Jim Broadbent’s A Sense of History tells the story of the 23rd Earl of Leete, a pompous ass with a startling story. A half hour comedy directed by Mike Leigh of all people, it’s a beautifully written (by Broadbent) character piece full of awesome lines. When I mentioned it to friends this evening I realised that as well as remembering the whole of his final rant, it’s laugh-track free, documentary-style approach quietly pre-dates the likes of The Office by about a decade and a half.

I really love the fact that it’s basically Leigh going ‘Yeah I could do this if I wanted’. Never released on video or DVD, and deleted from You Tube, it’s worth tracking down.