Cilla

On the face of it the life of Cilla Black (née Priscilla White) might seem an unprepossessing subject for a biopic. After a brief period as a singing star in the mid-1960s, she gradually moved into more middle-of-the-road activities such as hosting her own television Show CILLA, acting in pantomime and subsequently becoming the host of BLIND DATE and SURPRISE SURPRISE. Her chief claim to fame in her early years seems to be her association with The Beatles at the beginning of their careers.

Nonetheless Paul Whittington's drama proves compelling viewing. This is chiefly due to a series of stellar performances - although Sheridan Smith bears little facial resemblance to the character she lays, she communicates Black's verbal and gestural nuances perfectly, that combination of sheer drive and homespun charm that helped Black to remain at the top of her profession for thirty-plus years. Smith also has a wonderful singing voice: at the end of each of the three parts, we are told that she sang everything live. This is quite the best characterization I have seen from this talented actress.

Smith is admirably complimented by Aneurin Barnard as her road manager (and later her husband) Bobby Willis. Initially he comes across as a bit of a lad, someone who willingly lies about his age and profession in order to pursue the girl of his dreams. As time passes, however, so he understands the depth of his attraction to Cilla; he even passes up the chance of a stellar career of his own in order to be with her. The love-scenes between the two are really touching, as we understand how they were simply made for one another. Especially in her early career, Cilla could not record without seeing Bobby out of the corner of her eye.

As Brian Epstein, Ed Stoppard has a difficult role to play as a stellar manager with a complicated - not to say disastrous - private life at a time when homosexuality was still a crime. We understand a lot about his contradictions; his brilliant flair for publicity and/or finding the right people to further Cilla's burgeoning career, allied to his desperate need for love, something that he can never find. Epstein was the rock upon which Cilla constructed her career - although never in love with him, she found she could seldom do without him. In a poignant sequence set in a hotel restaurant, she learns of his premature death through an overdose of sleeping-pills, and collapses into Bobby's arms.

Stylistically speaking CILLA's narrative comprises a series of intimate sequences that convincingly recreate the atmosphere of early Sixties Liverpool and London Director Whittington is also fond of the aerial shot that gives a panorama of the industrial landscapes in which Black grew up. While certain aspects of her life have been omitted - notably her stint as a server in a restaurant - Jeff Pope's script vividly recaptures her social background in which religion and morality played such a significant part. This three-part biopic is definitely worth watching, not only for its entertainment value but for its evocation of a long-vanished world of working-class life.

One reviewer wrote about Cilla's Protestant family. Wasn't she raised Roman Catholic? I believe she attended St. Anthony's School. I would appreciate clarification on this. The DVD is non USA formatted, so it cannot be played o most players in the U.S. at this time - Hopefully the series will appear on The BBC in America channel some time in the very near future. Also, I find it strange that no further installments detailing Cilla's further career are planned in view of the rave reviews for the series. Thanks for all of the reviews for this series, as I've found all of them informative and well- written. One of the reasons I am looking forward to seeing this series is that I've read about twelve reviews and all are positive ones.

This is what I have been missing for a long time. Here we have a real drama that is totally down to earth English and something we can all relate to in one way or another.It is convincingly authentic in its atmosphere of post war Liverpool with the bomb sites and obvious lack of material things,but a feeling that things are about to get a lot better. A few dodgy accents does not detract from the work the producers and cast present us with.

Sheridan Smith is pure class AND She performs all the songs herself. This young lady has a great future ahead of her. This could well move on to Londons West End and be big success. Well done ITV for giving people what they want.

Cilla Black is probably best-known in the UK for her family entertainer TV persona which started with her own variety show but eventually led to her massive success as the giggling genial hostess of awful but long-running TV shows like "Surprise Surprise" and "Blind Date". Originally though, she came to prominence as a singer in the early 60's as part of Brian Epstein's post-Beatles Merseybeat stable and this 3-part series covers just that period, I certainly wouldn't have tuned in if it had gone beyond that.

Miss Black is on record herself as saying her lifestyle even in the swinging 60's was hardly rock and roll even with her association with the Beatles who mentored her and wrote some of her hit songs. Thus you won't find too much excitement or danger in her rags to riches story, besides some religious tension between her Protestant family upbringing and that of her Catholic boyfriend and road manager, later her manager and husband Bobby Willis, the usual ups and downs of her relationship with Willis, some strain between her and a distracted Brian Epstein, plus of course her rise to fame from Cavern hat-check girl to appearing on the London Palladium and topping the charts.

Sheridan Smith, who does all her own singing too and Aneurin Bernard are personable in these two main roles although a lack of likeness in other key parts, such as the Beatles and Epstein weakens veracity a touch. Some licence is taken with the facts too, like Cilla being told her record has magically made it to number 1 as if from nowhere when in reality it took weeks to climb to the top. I could also have done with a little less concentration on the troubled Epstein's unconventional personal life which probably belongs in a bio-drama of its own.

Nevertheless this was pleasant and likable if slightly over-polite (well, Cilla is still alive and something of a national treasure, I guess you'd say) entertainment with some good songs and performances thrown in for good measure.

It's a biopic and historically inaccurate if you are a Beatles fan and know some of the actual history of the early Beatles years.

Having said that it is well produced and reasonably acted. It is quite entertaining if you like the period and accept it as a biopic which overlooks some of the facts like she was a waitress at the Zodiac cafe.

You will enjoy the program if you can overlook some of the details.

The main actress is likable, believable and performs well in the role. Her future husband comes across as rather doe eyed and almost submissive. The Beatles characters lack any depth and I think would have already been to Germany once by then if the year is supposed to be 1960/61.

I have only watched the first two of the three parts.