I won’t lie to you (why would I? To look cooler than I am? Well, maybe…). I have never seen Saxondale (BBC2, Thursday, 9.30pm). Quite how this show has passed me by is beyond me. There are certain people I tend to trust when it comes to new comedies and the like, and Coogan is one of them. So why did I not bother tuning in for Saxondale? After watching it last night, it’s my loss.

For those who haven’t yet climbed aboard the good ship Saxon’, I’ll give you the lowdown. Basically, Saxondale is a sitcom about a pest controller who just can’t let go of his past… his past being a bit part in the world of rock in the mid seventies. Tommy Saxondale is repressed, tragic and, in the words of the RT, “a deliciously awful creation”.

On last year, people seemed to be opting out of Saxondale. Many complained that it wasn’t immediate enough, which means that they were doing what one should never do when watching a new show by a famous comic: Comparing it to previous work. What’s that? I know I do it, but hell, I’m a massive hypocrite sometimes. The fact is, when you’re watching Saxondale, it’s hard not to compare it to Alan Partridge, but really, you have to let it go. Although, in saying that, at times, Saxondale does bear the hallmarks of the soul crushing Partridge, and it’s no bad thing.

Saxondale, like our fave Norwich based disc-jockey, is a tragic figure clinging on to a time that simply doesn’t belong to him anymore. The glory days are gone and the weary nods to failure are strong. Brief recognitions are always met with glorious denial. That’s why we love Partridge… and as a result, that’s exactly why we should all love Saxondale. There’s no doubting that Saxondale is slower in pace than previous Coogan outings, but rather than dismiss it as a dud, you need to stick with it and realise that the jokes, when they come, unfurl themselves slowly and brilliantly. If Coogan is attempting to recreate the slow deathly pace of suburbia, and the slow sneaking knowledge that at some point, life has taken a turn for the Horlicks, then he’s nailed it square on the head.

If you have ever watched Sky’s The Secret Life of Suburbia, then you really should watch this. Saxondale is a rocker living in a dull newbuild on an estate… hang on… estate sounds too tough… Saxondale lives on a Mews and where his life was once filled with Hash bags from Deep Purple, it’s now filled with broth. There was a cracking vignette in last nights show which showed Tommy, fresh from humiliation at a gig, sat at home realising that he isn’t the man he once was and, that rock’n'roll ain’t whut it used t’be. Sad and low, Tommy sat on his sofa whilst his wife offered to make him some pea and ham soup showed a slow dawning reality, then, when his mate comes ’round to offer him a gig, he wrestles with his soup… then… bam… he’s off in denial reliving the old days. When his lovely wife shouts “What about your pea and ham soup?”, right on cue, Coogan delivers. Hand in the sign on the devil he yells “I’ll microwave it later!” As small as the gesture is, it perfectly encapsulates the small rebellion of a man who is clearly got little to shake a fist at.

Basically, you need to become engrossed in Saxondale. He may well be Coogan’s finest creation to date. Coogan obviously cares for this character more than the horrendous Partridge and Ferrino. The love that has gone into Tommy, as well as a wry glance at the shortcomings, is vintage Coogan. If you have to give it time, then do so… Saxondale will certainly be a rewarding watch.