What was the most remarkable thing about last night’s interview with John Howard and Peter Costello on Seven’s current affairs flagship Today Tonight?

Was it the sight of Peter Costello lolling splay legged like a beached seal on the burnished leather of the Prime Ministerial chesterfield?

Was it the perky PM lurching forward out of the surrounding couch with each answer, looking for all the world as though he was about to deliver a terminally shaggy Ronnie Corbett monologue?

Was it the facial contortions from both, brows knitting, lips pursing to convey serious, puckered concern as they discussed this country’s imponderably dark future if, perish the very mention of the thought, the inexperienced, reckless, spendthrift, union lackey, limp Kevin Rudd was elected this Saturday?

Was it the laboured interplay, the stagey bonhomie, the careless badinage of two men who have spent a political lifetime in well-documented loathing?

None of the above. The most disturbing thing was that this interview with its lame lollipop questioning; its promise of ”nothing off the agenda” followed by 10 minutes of gormless free kicks was the very acme of commercial current affairs. This lame blancmange was as good as serious public affairs journalism gets on commercial Australian television. And they said Rove was light entertainment.