Gerry Robinson - who as Granada chairman took the company into digital terrestrial - had, with immaculate sense of timing, disappeared to his mansion in Donegal, leaving only a smile behind.
Current chairman Charles Allen was determined that it wasn't going to be him. So by process of elimination it was a case of step forward Steve.
The fact that the departure has happened in slow motion suggests that Morrison was not all that happy about being marched to the top of the mountain in ceremonial robes to be clubbed to death.
There is an obvious explanation for the delay. Morrison is not the sort of person who would surrender to his fate before his pension was topped up to the highest possible level.
Although chief executives have to expect to take a modicum of responsibility when things go wrong, Morrison has been a tad unfortunate. The word is that although Morrison was an ITV Digital director, Prebble reported directly to Allen rather than to him.
Morrison, a football fan, also claims to have been the only one to oppose the Football League deal, a deal that certainly hastened the end of the great digital project, if not actually killing it off.
He is also unlucky in being what looks like the sole corporate sacrificial victim. Michael Green, as founder and chairman of Carlton, is hardly likely to fall on his sword, even though he was by far the greatest enthusiast for digital terrestrial and the man who sucked the other mugs in. Green has reached the stage in his life when he is mainly interested in a dignified exit from Carlton and taking the rap for ITV Digital hardly fits the bill.
Charles Allen has obviously played his hand well to emerge even stronger from the debacle, despite calls for his head from the City. He may have even played more of a blinder than has generally been realised. Getting Sir George Russell, former chairman of the Independent Television Commission, in as deputy chairman to diffuse residual criticism was masterful.
However, some believe that Sir George, also former chairman of Camelot, the National Lottery operator, and of 3i, the venture capital group, was headhunted to be chairman. This would have meant Allen stepping back to chief executive. Somehow it didn't happen and Allen has strengthened his position by becoming executive chairman with no direct replacement for Morrison.
Despite the momentary embarrassment, Morrison will probably enjoy himself enormously by returning to film and television production.
But while Greg Dyke will be slapping his thighs with delight, the departure of Morrison will deprive ITV at just the wrong time - the British TV industry is starting to run terribly short of world-class egos, amid a surfeit of cunning accountants.
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