Fred Evans

Comedian Paul Merton's love for the giants of early Hollywood comedy is well known. But here he goes back in time and crosses the Atlantic to focus on the earliest pioneers of cinema, who were very much European. From the Lumière brothers' first publicly shown film - of people coming out of a factory (look out for the dog!) in 1895 - and the master of early science-fiction (and double exposure) Georges Méliès, to the British film-makers who used music-hall stars like Fred Evans for little shorts that would slip in between variety-show acts, it's a world of daffy charm and playful experimentation. And perhaps the programme's greatest gift is the light it sheds on one of the most influential of silent comedians, Max Linder (above, right with "disciple" Chaplin). Linder's life ended tragically, but his dapper exploits are a real joy.