For more than two generations, television has been a part of most people’s lives, and few could remember a time when it wasn’t there as a familiar, reliable source of information and entertainment. Today, viewers are accustomed to broadcasts running seamlessly with commercials following programming before more programs come on. The occasional glitch might happen here or there, including temporary blackouts due to storms, but for the most part, television runs incredibly smoothly.

Of course, that wasn’t all the case. At times, pranksters or political activists hacked into satellite feeds, protestors took over studios while live and on air, and intriguing paranormal events with few good explanations have been seen. In fact, the TV has always been a place of mystery, a battleground for competing ideologies, and a source of anonymous voices. Television broadcasts have been used to support war efforts, topple governments, communicate secretly, and even attempt to communicate with the dead.

Weird Television: A Collection of Interrupted Broadcasts, Paranormal Apparitions, and Other Mysteries on TV includes strange stories that will make this familiar medium seem a bit less familiar and far more interesting. You will learn about some of the world’s strangest TV stories like never before.