Do gadgets make the world a happier place? They do according to Stephen Fry: Gadget Man (Channel 4, 26 November, 8.30pm). So where better to introduce them than in supermarkets, which sucked all the fun out of food shopping years ago?

Fry, on a genteel mission to explore the role gadgets play in our supermarkets, went shopping for a dinner party - in Waitrose, obviously - followed around the store by a prototype ‘Smarter Cart’, the “robot shopping trolley” you don’t need to push.

Fry was smitten. I liked it, too. But the deli assistants were less enthusiastic, doubting its ability to cope in a packed supermarket at Christmas. We’ve all been there.

If Tesco doesn’t roll out robot trolleys tomorrow, don’t be surprised. But once Fry pulled out his smartphone, more handy gadgets came into play. Pretending to be baffled by the wine aisle, Fry opened the ‘Wine Find’ app, which recommended a Chilean Merlot with his steak - a good pairing.

He then paid his £36.11 bill by swiping his mobile at the checkout, offering a glimpse into a future with no restrictive £20 NFC payment limit, before disappearing off to employ a range of nifty gadgets to chop, sizzle and stir before serving up sous-vide steak and chips.

No doubt next series he’ll explore how supermarkets use smartphones to ping us tempting offers as we shop. Creepily Orwellian as that sounds, it’s probably more useful to your average shopper than a robot trolley. But tell me you wouldn’t want to give one a whirl?