tv

When I was little I thought earthquakes were caused by space shuttles taking off nearby, because of the way the camera would shake on TV when one did.

Anon

I used to think that "show business" was something really boring because of the "business" part. When I heard about adults being very passionate about show business, I was confused because business is something you don't usually act excited about.

Anon

I used to believe that the networks were connected to my TV - and that I could punish them for bad shows by changing the channel.

Taunya

When I was small I used to think that whenever my Dad got up to answer the phone during a episode of Miami Vice that he taped, all the actors stood still. I didn't understand how the VCR worked and that there was a pause button. It took a while before I could comprehend that one. ha ha

Sarah

I used to believe that the laugh tracks you would hear on comedy TV shows were actual people, just like me, in their actual homes laughing. So, I would wait for times when people weren't laughing and I would laugh out loud, really loud, so that everyone out there across the country could hear ME! Sometimes I would try doing a really loud "BOO HOO" during sad parts of non-comedy shows, just in case. Boy was I full of myself or what?

AnnO

When I was a child, I didn't understand the concept of re-runs. So when I saw the same episode being played on TV, I thought to myself "they must get really tired of doing the same episode" and "how do they ever get to watch the show themselves?"

Anon

When I was a little girl I actually believe that movies were recorded from cameras in the sky, so
I would go around playing like I was in a movie because I really did think there was cameras in the sky.

Britney Roberts

My mom used to watch the television programs about criminals all the time when I was younger, so I decided that I should try watching them too. Every time I saw a reenactment of a crime, I thought someone had actually caught the original criminal in the act and filmed it. I always wondered why that person couldn't have just called the police....

Kristen

I used to think that all TV was live, and I wondered how in reruns they could exactly duplicate the show down to the wrinkles in people's clothing.

Mary K

When i was a child i used to think that all the news that was broadcast on television was acted as if it were any movie or some other entertainment program for adults such as robberies, assassinations, suicides, voting to elect a president, absolutely everything.

Johnny

Until I was about 6 years old I believed that the laughter and applause heard during sitcoms was coming from other people watching the show at home. I would shout into the TV speaker to see if anyone would answer me. Sadly, no one ever did. ;o)

Carrie Jo

In the days before cable, when the TV signal would fail, local stations used to put up a placard that read, "Please Stand By, Technical Difficulties." I used to think I had to get up from the couch and go stand by the TV to help the signal come back. I did it for months until I surprised my family with my trick. I was a little insulted they didn't want to help.

luminux

I believed as a kid that the TV stations showed a TV program on a projector screen and aimed the camera at it to air to the town.

Greg

Whenever I used to see, "To Be Announced" in the TV Guide I thought it was some type of religious show. I pictured singing ladies in dresses walking down stairs and talking about God. I didn't realize it meant the channel didn't know what program was going to be on. Unfortunately, I was in my 20's when I finally figured it all out. My family still hassles me about this. (It really did sound like the name of a chuch show).

Polly

When I was three or four I used to think that TV stations showed Dracula movies all night long, until Captain Kangaroo came on. That's why my parents sometimes caught me watching test patterns in the wee small hours of the morning (it was the early 70s) -- I wanted to see Dracula.

Anon

When I was little there was a hole in the top of my TV and I thought that if I got into it, I would be come part of whatever I was watching so I put my arm in and thought it was part of the Lion King and was really excited. When I realized it didnt work I yelled "BLUE SKIDOO! YOU CAN TOO!" and ran at the TV. After slamming my face into the TV I didn't try again.

Wanna be on TV!

Up until a few years ago I used to belive that Tony Robinson and Timmy Mallet were the same people. You can imagine my boyfriend's delight whilst watching Time Team, as I continued to remark on how surprising it is that Tony Robinson has managed to forge a serious presenting career after being known for so long as a wacky kids TV host. I still get confused now!

Lynda UK

Whan I was child, i used to believe that cartoons were actually inside the TV. and I remember that once, a cousin hit the TV with a hammer to take the cartoons out.

Carolina

I used to believe that TV sponsorships were related to the actual programme, like Domino's Pizza in the Simpsons, or Bristol and West in Friends.

Anon

I can't decide what category this should go in. When I was small, I had bizarre fever dreams. Mostly I knew they were dreams, such as the one I had where Abraham Lincoln came into my bedroom (how tall!), removed his hat politely, and sat down on the edge of my bed, to give me silent moral support. But I also had what was probably more of an hallucination. When I had a very high fever I used to turn the TV to a non-channel (oh yes! We had those in the 70's!!), where there was nothing but static. Because, in the "snow," I saw chickens. They were just running around, eating corn, pecking in the dirt, etc., and I found this comforting. I called it the "chicken channel," and my mom humored me in this, although it must have driven her insane, because for some reason I also insisted on having the sound turned up.

Kate