BRINGING back any long-gone, widely cherished show carries risks greater than simply smart alecs like me crying: “Blatant lack of creativity!”

Exhibit A: Sunday Night at the Palladium, which announced its return last weekend by opening rather unwisely with archive reminders from its 1960s heyday.

Because really, how in the name of Bruce Forsyth do you follow the likes of The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Sammy Davis Jr, Judy Garland, Spike Milligan and Bob Monkhouse?

You don’t, obviously.

Unless, that is, you’re ITV.

In which case you claim: “The legendary show is back with six incredible hosts.”

Incredible host No 1? Stephen Mulhern.

Exactly.

Immediately followed by “the legendary Bryan Adams” – a rock star so legendary, in fact, that he was the first-on warm-up slot act at the Invictus Games Closing Concert on BBC2 the same evening, giving the Palladium a spittle-flying rendition of Run To You.

One swallow doesn’t make a Summer of ’69, of course.

Worse was to come, especially in the context of Mulhern announcing: “Over the next six weeks you will see some of the biggest stars in the world.”

Either they’re saving them for later in the series, or ITV thinks it can get away with passing off Canada’s naked answer to the Chuckle Brothers and quick-change magic act David and Dania, who don’t even feature on Wikipedia’s “List of Quick-Change Acts” page, as the world’s biggest stars.

The problem is Mulhern didn’t stop there: “It will take something great to follow that (Little Mix), and we’ve got just the thing...”

Prince? Jerry Seinfeld? Synchronised dancing bears?

“Ladies and gentlemen... Alan Davies,” who, I swear, started doing fart jokes.

The whole shebang would end with Bryan Adams playing a new song nobody’s heard of, as if the lesson of George Michael at the London Olympics Closing Ceremony has still not been learned.

But before we shuddered to that disappointing halt, there was admittedly one bright ray of light.

And, it shouldn’t surprise you to learn, it wasn’t courtesy of “one of the world’s biggest stars”.

From the dress circle, down came a bloke named Steve to play an updated version of Beat The Clock to win a holiday, like Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway hadn’t happened in the intervening years.

“Who’s with you tonight?” asked Mulhern.

“My partner, Carol. She’s up there.”

“Hello Carol. Give us a wave. Ah, there she is. She’s beautiful.”

Steve: “We are a long way away though, aren’t we?”

Without question the most entertaining moment of the night, even more than his answer to the question: “Little Mix’s autobiography is called Ready To Fly, but who wrote it?”

“I’ve no idea.”

Mulhern: “It’s an autobiography...”

It’s only fair to give any series a second chance.

So, who’s on the bill for this Sunday’s showcase of the world’s biggest talent?

“Incredible host” Jason Manford, with Ella Henderson, who finished sixth on The X Factor, the world’s dullest band Maroon 5 and those acrobatic Canadian household names Les 7 Doigts de la Main.

Steve from the dress circle – I don’t suppose you’re free Sunday night?

This week’s Couch Potato Spudulikes...

BBC2’s heartbreaking Ireland’s Lost Babies.

Dave Gorman’s increasingly brilliant Modern Life Is Goodish.

X Factor bringing back mad genius Brian Friedman, the man who put Jedward on luggage rails.

The Invictus Games Closing Concert heckler answering Prince Harry’s rhetorical question “These Games have shown the very best of human spirit. So what comes next?” “Foo Fighters!”

Holly Willoughby asking “the man with morning sickness” Harry Ashby: “Two months into Charlotte’s pregnancy you started having similar symptoms. What did you notice first?” “Morning sickness.”

And Celebrity Squares’ Warwick Davis: “If I was looking at a cock-of-the-rock and a white-throated peewee, what would I be doing?” Pleading with Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant for a second series of Life’s Too Short?

This week’s Couch Potato Spuduhates...

EastEnders arsonist Alfie Moon’s magical re-growing cigarette.

X Factor persisting with pointless arena auditions, before heading to Bootcamp’s arena auditions.

Tumble’s Alex Jones threatening: “We’ll see you again soon.”

This Morning ditching professional fashion models for “real women”, having swallowed Gok Wan’s perpetual lie that anyone can look “gorgeous” given the right clothes.

The One Show guest Piers Morgan claiming his US chat show interview with ex-Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was “quite a moment for him personally”.

Actor Tom Dunlea’s Dudley via Tipperary accent as Ringo Starr in ITV’s Cilla. And the hopelessly miscast Sheridan Smith. Why? She can sing.