How TV Went From Free to Fee

It took 'em 70 years, but they finally got us paying for what used to be free.

[ProfDragonite]

For a satirical skit, it's shocking how accurate this is to real history.

Truth truly is stranger than fiction.

[thewayhobibrokeitdowninhan]

The main concept was great, but I’m IN LOVE with the commitment to clothing, lingo, and background music for each decade!

[meganofsherwood]

The older I get, the more I understand why my parents ditched cable, and we lived on the 4 PBS channels that came in for free without ads 😂

[ccarts]

This was totally historically accurate.

[macklyn]

That glorious moment in the late 2010s when we owned TV just like we wanted it. Great job Matt!

[patrickwalker]

Ok the background music and the retro shirts are priceless 😂

[cougrs]

The funny thing is, my Dad heard this and laughed, in the background, because it's true he said. rofl And the thing I miss the most is when they shut off broadcasting right after the national anthem, at midnight. I'm just old enough to be a part of that generation, I'm 31.

[Sleepless_Chaos]

Matt's ability to accurately sum up the collective human experience in a skit is unmatched.

But the increasing number of pay walls guarding useful information like poisonous plants that could make people or pets sick if ingested, how to make useful things, and even aspects of history or the news is even worse.

[appo]

Anyone else remember being the remote as a kid?

[hallietaylor]

No because I’ve been so fed up with this lately. We originally paid for streaming services in order to get away from commercials now they’re basically just putting them back. Netflix has commercials now? What is this world coming to?

[Saltpork]

I cut the cord in 2006. I have an antenna on a pole and the Internet and a bunch of DVDs and I don't miss it one bit. Just finished watching all of Mama's Family. How's that for a blast from the past.

[Tadicuslegion]

How to ruin anything in 5 seconds....put a Business School graduate in charge of it.

[cattysplat]

2000s was all about that DVD box set. Everyone was going wild knowing they could OWN a TV series for the first time for a reasonable price in a reasonable size box, without taking up an entire shelf like those VHS collections. Also DVR and TIVO recordings.

[Kelly]

LOVE the different pop culture shirts!
HATE how accurate this is…

[drew]

Green, just like half your kitchen appliances, baby! Awesome!

[grandmaking]

Dang, Matt. This is so true. I am right now deciding which way is the cheapest way to watch the Atlanta Braves. So far, buying season tickets and moving to Atlanta seems to be the best.

[Alan.Sutton_me]

Oh Matt.... Saying what we ALL feel EVERYDAY!

[cscape]

This is why reading is probably getting a boost. No ads, get to read/listen to whatever you want, at the library it's free, and usually the stories are better in book than on any screen! Pirating is probably also more rampant because of the incessant ads and outrageous prices. It's totally insane!

[lapinekiniro]

And there will always be "just a few ads" right at the beginning, even when you pay for ad free😅

[Ohforgodssakethatsme]

I remember going to my friend's house one evening to watch MacBeth for theatre class because her family had a tower antennae (so fancy!). Unfortunately, it was rainy, so we couldn't get reception for that particular channel. Oh, well.
Edited to add: This was in the early 80s so both back in the stone age and, also, not that long ago in the grand scheme of things.