The Delicious History of TV Dinners

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  • Опубликовано: 3 дек 2022
  • Weird History Food is peeling back the foil on this history of TV Dinners. With its aluminum or microwaveable plate, with separate compartments for meat, vegetable, and dessert, the TV dinner has a special place in food history and culture in the belly of American memories.
    #TVdinner #foodhistory #weirdhistoryfood
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Комментарии • 1,9 тыс.

  • @3frenchhens818
    @3frenchhens818 Год назад +1090

    Only our neighbors down the street owned a television, so being invited to stay and watch TV while eating something called a TV Dinner was soooo exotic and exciting!

    • @warpath6666
      @warpath6666 Год назад +44

      Those old aluminum tray TV dinners were the best ... I loved those ... fried chicken ... ohhhh man 👍

    • @3frenchhens818
      @3frenchhens818 Год назад +20

      @susan ruthroff Yes. They folded like folding chairs and were stacked in a holder. Usually sets of four. You can still find them for sale.

    • @ooogabooogaa
      @ooogabooogaa Год назад +4

      Which year was it?

    • @3frenchhens818
      @3frenchhens818 Год назад +13

      @@ooogabooogaa 1951 or 1952

    • @ooogabooogaa
      @ooogabooogaa Год назад +14

      @@3frenchhens818 wow... that was before any of my parents were even born. The first arrival of TVs must have been a sight to witness.

  • @VenturiLife
    @VenturiLife Год назад +558

    Maxson was a bit of a genius really. He knew how to make the product, who to market it to, and the accessories for them.

    • @alukuhito
      @alukuhito Год назад +8

      Until he got blown out of the water by other companies stealing his idea. Maybe not that smart after all. (sound of giving a losing answer on a game show)

    • @TheSaintBigFoot
      @TheSaintBigFoot Год назад +5

      @@alukuhito more wholesome tho, war was a big deal in those days

    • @interestedobserver587
      @interestedobserver587 Год назад +44

      @@alukuhito He died in 1947. William Leslie Maxson was born on May 10, 1898, in Necedah, WI. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1921 and served with the Navy until 1935, when he started his company. He died from post-surgical complications.
      He invented the M45 quad .50 caliber mount and the M33 twin .50 caliber mount.

    • @HJSDGCE
      @HJSDGCE 11 месяцев назад +37

      @@alukuhito Other richer companies. As a businessman, he was a genius but he simply didn't have the capital that other companies did. They didn't beat him by being smarter; they beat him by being richer.

    • @MrGamelover23
      @MrGamelover23 8 месяцев назад

      ​@@alukuhitoStealing an idea, it's just code for competition.

  • @punksintheback7062
    @punksintheback7062 Год назад +731

    In Brazil only the very rich family could afford a microwave and my family wasn't one of these. I always wanted to eat a frozen meal, prepared with love and care. Then, when time came (as adult) I realized my mom's food was really much better.

    • @AdmiralBison
      @AdmiralBison Год назад +58

      The reality is it's 25% food, 65% marketing.

    • @Chuchel-hh6hq
      @Chuchel-hh6hq Год назад +19

      @@AdmiralBison Lol , no ! You can say what you want about frozen foods but there is such thing as FDA . That simply does not allow BY LAW to sell food with too little nutrition factors . So yeah , it may not be as good as hot prepared meal ( obviously ) but it does do its job , being food .

    • @powerlunch7794
      @powerlunch7794 Год назад +7

      You had to cook them in the oven anyway. Didn't come out with microwavable until long after

    • @Batmandabomb
      @Batmandabomb Год назад +4

      microwave??? they wernt invented

    • @phillysportsmedia2825
      @phillysportsmedia2825 Год назад +5

      Mothers knows best!😊

  • @rjb
    @rjb Год назад +39

    I remember having TV dinners using our TV trays watching a show or two. Some of the best memories growing up.

