Maybe John McCain should be a television critic.

“Watch the show,” the Arizona senator advised an assembled media wanting to know how he would vote on the “skinny repeal” of the Affordable Care Act. That was late Thursday night in Washington, D.C., as he made his way to the Senate floor. For the next couple of hours, on into early Friday morning back east, people did watch.

And it was great TV.

Truly, this was drama of the highest order, and McCain, suffering from an aggressive form of brain cancer, played the leading role.

It even had a twist ending.

It was more than just a TV show, of course: McCain’s surprising “no” vote sank the bill, leaving Republicans to try to figure out how to get rid of Obamacare, a central campaign theme for most of them, as well as President Donald Trump.

But don’t sell short the TV aspect. Along with social media, it allows constituents — let’s call ourselves citizens, actually — to remain engaged in real time. And were we ever engaged.

Most people on social media — the real-time reaction spot for events of import — were surprised by McCain’s vote, though some offered “I told you so” tweets, referencing McCain’s Tuesday speech to his colleagues (“We are not getting anything done”) as a broad hint as to which way he would go.

Others cited Trump’s disparaging words about McCain’s Vietnam War heroism when Trump was a candidate, suggesting this was payback. Still others, while praising the senator, at the same time chided him for not killing debate on Obamacare repeal Tuesday when he had the chance.

Whatever the reaction, almost all of it involved McCain.

What a night. It’s worth repeating: Whatever else the Trump administration has or has not produced in terms of legislation and governing, it has not lacked for drama.

This was the rare time that switching among cable-news networks was downright exciting. It’s usually maddening, as partisan hacks on the right and left get bogged down in predictable arguments, offering nothing in the way of real analysis. Usually, they're just happy to be on TV, hearing themselves talk, thinking of the screen shot they can use as their Twitter avatar.

Thursday night was different. Reporters were fanned out all over the place, not just trying to read tea leaves when it came to what sources were saying, but reading body language. Wait, is McCain laughing with Democrats? Why doesn’t he seem interested in talking to his Arizona colleague, Sen. Jeff Flake? Vice President Mike Pence — whose arrival at the Capitol was covered like a low-rent version of the O.J. Simpson white Bronco chase — is moving in to try to persuade him and … did Pence just shrug in defeat while he walked away?

WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?

What made it so interesting and exciting, besides the importance of the bill itself, was that for once all the know-it-all TV windbags couldn’t posture. Everyone watching this unfold, expert or novice, Republican or Democrat, was in the same boat. Nobody knew anything. Ignorance has never been in short supply on cable news. But in this case it was thrilling.

Even McCain’s vote was dramatic. During the roll call he wasn’t heard. Instead he later stepped to the front of the chamber, raised his hand and gave a thumbs-down vote.

And that was that. Twitter exploded. Analysts dusted off the word “maverick.” The world wondered how Trump would react.

This was not fake news, no matter how the administration might try to spin it. This was the real thing, in real time, and it offered real drama and real importance.

And it was, again, great TV.

Reach Goodykoontz at bill.goodykoontz@arizonarepublic.com. Facebook: facebook.com/GoodyOnFilm. Twitter: @goodyk.