Dan Cruickshank’s Adventure in Architecture, BBC2

2:03pm Thursday 24th April 2008

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WHILE most of us find it impossible to watch anything other than The Apprentice on a Wednesday night, there is another programme which is well worth setting the recorder for.

Over on BBC2, Dan Cruickshank's Adventure in Architecture is definitely one for lovers of eccentric Englishmen everywhere.

He may be a renowned architectural historian but dear old Dan comes over as part Harry Potter character/part eccentric uncle. He even genuinely uses the expression "Gosh" at every opportunity.

With his light coloured travel suit and ubiquitous fedora, you can easily see him sipping Singapore Slings in the bar of Raffles Hotel, almost like a character from a novel.

Still who wouldn't swap places with him? His travels have taken him all over the globe looking at spectacular temples and magnificent palaces.

It's a series which is made for the brave new world of HD TV.

Less successful has been the idea to theme' each programme - last night's came under the heading of terror and war.

To be honest, the stories behind the individual buildings are so good they don't really need dressing up. And poor old Dan doesn't look overly comfortable trying to curb his obvious enthusiasm for the bricks and mortar so that he can put them into the straitjacket of context laid down by the producers.