    • @dankelly5150
      @dankelly5150 Год назад +1

      Ya our family ate mountains of them in the 70's ! 😅

    • @tomtroy3792
      @tomtroy3792 3 месяца назад +1

      Yes back in the early 60s I remember we would go to my grandmother's house and we would have those TV trays and we would put our TV dinner on them and watch TV she had one of them new color TVs

  • @TooLooze
    @TooLooze Год назад +315

    The 1950s the trays were all 3 portion trays and much thicker. When my mother passed away in 1997, she still had a stack of them in her house. TV dinners were a special treat growing up.

    • @quanbrooklynkid7776
      @quanbrooklynkid7776 Год назад +12

      Low income families live off of TV dinners nowadays...

    • @justinsane3909
      @justinsane3909 Год назад +3

      How old was your mother?

    • @TooLooze
      @TooLooze Год назад +8

      @@justinsane3909 Shen was 80; the trays were 40.

    • @Orinslayer
      @Orinslayer Год назад +10

      hmm makes sense the thicker metal should provide a better heating material, maybe today's icy and molten problems stem from the paper we use now, instead of recyclable metal.
      As a younger person, when I see older shows referencing these meals as a treat it always confused me since they are so ubiquitous these days. I guess I get it now.

    • @TooLooze
      @TooLooze Год назад +8

      @@Orinslayer There is also the advent of the microwave oven....

  • @him9302
    @him9302 Год назад +1757

    If you wanted to keep diving into frozen meals, it'd be neat to see the history of Kid Cuisine.

    • @Skyrim_Shuffle
      @Skyrim_Shuffle Год назад +48

      Holyyy sheeeiitt! That's a wonderful idea!! Need to know whose idea it was to put blue icing on brownies!
      Honestly, I don't know if my memory serves me correctly, but yeah... I'd absolutely love to know KC's history!!

    • @DietBajaBlast
      @DietBajaBlast Год назад +14

      The video kinda petered out at the end.

    • @krisfrederick5001
      @krisfrederick5001 Год назад +13

      I almost bought one for nostalgia the other day, and I'm in my 30's .

    • @phox1515
      @phox1515 Год назад +7

      @@krisfrederick5001 remember the brownie dessert.... Mmmmm I used to dip the French fries in the apple gel dessert thingy.

    • @IRLTheGreatZarquon
      @IRLTheGreatZarquon Год назад +11

      Kid Cuisine desserts were the BEST. They were little sugar explosions that went perfectly with the dinosaur nuggets and square pizzas.

  • @mh0862
    @mh0862 Год назад +4

    Swanson, hands down, on a TV tray. Also miss the Swanson pot pies as well. They were the best.

    • @dianabeurman364
      @dianabeurman364 10 дней назад

      The pies were good when in the aluminum pans.

  • @chinesecabbagefarmer
    @chinesecabbagefarmer Год назад +29

    Just posting this comment so in the future when I click on this video again I can be surprised to find out I've already watched it.

  • @swicheroo1
    @swicheroo1 Год назад +1952

    We were a family of 10. My mom was a stay-at-home mom. So TV dinners were considered too expensive compared to the 5 course meals my mom whipped up from scratch. But I did feel they were a treat. And occasionally got my very own. Eating them made me feel like I was participating in a broader national conversation.

    • @yummymanseed
      @yummymanseed Год назад +4

      00

    • @shrayesraman5192
      @shrayesraman5192 Год назад +68

      The 5 course meal that sounds better what?

    • @lolbeamer
      @lolbeamer Год назад +72

      I had shudders expecting you to say your family fed you TV dinners every day! I pity people that rely on these for sustenance every day. Once in a while is fine.

    • @Agent-ie3uv
      @Agent-ie3uv Год назад +31

      @@shrayesraman5192 5 course meal 💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀

    • @paddington1670
      @paddington1670 Год назад +10

      i totally felt the same, described the feeling well. Now I miss my Mom's cooking more than ever, ah well, RIP

  • @ahotdj07
    @ahotdj07 Год назад +425

    I remember growing up, my mother would make TV dinners when she was tired from a long hard day at work. It made it so much easier and convenient for her. Of course there was no dirty dishes for us children to wash! Win-win. Ironically enough, I now take care of my mother (she is ill) and she loves the Hungryman dinners. I just made her one (turkey) for lunch!

