With sketches featuring Riverdance and James Blunt, new sketch show The Ginge, The Geordie And The Geek (BBC Two) was scarcely straining to be intensely topical satire.

And what a blessed relief that was: here was a sketch trio more concerned with getting its jokes right rather than flaunting its cleverness or political correctness in our faces.

There were misses as well as hits but, with their gangster gulls and amorous ventriloquists, Paul Charlton, Kevin O'Loughlin and Graeme Rooney hit the mark, a dash of surreal imagination added to what is, at heart, traditionally crafted comedy.

They like running about in their underpants, which was vaguely mystifying, and a sketch about cracking the female mind code came off as lame. But a couple of dance numbers were inspired. Watch the last three minutes of episode one and if you don't laugh, you're probably dead.

An interview with The Ginge, The Geordie and The Geek

Today we have an interview with The Ginge, The Geordie and The Geek; a sketch comedy troupe made up of one part Graeme Rooney, one part Paul Charlton and one part Kevin O'Loughlin.

Interview: The Ginge, The Geordie And The Geek

Graeme Rooney, Paul Charlton and Kevin O'Loughlin met over ten years ago at drama school as they looked to fashion successful acting careers for themselves. But two Edinburgh Fringe shows later and over 6500 tickets sold, the trio, a.k.a The Ginge, The Geordie And The Geek, are one of the most sought after sketch troupes in the country.