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Infomercials (past or present) you actually didn't mind watching

T

Tim from Springfield IL

Have there been any "program-length advertisements" as Homer Simpson once described them that you actually didn't seem to mind watching?

I'm not a fan of infomercials in most cases, but the ones I didn't mind watching included:

--Dean Martin Show/Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts videos (about mid-90s to present)
--Hee Haw DVD collection (ca. 2005)
--The SMC (Specialty Merchandise Corporation) spots with "Mr. C" himself (Tom Bosley) (ca. 1998-early 2000s?)--even if some people thought the SMC products were a rip-off and of poorer quality than how they appeared on the infomercial.
--Most of the music collection infomercials (i.e., Time-Life Music) in the past 20 or so years (particularly if they were big band/standards or oldies collections).

Also, out of curiousity, did any of you ever buy any informercial products of today or yesteryear (such as the Dean Martin videos, or even SMC sales), and how did your experience with the infomercial product compare to how it was portrayed on the "program-length advertisement"? ;D
 
We got the GT express cooker after watching the informerical. Even after the purchase we still watched the informerical.

Seriously.

As a kitchen gadget, it's fine.
 
I got a GT Express at Target a lot cheaper. It's OK as a gadget.

I used to like the Flowbee infomercial for some reason. I generally like the food gadgets but then I get hungry and go eat :(

I liked the Soloflex ones before they went soft porn :)

Billy Mays was my favourite host.
 
Dean Martin Variety Show / Dean Martin Roasts (used to watch these as a kid - my parents loved them)

Carol Burnett

The Midnight Special

More of the Time/Life music infomercials than I care to admit 8)
 
Obviously, the infomercials selling CD's and DVD's tend to hold viewers attention longer because there are usually interesting old clips of the featured artist(s).

Kitchen gadgets probably appeal to cooking fanatics.

Real estate and other get-rich-quick schemes, weight loss and all manner of OTC drugs/sex aids and the like - not so much.

I taught my kids never to buy anything that has a blue background screen and/or is selling for $19.95 (BUT WAIT! If you order NOW we'll ship TWO ______ for just double the shipping and handling) - which is also a scam).

I lose maximum respect for TV and radio stations that advertise junkmercials.
 
My favorite infomercial was also one of the first ones I ever remember seeing. The stain remover Didi Seven back in the late 80s. Thought the infomercial was awesome...have never used the stuff to this day! Even at the age of 10, I guess I knew well enough that "if it's too good to be true, it probably is". And maybe the stuff works great, who knows?

And, like everyone else, my favorites now are Dean Martin, Midnight Special, Carson, and the various music collections.
 
The Magic Bullet infomercials are a classic. It's like a sitcom!

In 2002, on a Las Vegas TV channel, I first saw the infomercial with Ron Jeremy for ExtenZe! It also starred Ruby from the Moonlite Bunny Ranch; the funny thing about that was I used to chat with Ruby on a message board. :p http://www.infomercial-hell.com/extenze/

I have always been a sucker for the Get Rich Quick infomercials. Thanks to my mother, I never actually ordered any of the schemes!

This is a link to a great website for classic infomercials. http://www.infomercial-hell.com/blog/

Although not technically an infomercial. I used to stay up late to watch The Collectables show on Shop at Home http://www.donwest.org/
 
Mark said:
I got a GT Express at Target a lot cheaper. It's OK as a gadget.
Click to expand...

I've recently seen some "As Seen on TV" products the last few months at one of my local Dollar General stores where I frequently shop (I think one of them was the space-saving clothes hangers, not sure on the others). I'm not sure if they were old infomercial products or the 1-minute ads for those types of products with the ordering info at the end of the spot. But they also looked cheaper to me than what had been advertised on TV--plus no shipping and handling!
 
I have been known to stop by the Time Warner Music infomercials for a while, especially the rock and classic country ones. I enjoy seeing the vintage clips of the artists. Too bad they don't sell them.
 
Tim from Springfield said:
I've recently seen some "As Seen on TV" products the last few months at one of my local Dollar General stores where I frequently shop ...
Click to expand...

If you ever get out to Tempe, AZ take at gander at the "As Seen On TV" store at Arizona Mills Mall.

