I’ve got a vested interest in BBC4′s upcoming Comics Britannia, having written a modest history of British comics which, dear reader, is still available to purchase here, and recently compiled the imminent Look-in: The Best of the Seventies. And, in fact, I met the show’s producer Alastair Laurence a few months back, wherein he generously allowed me to bend his ear for an hour with thoughts about what should go into the season of programmes.

We’ve not been in touch since, so there’s no reflected glory here when I say the first episode – which I’ve just watched on preview – is absolutely fantastic, dealing with the rise of The Dandy and The Beano. To have a documentary which pays full respect to Davy Law (Dennis the Menace), Leo Baxendale (The Bash Street Kids), Ken Reid (Jonah) and Dudley D Watkins (Desperate Dan) feels like a real treat. The likes of Kev O’Neill, Paul Gravett (who gave my book a lukewarm review, if memory serves) and Bob Paynter (original Whizzer & Chips editor) are on hand to provide talking head duties, while the show is framed in an ace “moving comic-strip” style. 

One of the best things on telly this year. 

EDITOR’S VOICE: The first episode can be seen on Monday September 10.