Rory Bremner's Coalition Report, BBC Two, 10pm/Inside The Commons, BBC Two, 11.50pm
Those of a Yes-ish persuasion probably haven't forgiven Edinburgh-born comedian Rory Bremner for his stance on the independence referendum, but there's no denying his skills as an impressionist and political satirist and they're skilfully deployed here.
Recorded in front of a live audience, Bremner runs through the fall-out from the 2010 General Election which saw the formation of the Conservative/Liberal-Democrat coalition - or "the political equivalent of Nando's" as Bremner calls it, because the British public didn't understand what it was being offered and then didn't get what it asked for. Boom boom.
On the impressions front there are plenty of old favourites, such as William Hague, and a few new faces - UKIP leader Nigel Farage gets an outing, while Boris Johnson appears as a unicycling clown. The upcoming leadership debates, meanwhile, are lampooned in a neat mash-up skit which uses real conference footage of Cameron, Miliband, Clegg and Farage and knits it into an episode of The Weakest Link.
Bremner is aided and abetted by regular partner-in-crime, John Bird, impressionist Sara Pascoe and political comedian Matt Forde, who's given a well-received solo spot.
Viewers in England will see Bremner's programme as part of a double bill with Inside The Commons, a new behind-the-scenes documentary series about the House of Commons from film-maker Michael Cockerell which occupies the coveted 9pm slot. We Scottish viewers get Bremner first and only those who have managed to stay awake through Scotland 2015 and Newsnight - quite a feat, you will agree - will still be watching when Cockerell's series airs. It's a pity because it's going to be worth catching. The four-parter took a year to make (or six if you count the five years Cockerell spent waiting for permission to film) and shows the Commons as it has never been shown before, including a view of Prime Minister's Questions that only an MP would ever be able to get. Cockerell also interviews both Ed Miliband and David Cameron, the latter telling him the House of Commons is "half like a museum, half like a church and half like a school." Read that quotation back, by the way, and you'll see it says as much about the quality of maths teaching at Eton as it does the gothic appeal of the UK's iconic seat of government.
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