THAT Dennis Pennis has come a long way, hasn't he?

Once famous as a sort of precursor to Ali G, he and his dodgy red barnet and geeky suits could often be seen at celebrity bashes where he'd pass himself of as a bona fide Noo Yowk reporter, approaching the rich and famous and while interviewing them sneak in some cracking put downs, which, being celebs, they often didn't get until it was too late.

We the viewers were in on the act and found it all highly amusing.

One memorable Pennisism was when he encountered a very arrogant, and extremely slap-heavy Joan Collins and screamed at her: "Hey, Joan, you, look like a million lira!" Collins looked flattered until it dawned on her that a million lira can only buy you about half a custard cream in Tesco - cue face like thunder.

Now Dennis is Paul Kaye and a proper actor, quite a good one too.

He first popped up in the drama-lite, 1000 Acres Of Sky with Michelle 'Thank God I Left Walford' Collins, but I didn't watch that as it all looked a bit hammy and earnest and Paul's wig (or even worse, I think it was his real hair) kept stealing the show.

Now he's all menacing and foreboding playing psychiatrist Dr Carney in Waking The Dead BBC1 9pm, Sun/Mon. In fact for some, not me because sadly I know how these things go, it may have appeared that at one point he could even have been the 'Shepherd', the nickname they gave this week's murderer.

Dennis/Paul Kaye was impressive, despite over-egging the 'could I be the baddy?' pudding a bit, as Carney, holding his own alongside Trevor Eve, who seems a better actor now that he's a bit flappy around the jowls, as DS Peter Boyd, and Sue Johnstone.

Shown over two nights, it was as good a whodunit as any, about a psycho who cajoles mentally unstable women into killing for him, but as always with cop/SOC (that's Scene Of Crime, triv fans) dramas the red herrings were as obvious as being hit round the face with a, well, wet herring.

It made a pleasant diversion from reality overload...

Which brings us to That'll Teach 'Em C4, 9pm, Tues. Last term this show passed with flying colours, winning an award for its fairly valid experiment, replicating life in a 1950s boarding school using modern children as pupils and keeping them there for a month.

Now the format is being repeated, but this time it's the 60s and the school is Hope Green Secondary Modern, which, back then, would have been a dumping ground for the 80 per cent of pupils who failed the 11-Plus exam. With a view to keeping things authentic, the 30 modern-day 16-year-olds who are involved in the project are already predicted to get low grades in their current schools.

But head teacher, Mr Fawcett (instant fodder for playground humour) announced that he aims to prove that these kids can be successful. Rather you than me, love.

Like the previous series, the entire experiment fails its own exam because the crucial element that made schools back then so very different from today's is missing. Corporal punishment. The belt, the cane, the slipper, the sweaty hand of Mr Grub - whatever the weapon, it was a deterrent to all but the bravest or thickest of pupils.

Now, regardless of how fierce the teacher seems (and the galleon-like Mrs Wellham would have scared the life out of me), without the threat of a good thrashing, the punishment for lousy behaviour is likely to be detention, er, big deal, whatever. Or lines.

Here's a lesson for the headmaster in the next series:

I must inflict pain

I must inflict pain

I must inflict pain

(write out 100 times)