    • @CordeliaWagner
      @CordeliaWagner Год назад +14

      It takes five minutes to prepare a healthy tasty salad.
      My parents work both full time but we always had real food.

    • @allanharvey3626
      @allanharvey3626 Год назад +91

      He did say she likes them...
      Who cares if you can make a salad in 5 minutes,then go do so.

    • @keponen331
      @keponen331 Год назад +58

      @@CordeliaWagner salad is a side, takes more than 5min to prepare the meat(or tofu if vegan)

    • @quanbrooklynkid7776
      @quanbrooklynkid7776 Год назад +2

      @@allanharvey3626 ha

    • @Cricket-ej4rt
      @Cricket-ej4rt Год назад +7

      i love the hungryman ones too

  • @7.5Mviews
    @7.5Mviews Год назад +306

    The banquet chicken pot pie was my favorite as a kid. The crust never cooked properly so it would still be doughy but tasted delicious mixed with the filling 😊

    • @ToMaToEsGrOw
      @ToMaToEsGrOw Год назад +16

      Haha that chicken tastes like metal. I still eat it. The last time I had it, I think it cured my covid shot sickness. Not bad at 2am.

    • @colliecoform4854
      @colliecoform4854 Год назад +7

      I still eat them and so does my husband. Always some in the freezer.

    • @kham7571
      @kham7571 Год назад +8

      Yes! The chicken pot pie! Did you eat the filling , and then the crust. Or, did you break the crust in to the pie and mix it all up, lol. I ate the filling first.

    • @gx8841
      @gx8841 Год назад +4

      @@kham7571 Crust into pie and mix lol!

    • @Linda7647
      @Linda7647 Год назад +5

      Just had one last night. Dumped it over a bowl of mashed potatoes.

  • @kimcrews1721
    @kimcrews1721 Год назад +80

    TV dinners were the best thing ever growing up in the 60s and 70s. My sister and I would choose the one we wanted based on the dessert. Eating them on our TV trays on the weekends was something we looked forward to as a treat.

  • @pam2664
    @pam2664 Год назад +33

    The little warm cherry desert in some of the old TV dinners 😋 was awesome

  • @hathor4isis
    @hathor4isis Год назад +84

    Swanson's Salisbury Steak frozen dinner will always be the best frozen dinner, because the
    flavor could never duplicated.😁

    • @EroticWhale
      @EroticWhale Год назад +6

      Honestly this is the only way I like Salisbury steak. Idk why but if someone actually cooks it, it just isn’t the same 😂

    • @wandamontgomery6030
      @wandamontgomery6030 Год назад +1

      It was good. The hungry man has nasty mushrooms

    • @LythaWausW
      @LythaWausW Год назад +2

      @@EroticWhale I didn't know people actually cooked Salisbury steak. I loved that TV dinner so much.

    • @escapetherace1943
      @escapetherace1943 Год назад +1

      @@wandamontgomery6030 I haven't eaten frozen food in years and when I did it was rare. Is it because you hate mushrooms, or are the mushrooms just bad? I've never tried a Hungry Jack, lol.

    • @sandradee1579
      @sandradee1579 Год назад +6

      @@LythaWausW Me too? It was my favorite dinner also with the mashed potato & corn. There was also something about the gravy that was unique. We only had TV dinners if my parents were going out on a Sat nite & the babysitter was coming over.

  • @toomanybears_
    @toomanybears_ Год назад +160

    The plates those Le Menu dinners came on were the bomb. I mean indestructible. I never actually ate one but I had a friend who was addicted to them. He and his wife ate them almost every day and just threw out the plates. One day I asked them not to throw the plates out and save them for me so I acquired a dozen or so of them. 40 years later I still have several of them left and still use them every day, usually to feed the dogs chicken and rice which I warm in the microwave. Best disposable piece of kitchenware ever.

    • @TrueNinjafrog
      @TrueNinjafrog Год назад +8

      Genius idea of recycling, I'll remember this the next time I bust out an emergency TV dinner during college study nights.

