IAN HYLAND on last night’s telly

Comedy Legends With Barry Cryer: Norman Wisdom,

Sky Arts:

Something remarkable happened in TV land last month – and we had lockdown to thank for it. Sky noticed the ratings for its subscription channel Sky Arts had increased, so it took the unusual step of making it accessible to everyone on Freeview.

That was the good news. The even better news is that there is some cracking stuff on there, including Celebrity Portrait Artist Of The

Year, the hilarious celebrity- based comedy Urban Myths and Danny Dyer On Pinter, which sounds like it should be a spoof but isn’t.

This series from Barry Cryer is the

I watched the brilliant clips with a mix of delight and shame

pick. The format is simple. Cryer – a comedy legend himself – chooses one of his favourite comics and treats us to an hour of brilliant clips.

Last night was Norman Wisdom’s turn and it soon became apparent an hour would be nowhere near enough to do justice to such a long and memorable career. Last Of The Summer Wine barely got a mention.

I watched with a mix of delight and shame. Delight that so many of my favourite clips had made the cut – including that legendary Palladium double act with Brucie. Shame that I have thus far failed to introduce my kids to films like Trouble In Store and A Stitch In Time, which I watched over and over when I was their age.

Still, a half- term break in Costa Del Tier 2 beckons. I’ll have them yelling “Mr Grimsdale!” in no time…