Cradle to Grave certainly doesn’t hang about. It’s the second episode and we are already doing that well-trodden comedy trope, the holiday away from home. Except on this occasion it’s only a quick caravan break and barely takes up more than one scene.

One of the great things about this sitcom based on Danny Baker’s autobiography focussing on his 1970s childhood is that it rattles from incident to incident at breakneck speed. The script is stripped to the bone. There isn’t a line or a set-up that doesn’t lead to a pay-off.

Even if you aren’t always laughing this bullet points style means it is impossible to be bored. Even when there are such creaky chestnuts as getting-served-in-the-pub-for-the-first-tme or the sex education lesson (excellent turn from Tim Key as beardy teacher). 

If there is a theme to this episode it’s mum Bet (Lucy Speed) wanting to broaden her horizons while dad Fred (Peter Kay) wants to keep to ducking, diving, Saturday nights dahn the Jolly Gardeners and filling the flat with knock-off haddock. This is, of course, the era of Spanish holidays and duty free plonk and the episode gets some nifty laughs out of the cultural changes afoot.

The period detail is lovely too and if you pay attention you may spot Squeeze’s Glenn Tilbrook and Chris Difford – who wrote the infectious theme tune – as the band at the posh town hall dinner dance. Just one detail didn’t seem quite right to me. At the big bash the women go outside for a fag. Back in those unenlightened days when you could spark up anywhere would they really have stood in the street for a smoke? 

Cradle to Grave, Thursdays, 9pm, BBC2.