Dame Julie Christie remembers the first show she made back in 1988 as if it were yesterday. Her passion for making television is just as strong 300-odd shows later.

Her eyes nearly roll to the back of her head when we mention the title "reality TV queen" that’s often thrown around to describe her, but there’s no denying Dame Julie was a global leader in the genre.

We discuss the decline of television and what she thinks New Zealand should and could be doing to save the industry here.