"mike basset - manager"

[//\/\/]

tv spin-off from the film "...england manager" - the best thing i've seen on itv in a long while. you see so many poor attempts at shoe-horning football into comedy or drama that it's a surprise to see something so sharply-scripted as this. ricky tomlinson is superb (i think he just plays himself!) and the gags come in rapid succession. my favourite bit was him supervising the bloke moving a statue of a black african slave woman into his house "careful with that! wedding present from ron atkinson, that is..."