CABLE TV?

I was watching Sanford and Son today and Fred was telling Lamont he wants Cable TV and I was shocked because I didn't know it went back that far. It was actually in 1971 which is where this front TV guide cover is from

April 3-9, 1971

If I recall correctly, one of the TV Guides from the late 60's (1967 or 68) had an article about Cable TV being the wave of the future. So the concept of Cable TV dates back at least that far. In the 70's, only a minority number of households had Cable TV. It was in the 80's when a majority of households had Cable TV, during 1982 and 83 is when it really started taking off.

If I recall correctly, one of the TV Guides from the late 60's (1967 or 68) had an article about Cable TV being the wave of the future. So the concept of Cable TV dates back at least that far. In the 70's, only a minority number of households had Cable TV. It was in the 80's when a majority of households had Cable TV, during 1982 and 83 is when it really started taking off.


I don't recall hearing about it on any other show from the 70's. Not even the Jeffersons and they had MONEY lol

I don't remember when we actually got cable TV but I know we had it by 1974. It wasn't like now though. It was mainly local channels or channels within the state. Our first out of state channels were TBS ( although it wasn't called that then) and HBO. We got them by late 1977 or early 1978.

I don't recall hearing about it on any other show from the 70's. Not even the Jeffersons and they had MONEY lol

I'm surprised it got a mention on Sanford And Son. During the 70's, Cable TV wasn't usually discussed all that much. The 80's was a different story. :lol:

I'm surprised it got a mention on Sanford And Son. During the 70's, Cable TV wasn't usually discussed all that much. The 80's was a different story. :lol:



I was laying down and I was like......."Did Fred just say Cable TV? LOL

As far as I know cable TV had been around a long time but it was only in the 1970s did cable start offering channels you couldn't get on broadcast tv.

As far as I know cable TV had been around a long time but it was only in the 1970s did cable start offering channels you couldn't get on broadcast tv.


You must mean basic cable because shows like Gunsmoke would not have survived if real cable was available to everyone:lol:

I think I remember hearing the Jeffersons say they didn't have it twice in the 80s episodes.

I think I remember hearing the Jeffersons say they didn't have it twice in the 80s episodes.


I'm about to start season 9 of the Jeffersons on DVD and see if I catch it

You must mean basic cable because shows like Gunsmoke would not have survived if real cable was available to everyone:lol:


Cable tv according to the Wikipedia article started in the late 40s in the U.S. but original programming on cable began in 1972 with the deregulation of the industry. Before 1972 cable merely was used to provide over the air channel tv service to remote areas that couldn't get a signal over the airwaves.

It's a movie, but I do remember in Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Phoebe Cates mentioning they still couldn't even get cable in Ridgemont. :lol: That was 1982, so Sanford and Son mentioning it surprises me a bit.

Seems like cable was a luxury well into the early-90s...there's an episode of Married...with Children where the Bundys were excited to have it. Although, they were behind the times on a lot of things. :p

It's a movie, but I do remember in Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Phoebe Cates mentioning they still couldn't even get cable in Ridgemont. :lol: That was 1982, so Sanford and Son mentioning it surprises me a bit.

Seems like cable was a luxury well into the early-90s...there's an episode of Married...with Children where the Bundys were excited to have it. Although, they were behind the times on a lot of things. :p


He never said what he wanted to see on Cable TV which would have been better lol


All he said was........"Lamont I want Cable TV":lol:

Every time I visited my cousins back in the 60's I saw new channels because they had it. Mostly it was the networks with better reception and some stations out of Washington, DC and Chicago I think.