Such an audience wants series with contemporary themes, dramas or comedies and at least one 50-minute episodic series (24, Boston Legal, CSI, Desperate Housewives, OC, Grey’s Anatomy, whatever) each night. Combine them with aspirational talent/reality programmes, chat shows (hey, where’s our Oprah?), and chances of a TV revival are far greater.

However, no one seems to be interested. The new entertainment channel, 9x, has gone middle class but thematically changed little. NDTV Imagine we have to wait and see, but the promos don’t offer much hope of change. There is a glimmer of something in serials like Sony’s new police drama,Tujhko Hai Salaam, and Star One’s serial on the air force, Chhoona Hai Aasmaan, or Sab’s Jersey No. 10. But these are the exceptions, not the trend.

Meanwhile, film has gone experimental and reaped rich rewards. Unless TV does the same it will become an urban myth rather than a diary of the times.

shailaja.bajpai@expressindia.com