Jason Watkins' Dodds is a crime-solving sergeant par excellence

McDonalds & Dodds talk about their 100 per cent clean up rate! (Image: ITV) Jason Watkins shares clip of daughter on anniversary of her death

"You nuggets have missed a trick!" - Toby Stephens' crime boss

Good news at last. McDonald & Dodds (ITV, Sunday) might well be the best detective drama on television. Okay, let's not get carried away - the best this week. It was definitely the best whodunnit involving a sergeant since Lewis.

The poor old sergeant sidekick is normally the plod of the piece, the bag carrier. They can also be the chauffeur, although Morse always insisted on driving his own ancient Jaguar. I can't recall Lewis ever getting behind the wheel in that treasured motor.

And now we have Detective Sergeant Dodds opposite Tala Gouveia as DCI Lauren McDonald.

Dodds is played by the ever-versatile Jason Watkins, also known for a very believable Harold Wilson in The Crown and for playing the lead role in 2014's The Lost Honour of Christopher Jefferies.

In a fetching ensemble of grey and beige, Dodds could so easily be simply filling the background of any scene, but he notices everything and pulled off a complete master stroke by the end of the first episode. No spoilers.

Importantly, there was also a bit involving an office chair. At the start of the episode he found his feet were not touching the ground when he sat on it.

He was not best pleased, but rather than lose his temper, he embarked on a process of elimination as to who had stolen his seat of power.

His two colleagues tried to be helpful, suggesting it was the cleaners. "I've already interviewed them!" he almost snapped. Easy, Dodds.

All the while, he was trying to solve two murders, which were initially unconnected.

Our duo finally brought together the threads of both cases rather expertly, only to be faced by actor Toby Stephens, son of Robert Stephens and Dame Maggie Smith, no less, who appeared to be slumming it in Bath as an international thief, thug and money launderer.

He carried it off surprisingly well - but I wouldn't advise him to try his new accent in any East End pub! He delivered my favourite line of the piece at a low point in the investigation - "You nuggets have missed a trick!" Stephens could have been channelling Danny Dyer.

So who stole the office chair? That really would be a spoiler.

Clare Skinner's "super" superintendent (Image: ITV)

"Time Bandits is a bit like Doctor Who without Doctor Who"

The final episode of The Turkish Detective (BBC2, tomorrow) doesn't go quietly. Istanbul in this context doubles as the Wild West. There is no end of gun-toting action, fast driving and fisticuffs in this instalment in which Detective Mehmet (Ethne Kai) gets rather too close to the truth.

Watch out for an impressive piece of stunt driving which involves reversing the wrong way up a motorway slip road.

It's worthy of an episode of Motorway Cops on Channel 5. Mehmet is completely hot-headed which lends itself to a plot which is largely frenetic but worth admiring. Eight episodes of this drama had more action in it than a whole series of Death In Paradise and Beyond Paradise combined. They could learn something from Inspector Ikmen, the Turkish Maigret, and Mehmet.

There was a pleasing new family comedy on this week called Time Bandits (Apple TV). Starring that little-known actress from Friends, Lisa Kudrow, it was actually very good. She headed up the Time Bandits gang, who were imposed upon by one Kevin Haddock (Kal-El Tuck), the best name for a character in years. Now Kevin came from the type of family who enjoy their time on the sofa - and why not, they work hard.

Well, we don't know about that.

They kept insisting that their nerdy boy who enjoyed reading books should spend more time on his phone. Kevin was having none of it and before we knew it, he was through a time portal in his wardrobe and inviting Vikings into the house.

Time Bandits is a bit like Doctor Who without Doctor Who.

A history nerd, Kevin can predict what's going to happen when he turns up and there's a Trojan horse in front of him.

A great show for families to watch.

Finally, what on earth has happened to Love Island (ITV2, nightly) over the past two weeks? Absolute tedium has broken out. The most dramatic news has been that its presenter Maya Jama had broken up with her rapper boyfriend Stormzy. Immediately bookmakers were taking bets that she herself would appear on the show next year. Now that would shake up matters.

Who is going to win next week? I think the sweetie seller Sean may just edge it with his "exclusive" girlfriend, Matilda. Closed off, coupled up, exclusive?

I'm still going steady.

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STEPHENSON'S ROCKET

The sitcom is long, dead and buried, now a gift to Gold, who quite rightly mine it for all its worth. But what were ITV thinking with Piglets (ITV, last night). What a title for one.

This was the Police Academy dragged through a mincer, every which way. It might have been funny at some point because actors Mark Heap and Sarah Parish signed up for it. But let's forgive them for that.

Unfortunately, the show had stupid characters saying stupid stuff to other stupid characters in the hope that it was funny. When was the last funny comedy on ITV?

Answers on a seaside postcard, please.

Jason Watkins' Dodds is a crime-solving sergeant par excellence

Jason Watkins' Dodds is a crime-solving sergeant par excellence

Jason Watkins' Dodds is a crime-solving sergeant par excellence

Jason Watkins' Dodds is a crime-solving sergeant par excellence

Jason Watkins' Dodds is a crime-solving sergeant par excellence