My Hero: Miranda Hart On Eric Morecambe

First in a new series in which contemporary stars profile the heroes of their youth. In this opener, Miranda Hart follows in the footsteps of her hero Eric Morecambe, from Morecambe beach to Luton Town and many points in between. Uncovering rarer footage than that found in most other Eric & Ern documentaries, and including interviews with former collaborators Eddie Braben, Barry Cryer and Ann Hamilton, this makes for a commendably off-piste look at the much-loved comic icon.

I was several minutes into my preview copy of My Hero: Miranda Hart on Eric Morecambe (9pm, BBC1) before something significant struck me.

Namely, the fact that, up to this point, there hadn't been a lot of Eric Morecambe in it.

Instead, it begins with Miranda reflecting, with her sister, on her own hit-and-miss beginnings in the comedy world - which, as some old clips confirm, offered no hint of the success that would eventually come her way.

The thing about Morecambe, though, is that he's always been Miranda's inspiration, even though she was only 11 when he died.

So although the show is very much her own personal take on a comedy legend and what he's meant to her, it also sees her travelling around the country on a kind of Eric Morecambe pilgrimage, visiting places where he and partner Ernie Wise performed, chatting with people who knew this great double act and digging out her favourite Morecambe and Wise clips.

What could so easily have been a tired and tested clips-and-hits fest is instead a warm personal tribute from one of comedy's brightest new stars to one of its oldest and best. Miranda's adoration is clear both from the outset of this film and from her work: she directly attributes her glances to camera and sense of joy and the ridiculous to Eric. As she romps around the country with her dog Peggy, dancing on a giant blue statue of the duo and visiting Morecambe's old friends and collaborators, she's clearly having a ball, as are we.

But she's interested in the nature of stardom and its effects on Morecambe, as well as how he coped with the pressure of always having to be at the top of his game: concerns she admits to wrestling with herself. The combination of these different aspects of Morecambe's life and art make this a pleasure to watch, whether you're a fans of his, Miranda's, both or even neither.

Miranda Hart on her comedy hero Eric Morecambe

Plus Barry Cryer, Ant and Dec, Victoria Wood, Ben Miller salute a legacy of laughter.

Miranda Hart has often cited Eric Morecambe as the biggest influence on her comedy style - something that could be deduced from watching any episode of her sitcom Miranda. Hart has even been dubbed by Morecambe's widow Joan, as her husband's comedy "heir in female form". Who better, then, to present the first in series in which celebrities celebrate the lives and careers of their heroes. Hart's journey takes her to the town from which John Eric Bartholomew took his stage name, and on to Wales, Essex, Brighton, Luton and London, as she discovers how he met his partner Ernie Wise and recalls how the pair won millions of fans with The Morecambe & Wise Show.

This is the first in an occasional series that sees celebs champion the people who inspired them. And I can imagine that there must have been quite the bunfight among stars all clamouring to claim Eric Morecambe as their hero.

After all, as the patronising voice-over tells us: "Morecambe and Wise were regarded by many as the greatest comedy double act ever." Gosh, really? It's amazing what you can learn from these documentaries, isn't it?

Miranda's quest to get closer to her hero starts, inevitably, at Eric's statue on Morecambe promenade. She also visits the house where he was born and the now dilapidated Winter Gardens where he would have watched his first shows. Sadly, she somehow neglects to visit the local Wetherspoons, the Eric Bartholomew, which bears his real name.

Elsewhere, we're treated to home movie clips of Miranda's early performances. They are universally terrible. "We all wondered 'how long is she going to keep this up?'" admits her sister Alice.

The best bits are Miranda's meetings with actress Ann Hamilton, who appeared in almost 100 of Morecambe & Wise's TV shows, and with long-time scriptwriter Eddie Braben, who wrote all their Christmas specials. His role in transforming them from an average music hall act into comedy legends really cannot be underestimated, making him the real unsung hero of this piece.

My Hero: Miranda Hart on Eric Morecambe - TV review

Miranda shows plenty of Hart in her homage to Eric Morecambe, but do we really need to see her supporting his football team?