Saturday 18/03/17

Happy 100th Birthday Dame Vera Lynn (BBC Two, 9pm)

The Beeb hasn't exactly pushed the boat out when it comes to finding an inventive or original title for this programme, but we're grateful that it exists at all.

If, before discovering the programme's existence, you were asked which was older - Dame Vera Lynn or the Imperial War Museum - chances are you would opt for the latter which, perhaps due to being housed in the grand surroundings of the neo-classical former Bethlem Royal Hospital in Lambeth, has the feel of something with a far longer history.

In truth, plans for the museum were first mooted just a fortnight before Dame Vera's birth, but it didn't open its doors for another three years, so you could argue that, in fact, she's the elder of the two. Whatever your own view, both are marking their centenaries tonight with documentaries.

Britain at War: Imperial War Museums at 100 gets the conflict-tinged celebrations started at 7.30pm as Falklands veteran Simon Weston explores the institution's history, but then the spotlight turns to the woman who, perhaps more than most, deserves the over-used epithet 'national treasure'.

She was born Vera Welch on March 20, 1917, as the First World War raged. To give it some historical perspective, her birth came five days after Russia's Tsar Nicholas II abdicated and on the very day that US President Woodrow Wilson's war cabinet voted unanimously to declare war on Germany; four months later, TE Lawrence and the Arabs captured Aquaba and the Third Battle of Ypres (Passchendaele) began.

However, it would be her recordings during the second global conflict involving Germany that would seal her standing as a living legend.

Dame Vera began performing at the tender age of seven, but it was her work with the Joe Loss Orchestra in her teens that she first made her mark. Then, in 1939, she recorded We'll Meet Again, whose nostalgic lyrics hit a chord during the early days of the Second World War. It was around this time that she was voted the favourite singer of British servicemen, earning her the title of 'forces sweetheart'. The White Cliffs of Dover cemented her reputation.

She spent time entertaining the troops and those working towards the war effort at home and abroad, helping to keep spirits up, and continued her recording career long after the bombs stopped falling - she was the first British artist to have a US number one (with the song Auf Wiederseh'n Sweetheart) in 1952.

She's also the oldest living artist to hit the top of the UK album chart thanks to 2014's National Treasure - Ultimate Collection; she may break her own record with her latest release, Vera Lynn 100, which became available on March 17.

In this documentary, Katie Derham meets Dame Vera and her daughter Virginia to look back at the much-loved performer's life and career, revealing how she rose to fame from a humble background despite having no formal vocal training.

Second World War veterans offer their opinions of her, as do celebrity fans such as Paul McCartney, Barry Humphries and Miriam Margolyes.


Sunday 19/03/17

Vera (ITV, 9pm)

Lives can be transformed by chance encounters or moments of inspiration - including that of writer Ann Cleeves.

A few years ago, Peter Capaldi's producer wife Elaine Collins picked up a second-hand copy of one of her novels, read it and realised it would make a great TV crime drama. The fact that there were others in the series made it even more appealing.

A wee while later it hit our screens and the phenomena that is Vera was born.

Seven years on, Cleeves' book sales have increased, and the BBC, no doubt inspired by Vera's popularity, have made three series of Shetland, which is also based on her tales and executive produced by Collins.

"I'm so proud of Vera," says Cleeves. "Of course the drama is very different from the books, but it's intelligent with clear, compelling story-telling and it reflects the reality of my community - one friend said how good it was to have a TV showing the north east with posh people and big houses! We're used to stereotypes here.

"Most of all I'm proud that the Swan Hunter site is alive again, employing local people, giving young actors and technicians work. We might not make ships here any longer, but we're making stories and as the films are sold throughout the world we're showing off this stunning part of the country."

It's also interesting that at a time when we're told that women are under-represented in TV, this show has females at its core, both in front of and behind the camera.

One of the key aspects of the programme's success lies in the casting of Brenda Blethyn as DCI Vera Stanhope.

"She absolutely captures the spirit of the character," claims Cleeves. "Now, I hear her voice when I'm writing dialogue for the books."

Despite being an Oscar-nominated actress better known for her film work than TV, Blethyn has thrown herself into the role, making it her own.

"I just love her," grins the down-to-earth star. "Vera's seemingly dead ordinary but she happens to have a very good, analytical brain. She's an ordinary woman in an extraordinary job. She's not your normal run of the mill detective. Plus she'd know the price of all the two for one bargains down the supermarket! She's definitely someone I'd like to know and count as a friend."

But Blethyn takes no personal credit for the show becoming a hit: "The success of Vera is down to a team effort. It sounds a cliche to say it, but every single person in the cast and crew plays a vital role in the show's success. The international success of the previous series is very gratifying and of course it's great to receive such positive feedback from fans."

The first episode of the seventh run focuses on the murder of a young ranger at a remote and hard-to-reach wildlife sanctuary off the Northumberland coast.

It's a typically gripping plot, and as Cleeves is still penning tales involving her most famous creation, Vera should continue to crack on-screen crimes for many years to come.