Stella

This salty Welsh serial is a twinkling, Friday-night gem. Creator/star Ruth Jones strikes just the right balance: it's genial but not sentimental and rude without being mucky. Stella looks lovely (it was filmed in the Welsh valleys), makes witty use of pop songs and is chock full of dialogue you'll want to memorise for the pub.

This week, Stella joins her son Ben's rugby training session to get fit for her first date with Sean the Scouser (who's actually from Barnsley). But she's sidetracked by a family crisis when her insolvent brother Dai does a runner. It's a surprise when Ben's first rugby match against a bunch of thugs goes all Hollywood. But don't worry; it's not for long.

Stella psyches herself up for her date with Sean but is terrified of him seeing her in the buff. Big Alan still thinks he's in with a chance and hopes to woo her at the rugby. Meanwhile, her brother Dai goes to pieces when the benefits office questions his disability payments, and a letter arrives from Canada with life-changing news for Luke. But the plot is mildly diverting background for Ruth Jones's performance and able support from Elizabeth Berrington and Owen Teale. If it was in any doubt, the show has second series written all over it.

Now we're purring. Stella's son Luke is out of prison and, new this week, her ex's dreadful girlfriend has gone into the dog-grooming business: "One of our most popular packages is 'the Dog's Dinner', which includes a colour rinse of your choice." Every character does their thing so nicely, the show can flit between them at its leisure, and they're all welcome when they pop up.

Luke (Craig Gallivan) is the main story in episode four, however. Stella desperately hopes he can stay out of trouble, despite Mo from the Bap Factory's insistence that "he'll be back behind bars before you can say Britain's Got Talent."

The story's a simple one but you can relax in front of it, confident that it'll never lapse into tweeness - because there's nothing less relaxing than that - and that there'll be killer jokes along the way.

Stella's still being pursued by the handsome boxer/decorator but has no idea why. She goes to see Emma's prospective in-laws and finds them ideologically opposed when it comes to a woman's place in the home. The show's appeal is 90% down to Ruth Jones's effortless performance. She doesn't telegraph emotions or sentiment, but simply lets them play gently across her face. You are rooting for her in every scene. If this is the kind of thing she produces sans Corden, she is on to a winner.

You know the recession has really hit when undertakers start struggling. People just "aren't dying like they used to," moans Paula (Elizabeth Berrington), who is just perfect in her role.

Luckily for the alky funeral director, local rugby legend "Dick the Kick" decides to, er, "kick" the bucket and give ­business a boost. This is going to be the funeral of the century - and a good excuse to rehash some classic puns.

The eulogy is read by a familiar face, and as the seemingly sensible person starts with the double entendres, it has a feel of Have I Got News For You? about it (although it has been a while since he's been on the show. Perhaps time to get him back?!)

There are some other celebrity turns, although if you're anything like me and clueless about sport, you'll probably lots. Some get a name-check; most don't. See if you can spot all ten.

Neil Kinnock makes cameo appearance in Stella

Neil Kinnock films a cameo in Ruth Jones' sitcom Stella - and is revealed as an unlikely crush for the downtrodden housewife.

A bit of a break from Stella's troubles this week, as we focus more on her best friend, dipso/nympho undertaker Paula (the always brilliant Elizabeth Berrington). Her struggling business gets a lift when it's entrusted with the funeral of a local rugby legend: a touchline conversion gave the old boy the nickname "Dick the Kick". As all of Pontyberry rallies round to help Paula, an increasingly outrageous parade of celeb guests arrive to play themselves, and to join in with a slew of "Dick" puns. You'll never guess who's doing the eulogy.

Ruth Jones's Welsh sitcom ambles on pleasantly but uneventfully in this third episode. The death of a local rugby legend promises to revive ailing fortunes when a lavish funeral is planned. Most of the humour revolves around the fact that his name was 'Dick', an innuendo that's repeated way too many times even before guest star Neil Kinnock gets saddled with it during his speech (his performance is fine, mind you - they have the sense to put him behind a lectern where he's at home). Eamonn Holmes also appears in a tailor-made Sky News broadcast, but other than that this is decidedly unremarkable and never hilarious. Still, props for having a hot younger guy, Sean (Kenny Doughty) mooning after Jones's mumsy character, rather than the other way around.

Ruth Jones's refreshing comedy drama continues. Wedding preparations are in full swing for Emma's shotgun union to Sunil, and Stella is looking forward to Luke's homecoming from prison. But the town comes to a standstill when local rugby legend Dick the Kick dies suddenly and all attention turns to giving him a hero's funeral. All of which is good news for alcoholic funeral director Paula, who could really use the cash. A great cast and some quietly confident writing are underpinned with just enough warmth to avoid the whole thing melting to a sticky, gooey mess.