X Factor hasn't had a classic year by its high standards - no Wagner for a start.
But questions over the new judging lineup, urgent phone calls from Simon Cowell from his bunker across the Atlantic and a catalogue of controversies along the way have combined to give us more than its fair share of theatrics, on and off the Wembley stage.
Here are just some of the series highlights. Tell us your fave, and feel free to throw in any we've missed:
1. An ASBO nearly being issued during the auditions when an on-stage disagreement culminated in a full Kyle-style ruck
2. Gary Barlow blushing to the roots of his spray tan when a shy young lady called Goldie ended up putting him in a lovelock. Strangely, she didn't get through
3. Another shy young man, whom we would get to know and love as Frankie Cocozza, turning up and, in the absence of any musical prowess, simply doing what he does best - pulling down his trousers to reveal tattoo of number of bedded ladies and announcing plans to make sure this number increased by the end of the series. A star is born.
4. Johnny Robinson keeping the Su-Bo dream alive, for a while. When flirting with Gary didn't work, he dug into these years of practice in the bedroom mirror and gave us the kind of in-tune camp disco that kept Erasure in rubber for years. Does a chat show beckon?
5. Last year for Cheryl Cole and Dannii Minogue, it was only wardrobes at dawn. This year, Kelly Rowland and Tulisa didn't even pretend to like each other - contenting themselves with staring ahead, and ignoring everything the other one said. Both personalities shone, however, and made new fans along the way.
6. Misha B being by far the best artist in the competition, and still ending up in the bottom two every week
7. Tulisa calling Misha a bully, then crying when she went home
8. Louis joining in on the bully jibes, then backtracking the following night, like a wimp in the school playground - a quickie phone call from Mr Cowell, peut-etre?
9. All the judges telling Janet Devlin she needed to change it up from her Oirish ballads, then when she did, slamming her for "obviously leaving her comfort zone" - all except Louis ("you're the new Sinead O'Connor")
10. My favourite of all - Kelly's sickie phone-call from LA - "I love y'all" *puts on croaky voice*
11. Alexandra Burke stepping into Kelly's chair and stealing the show, even up to her own feud with Louis, which inserted 'okay.com' into the public vernacular
12. Frankie's booting off the show after one too many nights of behaving like the rock star he never was
13. Amelia Lily being voted out early on, then returning in triumph (X Factor website announcing the fact 20 minutes before the telephone lines closed)
14. HMV admitting to a "technical error" after posting an ad for Amelia's winning single on their website - is there a skip on the Great West Road full to bursting now?
15. Gary putting his foot in it right at the end - "I've been here to put my MUSICAL STAMP on the show" - has anyone told him it's actually the EIGHTH series?
I'm missing it already! Here are some pictorial highlights of this triumphant series that struggled gamely on until last night...