I have one very distinct recollection of turning on the TV one dark winter's evening, and to my delight, after the set had 'warmed up', being able to settle down and watch an episode of 'Bilko' whilst nestling in the comfort of my parents' rocking chair, with that certain glow from an equally contemporary electric fire's heating elements just to make my moment of modest bliss complete.

Although I was probably too young at the time to fully appreciate every element of humour in The Phil Silvers Show, what I did understand was that it was American, it was funny, and it was from a time that had passed, emanating a 'feel' of 1950s America which seemed to tap into some bizarre sense deep inside me that I somehow knew what it must have felt like to have been there.

Such spectacles changed the complexion of my world, especially during those golden moments. They not only brought home to me the difference in culture which lay across the Atlantic, but also confirmed my belief that both a sense of the past and a tendency towards being nostalgic, are actually congenital attributes — certainly in as far as I am concerned — and not necessarily something that comes with age.

I was often unsure of exactly what this feeling was, after all, how could I feel a sense of nostalgia for the America of the 1950s as a child growing up in 1960s London? All I know is that I also have similar 'feelings' about other periods in history outside of my own living experience which can be triggered in many different ways which includes film and television, and by nature I maintain a constant fascination with all things pertaining to the passage of time, both past and future.

What I learnt at that early age, is that turning on the television, or indeed going to the cinema, could change the ambience of my world in a way that I sometimes needed; indeed this is still the case to this day and my guess is that this does not differ from the reasons why millions of people 'escape' in this way. However, it is my honest belief that the craft of engaging and transporting an audience away from the tedium of everyday life, with either a clever script or a talented act, is sadly a dying one requiring urgent resuscitation. I know I'm not alone (though sometimes it feels that way) in my despair at the unbelievable dross that TV and film companies are being permitted to pass for entertainment these days, which seems largely due to the stranglehold of thrifty accountants over those who might seek to endorse unique creative talent, combined with the apparently ever decreasing discernment of a once discerning population. For the enlightened, this has brought about the vexing experience of 21st century channel-hopping: dozens of channels but so often not a thing to be found that's worth watching.