They might have the market sewn up when it comes to introducing breakthrough new sketch shows, thanks to the all-conquering Little Britain, but it appears that BBC Three are by no means resting on their comedy laurels, having several new shows debuting this season.

First off the blocks is "Man Stroke Woman", a new sketch show created by "The Office" producer Ash Atalla. The show features a six-strong cast that most notably contains Nick Frost, of "Spaced" and "Shaun of the Dead" fame, but also a few other familiar faces to regular britcom watchers.

Diving straight into the first episode without even reading what was probably a beautifully crafted BBC press release, I had no idea what to expect.  The long opening sketch had me wondering if this was a new sitcom, and it took a few sketches to realise that there was no common thread running through the programme other than the actors themselves.

With this realisation in hand I realigned my brain and prepared myself for yet another lacklustre sketch show that would be surely left damp and dejected in Lou and Andy's almighty shadow.  This is usually the best approach to take as it's always nice to be surprised.

And, surprisingly, I was!

Having only seen one episode it may be too soon to tell for sure, but what we appear to have here is a departure from the catch phrase based comedy passed down by the likes of Little Britain, and The Fast Show before it.  Instead we are treated to a much more situation and dialogue based approach, with little or no reliance on outrageous characters and costumes.

It's black comedy without a doubt, and political correctness has been shown the door.  In fact, in tone and style, there are more than a few similarities to the infamous "JAM", albeit with a slightly lighter, more mainstream approach than that very very dark Chris Morris vehicle.

The simplicity of each sketch and the fact that the laughs come purely from quality writing and great delivery should be enough to earn the respect of any discerning comedy fan. If the rest of the series can continue at the same quality and they can do it without falling back on using repetition and catch phrases as a comedy medium then we are all in for a treat!

"Man Stroke Woman" starts on BBC Three this Sunday (20th Nov 2005) at 10:30pm.