4 September 2023

Nolly S1

Two-time Oscar nominee Helena Bonham Carter (The Crown) stars in Nolly, the new series from BAFTA winner Russell T Davies (It’s a Sin, Years and Years, A Very English Scandal).

As flame-haired widow Meg Richardson in the long-running UK soap opera Crossroads, inimitable star Noele Gordon (Nolly to her friends) was one of the most famous people in Britain. Then in 1981, at the height of the show’s success and the peak of Nolly’s fame, she was axed without ceremony, without warning and with no explanation. With the boss’s words “all good things must come to an end” ringing in her ears, Noele found herself thrown out of the show that had been her life for over 18 years.

Nolly is a bold exploration of how the establishment turns on women who refuse to play by the rules, the women it cannot understand and the women it fears. A love letter to a legend of TV – and to the madcap soap she starred in – Nolly is an outrageously fun and wildly entertaining ride through Noele Gordon’s most tumultuous years, and a sharp, affectionate and heart-breaking portrait of a forgotten icon.

Directed by BAFTA-winner Peter Hoar (The Last of Us, It’s A Sin, The Umbrella Academy), the three-part series has a 100% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with The Guardian saying, “Helena Bonham Carter is brilliantly camp in Russell T Davies’s impeccable drama… It’s a joy to watch this warm, thoughtful tribute to soaps, fabulous older women – and showbiz itself.”

More British series to stream online »

Watch it now

More like this

Drama Drama series Series

Alert: Missing Persons Unit S3

Showrunner John Eisendrath and Jamie Foxx are behind this police procedural. After her son goes missing, Nikki Batista joins the Philadelphia Missing Persons Unit, helping find people's loved ones as she searches for her own.

Lehlohonolo Mayeza on Leruo’s battles in Outlaws Season 2

New love, old foes: Lehlohonolo Mayeza unpacks Leruo's journey in Outlaws S2, on Showmax from 17 November and Mzansi Magic from 22 November.

Original South Africa

New seasons of your favourite series, now streaming

The latest seasons of Youngins, Outlaws, Hacks, The Equalizer, Tokyo Vice, and more are all streaming on Showmax.

Last Breath (2025)

Woody Harrelson and Simu are in a race against time in this thrilling true story that follows seasoned deep-sea divers as they battle the raging elements to rescue their crew.

The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip Africa.jpg

20+ addictive South African reality shows to stream

Stream The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip - Africa, Vaal Riviera, The Real Housewives of Durban, The Mommy Club, and more of South Africa's best reality shows on Showmax.

Made in South Africa

The best romantic series on Showmax

All you need is love — and these addictive series: Northern Lights, Love Island: All Stars, Love Island Games, Outlaws S2 and more.

IT: Welcome to Derry

Set in the 1960s in the town of Derry, this horror series explores its strange happenings, disappearances, and the origins of Pennywise the Clown.

First

St Denis Medical S1

"The Office" meets "Scrubs" in this wacky medical comedy that follows an eclectic group of underfunded yet dedicated doctors and nurses trying to hold an Oregon hospital together.

Stream Maternal on Showmax

Watch the trailer for Outlaws, coming soon

Epic Mzansi hits to stream

“No one wins in war” - Nikki Comninos on Unspoken War

Nikki Comninos talks about directing the raw and haunting documentary series Unspoken War, now streaming on Showmax.

Original South Africa

Unspoken War

The South African Border War left broken nations and haunted lives. Unspoken War reveals the hidden cost of the conflict.

OriginalMade in South Africa

Reney Bouwer gets candid in Showmax documentary Slay Queens

Reney Bouwer opens up about the glamour, pain, and truth behind life as a slay queen. Stream Slay Queens now on Showmax, with new episodes on Fridays.

Original South Africa