As Channel 4 celebrated its 40th birthday this week, we heard all about how this snarling upstart came along to shake up British TV.
Credit where it's due. Over the years, I have enjoyed watching them subverting norms, ripping up rule books and pushing boundaries as much as the next viewer.
I just wish they hadn't done it to The Great British Bake Off.
Watching Tuesday's quarter-final, a sudden realisation hit me.
Channel 4 has finally managed to suck all the simple, joyful pleasure out of this programme.
You only had to look at the group hug at the end of this latest ordeal by deep fat fryer.
The contestants looked more like members of a support group than participants in a genteel baking contest.
Honestly, compare Tuesday's show to this year's opening episode and tell me the likes of Janusz, Syabira, Maxy and Sandro didn’t look like shadows of their former bouncy and bubbly selves.
Sandro doesn't even yearn for a Hollywood Handshake any more. They broke him, dude.
I don't know why Channel 4 decided to go down this road. I doubt it was accidental though. The hellraisers in headsets upstairs clearly felt the show lacked the necessary "Channel 4 edge".
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They wanted it to be more than just nice people in a tent making nice cakes – which was exactly what made it so popular in the first place.
I do understand that creative urge to freshen things up. It's gone too far though.
We don't need another Masterchef, and we’ve already got Bake Off: The Professionals.
Some of the theme weeks and challenges this year have been so ridiculously random and so supremely difficult the show risks becoming a parody of itself.
As for this week's technical challenge and showstopper? If I wanted to see a bunch of amateurs failing, I'd watch BBC Parliament instead.
I hate to be an old fuddy-duddy, but I think someone needs to toss the Channel 4 kids this truth bomb: You've had your fun. Time to give Bake Off back to the grown-ups.
Your Auntie Beeb will give it a good home.
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