    • @SchwachsinnProduzent
      @SchwachsinnProduzent Год назад +10

      @@TrueNinjafrog A lot of "disposable" packaging is actually quite handy for other uses. Did you know, that the big Haribo boxes are rated for the use in freezers? And they are also dishwasher proof. You could use them to freeze leftovers from any holidays, birthday parties etc

    • @pamelabennett9057
      @pamelabennett9057 Год назад +7

      My mom saved and reused those plates, too, for microwaving food or a smaller lunch plate. Even years after her passing, I'll still come across them being used as a plant saucer or in random places.

    • @sunniertimer598
      @sunniertimer598 7 месяцев назад

      You must be very frugal.

    • @beashemmad.sayson545
      @beashemmad.sayson545 Месяц назад

      @@sunniertimer598wow what a shockerrr

  • @MariFleming
    @MariFleming 3 месяца назад +5

    I wasn’t alive in the 70s but I wish we could go back in time. The world just isn’t the same anymore

  • @Katze5335
    @Katze5335 Год назад +2320

    The woman narrator doesn’t bother me, I just like the familiar tone of this guy

    • @MrChupacabradude
      @MrChupacabradude Год назад +114

      Same
      But I for one welcome the woman too

    • @maenad1231
      @maenad1231 Год назад +136

      Same
      I just dislike change I’m not prepared for 😭

    • @Megadextrious
      @Megadextrious Год назад +161

      I don’t mind her but I swear the guy has funnier jokes….

    • @SpearFisher85
      @SpearFisher85 Год назад +2

      Yessum

    • @SevenHunnid
      @SevenHunnid Год назад

      on my RUclips channel i do food reviews while I’m high slime

  • @michaelfoster1453
    @michaelfoster1453 Год назад +362

    The Mexican Style dinner with enchiladas, rice, and refried beans was my fav. That started to get hard to find by the end of the 90's before it seemed to disappear from the shelves.

    • @newend2116
      @newend2116 Год назад +15

      I heard a while ago they were back, but not with too much praise. As you know whenever they bring something back, they always change the recipe, and it just went down from there.

    • @gx8841
      @gx8841 Год назад +6

      Those were absolutely tasty and sometimes I'd have two plates at one sitting!

    • @scrappy00001
      @scrappy00001 Год назад +3

      I remember these, they were so good. Annie’s makes a cheese enchilada meal that’s good but not the same.

    • @jc9716
      @jc9716 Год назад +2

      I MISS those!

    • @billythekidder7182
      @billythekidder7182 Год назад +7

      El Monterrey and Patio were the go to’s when I wanted those type of dinners.

  • @ourlifeinwyoming4654
    @ourlifeinwyoming4654 9 месяцев назад +16

    It was a big day when we had the old TVs dinners in foil. We talked about it the next day at school. They tasted better back then. They were very good meals and made allot of people happy.

    • @yesterdayschunda1760
      @yesterdayschunda1760 4 месяца назад +2

      Yep, all this TV dinners today are pure trash which is dumb because anyone who has ever cooked foor before knows of plenty of foods that taste better after being frozen..... soup and stews for an example but even those are somehow terrible which is insane, making a bad soup/stew is next to impossible.

  • @cynthiatolman326
    @cynthiatolman326 Год назад +36

    I've inherited a book on freezing foods from my mother that she used my entire childhood to blanche and freeze many different foods from vegetables, meat, fruit, everything you can think of. It was published by the Birds Eye Company, who didn't make TV dinners but were the premier company for frozen vegetables.

    • @DecafToaster740
      @DecafToaster740 Год назад

      We always had Birds Eye on the table growing up. We even lived 5 blocks down the street from one of their factories.

  • @stefanjakubowski8222
    @stefanjakubowski8222 Год назад +167

    I was the only latchkey key kid in my neighborhood, my grandmother made a huge Sunday meal and I would have leftovers, but she got tv meal for the rest of the week, with the Libbey meals, and awesome pot pies etc
    I was pretty well fed, sadly, they have fallen in quality and variety
    There was once an awesome tuna pot pie, a delicious ham steak with sweet potatoes
    Turkey with all the fixings,
    Luckily I learned to cook by 10, and made all my food afterward

    • @TheGelasiaBlythe
      @TheGelasiaBlythe Год назад +15

      I learned to cook early on, too. My mother thought it was a necessary skill - and not because of gender, but because all humans should know how to make *something* to eat. I was the only 8 year old I knew who could easily whip up meringue, bake cakes, and make whipped cream. A year or so later I had baked meats down pat as well.

