Figured it out: Originality almost always comes at the expense of quality. If you come up with a new idea, it's almost impossible to do it well. That's why for products and whatnot, you have beta testing. Because first gen is always terrible. But with TV, movies, and books, there's not enough editing and "testing," so what we get is first gen and it's usually bad. But once it's been copied a million times, finally someone gets it right. Of course it's said to be derivative or unoriginal, but it's still better than what came before it. Shakespeare, after all, is not known for his original plots -- he's known for his writing.

Similarly, in Hollywood, looks come at the expense of talent. I'm not saying the best-looking actors aren't talented at all, but in England, actors aren't as good-looking and they're definitely more talented. I used to think that it was an illusion, that they only seemed more talented because we're not as distracted by their looks and their fame (like the fact that we can never forget that Tom Cruise is Tom Cruise), but I've decided that that's only a small part of it, and most of it is that top Brit actors really are more talented.