Christmas time is here again, and naturally, this means that TV is bloated with a whole host of cookery gits telling us what to eat. They've every right to of course, because we're all idiots who just buy turkeys every Yule without really thinking about it (unless you're a foodie already of course). The latest chef with ideas is Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall with his Christmas at River Cottage (Channel 4, Monday, 14 December, 8pm)... and he's got a gun.

If you can find something from within yourself to stomach yet another programme about food without immediately self-harming your innards with household bleach, then you'll be thrilled to know that this week sees another series of River Cottage (Channel 4, Thursday, 12 November, 8pm). While it's perfectly reasonable to say that TV is overloaded with far too much food these days, it's not fair to say that they're all rubbish. They're just mostly rubbish.

Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall is a man with a mission. His mission is to badger us into submission until we're all living like medieval peasants off the land. That's a nice enough thought but y'know, I like Playstations, kettles and Whopper Burgers. So whilst I lead a life that would make a duckling bawl, Hugh's has... River Cottage: Gone Fishing (Channel 4, Tuesday, 15 September, 8pm)... sorry, I couldn't crowbar it into a sentence.

Related: More Hugh and RIver Cottage goodness!

Last night, I watched and thoroughly enjoyed River Cottage Autumn (Channel 4, Thursday, 6 November, 8pm) and was left thinking that Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall is the Jeremy Clarkson of the countryside. No, I don't mean loud mouthed, but rather, a statesman for aspirational telly. I'll never drive a Shelby Cobra and nor will I ever get to live on a lovely farm, despite both talking like it's possible. I do love peering into their world though. That said, watching River Cottage Autumn, I was nearly derailed by the sheer level of puns. All that good stuff about jam, pork and medlar chutney... and in particular, those really, really, really cool floating Chinese lantern things, was nearly spoiled by... well... read over.

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall (a man whose name I consistently resent typing out in full) needs to be careful. I'm a big fan of his and I like his approach to life... whoever, I'm getting a bit sick of being preached to by famous foodies about... well... whatever is bugging them at any given moment. Of course, Hugh lives it like he tells it and it's the other's preaching that's seeing my fatigue... but the fact remains, sometimes, I just wanna enjoy watching someone cook... so what's the new River Cottage Spring (Channel 4, Wednesday, 4 June, 9pm) all about?

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's three-part documentary about chickens started strongly the night before last. I have to say it surpassed my expectations and turned out to be a fascinating, informative and even entertaining programme. I was expecting a real shocker – full of chicken blood and death and gloom. Of course, the subject is one that needs to be addressed and the rearing of chicken is something that bothers a lot of people, but still, as a television programme – helped considerably by HFW's boundless enthusiasm – it worked really well.

Judging by the trailers – HFW crying his eyes out – the chances were that part two was going to be much moodier. Let's see what happens.

Yes, you read correctly – we have an interview (which I think is exclusive) with one of our fave TV chefs. Channel 4 sent it to me yesterday. HFD (that's Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall) maybe lower key than your Olivers and your Ramsays, but he forms an invaluable point to the three-pointed pointy thing that Channel 4 has invested in so heavily over the past few years when it comes to food telly.

For the first time, the three of them get together to take on the world of mass-produced food. The channel's Food Fight season launches with Hugh's Chicken Run (7-9 January at 9pm), which sees HFD highlight the bad ways of intensive chicken farming and try to show how it really should be done. Have a look at the Channel 4 website here and click over the jump for the interview.

Just had this though from Channel 4, promoting its Food season next month. And it's great, really great stuff. It features its three big hitter of food TV – Oliver, Ramsay and Whittingstall – on a team-bonding trip out in the country. They bicker, they fight and they argue. Ramsay comes across as the alpha-male (complete with lycra), Oliver the moody teen and HFW as... well, just a bit bewildered. Enjoy!

In this edition of eminent scientist Dr Edward Tennyson’s irregular column, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall is placed in a conical flask with a sprinkling of magnesium and brought to the boil over a blue flame.

TV’s Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall is lauded for his uncompromising commitment to ‘real food’. In his current programme River Cottage: Gone Fishing (C4, Thursdays, 8pm) he discusses how water-dwelling creatures should be caught and prepared to provide folk with good, honest fishy fayre. Fearnley-Whittingstall seems like a decent enough chap and his impassioned advocacy of natural foodie goodness is quite charming. However, his celebration of real food is predicated on somewhat shaky scientific and philosophical foundations. Read on for these revelations...

I'm so very glad that someone decided to put Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall on our telly. He's real ale. He's locally produced beef. He's cutting the heads off animals. He's homely and all broth. In an age which has seen the chef turn celebrity, Hugh is a kick against the norm. Ramsay, Oliver, Rhodes, Harriot, Lawson et al, all have a whiff of sterile disinfectants and precision slicing. Hugh, cracking chef that he quite obviously is, is more grubby hands serving up big fat dumplings in a kitchen that has already got you quite drunk. Guess where I'd rather spend the week?

With that, it's a joy to be able to see more of The River Cottage Treatment (Channel 4, Tuesday, 8pm). Hugh, not satisfied with sharing his wealth of knowledge with the world, is on a mission to get people putting real goodness into their bodies. We're not talking Gillian McKeith styled rantings. HFW can glutton it up with the best of 'em. We're talking quality food, grown locally and eaten with huge grins... apart from a few queasy types retching at a headless pigeon.

Now, everyone is falling over ga-ga at the sight of Nigella in her Christmas kitchen. In fact, lots of comments were left on the article demanding recipes which I didn't have. As lovely as Nigella is, the floating cherubs carrying ambrosia never quite matched up to the likes of the treats served up at River Cottage.

Tomorrow, we get a festive special from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's River Cottage HQ. Naturally, Hugh won't be gunning for the usual fare, which is why he's so brilliant.