    • @Saybleu
      @Saybleu Год назад +7

      We had a similar life experience. I’m sure you learned, like me, the art of washing and handling your own clothes as well.

    • @stefanjakubowski8222
      @stefanjakubowski8222 Год назад +7

      @@Saybleu oh yeah, but folding, well. Lol

    • @Saybleu
      @Saybleu Год назад +2

      @@stefanjakubowski8222 😂👍

    • @awesomebeast7509
      @awesomebeast7509 Год назад +4

      I’ve never heard of tuna pot pie for until now. Did it have gravy in it? How was it.

  • @Rangersly
    @Rangersly Год назад +28

    In the 70's, my mom had to go back to work so that the family could make ends meet. On thursday night, she usually had to work late. I was a young teenage boy with no skills for cooking, but I could put a few frozen tv diners in the oven, so I could feed my two brothers and me. So that was usually what we ate on thursday night for a few years. Salisbury steak was my favorite. Back then, it came with mashed potatoes, corn, and a delicious brownie. The last time I saw a salisbury steak at the grocery store, they had changed the corn fo green beans (meh!) and the brownie was replaced with an apple cobbler (double meh!).

  • @sirtango1
    @sirtango1 Год назад +20

    They have come a long way in taste since the 70’s. I can’t believe how much better the texture and taste of today’s TV dinners are compared to the ones I tried a long time ago!

  • @robertkerr9527
    @robertkerr9527 Год назад +15

    I was born in 1963 so I've eaten tons of swanson frozen TV dinners over the years. We had 4 tray tables in our home as we used to call them. Great 👍 for TV viewing and eating. Life without those tables would have been unimaginable to me.

  • @suuudo
    @suuudo Год назад +21

    “The freezing compartment of our refrigerator” so wonderfully dates that Swanson commercial to a specific time and place.

    • @spankynater4242
      @spankynater4242 10 месяцев назад +1

      I caught that also.

    • @kevinroche3334
      @kevinroche3334 5 месяцев назад

      Why? Don't Americans have freezer compartments now?

    • @silvy3047
      @silvy3047 Месяц назад +1

      ​@@kevinroche3334 it's because they called it a freezing compartment inside the fridge instead of just a freezer

  • @Chef_PC
    @Chef_PC Год назад +13

    That Star Wars burn was brutal. Nice one! 😅

  • @crp5591
    @crp5591 Год назад +27

    Oh these were a treat for my brothers and I... I was blessed to have our grandma live with us (Spanish multi-generational household) and she would do all the cooking for the family while parents worked and us kids were in school. So we always had home cooked meals BUT on the rare ocassion where the adults needed a break, we would get the Swanson TV dinners. What a treat! My fav was the salisbury steak! As I got older I graduated to the Swanson Hungry Man version! Ahhh the 80's!! Magical time! (as kids... Reaganomics sucked for the adults!!)

  • @dchaz3.0dacan18
    @dchaz3.0dacan18 Год назад +12

    My mom was a great cook and loved cooking but occasionally we have frozen TV dinners and I so looked forward to them and thought of them as a treat. As a 50's kid they seemed futuristic and exotic. The turkey dinner was my fav.

  • @julieneff9408
    @julieneff9408 Год назад +76

    When my dad would go out of town for work, my mom would get us TV dinners. I usually got the fried chicken one. That brownie tho, 5-year-old me loved that, even when the corn and taters spilled over.

    • @Bob1332s
      @Bob1332s Месяц назад

      I know exactly which one you’re takking about. You definitely got the hungry man great choice 😂 my fav

  • @jmal
    @jmal Год назад +31

    Hungry Man TV dinners are a lifesaver for me when my stove broke down and I couldn't cook for my packed lunch. It's cheaper than ordering takeout from an app and is way more filling!

