Have you noticed how programmes don't get remade these days? They're "reimagined." I saw a link today to one of those New Year's lists. It was a list of words from 2008 you'd like to see consigned to the bin and never used again. I think "reimagined" will be the first of those words on my list for 2009. Because all it means is an excuse to take something that was good once, and turn it into something that's... well... not good.

Related: Martin Clunes is the new Reggie Perrin | Coming Soon... Minder, five | Survivors review

There are two really frustrating things about this. Firstly, it's not like there's no good telly being made at the moment. Good new telly, I mean. I don't have to tell you what they are, these good new programmes. We review them on here all the time. We have some firm favourites, and I'm sure you do too.

But creating good telly like that requires imagination, investment and a team of good writers. "Reimagining" old stuff apparently, judging by recent attempts, requires almost none of those. Well, if the end result was any good, you'd think good writers would be in there somewhere, but if they are they seem to have a series of off days when they're busy reimagining. Maybe reimagining is somehow harder to do than just plain old imagining. Like trying to get dough to rise a second time, or making a second cup of tea with the same teabag.

After the barely adequate reimagining of Merlin, which bore only a passing resemblance to the original stories (i.e. the characters' names were the same and... er... that's it), and the often laughable Survivors, now we hear that the graves of much-loved friends like Minder and Reggie Perrin are going to be dug over, and the bones exhumed and pored over in the hunt for a few more thrills (in the first case) and laughs (in the second).

These are, let me remind you, shows that are still in many cases repeated on the minor channels, where fresh new audiences can appreciate their brilliance anew, and old codgers like me can while away their twilight years reminiscing about how good things used to be. OK, slight exaggeration - I'm not THAT old - but my point is, with the originals still going strong, where is the market for a "reimagining"? Why can't we have some new Minders or Reggies? Or even better, some new ideas altogether? You know, because, honestly, we've seen Minder. Or if we haven't, we can. And it was good. And anything you "reimagine" about it stands a pretty high chance of being not as good. Or, more likely, crap. So why bother?