Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone Fishing's return excites fans into a polite frenzy

For a show that has made slow television so fashionable, the return of Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing to BBC Two on Sunday has sent fans into a polite frenzy.

Season three of the show about two comedians standing in British rivers catching fish then, crucially, returning them, premiered with Paul Whitehouse and Bob Mortimer attempting to catch salmon in the River Tweed in northern England/Scotland.

The chat between the two friends scored high on the Sunday mirth-o-meter, with Mortimer ribbing Whitehouse: "If there is one thing I'd change about you it's a better skin regime. It's quite frightening. And ideally you'd dress differently. You don't seem that bothered about clothes."

Mortimer's attempts to cast his fly rod without killing Whitehouse and their guide were particularly amusing – and likely to fall foul of all public liability insurance guidelines.

Whitehouse responded with righteous indignation, reprimanding "young Bob" for his lack of fishing acumen.

Mortimer returned with a gallery of new comedy characters, including "Lynx Silversmith", "Mystic Wilf" and "Mystic Wendy" the chicken.

Many Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing fans were happy to see the return of the show simply for its mood-boosting properties.

Mortimer & Whitehouse riffing on jam flavours "takes Sunday evening viewing to a new level," according to this fan on Twitter.

Another commented: "The friendship, the scenery, the music, just delightfully relaxing..."

A programme which is full of so much gently humorous observations inspired similarly light-hearted musings, particularly relating Mortimer's ability to topple over at any moment.

Why does Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing work so well? "It's essentially 2 blokes standing in a river waffling rubbish but it's such a beautiful programme with 2 comedy genius's [sic]."

Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing returns to BBC Two next Sunday. Watch seasons 1-2 on BBC iPlayer.

If you're looking for more to watch, check out our TV guide.