  • @lotz-o-muzic1608
    @lotz-o-muzic1608 Год назад +3

    Banquet Mega Bowls are the best in history! Buffalo Chicken Mac, Country Fried Chicken, and Dynamite Penne and Meatballs are phenomenal

  • @richardcathcart2952
    @richardcathcart2952 Год назад +11

    For 2 decades, as a 1950s kid, I ate off of TV Tray, munching happily on Swanson's Fried Chicken Dinners.

  • @bensk8in467
    @bensk8in467 Год назад +123

    I vaguely recall having some oven cooked ones in the foil tray as a kid. They were definitely kind of a treat. They seemed better than their later microwave counterparts. I think there was more and better quality food in them too. They were also harder fought for and required patience because the time it took to turn a block of ice into a hot meal in the oven. You were more grateful when they were done. The microwave changed all that.

    • @LargeMuscularTitties
      @LargeMuscularTitties Год назад +8

      It was probably always the same food. Microwaves make everything taste worse compared to basically every other form of heating/cooking

    • @gx8841
      @gx8841 Год назад +2

      @@LargeMuscularTitties Yup. Like a baked potato wrapped in foil from the oven versus one from the microwave. No comparing!

    • @nathanbond8165
      @nathanbond8165 Год назад +5

      Things always taste better when they are brought up to an actual temperature in the oven as opposed to basically irradiated in a microwave there's no doubt about that even the microwave food the packaging will always tell you that the best way to cook the product is in the oven for the best results but microwave can be used so there's something just better about when you slowly naturally heat up a food item as opposed to the rapid radio signals that a microwave uses and also who wants to bite into piece of food one side of it it burns your tongue and the other side is ice cold because microwaves do not cook evenly

    • @juliabarone8852
      @juliabarone8852 9 месяцев назад +2

      60s and 70s the foil oven ones

    • @bensk8in467
      @bensk8in467 9 месяцев назад +1

      @@nathanbond8165 I quit using a microwave quite a few years ago. I had a realization one day anything warmed up like that cannot fundamentally be the same on a molecular level when it comes out. It’s a heat generated through intense unnatural trauma, it’s changed. Baked chicken for example, hot chicken. Microwaved chicken, now just some mutant hot meat. Damaged DNA.

  • @B.H.56
    @B.H.56 Год назад +19

    Lol, you got me with "crusty edges" - I loved those! ETA - $.98 in 1954 would be about $11 today - guess those Stouffer meals aren't so pricey after all.

  • @algross3338
    @algross3338 9 месяцев назад +4

    Swanson Mexican TV dinners were my all time favorite. They’re long gone and I do miss them.

  • @lisap6645
    @lisap6645 11 месяцев назад +3

    I really miss Swanson dinners.. they were so good especially the desert !

  • @NewMessage
    @NewMessage Год назад +4

    Wait.. Did.. Did I just see 'Chum King'?
    That just made my entire day. Not kidding.

    • @pamsullivan3274
      @pamsullivan3274 Год назад +1

      "Great Whites love it, and so will your kids "

  • @Celestial.Heather
    @Celestial.Heather Год назад +21

    You’re more accurate than History channel! I’ve ate TVdinners since childhood & as handicapped adult they are simple, affordable but not healthy or flavorful.

  • @NJGuy1973
    @NJGuy1973 9 месяцев назад +5

    Meatloaf+tater tots+green beans+brownie+CBS Sunday night lineup = best way to prepare for Monday morning in 1980

  • @daveforeman6931
    @daveforeman6931 Год назад +5

    Worked 1 year beginning mid-1976 at the Campbell Soup Swanson's T.V. Dinners plant in Modesto, Ca. Good career for someone who just wanted to put in their 20 or so years working almost like a robot before retiring. We were actually in a local butcher's union. We had good wages and benefits. Even a cafeteria inside the plant where they had short order cooks who could whip-up a nice meal for you at lunch break. The best part for me was the company store we had on site where there was steep discounts for not only t.v. dinners, but other Campbell Soup products- at that time Campbell's owned many companies includes Herfy's (some restaurant chain, I believe)- we could buy frozen hamburger patties, Pepperidge Farms (we could buy their products well discounted), and some others that I am not remembering off the top of my head. I worked my way up to barbeque beans cook while there. Me and the other cooks shared our makings with each other, so we did not often go to the cafeteria. By the way, the best t.v. dinners were the Sirloin Steak and Chopped Beef. The meat was pure, uncut with soy. I really tasted great fresh off the cook. Made some good friends there, but after a year of that work I just could not see sticking around for another 19 or so.

