TV Heaven, Telly Hell

Have you ever wondered what would happen if the worlds of Stars In Their Eyes and the cult 70s show The Indoor League combined? No, me neither, but the result is rather amusing.

They are two of Lee Mack's choices as he gatecrashes Sean Lock's studio for a chat about the best and worst TV programmes.

It's great when TV programmes are taken out of context, especially ones from the 70s. And The Indoor League is TV gold. Where else could you see cheese skittles being played? Sean is looking forward to the spin-off series, Cheese Skittlers' Wives.

Not quite heaven

I know comedy is very much a matter of personal taste, therefore very rarely brings in big ratings and as a consequence gets pushed to the periphery of the mainstream schedules, hence the late scheduling of TV Heaven, Telly Hell, though how it ever got a second series is a bit of a mystery.

The format clearly doesn't work, while Sean Lock not only continues to look uncomfortable and unfunny, but this week he managed to do the almost impossible by sharing a show with Jack Dee that I found it very difficult to laugh at.

Merely showing old clips of bad telly and then commenting on them seems last at the best times and the whole thing really does come across as an ill-conceived rip off of Room 101. The only thing remotely interesting about the whole exercise was the sight of Brain Blessed's deformed-looking foot in a clip from City Hospital.

A handy hint: if you are going to make a television show that exists to extract the urine from other productions, you should at the very least ensure that your show isn't worse than those you're mocking.

Last night's television brought us the sight of Brian Blessed bellowing a serenade at an understandably bewildered old woman in a hospital ward. "Oh, I fancy you like mad!" he then roared at her. This was followed by John Travolta chasing Cliff Richard, who was dressed as a giant leek - while Princess Anne looked on.

Any cabinet ministers watching may well have feared they were having a pot flashback. In fact, though, these clips (and plenty more like them) signalled the return of TV Heaven, Telly Hell on Channel 4.

Television about television is usually dismissed as self-regarding and unimaginative - which might even be true. On the other hand, it's also responsible for some of the most enjoyable programmes around, including Harry Hill's TV Burp and its upmarket BBC4 cousin, Charlie Brooker's Screenwipe.

Sean's smashing show

We all love some television shows and hate others, but you may be surprised by one of comedian Lee Mack's favourites, which he reveals on the first episode of the new series of TV Heaven, Telly Hell - Stars In Their Eyes (Channel 4).

The show's presenter - and fellow comedian - Sean Lock, explains: "Lee chose a brilliant moment when the real Chris De Burgh met the pretend Chris De Burgh. It is one of the creepiest moments."

Johnny Vegas managed to more entertaining in a few short minutes on Grandstand than he managed in a whole half hour in Channel 4's woeful TV Heaven, Telly Hell. A great idea, painfully poorly executed. I like Sean Lock but this format really doesn't play to his strengths.