First there was a section on Gareth Southgate's wardrobe, and the fate of a waistcoat he wore four years ago at the World Cup.
Then pundit-in-chief Michael Owen was teased about his daughter appearing on Love Island, a never-ending torture chamber of tedium dressed up as prime-time foreplay. Without wishing to rock the boat, just two games into Channel 4's live coverage of England internationals, can we stick to the football, please?
This couch potato has no issue with the Three Lions' new home on the airwaves.
When the BBC lost the rights to screen Test cricket in 1999, Channel 4 made such a good fist of their presentation that 8.4 million were tuning in to watch the Ashes within six years. But so far, after landing the golden ticket, they have taken their eye off the ball too often.
Have your say! What have you made of Channel 4's England coverage? Join the discussion in the comments section.
Waistcoats and vacuous matchmaking might have been afforded momentary, throwaway remarks on other channels, but you can envisage Roy Keane glaring at the producer, with that spaghetti western gunslinger's icy stare, as if to say, “What the hell is this?”
Steve Bower has already proved a safe pair of hands, and a voice of reason, in the commentary box. Nobody who's listened to him on Match of the Day will be surprised to learn that. But the studio analysis from Munich on Tuesday night fell short.
If Harry Kane was not offside when he was fouled, leading to England's late equaliser from the penalty spot, any chance of somebody explaining why not? He looked the wrong side of Nico Schlotterbeck when the German defender caught him.
If Jordan Pickford should have done better with Jonas Hoffman's opener, let's have some explanation that he might have saved it by standing upright instead of anticipating the shot going to his right and selling himself too early.
Or if Jack Grealish made more impact in 20 minutes off the bench than Mason Mount from the start, show us how he stretched the Germans and delivered a few decent crosses.
One of the reasons Match of the Day has survived as a Saturday night institution is its fidelity to the actual football. And one reason why Sky Sports' Monday Night Football is a compelling watch is Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher's ability to cut through peripheral claptrap and grasp any nettles in the meadow.
The Nations League may be a hospital pass of knackered players longing for their sun loungers, but it's still England's national team live on TV when the football landscape will be a bit thin for the next couple of months.
So do us a favour, Channel 4: Spare us the magazine tripe. Talk about football - it's why you got the gig.
