Peter Jackson's a pretty smart guy.

Also, consider this: Ten years ago, in 1999, four of the five top TV shows were fiction (and ER was number one!). The remaining slot? 60 Minutes. In 2009, four of the five top TV shows are American Idol (night one and night two) and Dancing With the Stars. The remaining slot? Monday Night Football.

C'mon, folks. We can all do with some more stories in our lives. Let's get things together, hm?