For those eyeing up teetering piles of unopened DVD boxsets, considering a PVR overspilling with whole series as yet unwatched or negotiating the daily minefield of spoilers about shows it's impossible to keep up with, news that we are watching more TV will be both unsurprising and vaguely panic-inducing. Unsurprising given the great stacks of stuff demanding to be watched; panic-inducing given the great shortage of time there seems to be to devote to it.

According to a new study from TV Licensing, the average Briton now settles down to watch a little more than four hours of telly a day – an almost half-hour increase on 2006 viewing habits. But why? What's keeping us glued to the telly?

Better British television



Admittedly, the BBC often feels like Greg Wallace bellowing on a loop, but beyond the endless editions of MasterChef and the never-ending talent shows, British television is in rude health. Drama in particular is having something of a moment, with the BBC, ITV and Channel 4 investing in bringing exciting British voices to screen, and shows such as Downton Abbey and Call the Midwife pulling in huge audiences. It's not all about grabbing ratings either: single dramas such as last summer's Hollow Crown season of Shakespeare, new drama such as Channel 4's Utopia, and brilliant instant hits such as Sherlock all underline the quality of homegrown drama.

It's a shame that a budget cut means we will be losing BBC4's excellent output of thoughtful dramas – A Room at the Top, starring Maxine Peake was among my TV highlights of 2012 – but, from Parade's End to Top Boy and Broadchurch, there's ambition on show from terrestrial broadcasters. And the digital channels are also showing a bit more oomph than in years past: Sky has been pouring cash into comedy in particular, albeit with somewhat mixed results, and re-run channels such as Dave have dipped their toes into commissioning new content.

And better imported shows too



Mad Men fans were rightly cross when their favourite US import was hoovered up by Sky, turning what had once been a Freeview show into one that required a subscription. And there are many who are less than thrilled that Sky Atlantic is now the British home of HBO shows such as Girls and Game of Thrones. (On the plus side: the date between broadcast in the US and in the UK is much reduced, and we know we are definitely going to get them. Unlike, say, Breaking Bad.)

But the past few years have also proved that some great US shows do make it to terrestrial – it was Channel 4 which brought us Homeland – and that subtitles are no bar to a drama finding a committed audience in the UK. BBC4's stream of European dramas such as The Killing and Borgen has provided a good reason to stay in on a Saturday night. Which is a good thing because …

Television's cheap and we're all broke



The economic downturn might have seen us reduce our spending in other areas, but spending on television remains buoyant, and the licence fee great value for money. We might not be able to afford dinner and a movie at the weekend any more, but we can just about stretch to something nice for tea and a snuggle on the sofa in front of the box. (Under a blanket, of course: the heating is more strictly rationed than ever.) Really, what could be more jolly than a gritty, grey European cop drama on a Saturday night? What?

And we're bound by the schedules less and less



Catch-up services, on-demand television packages with whole libraries of boxsets waiting to be unleashed, that filled- to-busting PVR – if for some reason subtitled shouting doesn't appeal, there are plenty of other shows you can be watching at a time that suits you. While a surprising number of houses still have VHS players hooked up to their televisions – 29%, according to TV Licensing – the arrival of iPlayer, ITVPlayer, 4oD and the rest means there is no forgetting to press record and missing a crucial instalment of your favourite programme.

Although our TVs are now better quality than ever



Sales of TVs in general are falling, but we are splashing out on bigger, swisher sets when we do replace them. And really, a massive HD screen is always going to be more of a pleasure to watch than your old, now slightly fuzzy-looking set.

But we don't need to be at home to watch



Home isn't always the most convenient place to watch TV. We now have fewer televisions, and are keeping up with television on a variety of devices: phones, laptops, and tablets. So, EastEnders on your commute? Why not? Watching the football in the kitchen while your partner catches up with the drama they're halfway through? Now perfectly possible without the need for multiple boxes or sets. Although there are, of course, downsides: there is little more infuriating than finding yourself out of sync with the rest of your household on a big show and – worse – that someone has deleted the episodes you have yet to watch. Which is why …

Event television remains important



Big set pieces such as the Olympic opening ceremony, the jubilee celebrations and the X Factor final really need to be watched live.

Twitter has reminded us how great discussing telly is



As Channel 4's Gogglebox, in which we watch families watching television, makes clear, not all conversation sparked by TV shows is insightful, cutting-edge stuff. But you don't need real-life sofa companions for a satisfying carp about the TOWIE cast's latest fashion choices. Twitter has turned tutting about telly in your living room into something close to an art form – 40% of traffic around peak times is about television, with conversation around live shows particularly busy.

And can help make rubbish telly brilliant



The X Factor final feels increasingly like an endurance trial rather than an entertainment offering. Eurovision, despite the promise of Bonnie Tyler and the usual quota of bonkers acts, can try the patience of even committed fans. But knowing everyone else is also slowly dying of overexposure to tedious songs and ridiculous costumes is motivation enough to keep watching to the bitter end. And even, perhaps, wring a bit of enjoyment out of proceedings. (Or at least a terrible joke.)

There's even more television on its way



If you are despairing of your must-watch list now, it's only likely to get longer as companies such as Netflix and Amazon begin making their own television to supplement on-demand services. Worse: it's even threatening to be good – House of Cards, which Netflix released in one 13-episode chunk last month, is as good a piece of TV as you'll see on any platform this year.