LIKE most people, I enjoy watching programmes which make me feel better about myself.

And those which show others doing things I would either never have the money, or the gumption, to do.

Race Across the World very much falls into this category and is as satisfying as watching one of those shows where people are terrible with money or fail to clean their houses.

It sees teams, in pairs, travelling from London to Singapore with the equivalent budget of two basic flights to the same destination.

They are not allowed to use any kind of modern technology, apart from a GPS tracking system, and can only use land-based transport.

Cue a great deal of rushing to catch ferries, buses and trains.

It is a great idea for a show, in a day and age when many book flights for the coming weekend in their lunch break, hunched over their smart phones, whilst also scrolling through online shops to buy what they are going to wear.

Going back to basics, and actually getting the chance to see the places they are travelling through is eye-opening.

And, naturally, the characters they have brought together are equally interesting.

The couple who arrived the victors at the second checkpoint were the oldest and actually set off last, somehow beating the smug chaps who failed to convince me they were actually feeling sorry for the father and son who missed the bus they were themselves on because they failed to bring any Turkish currency with them.

I would also be keen to know if the ladies who had been travelling companions in their youth are actually still speaking to each other after they failed to keep up with everyone else.

Their pieces to camera were, at times, quite tense.

Conversely, the father and son were getting the chance to spend the quality time modern life appeared to have prevented them from having - with interesting results.

Travel documentaries are all well and good, a chance to see places you may not have the time or the money to get to yourself, but I have previously made my feelings clear about watching famous types get to do it.

Following normal people as they experience the chance to travel, is a bit of a treat.

Also a bit of a treat is the new Ricky Gervais comedy drama, free to binge on Netflix.

Gervais is not everyone’s cup of tea and while I loved the Office, I could take or leave Extras and wasn’t overly moved by Derek.

But After Life really is a poignant, and very funny, ode to humanity - even if Ricky more or less plays himself again.

This is a chance for him to air his views on a range of subjects, hinged around the immense grief his central character Tony feels following the death of his wife after 25 years of marriage.

He has given up on life but those around him haven’t given up on him - and his various attempts to end it all are repeatedly foxed by his dog’s need to be fed or walked.

It sounds bleak - but it is actually life-affirming thanks to Ricky’s razer-sharp writing and excellent performances from a who’s who of talented actors, many from previous Ricky Gervais comedies.

Ashley Jenson, giggly Maggie from Extras, is deliciously different in this, stealing the very few scenes she appears in while Paul Kaye, ever brilliant, has a huge amount of fun playing a disinterested, self-absorbed therapist.

Importantly, this really does have a lot of heart.