Frankie’s keen to get World in Order

Frankie goes to Russia (BBC two)

It doesn’t seem all that long ago comedian Frankie Boyle was a mainstream pariah, the heartless comic who overstepped the line more often than a drunk darts player.

These days, he enjoys his own offbeat political series, Frankie Boyle’s New World Order, on the BBC, and the network thinks so highly of him that they sent him to Russia ahead of the impending World Cup.

The result is this two-parter, which was a revelation.

Frankie might just have found his calling as the new Louis Theroux. A more menacing, less friendly-looking version, it has to be said, but no less entertaining.

If only Frankie could get over his fear of flying, he could be replicating this format all over the world. Alas, he had to do the entire journey by train and car.

Perhaps what was most engaging was Frankie’s selfdeprecating style and moments of vulnerability.

He also showed a more serious side when he gave an impassioned explanation to a local as to why the Russian stance on homosexuality was so wrong.

But there were plenty of cutting remarks and laughs, too, like his descriptions of Boris Johnson – a combination of a “head injury and an unmade bed” and “a malevolent Baked Alaska”.

The conclusion of this series might not make us look at Russia differently, but it’ll cast Frankie in a new light.

scotland 78: A love story (bbc one)

As another World Cup without Scotland beckons, this endearing and entertaining documentary looked back 40 years to a time when not only were we the only home nation involved but we thought we were going to win it.

Better to be there and leave disappointed than not feature at all.