Benidorm

It's bucketing down in Benidorm so the staff are pulling out all the stops to take the guests' minds off their flooded rooms.

That means free cocktails, super prize bingo, line dancing and karaoke - a nightmare concoction guaranteed to make you glad you're still at home.

Benidorm has once again managed to capture all the horrors of a package holiday for us to enjoy, safe in the knowledge that we can switch off after an hour and that we aren't actually stuck there for two weeks.

This week, Noreen's daughter Pauline falls off the wagon (and on to a small dog) Michael experiences his very first holiday romance, Malcolm and Jacqueline remain their batty, upbeat selves despite being told Malcolm has only three months left to live, and Janice Garvey is floored by the reappearance of an old flame from the 80s.

Former EastEnders and Corrie star Ian Reddington pops in out of the rain at the Hotel Solana playing Johnny Neptune. It's a part simply crying out for a middle-aged man with a ponytail.

Quite a dolorous entry for this fourth season of Benidorm. Yes, there are still ample doses of vulgarity, bad behaviour (alcoholic Pauline goes on a bender) and eye-watering cross-dressing (Tim Healy's Lesley does country and western). Otherwise, the storm cloud over the Solana Resort mirrors the mood of the holiday-makers. Donald gets even worse health news, young Michael and nitwit Liam are unlucky in love, while Johnny Neptune (Ian Reddington) turns up and gives Janice the shock of her life. Be it gutsy karaoke, almost heroic head-butting or controlled heartache, this series has demanded much of Mrs Garvey, and Siobhan Finneran is simply magnificent.

In this cheap and cheerful sitcom, Pauline (Selina Griffiths) is all set to catch an early plane home when a freak storm hits the town, cancelling her flight and sending her scurrying back to the bottle. Natalie (Kathryn Drysdale), meanwhile, continues to manage the attentions of Mateo and Liam.

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Among the new arrivals this week are dear old Noreen, better known as Geoff's Mum before Johnny Vegas left the series. Tonight, she has in tow the obnoxious Pauline, whose accent has been mangled by residencies in South Africa and then Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, Nick breaks the awkward silence with Madge concerning her current plight, and a not very plausible ginger-haired halfwit continues to pursue the ladies. It's not exactly Alan Bennett, but it proceeds amiably enough from one well-worn double entendre to the next - and Tim Healy's transvestite barman alone banishes the temptation to channel-hop.

If you enjoyed Glee's homage to Lady Gaga last year, tonight you can see Benidorm's version as Lesley (Tim Healy) takes to the stage singing Poker Face.

If Glee Gaga is Prada, this is Primark. But if the performance doesn't get you laughing, nothing will. Lesley is fast becoming the highlight of this series.

Elsewhere, the double ­entendres are flying (as are the disturbing mental images created by swingers Jacqueline and Donald) and The Solana regular Noreen checks in.

This time she's brought her easily ­irritated - and very ­irritating - daughter Pauline.

She is a master of sarcasm but that behaviour is sure to get up the noses of several guests.

Cue rows that end up with Pauline and Mick in all kinds of hilarious ­situations. Well, we're sure they were funny in the scriptwriter's head.

Viewers in Scotland can see this on Sunday at 9pm, when it is repeated on ITV2.