In 1970 or thereabouts, I ordered a miniature TV from Sears, thinking I would keep it on the closet shelf & only let it out when it promised to behave. Sears told me that that model had been discontinued, but it would sell me the next bigger one for the same price. It was too big for the shelf, so that was the end of that.

Somewhat earlier (1962?), I lived in a graduate dorm that had one in the lounge. It would snare me on the way to my room, but only until the first commercial came on. Even studying was better than that.