Mishal Husain just added to a frustrating BBC election debate night
The BBC's Election Debate was the first and only time all the party leaders will go head-to-head during the campaign - but it was very much a head-to-head-to-head-to-head-to-head-to-head-to-head
I was looking forward to it, I must confess.
"This is more like it!" I told myself, ahead of last night's multi-party slanging match.
Instead of just another head-to-head, as we sat through with Rishi and Kier, we were about to be treated to some proper entertainment, starring a cast of characters from seven political parties.
A head to head to head to head to head to head to head.
And I do mean characters. Nigel Farage! Angela Rayner! Penny the Sword Lady! (Sadly, she'd forgotten to bring the sword. Another wasted opportunity.)
Nigel Farage explodes in angry debate clash
And we mustn't forget the other four, must we? Although I seem to have temporarily done precisely that. Give me a moment.
Also, this was going to run for 90 minutes. That, plus presumably a fair chunk of injury time. Fine by me, I'm thinking. If Angela loses her rag and lunges at Nigel - two-footed, studs up, no messing (A straight red? She certainly is) - we'll be looking at at least another 10. Bring it on!
Refereed by Mishal Husain, the contest actually felt a bit sluggish to start with. Unlike Julie Etchingham the other night, Mishal seemed happy to let the participants try to out-shout one another, although mostly, you sensed, in the hope of livening things up. She also seemed keener to chip in with her own views, presumably because she felt seven sets of opinions was too few.
Frustratingly, we were hearing a bit too much at first from the people we didn't care about. "We're going to fix the front door of the NHS," insisted a lady from a party called the "Liberal Democrats" (no, me neither), who might as well have promised: "Chocolate Hobnobs for all!", given their chance of ever coming to power.
Not surprisingly, it was immigration that eventually livened things up. "Let's deal with some logic, shall we?" suggested Nigel, producing some stats that got the others in a right old tizzy.
Accused of bigotry by Plaid Cymru's Rhun ap Iorwerth (see, I told you it would come to me), Nigel restored to full-on sarcasm. "Everyone come! Benefits for everyone! Lovely!" he cried.
Not that anyone contradicted him.
Meanwhile, Angela Rayner wanted us to know: "The Tories have crashed the economy." So she told us. And then she told us again. And again.
Oh, and the lady in green turned out to be from something called the Green Party.
