This TV show has been called a "must watch" for all Australians. So why aren't we watching?

Despite a strong start Channel Nine’s flagship drama is losing the ratings war.

It’s a story that every Australian kid grows up with. Hundreds of thousands of Australians make the trek to see where it all took place.

And yet, when the story of Gallipoli is put on tv, it turns out that Australians just don’t care.

To mark 100 years since the battle that ended so many Australian lives, Channel 9 has created a landmark seven episode mini-series, which has been hailed as “compelling” and “must watch”.

But Australians just aren’t tuning in. The second episode dropped on Monday night to a measly 580,000 viewers — nearly 50 per cent than the previous week.

Read more: The green and gold invasion of Gallipoli.

3AW Drive host Tom Elliot was watching, though and has praised the show as a “fantastic piece of Australian television.”

“It tells a magnificent Australian story, it’s no holds barred, it’s even handed on both sides and is definitely worth a watch,” he said on his program.

Elliot was also impressed with House of Hancock, the channel’s other drama based on the life of Gina Rhinehart, which aired on Sunday.

“I know it costs more, but that is what Australians want to watch,” he said.

“Australian stories, with Australian actors.”

Read more: The House of Hancock scenes Gina Rhinehart didn’t want you to see.

It seems Elliot is wrong though.

As Gallipoli was airing on Monday evening, the country was tuned into Malcolm Turnbull on Q&A (769,000) — we can forgive them for that — and Seven’s comedy film Identity Thief (571,000).

Earlier in the evening 600,000 of us watched I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!

Which, begs the question, why weren’t we watching?

If Lachy Hulme — who appears as Lord Kitchener in the series –is to be believed, we may have missed something truly spectacular.

If you didn’t see “GALLIPOLI” tonight you are truly out of your mind. Yes, it’s dark, violent, and bloody. But it is SENSATIONAL @Gallipoli9

— Lachy Hulme (@LachyHulme) February 16, 2015