Zzzzzzzzzzzz

Experts Jason Ellis, Kirstie Anderson and ‘presenter’ Sian Williams outside the outrageously shiny Goodnight Britain-mobile

Poor Sian Williams. After years of getting up at some godforsaken hour to be awake enough to present BBC’s Breakfast, you would have thought she would have been given a bit more to do in this two-part programme about people who have problems in the bedroom.

No, we’re not being smutty – this two-part documentary deals with five ordinary members of the public who, for various reasons, haven’t had a decent night’s sleep since God was a boy. Their stories are fascinating – two insomniacs, two serial snorers, and a woman whose vivid dreams have her shouting at the top of her voice. And a partridge in a pear tree.

Unfortunately, two of the most patronising experts in the history of telly (Dr Kirstie Anderson and Dr Jason Ellis) camp outside each subjects’ home in the Goodnight Britain-mobile and peek at their night-time activites using night-vision cameras, offering them (and us) the chance to instantly diagnose their various problems, before each sleep-deprived soul is whisked to a picture-perfect ‘sleep house’.

That takes in the first part, which is by far the more interesting half of the programme.

Part two, which follows the quintet as they spend a single night (just the one, mind) in the aforesaid swanky Sleep House before returning home with a shiny new sleep regime, feels a bit rushed and swept over, but still has just about enough oomph to keep us interested – particularly one man, whose livelihood depends on his ability to solve his sleep problem.

Sadly, that brings us back to Sian – who has little more to do than stand around asking rather pointless questions and do her best to look interested.

Maybe she needed a solid eight hours beforehand..?

THE WHO, WHAT, WHEN OF IT

WHAT’S IT CALLED?

Goodnight Britain

WHEN IS IT ON?

Wednesday and Thursday, 9pm

WHAT CHANNEL?

BBC1

WILL I KNOW ANYONE IN IT?

Sian Williams – she was on BBC Breakfast, you know

WHO SHOULD WATCH IT?

Anyone who has ever lost sleep

WHO SHOULDN’T WATCH IT?

Solid sleepers

WANT TO KNOW MORE?

Here’s the Goodnigh Britain website