Dear Aussie TV: Take out the trash and deliver some quality

HOW did we end up in a place where more people are happy to watch someone cry over burning a meal than real talent on the TV screens?

The Bachelorette Sophie Monk with host Osher Gunsberg. Picture: Stuart Bryce

OPINION:

SURELY commercial television in Australia is about to go down the gurgler?

It is absolutely devoid of any creativity, talent, originality or entertainment.

As the national media blows up about the pay cheques of walking advertisement Lisa Wilkinson, it's got me thinking a lot at the moment.

How the hell did we get to a position where glorified spruikers, morning show hosts, not journalists, but simply talking heads, are pocketing north of $2 million a year?

How did shows like The Bachelorette, My Kitchen Rules, The Block, and the plethora of other mindless reality shows suddenly become staple entertainment options?

What happened to celebrating genuinely talented Australian screenplay?

What hope do writers of high-quality drama have in this country when we'd rather watch people cry about overcooking a soup than be swept up in an enthralling series?

It's hard to argue that it's a decline in the quality of series on offer that has led us here.

One breeds the other.

As the dumbing down of the masses has peaked, the decline in decent, creative television has also sped up.

Why? Because there's no demand for it from those of us watching free-to-air television.

No wonder many choose Foxtel, Netflix, Stan and more. There's only so many scripted 'shock reveals, recipes or heartbreaks' one can take.