What is The Man Who Ate Everything (BBC Four, Wednesday, 17 March, 9pm) about exactly? Well, judging from what television has been like over the past few years you could easily imagine that’s it’s some peering titter at some inordinately fat man who has been winning eating competitions while bed-bound for so long that his legs are like blocks of Trex. This show isn’t anything of the sort.

This Man Who Ate Everything is the author of the Oxford Companion to Food and his name is Alan Davidson.

I bet he’s sick of people saying “Oh! Him off Qi!”

Anyway, our Alan started off his foodieness when he was but a child. Apparently, following a recipe from Arabian Nights, he boiled eggs in turkish coffee and olive oil and… well… it was crap.

However, this was just the start of his quest for exotic grub. As such, he’s won fans from high places like Raymond Blanc. Yeah. Who wouldn’t want Raymond as a fan? Even God Almighty hankers for that.

Sadly, Davidson passed away in 2003.

And so , we’re left with Andrew Graham-Dixon to present and enthuse. This quirky little show could be the hidden gem of the month.