The spoof documentary format was not invented by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, but with thudding inevitably the spirit of David Brent hangs heavy over Channel 5’s new sitcom set in an airport's border enforcement department.

It is not just the fly-on-the-wall style of filming or the voiceover or the sterile setting or the wobbly footage or the awkward glances to camera or the interviews with the bored staff at their desks.

It is all of these things. 

There is very little that is original about Borderline, written by Chris Gau and Mike Orton-Toliver and partly improvised by the cast, but the good news is that there are some nice performances and decent slow-burn gags. Comedy circuit regular David Elms plays nervy Clive, Jamie Demetriou pops up as a posh superstar DJ caught in possession of drugs who bumps into immigration officer Tariq (David Avery) who also spins the wheels of steel on his days off.

The best turn, however, comes from Jackie Clune as needy chief Linda Proctor. Clunes stays one step ahead of Brentisms for most of her screen-time and ends the first episode with a unexpectedly potty-mouthed pay-off.

The most distinctive thing here though was the striking way that the broadcast stopped and started in places, particularly towards the ad break. This was either a radical TV version of Brecht's alienation technique or my aerial needs adjusting.

Borderline, Tuesdays, 10pm. 5.