Nancy Banks-Smith

It [Love Thy Neighbour] is funny in jerks. But I thought the early scene setting comedy about Eddie, the staunch, striking, shop steward, horns locked with the management over toilet time, was funnier than anything that followed.

The Dirtiest Soldier in the World (BBC1) was almost cheating. The sloppy soldier has always been one of the world's guaranteed jokes. Except, presumably, to generals.

I was quite unprepared for the blazing loathing and passionate tension that still twangs between Steptoe and his son. As it can between any two people or peoples who are too close for comfort. It is the only comedy going that can follow the news (as it does) and not sound ridiculous.

The first episode was necessarily a tour of Clochemerle, introducing the inhabitants as they answered assorted calls of nature. The other, too, appeared to be wine and women. It is embarrassingly rich in talent. So much so that the cast list in the Radio Times doesn't bother to mention that the narrator is Peter Ustinov. Possibly the pissoir is by Picasso but they didn't bother to say so.

There was the Comedy Playhouse, "And Whose Side Are You On?" (BBC1). This had three script writers. One's quarrel with this, as with the concept of Trinity, is that results hardly seem to warrant three people working full time.

"Spyder's Web" had a camp, clever savagery that suggested a cartoon to me. It might make a quite good strip cartoon if you like this kind of thing.

If I were the Head of Comedy, I would know a joke when I saw it and sign up the lucky stars for a series. It must be plain enough what can struggle on for a series. "Idle at Work" last night barely made it to the end.

It's Awfully Bad For Your Eyes, Darling... (BBC1) is rather harder on the ears. Actually, I like Jilly Cooper's awful child candour, even her perfectly awful puns, but here they had the impact of a wet flannel.

Though the script, by Spike Mullins and Eric Davidson was above average funny and there was one joke about Des O'Connor which I shall hoard and pass off as my own.

I had deep doubts about Lollipop Loves Mr Mole (ATV) from the early line "Oh, hello vicar." "Oh, hello vicar" is a line much heard on television and almost never in life. Vicars, in my experience, rarely pop in causing consternation or innocent merriment. Like wild rhino they are more plentiful on television than off it.