Opinion: In praise of BBC Two's Count Arthur Strong

Delaney has aged into the Count quite comfortably, no longer a hint of a young man in a silly wig.

The use of props to add colour to a show that is, let's face it, better suited to Radio 4, is understandable. It doesn't stop the programme from being both amusing and informative, certainly. So it's just a shame that the toy horned helmets worn by Andy Hamilton, Reginald D Hunter and guest scrutineer Martha Kearney don't really support Julian Richards's theory that the Vikings were a force for good. Then again, a Viking shield might have helped ward off the spiky quips from Dr Peter Thompson, who believes our eyes don't tell us what's really out there.