Flockstars, TV review: This garish, silly show is no One Man and His Dog

The new programme is mostly shot at an indoor assault course and features the likes of Strictly Come Dancing's Brendan Cole and Fazer from N-Dubz

The Flockstars cast (l-r, back row) Fazer, Amanda Lamb, Lee Pearson, Kelle Bryan and Brendan Cole (l-r,front) Lesley Joseph Tony Blackburn and Wendi Peters (ITV)

Did Liz and Phil catch ITV's new celebrity sheepdog trialling competition, Flockstars? Unlikely. HRH the Queen reportedly enjoyed One Man and His Dog, which ran in its original incarnation on BBC2 from 1976 to 1988, but that was different. That show featured real shepherds whistling incomprehensible orders at their Border collies and was so rural, you could practically smell the manure.

This new programme is mostly shot at a garish indoor assault course (think Crufts meets Pat Sharp's Fun House) and instead of authentic country folk, we had the likes of Strictly Come Dancing's Brendan Cole and Fazer from N-Dubz, all kitted out in tweeds and wellies.

If the celebs were merely there to look silly, that would have been one thing, but they're also expected to compete in weekly sheepdog trialling heats hosted by sports presenter Gabby Logan. Herein lies the problem. Whereas One Man and His Dog featured skilled practitioners of an, admittedly niche, art the competitors on Flockstars have absolutely no idea what they're doing and no real hope of ever learning. Where's the entertainment value in that?