Did your HD TV set cover the indeterminate hue of ashen? Such were the faces of Labor panellists, not a few embarrassed pundits and many viewers as a wild election night on the couch unfolded.

Opinion polls were thrown out the window early - by ABC oracle Antony Green, no less. The results didn't look anything like them. In the end, it seemed polls might be banished for good - no less a figure than Green himself declared it a failure of historic significance.

No one saw it coming.

It began with a Nine exit poll predicting an even bigger Labor win than several years of polls had predicted. It staggered to a close with Labor figures - Penny Wong on the ABC, Anthony Albanese on Nine - hanging increasingly forlorn hopes on the vast number of pre-poll votes.

As Labor pondered its fate, there was the bizarre disconnect from Warringah. Here was Tony Abbott: going, going, gone, via a literal kick in the bum from Julie Bishop on Nine.

On Sky, Alan Jones, resplendent in a suit crossed between off-lime and acid-trip peppermint, was ropeable about Abbott and much else - even if, eventually, the bigger result swung his way.

Of Abbott's loss, Jones wanted the nation to take the whip to those who had done Abbott wrong.

"Some people have got a lot to answer for," he thundered, as much as an acid-fuelled peppermint Splice in human form can credibly thunder.

But later, there was a victorious harangue.

"Joe Average" had triumphed, Jones declared shortly before 10pm.

And the polls and pundits? "Egg on their faces ... I hope they will acknowledge they were wrong."

If you were channel surfing on Saturday night, it was often hard to know where to look - and sometimes to wonder whether you wanted to look at all.

Channel Nine, famed for past tasteful gimmicks that have variously crushed and shredded losing contenders, served up a giant red stiletto - and the woman who inspired it, Julie Bishop. Ten brought us political pixie Christopher Pyne, who was dared by another panellist to sing an ABBA song within minutes of kick-off.

And the ABC had the indispensable Green.

He called it for the Coalition about 9.30pm. Whatever the rest of the count showed, the only possible options were a Morrison government, in minority or majority.

Over on Sky, Andrew Bolt was gloating - declaring the push for strong action on climate change now dead: "This is culturally a huge moment ... global warming, the activists, they lost."

Then up popped Peter Dutton, shamelessly quoting Paul Keating: "The sweetest victory of all."

For Labor voters who had begun the evening brimming with optimism, the only highlight of the night was that Warringah result.

Nine debuted the BishBoot - and turned to the lady herself for the introduction, and its first deployment: the eviction of Abbott.

Bishop invited fellow Nine panellist Tanya Plibersek to join her for the moment - and Abbott was sent flying.

"I'm very sad," said Bishop, as she hailed her former leader's achievements.

Meanwhile, brows were furrowed as every expectation was turned on its head. The swings were on - to the Coalition. As the ABC's Barrie Cassidy put it: "If Queensland's not moving and Victoria is not as good as [Labor] expected ... it could be a long night."

The best Green could offer was that the polls had gotten it very, very wrong. And how.

And who up-ended the conventional wisdom apple cart?

Where else but Queensland, with a little help from everywhere else in the end.