For my money, Stephen Fry should get his own channel. It could be like reality TV where we just follow Fry around and watch him going about his business being utterly charming and fun. Now, for someone who didn't really like Stephen Fry once, this is quite the statement, but last night, belatedly, I realised what changed. At first, I thought it was down to his (very public) coming off drugs that had mellowed him, but really, the reason I love him so much is because he rarely has to play a character these days. I'm utterly content to see him just being. It's for this reason that Stephen Fry in America (BBC One, Sunday, 20 October, 9pm) is such a wonderful programme to watch.

This week, Uncle Steve found himself in The South of the United States, ferreting around in the undergrowth looking for the real gems of one of the most colourful bits of America. Naturally, the postcard from the Deep South was a real picture, as Fry took in bluegrass, bourbon, mining, a hot air balloon ride, palm trees and made great telly out of something as simple as getting a haircut.

One thing that Fry excels at, is getting something as big as America and it's entire history, and condensing it down to the essence, leaving us with the real taste. Naturally, when most think of The South, they think of Republican, confederate flag waving racists... but that's off the mark... although it doesn't go without mention.

However, first thing's first. Fry's turn of phrase and warmth fills the show, and just about everyone he meets is on the receiving end of his fiendish fun. When talking about Britain's 'wealth' of KFC's, he chirups; "On a Saturday night, the smell of a congealing thrift bucket fills the air..." Even while visiting 'The Body Farm' (a place where scientist do experiments on decomposing bodies), he still manages to froth with floweriness. On smelling a rotting cadaver, he cries "It's a great seething, living... appalling smelling thing... it's as if it's clawing inside you to try and scoop out every living part of your and turn it in to death... it's unspeakably horrible!" However, he closes with a touching tribute to the work and proffers that he may well leave his body to such an organisation.

However, back to the elephant in the room - racism. Fry meets up with a historian to talk of 'Gullah' culture, which is that of the slaves who came to America way back when. He, and we, hear of the blending of the European slave owners, the culture of West Africa, even the influence of the Native Americans... it was startling and fascinating stuff.

It's probably more of a reflection on me to say that, as interesting and engaging Fry is when he's losing himself in the history and folk tales of America, this show is still the most fun to watch when it's daft and low-brow. On riding a horse that's normally as placid as can be, a nervy Fry mounted a horse that promptly sped off, leaving me spraying tea through my nose as our brave host yelled a petrified "WHOA! WHOA! WHOOOAA!"

To close the show, Fry chose a most American pastime, that of American Football, which is as pompous, brilliant, ridiculous, cheap and wonderful as it gets. You could see Fry electrified by the spectacle unfolding in front of him, which in turn, electrified me, who normally poo-poos the whole thing because it's not as good as our football. It's testament to this brilliant show that you can take something like America, a place we think we know so well, and turn your notions on their head in a really positive and fun way. That said, I'm with him all the way when he grumped his way through Florida...