Let’s be honest, home-grown Scottish TV is sometimes a bit of a minefield (River City, anyone?). But having said this, there are two genres that we happen to do pretty well as a nation – grim, moody crime dramas (think Rebus or the admittedly increasingly ridiculous Taggart) and, in contrast to this, comedy.

The scope and variety of Scottish television comedy is genuinely impressive. From the phenomenally successful Chewin’ the Fat to the oddball hit-and-miss antics of internet-come-television sensation Limmy, via the seasonal Hogmanay staple of Only an Excuse?, there really is plenty to choose from.

Burnistoun continues in this tradition, offering laugh-out-loud moments almost slapstick in their delivery interspersed with the more weird and surreal. Its sketch show format works incredibly well, keeping the pace fast and the comedy moving along nicely from one character and situation to another. Like all sketch shows, this allows gags that fall flat to be forgotten amidst others that worked for the viewer – encouraging a kind of selective memory that is perhaps useful when it comes to this type of comedy. When it comes to the surreal and ridiculous, what one person finds hilarious another person finds… well, surreal and ridiculous.

Set in a fictional Scottish town and filmed in and around Greater Glasgow, comedians Iain Connell and Robert Florence inhabit an impressive range of identities, ranging from local murderer ‘The Burnistoun Butcher’ to superhero ‘Doberman Man’. Many of the best laughs can be found in the second series, where the writing appears more comfortable and settled in style and content. One standout sketch featuring Frankie Boyle advertising the fictional Cumber’s (emphasis on the first syllable) Pies is particularly successful.

While many of the sketches might not be to everyone’s taste, with a few even seeming to lead nowhere at all, Burnistoun is still well worth a watch. As an example of new, highly original comedy, it is hard to think of anything else quite like it on Scottish – or, indeed, British – television.

If Limmy is a bit too outlandish for you, but you think Still Game plays it a bit safe, then Burnistoun could offer a happy middle ground with your name on it.