Let's call a spade a spade here, things aren't rosy financially. The fan is parked, front row and centre, behind a Grand National winner with his tail pointed skywards after some particularly nutty oats. It seems that the only respite is to sit in and watch the telly. However a quick foray around the world of the idiot's lantern will tell you there's more repeats then at dinnertime in John Prescott's house. The endless panel shows, game shows and cookery shows means that the platform for new writers is getting smaller and smaller.
Now everyone loves the telly, don't they? Ask anyone if they want to read the erudite and brilliantly illuminating collection of Christopher Hitchens essay's, Arguably or watch a man, who looks increasingly like a lion, watch other people open some boxes whilst an audience watches and you'll get the same answer every time. However there must come a time when this interminable festival of opening boxes and watching will cease to be.
What do we want from the telly; colours, shapes, sounds, movement, sometimes we're greedy and we want them all at once. Perhaps we want nothing at? I despise TV that is lifeless, packed with nothingness wrapped around a hollow shell of emptiness like a Coldplay song. When it is presented amongst the backdrop of the worst economic climate for decades it feels like a Coldplay duet with Dido.
I understand that the economic climate makes it difficult to open up more avenues for new writers. There is only so much money in the world to record the 300 sweeping helicopter shots of Jeremy Clarkson being spontaneously racist in a car so expensive that 90% of the Top Gear demographic wouldn't be able to afford it. However there is surely some change leftover to help establish more avenues for new writers.
Yes times are hard and money is tight but if there is talk of the Queen getting a new yacht then I'd like to see some new shows on the box with new voices. The last daring and funny show I saw on the telly was The Trip and that was broadcast so long ago Wayne Rooney was bald. Maybe the range of repeats is reflective of the national psyche not wanting to take too many risks. However I would argue that when things seem a little depressing and we're all feeling glum then surely being surprised by the new and the different would cheer us up. As Del used to hilariously say over and over again "he who dares, wins."