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What could just be another travelogue documentary, Paul Merton In China is lifted enormously by its star. Merton, best known of course for the likes of Have I Got News For You, covers the well and lesser known destinations within China’s border, all the while proving to be an engaging and genial guide.

It helps, of course, that Merton is one of the funniest people working in television today, but Paul Merton In China is a lot more than a chance for him to display his wit (although it is frequently very funny). Instead, he displays a continuing inquisitive interest in the places that we see him visit, never forgetting that his job is to help document a broad, yet often mysterious nation.

Across the four hours of Paul Merton In China, he covers both the contrasting modern and more traditional areas of the country, from the big cities through to the lesser-known areas, meeting some interesting characters while on his travels. And the only problem is that there isn’t more of it, for there’s surely scope for some kind of follow-up here, given that Merton scratches the surface of the country.

Nonetheless, Paul Merton In China is a quite brilliant piece of television, and you only hope that the BBC ensures Mr Merton’s passport is kept regularly stamped in the years ahead. --Jon Foster