Cilla - Episode 1 - ITV 1 - 15/09/2014

Everybody knows who Cilla Black is. But do they know who Priscilla White is? In a way, this is what is being explored in a new ITV, 3 part drama, simply titled 'Cilla'. We all know the story of Cilla Black in recent times, and she is a household name thanks to hit shows like 'Blind Date' and 'Surprise Surprise', but most younger generations today won't know that she was once a singer and recording artist. The 1960s is a great place for any drama, the nostalgia, the fashion and the music. Any show that plays homage to the Merseybeat sound of the 1960s is a real winner, especially for any fan of the Beatles. This is a particular highlight of the show, when in a scene with Cilla, she says "Oh, pack it in Ringo", it really brings a smile to your face, along with references to "my new boyfriend George" with Cilla's best friend. And when Cilla performed on stage with the line-up of  of The Beatles we know, you know it is something special. They were not only characters that were well represented, Cilla's future husband Bobby Willis is fantastically portrayed by Aneurin Barnard, Willis, who passed away in 1999 is perhaps unknown to many of the modern generation watching 'Cilla' to know how he eventually became her manager and boyfriend, despite initially lying to her, claiming he was a record producer, when he actually worked in a bakery. In the same thread, the theme of religious divides was highlight here, when relationships between Catholics and Protestants were sometimes frowned upon in families in the 1960s.

Without a doubt, the real star of the show is Sheridan Smith who is an absolute stalwart in this role. We know she can play other people exceptionally well, winning a BAFTA for her role as Charmian Biggs in 'Mrs Biggs' and 'Cilla' continues the trend. Even with fake teeth a red bob, she becomes Cilla in every sense, with the Liverpudlian accent and the singing voice. We know Sheridan Smith can sing, winning her first Olivier award for the musical Legally Blonde, and at the end credits it was shown that all vocal performances were filmed live on set, a real praise for this drama. The first of 3 episodes left on a cliff hanger, wondering if Cilla had ruined her music career, having blown her audition for The Beatles infamous manager Brian Epstein and having not turned up to her already booked gig with another band. The problem with cliffhangers in historical or real life dramas about real stories is that with hindsight we know what happens, we know that Cilla made it in the music industry, so it does make the cliffhanger, not as dramatic. But, it will still get the millions of viewers tuning in, both in fond memories of those who remembered it the first time round and new viewers, intrigued by the 60s era of The Beatles, miniskirts and of course Cilla Black.

If the rest of the series carries on in the same way as the first episode, I predict that another BAFTA might be heading its way for Sheridan Smith and the 'Cilla' team.