We need to cast net wide for quality telly

Back then, on September 30, 1929, a group of invited guests gathered in John Logie Baird's studio in London's exciting Covent Garden in London's exciting centre.

There, bunched around a screen half the size of a smartphone, they watched as the BBC broadcast a comic monologue from Yorkshire's very own Sydney Howard and a song from the lovely Lulu Stanley.

Flash forward to the present day. Although that first broadcast is still regularly being repeated at peak time on BBC4, we now have HD TV and hundreds of channels.

However, the principle remains exactly the same. That is to say, in a nutshell – and boiling it down somewhat – the broadcasters tell us what they've got for us to watch, and when it's on, and we make our plans accordingly.

Simple.

Ah, but it isn't any more. That model of broadcasting, which has stood us in good stead for more than 80 years, is changing. And at dizzying speed.

And it's all thanks to the internet.

For example, let's visit the Radio Times website and have a look at tonight's terrestrial TV listings, shall we? Oh, what televisual riches await us?

On BBC 1 there is – Lord help us – I Love My Country – "Gabby Logan hosts the fun-filled game show in which two panels of famous faces compete to demonstrate their knowledge of all things British". Sounds dreadful.

On ITV there's Stepping Out – "Following the elimination of Denise Welch and Lincoln Townley last week, the five remaining couples now take on several challenging styles including rock 'n' roll, street and Broadway". (Elimination? Bit harsh, isn't it?)

Channel Four brings us – for about the millionth time this week alone – Grand Designs. Groan

In other words, it's yet another bona fide, 100lb self-basting turkey of a schedule by the looks of things.

And this is where the internet comes in.

Ten years ago, there was no YouTube. Now it's absolutely massive, and as well as wedding videos and 'hilarious' film of people falling over, there is a wealth of fascinating archive footage, documentaries, old comedy shows and whole, complete films.

The other night, for example, I watched a fascinating documentary about how Stanley Kubrick's The Shining is actually an apology for his role in faking the Moon Landings (seriously).

But if we don't fancy sorting the Youtube wheat from the chaff, what about going and getting a DVD, assuming we're living somewhere that still has a DVD rental shop?

Thanks to the internet these are closing at an alarming rate. And when you look at the basic economics you can see why. Who wants to spend five pounds on two new releases when you could sign up to an online streaming service for the same amount and take your pick from thousands of slightly older films in clear high definition?

And now these online rental firms are making their own programmes, and at the same time changing the way we watch television. Instead of releasing one episode of these shows each week, they put the whole lot online in one go. Viewers could gorge themselves on it if they wanted to.

Soon it won't be them telling viewers what to watch, it'll be the viewers telling them what to make, but watching it when they want to.

For better or for worse, 10 years ago the idea of internet television was just a glint in a programmer's eye.

Ten years from now who knows what we'll be left with.

Carl Jones is away