“MY COCK ALWAYS GETS IN FIRST…"

28-10-2006

…now don't jump to conclusions. Those are the words I saw on a car sticker in Smethwick the other day. They were next to a picture of a bird, revealing that the vehicle was owned by a pigeon fancier. I'll confess, I chuckled at the double entendre, which only goes to show that humour is a personal thing.

Bill Pertwee, on the other hand, reckons that there ain't much decent comedy about these days. As a time-served actor whose credits include the role of air-raid warden in Dad's Army, I guess his view has to be respected. But I'll venture the view that British sitcoms - of one sort or another - are enjoying a veritable golden age right now. Oh alright then, maybe not golden, but certainly silver.

Here's the evidence. First off the most recent series of "Extras", in which Ricky Gervais got to be a catchphrase king in his own telly series, had some vintage moments. It was an up and down run, granted, but at it's best - the De Niro non-meeting for example, or the episode whenGervais tells an autistic kid in a restaurant to shut up - it was both comic and cringeworthy at the same time. It's a unique combination that marks outits creatoras something of a genius.

In more straightforward chucklevision mode, there's Lee Mack in "Not Going Out", which gets over the usual “how do we cast a stand-up in a sitcom” dilemma by handing the star a string of quips and one liners as he tries to woo his best mate's ex-girlfriend. If the writing wasn't so good, it would descend into be dismal "go on the, make me laff" gagfest, but thankfully this is as sharp as a Texas chainsaw. Being on BBC1 in prime time obviously disqualifies it from serious consideration by broadsheet critics, but it is seriously funny.

Best of the current crop though is Jack Dee's "Lead Balloon", running on both BBC 2 and BBC4. Dee gives his finest performance yet as sourpuss stand-up Rick Spleen, a miserable, self-regarding, penny-pinching misanthrope. Like all the great British comic grotesques - from Hancock to Steptoe, Fawlty to Brent - he is both repellent and compelling at the same time. The first episode is a bona fide classic,and the latest - where Spleen fears he may have accidentally killed a well-known children's entertainer - isn't far off.

Having slated BBC3 the other week, it's fair to say this trio are proof of the value of the licence fee; when every other station seems to be acting as an offshore branch of the US broadcasting industry, the Beeb's investment in homegrown talent is all the more crucial.

These recommendations come with a health warning, mind. A few years ago I was raving about "Coupling", a BBC2 series so universally ignored I sometimes wonder if I dreamed the whole thing. I also titter loudly when"Thin Blue Line" comes on UKTV Gold, even though it's widely regarded as the nadir of Rowan Atkinson's telly career.

Like I said, humour is a personal thing. Now let me tell you about my cock…