Frank Skinner On George Formby

A superstar in the 30s and 40s, George Formby has since become a figure of mockery; a byword for fusty music hall comedy. Frank Skinner, a huge Formby fan, sets out to rehabilitate public perception of the entertainer in this documentary, originally shown earlier this year. Skinner traces Formby's career, from his time as a jockey to the boom years as a comic, where his earnings would vastly outflank those of his contemporaries. There's a sad coda to this piece; Formby died of a heart attack in his 50s, leaving an ugly legal battle over his will.

Previously aired on BBC Four, a fond tribute from one ukulele-playing comedian to another. Skinner, a fan of Formby since childhood, delves into the life and legacy of Britain's most popular entertainer of the 1930s and 40s - a man whose comic achievements may have been blurred by passing time but who still inspires bizarre levels of devotion.

This documentary about George Formby was rather good, but personally, I would have preferred to have seen more of Formby and less of Skinner. Frank Skinner on George Formby appeared to be more to do with Skinner's love of the innuendo-filled singer rather than the actual man himself.

For those not fully aware of Formby's background there was a lot more to him than meets the eye. For starters his own father, George Formby Senior, was a successful music hall act, and as a result Formby Junior had a much more comfortable living than people think. Also, his father sent him to work at a stable because he didn't want Junior working in the music hall himself.

The show also covered his relationship with his wife and manager Beryl, a woman who was hugely jealous of any other woman approaching Formby. Then there are the stories of his performances in South Africa when he was told to play in front of segregated audiences, but he refused and decided to play in front of black audiences. As a result, the Formbys were kicked out of the country and man who organised the black performances was shot.

I'd have liked to have seen more - but since much of the programme was about how Skinner has learnt how to play the ukulele (and about Formby's fan club), there was a distinct lack of depth. I do know of more detailed programmes about Formby's life, though. I'd personally recommend the Radio 2 documentary George Formby - Britain's Original Pop Star presented by Stuart Maconie, which was broadcast earlier this year.

In terms of Skinner's contribution, it did give him the chance to play "With My Little Stick of Blackpool Rock" in a Blackpool rock factory, which itself is a fascinating process, starting with a massive roll of rock and working its way down to smaller sections, something which I didn't know about...

This isn't the first time Frank Skinner has paid tribute to music hall star George Formby. At The Secret Policeman's Ball in 2008, Skinner performed a highly amusing (and YouTube-able) ditty about Osama bin Laden on a ukelele in the manner of Formby, complete with OTT Lancashire vowels. In this biopic, Skinner plays some of his real-life songs, charts his rise to fame and looks at the exploitation that surrounded his sudden death.

Frank Skinner puts a positive spin on his biography of stage and screen star George Formby, whose ukulele strumming and saucy songs kept British audiences smiling through the Second World War. It's a life full of fascination but Skinner scoots through the detail. In a film of more diversions than the M6, Skinner attends massed ukulele thrashes, learns how to make Blackpool rock and talks about his hero to schoolchildren, who greet him with: "Good morning, Frank Skinner". Sweet, like the programme.

Frank Skinner reveals his love for George Formby

The comedian explores the enduring appeal of the entertainer and ukulele master.

There's a lot of Frank Skinner in this affectionate appraisal of the life and times of George Formby but that's not such a bad thing, particularly as Skinner proves adept at playing the ukulele, the instrument associated with the toothy comic. Formby made a mint from his role as the king of the underdog and Skinner aims to find out why he was so loved.