It is chock full of all those plastic goo-gaws you've seen over the years. ;D
 
No one could light a car on fire better than Mike Levey (RIP) with his Amazing Discoveries series. The Time-Life series have been mentioned, and we actually used some of the oldies CDs at a radio station I worked for, and the quality was good, the versions were right, and full (at least 45) length.

There is the Golden Eagle As Seen on TV Store in a former Kroger in Sevierville, TN which is huge...and you might even find the ghost of Billy Mays.

Former Cincinnati and regional TV host Bob Braun was paired with infomercial host Gary Hoffman (I think that was his name) on a series of real estate course infomercials. It was strange to see him there after the end of his long running show. Also remember the Danny Bonaduce Show with special guest Kevin Trudeau, who then was a memory expert, before become a financial and health expert (ahem).
 
therealjm12 said:
I have been known to stop by the Time Warner Music infomercials for a while, especially the rock and classic country ones. I enjoy seeing the vintage clips of the artists. Too bad they don't sell them.
Click to expand...

I have seen the Time Warner classic country collection (the ones from the infomercial) at Wal-Mart about 10 years ago--the same version that was "seen on TV." I don't know whether or not all songs from the TV collection were included in the version sold at Wal-Mart, however.
 
Tim from Springfield said:
Mark said:
I got a GT Express at Target a lot cheaper. It's OK as a gadget.
Click to expand...

I've recently seen some "As Seen on TV" products the last few months at one of my local Dollar General stores where I frequently shop (I think one of them was the space-saving clothes hangers, not sure on the others). I'm not sure if they were old infomercial products or the 1-minute ads for those types of products with the ordering info at the end of the spot. But they also looked cheaper to me than what had been advertised on TV--plus no shipping and handling!
Click to expand...

Infomercial products don't have a lot of patience for non-moving merchandise. If it doesn't sell to expectations, the infomercial is pulled and they get sent to places like Target and Big Lots then finally the dollar stores.

If you notice, the infomercials tend to go in cycles. You'll see GT Express-type machines, then they go away for a year or so, then they come back and then go.
 
borderblaster said:
No one could light a car on fire better than Mike Levey (RIP) with his Amazing Discoveries series. The Time-Life series have been mentioned, and we actually used some of the oldies CDs at a radio station I worked for, and the quality was good, the versions were right, and full (at least 45) length.
Click to expand...

I remember first seeing the "Amazing Discoveries" infomercials in 1989. They were unintentionally hilarious and entertaining for an insomniac.

I remember a company producing infomercials with high production values in the mid-'90s for "legitimate" brands like Philips/Magnavox, Apple Computer (right before Steve Jobs came back and made the miracle turnaround), RCA-DirecTV, and TiVo, among others. They actually had story lines to some degree, even if some of them were cheesy.

The Time-Life and Guthy-Renker entertainment advertisements still sometimes suck me in when insomnia kicks in. So do those Worx power tool ads.
 
I'll agree on the infomercials with clips of Carol Burnett and Johnny Carson, and also some of the music CD collections. But otherwise I'd be totally happy if infomercials were banned by the FCC completely. :p
 
...back in the early '90s, when Danny Bonaduce was doing radio at WLUP, he also did a few infomercials in a Carson/Letterman/Griffin format with Kevin Trudeau for whatever he was peddling at the time. Bonaduce is such a natural ham that he actually made the things entertaining to watch...
 
Ultimajock said:
...back in the early '90s, when Danny Bonaduce was doing radio at WLUP, he also did a few infomercials in a Carson/Letterman/Griffin format with Kevin Trudeau for whatever he was peddling at the time. Bonaduce is such a natural ham that he actually made the things entertaining to watch...
Click to expand...

I recall Bonaduce doing the same thing for car dealers as well -- one night in the early-1990s, I saw a Bonaduce talk show infomercial for a dealership in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale area, promoting some huge car promotion. Funny thing was -- I saw this infomercial on WTOG in Tampa Bay -- a good 250 miles or so away.
 
Time Life Music of the 60's with Neil Sedaka and Country Classics , Dean Martin, Carol Burnett and others with classic TV shows clips
 
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