Only Child review: Greg McHugh and Gregor Fisher shine in the BBC's new sitcom for the 'sandwich generation'

It mines the tensions between grown-up children and their parents, at once irritated by each others' very presence, but becoming all too aware that their time together is limited.

So far, so post-modernistically depressing. But there is joy here, especially in seeing veteran comic actors Gregor Fisher (Rab C Nesbitt) and Greg McHugh (Gary: Tank Commander, Fresh Meat) sparring beautifully.

McHugh plays Richard Pritchard, an actor best known for his supporting role of Dr Sparrow in a popular TV crime show called Detective Manners.

He takes advantage of a lull in filming to journey back to his childhood home in Forres, in Moray in north-east Scotland, where dad Ken still lives, having been widowed a year earlier.

He discovers Ken living an isolated life, barking at a neighbourhood cat invading his garden and hiding a badly-pranged car in the garage.

Richard tries to sort out the hoarder's cave his dad has turned the house into, but just as he is about to return to London and the TV set, he gets news which means he has to settle into bachelor life with his dad once again.

The relationship between Richard and Ken is where most of the laughs come, as Richard gets increasingly exasperated, disgusted and concerned.

Ken meanwhile, makes good use of his hearing problems, and inveigles Richard into helping his social life – an endeavour which doesn't help Richard's faltering attempts at striking up relationships with his high school crush Emily (Amy Lennox).

McHugh and Fisher are such brilliant comedians, dealing both with physical comedy and an wonderful verbal bi-play.

Meanwhile, both struggle with the absurdities of the modern world, and the generation gap between the tech generation and their analogue elders.

Richard, for example, struggles to help his dad access his bank account over the phone, given his Ken's litany of passwords.

“He read an article saying you should have a different password for every account,” he fumes to a bank employee over the phone. “Still waiting to run into whoever wrote that one.”

And they capture the tension of the younger generation who find themselves caring for their parents while still wanting to prove that they're still young.

Meanwhile, Ken is happy Richard has come home as bereavement has left him increasingly isolated, a point neatly illustrated in the second episode, in which Ken tricks Richard into caddying for him at the golf club's annual ‘husband and wife’ tournament

Meanwhile, there are some terrific supporting characters, from the psychotic oddjob man Craig to unfailingly chirpy pub landlords Ian and Jen.

But it’s Paul Rattray as the kleptomaniac Digsy who really impresses, being on screen for about 30 seconds in each episode and literally stealing every single one.

None of the gags are particularly ground-breaking, and generation clash comedy has long been a fertile furrow for comedy, but Only Child turns it into gold thanks to McHugh and Fisher.

Meanwhile, there is warmth, pathos and truth here – everyone has parents, and if you're anything like me you’re probably part of a ‘sandwich generation’; still looking after children and getting increasingly concerned about ageing parents.

Everything seems so familiar here – the hoarding, the selective hearing, the constant fear your mum and dad might fall prey to a cold-caller with a nefarious plan.

It’s a great little sitcom, and wonderful to watch two brilliant comedy performers at the top of their game.