've finally seen off Gerrry Hurst, thanks to Doris, Benny and Glenda. A bit of action as Benny grabbed him, before Gerry could hurt Mr McPhee. Thank goodness this one is over, it's been rather tedious.

[SiHart]

There was a gret cliffhanger today. Tish shouted, looked upset and confronted her cheating husband. She used the classic ruse of misdirection to trap him, feeding him false information to trap him in lies. Classic and classy, with a tear in her eye too. Joy Andrews rising to the occasion beautifully. All her husband could do was roll up his tie in the post credits moment!