  • @RobFlood2000
    @RobFlood2000 Год назад +47

    My mom would make TV Dinners for us (Mom, 3 kids - 1970's) when my dad was out of town on business. I suspect that my dad was not a big fan of them, but us kids thought they were great - not to mention super easy dinner for my mom! I think that Swanson should come out with Retro-TV Dinners - try to recreate the recipes and packaging! I have seen plenty of other 'throwbacks': Chef Boyardee, Dorito's, Mountain House, etc... I think it would be a hit!

    • @LannieLord
      @LannieLord 10 месяцев назад +1

      They did retro packages about 15 years ago-- BUT they went TOO FAR BACK to the late 1950s . I'm a 197os kid like yourself. I am also a collector of weird 197os stuff: I have a VINTAGE 1972 Swanson Turkey Dinner box !

    • @RobFlood2000
      @RobFlood2000 10 месяцев назад +1

      @@LannieLord - Nice collectable TV Dinner Box! I would absolutely display it on top of my kitchen cabinets!

  • @serveaux
    @serveaux Год назад +70

    I miss the tiny dessert that used to be in them. The hungry man meals are still almost edible, but the now missing dessert used to add a little something to the experience.

    • @Glitch-Gremlin
      @Glitch-Gremlin Год назад +6

      RIGHT?! i loved the tiny little desert!

    • @CODTerracraft
      @CODTerracraft Год назад +1

      @@Glitch-Gremlin you mean the brownie ?

    • @Glitch-Gremlin
      @Glitch-Gremlin Год назад +12

      @@CODTerracraft Well, there used to be a Brownie, there was also Apple Pie at one time, Cherry Cobbler, a few others i forget.

    • @ahotdj07
      @ahotdj07 Год назад +6

      I just made my mother a Hungryman dinner and there was a dessert in that one.

    • @mainstreetsaint36
      @mainstreetsaint36 Год назад

      @@ahotdj07 What type?

  • @codycoyote6912
    @codycoyote6912 9 месяцев назад +18

    When I was a young deputy sheriff in a very rural county with a small jail, we fed our prisoners TV dinners. They were quick and easy to fix, wholesome, and much cheaper than contracting with the local restaurant. After we arrested the owner of that restaurant the dinner deal kind of fell apart anyway so TV dinners saved the day!

    • @franknew9001
      @franknew9001 Месяц назад +1

      In Mayberry, Barney Fife and Andy Taylor should have thought of serving their prisoners TV dinners, instead of having Aunt Bee cook their meals.
      😊😊

  • @kham7571
    @kham7571 Год назад +5

    I was a kid in the 70’s and tv dinners were a kind of treat. I remember them fondly. Does anyone else remember they had special ones geared for kids, with kid sized portions and treats? I vaguely do.

    • @LannieLord
      @LannieLord 10 месяцев назад +1

      LibbyLand Dinners: see: 11:07 on here

  • @robtymec2642
    @robtymec2642 Год назад +52

    I absolutely loved TV dinners as a kid. I could tell that they were unhealthy and didn't even really taste the way a "real" version of that meal would. But I still loved them.

    • @em84c
      @em84c 5 месяцев назад

      When I was a kid I loved when we didn't have a proper dinner. We never had a microwave so I never had tv dinners. But we would have ramen noodles or a cold plate with cruskit crackers, cheese, pickled onions, gherkin and some chopped raw vegetables.

