YOU’VE got to feel a bit sorry for Harry Enfield and Paul Whitehouse.

The problem is they’ve set such high standards with their comedy that any new show is bound to suffer in comparison.

Last night they returned with the unimaginatively titled Harry & Paul.

Thankfully it showed considerably more promise than their last TV series together.

But – and this is where the comedy legacy came in – it was a bit hit and miss, nonetheless.

Critics accuse the duo of being little more than catchphrase inventors and lacking in depth, but you can see the keen comedy minds at work in some of the sketches.

Even with majestic series such as The Fast Show, not everything worked very well so it’s not really fair to presume that you’ll be roaring with laughter for the entire 30 minutes.

And compared to the majority of so-called comedy shows on the box these days, give me Harry and Paul any time.

You do wonder how sketches like the Bourne Identity set in the 1940s is sustainable over a full series. And I think that everyone will have spotted the obvious Smashy and Nicey legacy of the hip hop playing geriatric DJs.

But at least the duo are trying to make us laugh – and at times succeeding – which doesn’t often happen on a Friday night.