Poor Yechury had to “issue” the umpty-umpth “threat” to the government on CNN-IBN’s chat show after a series of questions on extremely familiar subjects led to the by now well recognised point where the anchor asked the inevitable question. Messrs Bardhan, Raja and Roy are even better guests. They need fewer questions.

Please entertain yourself on dull days by testing out this hypothesis: the smaller the Left party, the readier its TV-happy leader is to say almost anything the show’s host wants him to. We now have, playing on TV, the strange spectacle of a political group trashing almost day in and day out a government they help survive everyday.

Also look out for two possible new trends. The NDTV X-Factor edition that dealt with Kunal Saha and the medical negligence case — the NRI is suing Indian doctors for crores — hardly gave any background information. But that was perhaps made up for by what was in the foreground. The Delhi Medical Association member invited to the panel to give the doctors’ point of view had a stethoscope round his neck. If all TV panelists are required to similarly show what they do, some fascinating questions come up. What, for example, would editors wear?

And on Times Now, a programme on what bags you should buy ended with a fade out of a lady preparing to receive a massage. I know this signals new thinking in TV presentatation. I just can’t figure it out. Which is why, let’s face it, I won’t get my own TV news channel.