I think reality TV has plateaued and scripted TV is making a comeback, to some degree. Reality TV is inevitable because it's just so ridiculously cheap to produce that the expectations are lower. But now that scripted TV is seen as a good outlet for top-notch talent (a self-fulfilling prophesy, since there's simply been a lot of good TV) and platforms like Netflix Instant are providing another revenue stream (Mad Men yielded more than a million per episode, I gather), there's more incentive to make good product. Hell, there's that new Kevin Spacey show that's going direct to streaming, right?

It was sad for a lot of us when Studio 60 didn't get a full chance to succeed, in part because it was so expensive to produce. And a lot of good shows like Men of a Certain Age die on the vine. But it's actually a pretty good era for scripted TV. Now can we please get an Emmy nomination for Nick Offerman?

Since it started to surge we've read lamentations that Reality TV would threaten scripted shows.
Are there any numbers to back that up?
I know it seems like the major networks run nothing but awful 'reality' shows --
But it also seems to me that there are far, far more scripted shows on all the other networks than there were in previous decades -- especially when compared to my childhood days with only three broadcast networks.

How many writers made a living in scripted TV in 1970 or 1980 compared to today?
I'd wager today's figure is far higher.

Well, Paul, that's kind of a strawman. Obviously there are way more writers employed to write TV than there were then. It's a question of whether there are more than there were a few years ago, or if scripted shows can get nearly the budgets they used to, adjusted for inflation. Or are given time to build audiences.

@Paul: You can read the latest WGA report on employment here. One simple fact: A lot of prime time TV writing has drifted down (in terms of economics, not quality) to cable from broadcast networks. So if numbers of TV writers is equal to where it used to be, dollars generated may not be the case.

Two nice observations from HR article, "network’s are desperately chasing eyeballs in a vastly fragmented media landscape," and from show runner Rosenthal, “there was never a golden age [of TV]... always lots and lots of crap and a few good things.”

Good writing will get audience, or, more precisely, the audience will find good writing. Yesterday chatter re Castle reached that, "hey, I gotta check it out" threshold, googled, it was ABC, first response surprise (not good news for ABC) and eeek, loud promo (seriously rude, ABC). If networks were less desperate to get our attention, and focused on making good stuff, they'd have less to worry about.

First reality show you attached to? I think was Junkyard Wars for me, and that first season was so much fun. Then short stint of guilty pleasure Anna Nicole Show, before they got drunk, I think that lasted a season. Then nothing for a while, and now competition reality shows (Project Runway, Ninja Warriors, All-Star Chopped, Next Food Network Star), folks being very good at what they do. And I learn stuff. Don't bore the judges, get your pan nice and hot, and don't be emo with your audience (that insight from Louie Anderson, damn, comedians can be sharp and smart, on NFNS).

The other kind of reality show, that I see in one minute clips on The Soup, seriously who really watches those shows, are the networks getting so rich off them they can't quit the habit? There's gotta be a good way to do that type of fare. What would Studs Terkel do with a reality show?

Did you know SAT scores were "re-centered" in the mid 90s? Some claimed was so we didn't look so dumb compared to rest of world. And despite spending more on education than any other wealthy country (except Switzerland, we're tied with them), we have only middling or worse quality of education (for instance, only 3 out of 4 people are even in school at 18 to graduate). And public discourse, so sensationalized, and the media without apparent ability to learn or remember anything. Are we evolving into a society of dullards? I don't think so, but that's sure what it looks like on the surface.

So many talented writers in Hollywood, no excuse for bad work from the networks.

Just came across, haven't read yet, but looks like interesting read, writers from golden era of Nickelodeon: http://splitsider.com/2011/07/checking-in-with-the-creators-of-nickelodeons-golden-era-shows/