H&G have been most taken lately with the Perfect Night In series on Channel 4 and thought we could do our own (better) version. And so, Dear Readers, a departure from the usual H&G format. We hope you enjoy our nostalgic ramblings.

Jack: OK, so today's category will be Whimsical Comedy Drama. And of course the sine qua non of the genre is Lovejoy. I could never love a woman, or be friends with a bloke, who didn't love Lovejoy: you can tell what series it is by his mullet development, but I think the mullet was a metaphor for something bigger, a memento mori perhaps, it certainly got chopped off in the end and I think we can all sympathise with that.

Now, Will, let's put aside the fact that Eric is a founder member of the All-Time Pantheon of Sidekicks - which he most certainly is - and move to the issue which divides all eminent professors of Lovejology: which was the better Era - nay, Epoch - that of Lady Jane or that of Charlotte Cavendish?

Will: I never really cared for either of the posh women. So to decide the best years I'm going on other factors.

If the mullet-ometer is a sign of a successful character then the early years should have it, with Lovejoys hair so luxuriant that it wafted gently in the breeze. His dress sense however didn't evolve and that holds him back. Permanently clad in blue jean/white t-shirt/leather jacket (for 9 long years!) he looked like a perma-tanned Grease cast member who'd got left behind by the travelling musical roadshow.

That means for me the sidekicks can't just be ignored in my judgement ..and while Tink did a stirling job his performance was solid rather than influential. So really it's the ever gurning, Rentaghost inspired Eric 'Claypole' Catchpole that sways my view.

Eric in real life was clearly an out of work actor until Lovejoy occurred. Unused to regular payment he seems to have enjoyed success through the medium of booze - so as each week passed his cider bloomed features and large ruddy nose increased. By the finale he'd become more panto dame than anything else.

So I give it the latter years Jack.

Now a question for you.

Which TV actor (bar Eric) descended into either a drug or drink binge - which was clearly evident within the show ?

My vote goes to Michael 'Boon' Elphick who during his years of filming clearly became so friendly with Mr Jack Daniels that they had to kill him of Eastenders as he was doing the same to himself. For a fond look just look at this altar to the Urban Cowboy.

Jack: Well, I think I'll re-interpret the question a little. Let's call it the Most Ignominius Self-Inflicted Career Swan Dive question. However, I don't think drink and drugs can be involved as there are too many famous examples (Elvis, Hendrix, Joplin) ditto cars (McQueen, Dean, Princess Di). Something that involves stupidity, naivety or ignorance I think is best.

So, honorable mention to David Caruso, who didn't realise that:

a: he was about the only megafamous proper 'Stay Out of the Sun' Ginger at the time (there is a very good reason for this) and

b: NYPD Blue makes stars out of anyone who ever appears in it (Sipowicz for crying out loud!) and

c: he cannot act. The man is a plank of wood. He'd make someone a great cricket bat one day, but Olivier he ain't.

He would run away the category; I mean to the extent that it would be called "Doing a Caruso". He'd be a story Hollywood parents tell to frighten their kids into behaving. But somehow he lands a job on another can't-fail TV franchise, where the only skill required of him is the portentous removal of his sunglasses. Really I could go on all day about this. Really gets my adrenaline going.

Hmm...other honourable mentions Zoe out of EastEnders who went "to conquer Hollywood" not realising that she was only considered pretty because the rest of the cast were so ugly; Richard Blackwood and Craig David who also went to conquer America.

UPDATE: ZOE is now the Bionic Woman. We will watch like Stadler and Waldorf from the sidelines.

Here's my criteria: they have to have had one very lucky success, which went completely to their head, then they jack in the best thing that ever happened to their career for some completely beyond-their-talent, not-unless-Hell-freezes-over goal. On the way, they have to turn down some great project which they never should have got near, then they diappear while failing miserably, learn a life lesson the hard way, then come crawling back, swallowing their pride like Linda Lovelace in her prime, and prepared to take any work at all to try to rebuild their shattered profile. If they return to their alma mater and get badly treated by the producers, the rest of the cast and especially the writers - who fuck around with the character just to piss off the Swan Diver - that, that, is true ignominy.

Ladies and Gentleman: I give you Adam Rickitt.

Phew. I am now officially exhausted. You know what I need. Some relaxing, formulaic, Sunday night TV. What's your favourite Sunday night TV, Will?