Now this might be me, but I am starting to think that this credit crunch is causing a crisis in popular culture at the moment. My theory is that as times are so bleak, or atleast it feels like they are, people are turning to the past for comfort. All of the negative energy about the place is sucking the creativity and excitement out of people, the results of which are appearing on our television screens amongst other things.

It was Christmas day that prompted my thinking along these lines. At the festive period you expect a bit of reminiscing with your favourite characters, bands and soap stars. But this year it seemed to be extreme.

Let me show you precisely what I mean...

The biggest band in the country at the moment is TAKE THAT! – it’s not because they have had lasting success year on year to the present day. No it’s because they saw a gap in the pop market they could fill. Their example is now being followed by Boyzone!

We expect a new Wallace and Gromit at Christmas, and true to form there was a new one made for this Christmas. However it was more of a token effort, at a mere 30 minutes long! Just to show us what we were missing the Beeb put on an older and significantly longer episode shortly before the new one was screened.

The big story on Christmas Eastenders was the return of Nick Cotton. He has more lives than a cat. Do we seriously need him back? I hope Dot murders the bastard once and for all this time!

The Royal family was prime time Christmas special. – Although I am going to let this one go in the same vain I would with Only Fools and Horses.

The late evening special was a Christmas Blackadder.... documentary. It was a programme to say, ‘remember how great Blackadder was? Oh I wish it was still on now’ How disappointing! Was it just me that expected a new episode?

The worst thing is that now I have started to think along these lines, I can’t stop noticing the trend. For instance, I saw this morning that Mr Motivator is coming back to GMTV 10 years after he was last sacked! Surely he is too old for that game now.

I suspect I am just talking shit though. Maybe I’m about to go downstairs and watch a great new comedy, or listen to the next stadium filling band!

Or maybe I will just stick Celebrity BigBrother NINE on.