THIS week we have mostly been watching a programme set in this very county.

King Gary is that rare specimen - a comedy which very firmly roots itself in traditional territory.

Despite it being shown past the watershed, this is innocuous stuff.

There is no swearing and much of the subject matter is family friendly - or subtle enough to sail over young heads.

But it has a warm heart and deserves to run for a few series - importantly, you root for the central characters whilst also despairing at their quite frankly cringeworthy behaviour.

Gary is a spoilt manchild, the heir apparent to an Essex-based building company.

It is not clear where in the county they live but I would hazard a guess it is more TOWIE territory than the rural side.

This is all fine - we have the jolly botoxed and vacuous blonde types Essex usually gets caricatured for, the lairy types in the pub and the women who don’t seem to have actual jobs.

But we also have a family at the heart of it all who genuinely love and support each other.

Whilst being completely different to Del, there is more than a passing homage to the Trotters here.

And quite frankly, television needs a bit more of this sort of thing.

Simon Day, he of Fast Show fame, plays Gary’s boorish father getting ready to pass his empire down to his son but constantly reminding him he doesn’t think he can manage it.

This is where most of the comedy comes from - Gary and his wife Terri trying to keep up with everyone’s expectations and then realising they are happy as they are.

Terri, played by Laura Checkley, is a great character.

She is that perfect mix of actually being comfortable in her own skin, but also wanting to fit in with everyone else.

Laura has already appeared with Tom Davis, who wrote the series and plays Gary, in ITV2’s Action Team and was in all three series of the Detectorists.

Which to be fair, gave a polarised view of Essex I probably recognise a bit more than King Gary’s.

We all have series we wished they had made more of and Laura was also in one of mine, Edge of Heaven.

A gentle comedy drama set in an ‘80s themed hotel in Margate, Inbetweeners’ Blake Harrison was also in it but it wasn’t enough to deem it worthy of a second run.

Which was a shame because it was a bit of gem. In my humble opinion.

I hope King Gary doesn’t suffer the same fate - the BBC obviously see something in it since they have given it a prime time slot.

And Gary and Terri are a double act worthy of more coverage.

We all know characters like them, or recognise a bit of ourselves in them.

Being a grown-up is hard - but they are giving it a good go with just the right amount of swagger.

Okay, this show is literally going to do nothing to dispel the off-centre image Essex has of being full of airhead women who spend their days drinking Pinot and going to spin classes but you can’t have everything.

At least there are actual references to working hard and paying your way.

Baby steps towards being taken seriously as a county. Perhaps.

But, out of curiosity - do you know anyone in Essex who only ever refers to a BBQ by its initials and not the full word ?

Nope, me neither.