The Trouble With Dad, Channel 4: David Baddiel opens up about his dad’s battle with dementia

David Baddiel gives significant insights into his dad Colin’s battle with dementia in this equally warm and sad Channel 4 documentary.

The comedian has mined his father’s disorder for laughs before, but here he grants all access to a camera crew for a more direct view of the condition.

Colin has Pick’s disease, which Baddiel explains involves “uncontrolled swearing, inappropriate behaviour, irritation, mood swings, apathy, and extreme impatience”.

Effectively, it leads to perpetual grumpiness and strips out the filter that stops you saying the things you might sometimes think, but know you shouldn’t say.

“You’re such a s***. You are a big s***. A big lump of turd, that’s you,” Colin tells his son in one exchange that’s tinged with crotchety humour, but has a current of sadness too.

It’s not the sort of relationship most would have with their parent – but Baddiel says it’s better than nothing: “It’s still him. It’s still my dad.”

After his mother died suddenly and unexpectedly, Baddiel is frank about wanting to make the most of the time Colin has left – no matter what shape or form that takes.

“I’ve never had a kind of Hollywood father-son relationship with my dad,” he explains. “It’s mainly abusive banter.

“But now what’s happened is dementia has made that more extreme. I think I would like to have some kind of proper emotional connection with him before he dies. But I don’t know how that’s going to happen now.”

As well as showing uncompromising home footage and insights into Baddiel’s family life, the show also takes a look at how he has funnelled his family’s experience with Pick’s disease into his stand-up show My Family: Not the Sicom.

“I’ve always used stuff from my real life in my comedy, and I’m still doing that no matter how challenging those experiences now are,” he says.

The Trouble With Dad is a frank and emotional wtach – but it’s also full of love and hope.

Channel 4, 9pm