In a televisual scandal that eclipses those involving John Sergeant, �Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross, Scotland�s funniest and most original half-hour show in years can at present only be seen in clip form on the video-sharing website YouTube.

In a televisual scandal that eclipses those involving John Sergeant, Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross, Scotland's funniest and most original half-hour show in years can at present only be seen in clip form on the video-sharing website YouTube.

Gary's War recently won its writer and star, Greg McHugh, a Scottish Bafta award for best entertainment programme. The category was adjudicated by a comedy-literate Bafta judging panel distinguished by the presence of screenwriter Ian Pattison, onlie begetter of Rab C Nesbitt (and considerably less distinguished by the inclusion of myself).

We'd each been given a precious DVD of Gary's War, a show that few folk - including me - actually saw when it was broadcast by its digital-telly commissioners, More4, one night in May. A few others enjoyed its stage incarnation in 2007 at Glasgow's Tron Theatre (and later on the Edinburgh Fringe), when The Herald called it "comic creation of the year".

At the Bafta judges' final get-together, choosing Gary's War as winner took us about 15 seconds of eager discussion. There was something deeply revealing in the fact that the show's very mention prompted each judge to try to out-do their neighbour by performing their favourite lines from it in the uniquely camp east-coast drawl of its central character, Sergeant Gary McLintoch.

A somewhat unlikely British Army tank commander, Gary is home on leave from active service in Iraq, sharing his singular perceptions of the ongoing conflict direct to camera. As you'll see on YouTube, these military reminiscences are charismatic, discursively hilarious, gripping, surprising and bizarrely credible. You'll laugh out loud - and then start doing a Sgt Gary McLintoch impression.

For the good of Scotland's national psyche, Gary's War must appear again on proper telly soon (with a series to follow). On top of that, McHugh and his screen partner Will Andrews should have a series of their sketch show The Incredible Will and Greg commissioned pronto.

In the mean time, just search for "Gary Tank Commander" on YouTube. It'll do you good.