I’ve been looking forward to watching “Nolly,” a “Masterpiece” three-parter that premieres Sunday at 9 p.m. on GBH 2. The two reasons: It’s created and written by Russell T Davies, who is responsible for the 2005 revival of “Doctor Who,” “A Very English Scandal” with Hugh Grant, “Torchwood,” the original “Queer as Folk,” the HBO drama “Years and Years,” and many other good things. The second reason: It stars Helena Bonham Carter, who has been a favorite for a long time.
And, having seen it, I am not disappointed in the least. It’s a warm, smart, and concise portrait of British actress Noele Gordon, known as Nolly, who, in 1981, was abruptly fired from her TV soap opera, “Crossroads,” after 17 years. Her firing made headlines, and, even while she was beloved, it deflated her career until she died in 1985. The male-dominated TV industry did not treat her well. She became branded by the dismissal, and, as she notes in “Nolly,” every day of her life some fan would approach her to ask why she was fired.
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“Nolly” gives us amusing scenes of Gordon on the set of the show, directing the cast and the producers with a carefree air. She’s a bit of a diva, but she’s trying to make the show better, and she’s usually right. The cast don’t mind following her orders — there’s something charming about her bossiness — and her best friend is her young costar, Tony (an endearing Augustus Prew). But the powers that be find her tiresome, and then they seem to have other hidden motives for shaking up the show. The miniseries also gives us time with Nolly post- “Crossroads,” trying to work her way back with a stage production of “Gypsy” despite her damaged self-esteem.
Bonham Carter is fantastic — flamboyant, mordant, honest with herself, and, ultimately, winning. She makes her heroine simultaneously thick- and thin-skinned, a person who fights nobly, if not always successfully, to keep her darkest feelings at bay. She, and the show, are a treat.
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Matthew Gilbert can be reached at matthew.gilbert@globe.com. Follow him @MatthewGilbert.