I’ve been too busy moving house to report on episode 2 of The Barristers before now. Geeklawyer and Family Lore have given their views – I’m inclined also to be less than bowled over. At least we got to see some family law in action which was a welcome reprieve – but frankly I’m bored with traipsing around after pupils. I don’t really need to be reminded of the exquisite masochism of running up vast amounts of debt in the desperate hope of a pupillage and then a tenancy. It makes me twitch.

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And I imagine its really rather dull for everyone else too. For myself, I’d rather the programme concentrated on what we do once we are up and running rather than whining on about how hard it is to become a [fat cat] lawyer (let’s face it this is a rare opportunity to demonstrate to people that its not just a tough profession to break in to but also a tough profession to live in and so far the programme has done nothing to tackle the stereotypes about how fabulously and unjustifiably wealthy we all are). Although this is a BBC production it’s clear the Bar Council has had a significant part to play in the way the series has come together, and so far it is alarmingly reminiscent of the terrible training videos provided to all BVC students (starring no less than Tim Brooke Taylor as Mr Barrister) – dressing it up in a wig and gown, blathering on about posh dinners and inexplicably interviewing all the male barristers driving round and round chancery lane in their leather clad jaguars doesn’t stop it looking like a training video entitled ‘Why all barristers are quaint and clever and interesting and really quite charming chaps and chapesses’. And whether its PR 101 or reality TV – don’t people want to see the reality of the job rather than just the training?

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Well, maybe all will be redeemed in Episodes 3 and 4?