Love, Nina (BBC1, 9.30pm)

HELENA Bonham Carter feels that her TV comedy-drama is the closest to home of any project she's starred in.

The 49-year-old Hollywood star plays a real life single mother of two children, and in real life she is a mother-of-two with an ex-partner. Even more coincidental is that both Bonham Carter and the mum she plays were in relationships with a film director and both had or have literati contacts in a similar London area.

The five-part drama, adapted by About a Boy author Nick Hornby, came from a collection of letters written by 20-year-old Nina Stibbe. In 1982, she decided to make the big move from her family home in Leicester to London, and landed a job as the nanny to two lively young boys, brothers Joe and Max, the offspring of Mary-Kay Wilmers, the American-born co-founder of the London Review of Books and film and TV director Stephen Frears.

Around 30 years later, Stibbes compiled a book about her experiences, a time that brought her into contact with Alan Bennett and Jonathan Miller, both of whom were neighbours, in Camden – at the time, she had an inkling they were famous, but had no idea what for.

The book, Love, Nina: Despatches from Family Life, features the letters she wrote to her sister about her new life, and became an instant hit, winning the Non-fiction Book of the Year category at the National Book Awards in 2014.

Nina is played by Faye Marsay, 29, who is best-known for playing Anne Neville in BBC1's historial drama the white Queen. The similarities end there because the producers have gone for a fictionalised account with Mary-Kay renamed Georgia and much of the action taking place around the dinner table. Max and Joe give views on everything from football to nuclear war and novelist next-door Malcolm Tanner (Jason Watkins) shares local gossip and gives Nina pointers on her culinary efforts.

Bonham Carter reflecting on her own childhood says: "We definitely had bonkers nannies. There was one who had headaches whenever my mum was ill and another who sleepwalked nude, except for socks."

Bonham Carter told TV Times: "People talk about kids being life-changing, but I think a nanny can be. So I related to this because nannies have been central to my life."

The health problems suffered by Georgia's younger son also brought back memories for the actress of a time when her father suffered a brain tumour. "My dad was disabled. Disability can either explode a family or bring it together. Because he couldn't get out, all these fun people would come to the house and chat."

Her own children, Billy, 12, and Nell, eight, don't appear to be to impressed with their mum's fame. "They're not remotely interested in what I do, in fact they're embarrassed and just want me to keep my had down. But that;s the nature of parenting. Being embarrassing is your objective."

The Secret (ITV, 9pm)

SEEING Matthew's death as God's full and final punishment for his past sins, Colin convinces himself that God will now allow him to prosper. When he loses all his money in a financial scam and his second wife Kyle threatens to leave him, he offers a full confession to the church and police. Hazel later pleads her innocence, but Colin agrees to appear as a key witness for the prosecution, determined to take her down with him. Drama, starring James Nesbitt, Genevieve O'Reilly and Katherine Kingsley. Last in the series.

Mum (BBC2, 10pm)

THE first Valentine's Day since the death of Cathy's husband arrives, so her brother Derek comes round to show moral support and keep her company. However, his partner Pauline wishes that she was anywhere other than in attendance. Son Jason breaks some surprising news, and when Michael turns up unannounced, he's concerned to find that Cathy has received a Valentine's card. Subtle family comedy following the fortunes of a bereaved woman, starring Lesley Manville, Ross Boatman and Peter Mullan.

Viv Hardwick