The One Show - TV review

As a rule they don't allow advertising on the Beeb.

Instead, they have The One Show, which over the past few years has provided a nice comfortable sofa in a nice warm studio where nice celebs can park themselves and plug their latest nice book/film/record/ play in front of several million people.

This week, for example, we've had artist Tracey Emin promoting her posters for the Olympics, actress Brenda Blethyn advertising her new drama and comedian Robert Webb plugging his new role presenting Winnie the Pooh stories for Disney.

Quite often the guests are involved in some or other BBC production, which is why last night we found Richard Hammond and Julia Bradbury merrily plugging their latest programme. (Just in case you missed it, it's called Planet Earth Live and it starts on May 6 on, er, BBC1.)

Hammond even managed to get presenters Matt Baker and Alex Jones to help him plug the fact that the BBC has pulled the plug on his other show, Total Wipeout.

Mind you, if the Beeb's controllers are measuring the lifespan of their programmes, I'd put good money on the One Show being safe for a few more years to come.

Despite the fact that it does spend an enormous amount of time promoting other programmes, it is perfectly undemanding viewing after a day at the office.

There's nothing too taxing contained within its thirty minutes, and they certainly manage to cram a lot in, even if the line-up appears to have been selected by raffle.

Last night, for example, we had Larry Lamb giving a report on the return of a ship's coat of arms that was captured by the Dutch in 1673, an item on an osteopath who works with elephants at the West Midland Safari Park, right on our doorstep, an interview with a man who is preparing to parachute from the edge of space, and an article on drought.

It's a ragbag of a programme, full of disparate items that don't gel together at all, but presumably the idea is that if one piece doesn't interest you there'll be another along in a minute.

And while this is the One Show's strength, it's also a bit of a weakness.

I'd have liked to have seen a bit more of Larry Lamb's report on the HMS Royal Charles and a bit less of the drought item, which was "does exactly what it says on the tin" TV at its finest.

Can you wash your car with a hosepipe during the drought, asked the reporter as we watched her washing a car.

Can you use a garden sprinkler, she wondered, as we watched her in a garden. With a sprinkler.

And can you wash a dog with a hosepipe? (Two guesses. Go on, you can do it.)

Still, it's an enjoyable way to pass a half-hour, even though most of the content was so lightweight it went straight out of my head the moment the end credits rolled. (If I hadn't made notes you'd be looking at a blank page right now.)

In fact, I might even tune in again tonight. I wonder who's on?

"Tomorrow night we're going to be joined by EastEnders' Alfie Moon, Shane Richie," said Matt Baker as he wrapped things up.

Shane Richie? Oh, really.

I wonder what he's got to sell.

Andrew Owen