The popular British comedian tries his hand at travel programmes, starting off in China where he manages to dig up a number of charming insights into the local life. Merton unearths characters such as the Chinese farmer-inventor who has designed a robotdrawn rickshaw and a walking table that’s too slow to get anywhere and too unstable to put a drink on without risking spillage. Merton also dabbles in extreme cuisine, sampling fried donkey’s penis (‘Well, I can tell he wasn’t Jewish’), and even throws jibes at himself, hijacking a karaoke party held at a faux 17th-century French château and singing ‘Unchained Melody’ in his dressing gown. Just like any good stand-up routine, Merton’s skill lies in his comic timing and ability to see the humour in anything or anyone.

BBC Knowledge, Channel 30.