AND so it has begun: The greatest show on earth is filling our screens turning us all into experts on the finer points of a double twisting dismount or the advantages of the penholder grip.

Much has been written about that astonishing opening ceremony but a couple of thoughts. A copy of it should be sent to every school in the country to get pupils interested in history – who needs the national curriculum when you’ve got Kenneth Branagh and his mill chimneys?

And well done Danny Boyle for making everyone in Great Britain proud – apart from that tweeting MP – and for totally confusing the rest of the world in the process. Quite what they made of it in Tuvalu is anyone’s guess.

Now the action has begun, you’ve got to admit it’s great TV. There’s drama, humanity, suspense and mystery – all the things in fact we get so little of when ‘normal’ programmes are is on.

From the surreal beach volleyball to the strangely captivating gymnastics, there’s something for everyone.

But for me the highlight so far has been the Clare and Mark show, or the swimming for those not in the know: Chemistry is a magic word in TV-land.

Clare Balding and swimmer-turned-Strictly dancer Mark Foster have gelled into perfect evening companions.