IAN Hislop may not be a natural TV presenter - he always looks like a startled choirboy who has been caught sneaking out of Evensong - but he certainly brought a touch of quality and dignity to Saturday night.

His programme Not Forgotten is evidently a repeat, but having missed it first time around, it was new to me.

In it the erstwhile Have I Got News For You? captain sought out the human stories behind the names to be found on memorials to the fallen in the First World War.

Saturday's hour-long documentary was slightly different.

Hislop looked at those who are often totally forgotten as casualties in the ironically named Great War - women. So we heard some poignant and moving tales including the Cotswold mother who lost five sons on the Western Front and then, rather than getting support from her village as you might expect, became the victim of a whispering campaign from those jealous of her receiving five war pensions.

Perhaps the most amazing tale was that of the motorbike riding nurse named Gypsy who set up her own treatment centre on the front line itself amid all the carnage of the trenches.

Saturday night might have been an unlikely setting for such a powerful programme.

But how nice to get some grown up TV that was compelling viewing and at the same time didn't require you to phone in and vote.