Before inflated egos and sorry set-pieces ballooned the proceedings, late-night talk shows used to be half-an-hour. While Space Ghost follows the first trend to its ultimate conclusion, making the entire production about the host's ego, it bucks the latter, cutting the show to a refreshing 15 minutes. And unlike Jay and Dave, SG has the honesty to admit that his band leader is a sinister space alien who is kept locked in a dungeon between broadcasts.

Angela Gunn