How to look at this: another shining example of the comic genius of Great Britain, or look at it properly and point out 2 key facts: 1-He isn't funny, and 2-He is ANNOYING. VERY, VERY ANNOYING INDEED.

Those unfortunate enough not to be familiar with Ali G should be brought up to speed. Then again, where have you been for the last 18 months to miss another cultural icon being manufactured quicker than a boyband on Ribena?

Ali G started as a slot on The 11 O'Clock Show going out to interview various dignitaries on various topics, such as Northern Ireland, feminism, the army, the arts and so forth. The hook being that this (white, Jewish, Cambridge graduate in real life-real name Sacha Baron Cohen) bloke was doing the interviews in the style of the typical urban junglist. This meaning ignorant and using a typically stereotyped argot more commonly associated with blacks. If you happen to be an ignorant right wing Daily Mail reader anyway. 'Is it because I is black?' he once said. Mercy.

Now, the main way humor is derived is how the targets handle this. The army general he interviewed was in his 70s and had no idea about what was going on and getting this continuous onslaught. However, it is always more interesting to see how he reacts when the target is wise to him.

When doing his piece on feminism, basically confusing it with lesbianism, the lecturer he was patronising was not about to react to this, so he was clearly trying to be more offensive. In a later installment, Tony Benn really put him in his place by standing up to him and having a go at him when he was trying the same thing. The funny side wasn't seen during this by all the fans, but for those with a sense of humor and/or justice, this was better than Portillo getting voted out in the last Election.

Now, if a situation can be saved at the expense of a cheap laugh, out come the catchphrases (which took SEVEN writers to create). By now everyone seems to be saying either 'Wikkid', 'BO!' or 'Booyakasha' at a rate of knots. Great...

Since everyone was getting wise to this, the next series sent him off to the US, where he was frankly lucky not to have the shit beaten out of him several times by The Crips, which would have been a much better punchline (if you'll excuse the pun) in all fairness, and certainly more theraputic. Now he's getting his own show, hopefully leading to the steam running out within a fortnight.

And as for the statement that he's become a manufactured cultural icon? In Staines, where the character is from, a statue is being errected in his honor. Well, the only other claim to fame is that it's near Thorpe Park (actually, it's nearer Chertsy), so if it means people know the place exists, I suppose they have to.

And to back up my point that steam would run out, the show rehashed the original 11OCS format with the character of Boraz, the Kazakstani interviewer that isn't very popular in Kazakstan-the Government have had a go at this, but he wasn't deemed 'funny'-despite being EXACTLY the same concept, same person doing it, too. Told you so.

Then again, Richard Madely's notorious impression on This Morning won the award as the Greatest Nightmare Moment in TV History, despite the fact that it was spot on. Either he is a cheap target, or there is something more in there.

Oh, and apparently the next series (how, exactly?) will have Big Brother's dippy hippy Sada as an Agony Aunt. No smartasss comment required, methinks...