AM I the only person in this country who doesn’t watch The X Factor, or, indeed, any other reality programme?

I don’t see the point in viewing a seemingly endless string of wannabe warblers belting out largely sub-standard versions of saccharine ballads or grindingly dull middle-of-the-road rockers in front of a line-up of judges (and I include Cheryl Cole, er Tweedy, whose strained efforts to be nice and not patronise whoever is on stage must be killing her) with faces so smug they could turn a monk into a serial killer.

My tactic of avoidance, though, serves merely to restrict my options when it comes to reviewing television programmes as there is little else on.

On the plus side, it does free me up to watch repeats of episodes of Bullseye from 1980 and the like.

Also, it makes you sit up and take notice when quality television does make an appearance, as it did in the shape of This Is England ’86.

The original Shane Meadows-written and directed film, starring the wonderful Thomas Turgoose, was a winner, its depiction of life in mid-80s post-industrial England, skinhead culture and racism spot on.

Now, Channel 4 is screening this four-part follow-up, and every bit as good it is too.

Generally, television does not make for a successful crossover to the big screen, and films being transferred to TV are a rarity. If this is the result, though, then let’s have more of it.

Four years on from the film and the scene in Sheffield has changed, with everybody gone a bit new romantic. The music and vibe may be different, but how have the lives of the characters altered?

Turgoose, as Shaun, has grown — well he would have, I suppose — and is taking his exams, but is about to let his proud mother down.

The World Cup’s around the corner and the feelgood factor is in the air as Woody and Lol are about to get married.

Of course, it all goes wrong — Woody can’t say “I do”, there’s a heart attack as the ceremony takes place and, elsewhere, Shaun is badly beaten up.

The whole episode is geared to get Shaun and his love of the original film, the charmingly named Smell, back together again, but as a whole, despite its slightly contrived nature, it’s well filmed, the atmosphere is good, it manages to be funny and sad, and the dialogue is fantastic.

This slightly gritty drama benefits from retrospect, rather than attempting to capture a zeitgeist, and bodes well for the rest of the series.