Auntie is getting in the neck these days. In fact, she’s getting it in the neck so often it’s a wonder her throat isn’t gushing leaks. But is it fair?

Yes, the snipers have had lots of ammunition; Glastonbury, MasterChef misconduct, the issue of impartiality relating to Israel and Gaza and the inexcusable idiocy revealed over the Hamas documentary. Meanwhile, there’s a separate issue, which is the existentialist threat from streaming.

So, does all this mean that the future of the BBC is in serious doubt? The top ten most watched programmes at Christmas were all BBC productions. And the concern is that if the Beeb ends up with police chalk marks around the edge of her body, will the likes of Gavin and Stacey ever be made again?

And can we really knock a broadcasting service which, for £169.50 a year, regularly offers up exquisite drama in the form of Line of Duty, Blue Lights, The Gold, or This City Is Ours? And, seriously, who wants to stand up and say that comedy such as Motherland is infantile, or that Still Game isn’t still funny?

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