Scrappers - Back in the Yard, BBC2 - TV review: The 'Benidorm' of the scrapyard world with lewd language, big laughs and fake tan

Populist shows are popular for good reason - they remind us of the important things in life

Metal gurus: Lyndsay and Terry Walker in 'Scrappers - Back in the Yard'

George Osborne's Northern Powerhouse has been undermined of late by news that 10 cities and towns in the north, including Bolton, are in economic decline. But Scrappers – Back in the Yard painted a different picture of the former mill town, where scrapyard owners Terry and Lyndsay Walker's business appears to be back on track after a difficult year.

Hot-headed Terry and glamorous Lyndsay returned for a second series of the fly-on-the-wall documentary following the highs and lows of running their family business. Think of it as the Benidorm of the scrapyard world: lewd language, big laughs and lots of fake tan. It is exactly the kind of “derivative entertainment” show the Culture Secretary would like to wipe off the face of publicly funded TV. I loved it.

Populist shows are popular for good reason. They may not educate us about the Seven Wonders of the World, but they remind us of the important things in life. When Terry wasn't having a go at his workforce, he was a dedicated husband to Lyndsay, his wife of 30 years, helping to arrange a surprise 50th party for her. All the staff rallied around to wish her a happy “B-day”, arriving in their best glad rags for her birthday do at the local Holiday Inn – complete with a Rod Stewart impersonator.

Even in the face of an “elf and safety” crackdown that loomed over the business, the staff remained chipper. When Terry forced cousin Dean – who left school without any qualifications – to take his forklifting exam, the 16-year-old hugged his examiner after “smashing it”. Scrappers – Back in the Yard exuded huge warmth throughout. Forget Osborne's rhetoric, if life really is this fun in Bolton everyone will be rushing to work in the Northern Powerhouse.