Manhattan Cable TV Public Access
posted February 13, 2019 #
The above animation for Manhattan Cable TV (MNN) ran in the mid-1980's and has been described as containing "horrifying music" that "has the opposite of rhythm." I can't disagree with either of these notions but I would add that I am entirely compelled by it.
Public Access TV has always been a breeding ground for the weird, the DIY and the hard-to-explain. This is particularly true of a network based in NY, which can also be described in the same manner.
If that opening warning animation doesn't repel you, it can be the opening of a door to many musical performances, stupid prank calls, talk shows and, my favorite, tours of 80's dance clubs.
If you've been around the Internet for awhile, some of this may be commonplace. We've all seen TV Carnage and Everything is Terrible compilations that contain material of this kind but I'm not suggesting taking the deep dive as a tourist looking to mock or laugh at these things. I'm suggesting taking the deep dive to experience a legitimately fascinating treasure trove of archived videos. Let yourself watch a full 30-minute program, not just a 15 second blast of the worst parts.
Public Access TV has always been a breeding ground for the weird, the DIY and the hard-to-explain. This is particularly true of a network based in NY, which can also be described in the same manner.
If that opening warning animation doesn't repel you, it can be the opening of a door to many musical performances, stupid prank calls, talk shows and, my favorite, tours of 80's dance clubs.
If you've been around the Internet for awhile, some of this may be commonplace. We've all seen TV Carnage and Everything is Terrible compilations that contain material of this kind but I'm not suggesting taking the deep dive as a tourist looking to mock or laugh at these things. I'm suggesting taking the deep dive to experience a legitimately fascinating treasure trove of archived videos. Let yourself watch a full 30-minute program, not just a 15 second blast of the worst parts.