In a selection of nine short films you would expect there to be one dud and I’d have put my money on Last Chance. While most of the BBC's Funny Valentines feature names from the cutting edge of comedy this features Russ Abbot and is written by Roy “Last of the Summer Wine” Clarke, two people more from the wrinkling edge of TV comedy.

But actually this is not so bad after all. Abbot plays elderly Morris who we see at the outset packing a suitcase and talking to a picture on the mantelpiece. He is not going on holiday though. He has decided to – spoiler alert although it soon becomes obvious anyway – end it all. And just before he goes he has decided to record his suicide note. 

The result is a kind of cross between Samuel Beckett’s Krapp’s Last Tape and an Alan Bennett Talking Heads one-off. There are plenty of decent lines in it as quietly despairing Morris recalls how his wife took this “tall bloke, often attached to a dog” for granted. He also delivers the kind of crushing blow to a cold caller that we’d all like to dish out.

It will be interesting to see the viewing figures for this one though. I’d wager that given the people involved it might do least well in terms of online hits. Definitely one for the silver surfers out there, though younger admirers of concise quality writing should take a look too. 

Watch Russ Abbot: Last Chance here.