Sport on TV: Five stand up for US action as British boys prefer a sit-down

One of the more laudable stated aims of Sir Allen Stanford's dollar-saturated cricket-fest in Antigua was to prevent the drift towards American pursuits by West Indies youngsters, understandably seduced by the riches on offer for sporting success in the States.

On these shores, the nation's youth by and large remain stubbornly wed to football, cricket and rugby, on the pitch and on the couch. Despite that, Five, now thego-to terrestrial channel for live US sport, bravely continue to cater for insomniacs and expats from across the Pond.

At present their wee-small-hours offerings include NFL American football on Sundays and Mondays, NBA basketball on Tuesdays and, now baseball's World Series is over, Sarah Palin's favourite, NHL ice hockey, on Wednesdays.

The least popular of the "big four" sports in the States, its profile over here is practically invisible – yes, there is a British League, but go on, name me three teams. But that didn't stop Nick Halling, an ever-excellent presenter of American action, bigging up the new season last week.

Actually, the season's a month old, but Five had to wait until the end of the World Series before finding a slot for it. So Halling and his statutory American sidekick, Russell Chamberlain, provided a whistlestop tour of events so far, plus all the latest transfer gossip, most of which was totally incomprehensible to the uncommitted. "You know more than me, Russell," said Halling, sounding remarkably perky at 1.50am, "but I've heard the Devils are going shopping, and names like Nikolai Khabibulin in Chicago have been mentioned." Not in my household they haven't.

When the live action started, the Columbus Blue Jackets took a 1-0 lead over the Edmonton Oilers, and then... zzzzzzzz. Sorry, Nick. Maybe next week.

* The series 'Last Man Standing' (BBC3, Tuesday), offers another example of trans-atlantic synergy, as each week three Brits pit themselves against a trio of Yanks in a variety of tribal sports. Last week's trial would have been more aptly titled 'First Man Sitting', as the athletes faced a 16km race in a dugout canoe somewhere up the Amazon.

The Americans talked a good game, but obviously hadn't heard the jibe that Britons are best at sports you perform parked on your backside. And so it proved, as Ed, a charming if slightly toffish pentathlete from London, came in first of the sextet, a feat only slightly diminished by the fact that the overall winner was a 14-year-old local, who crossed the line40 minutes ahead of him.

That makes it two wins in a row for Ed, but next week's challenge is archery in Bhutan, which sounds a bit standy-uppy. Time to stiffen the sinews and summon up the spirit of Agincourt, lads.