  • @marypalmer00
    @marypalmer00 Год назад +111

    I'm fascinated with pre packaged food! Which is why I love watching MRE meal reviews on RUclips. I don't know what it is about them, as I've never eaten one and my mom always makes everything from scratch so the idea of just heating up a meal and having it be completely ready just blows my mind. I should make myself some TV dinners

    • @em0ville
      @em0ville Год назад +9

      if you like that, you should check out the self-heating hot pot videos on youtube ! i think those are super cool

    • @jeromethiel4323
      @jeromethiel4323 Год назад +10

      MRE's are the best morale booster the military ever came up with. Good, hot meals on the go. If you look at military rations from earlier wars (WW2 in particular), you can see why an MRE is such a step up.
      The old saying "an army marches on it's stomach" is as true now as when it was first uttered. Want your fighting troops to perform well? Better make sure to feed 'em well. Nothing brings down morale faster than crap food.

    • @caturdaynite7217
      @caturdaynite7217 8 месяцев назад

      I was fascinated by space food, meals eaten by astronauts. Remember space food sticks? Then I saw a video about Natick food labs and my interest in MRE's has only grown over the years. Food packaging and preservation at it finest!

    • @JackNadeau
      @JackNadeau 7 месяцев назад +1

      Navy vet here, I actually loved MREs. To me the heating packs were more fascinating than the food lol. + not every one included a dessert so getting a meal with a cake or cookie in it was like finding a golden ticket to Willy Wonka’s factory 😂

    • @janeknisely4383
      @janeknisely4383 6 месяцев назад

      Watch Atomic Shrimps's reviews, they are great!

  • @btetschner
    @btetschner 10 месяцев назад +2

    A+ video!
    Had no idea that TV Dinners had so much of a selection! Fantastic video!

  • @c3cubed
    @c3cubed Год назад +48

    I miss the 1980's to 90's brand "Le Menu" - they were quite pricey at the time, but were actually "quality" meals with better ingredients. Some of the sauces employed red & white wine and "real butter". I still have some of the thick plates with lids. They are heavy-duty and extremely sturdy, and forever reusable.

    • @csmarsh1957
      @csmarsh1957 Год назад +1

      Do you remember the seafood one??

    • @c3cubed
      @c3cubed Год назад +1

      @@csmarsh1957 No, as I don't like prepared seafood meals, as a rule. Have never purchased any type of (frozen) seafood.

    • @c3cubed
      @c3cubed Год назад +4

      @@csmarsh1957 I'm in Canada - we had only 4 or 5 options at the time... Favourite ones were Chicken Parm w/Alfredo Linguine and Beef Stroganoff. I think there was also something called "Chicken Florentine" with a white wine cheesy lemon sauce.

    • @duane_313
      @duane_313 Год назад +1

      They look so cute! I wish I could time travel to try one

    • @michaelleary9233
      @michaelleary9233 Год назад +1

      The chicken nugget ones were great had a Szechuan type sauce.

  • @deirdregibbons5609
    @deirdregibbons5609 Год назад +22

    I really like the Lean Cuisine dinners. My favorites are the Salisbury steak with mushroom gravy and a side of mac and cheese, and the lemon pepper fish with sides of broccoli and lemon herb rice.

    • @bluebagelman1920
      @bluebagelman1920 Год назад +6

      I never hit them because the portions are so ridiculously tiny. Why can’t they just add more vegetables?

    • @cjbrown9755
      @cjbrown9755 Год назад +1

      Is Lean Cuisine he brand that had the frozen Salmon dinner? I had a co-worker who had one everyday for lunch...loved it. The company told her she could no longer have any fish in the microwave. LOL. Other have said the salmon is very good you ust get a very small portion.

  • @JxT1957
    @JxT1957 Год назад +9

    Stouffer's TV dinners blows away all those other TV dinners by a long shot. They are closest to home made.

  • @timmotel5804
    @timmotel5804 Год назад +3

    Always have loved them. I was born in 52. As much as I hated waiting for the aluminum plate dinners to defrost and cook, they were wonderful. Kinda miss those pans... Thank You for this "delicious" history

  • @EDHBlvd
    @EDHBlvd Год назад

    Man I still remember in the 80’s and early 90’s when getting TV Dinners was a treat. We would get excited for them. So good. Great memories.

  • @jons.6216
    @jons.6216 Год назад +4

    I've heard the other story a few times now and this adds a whole new layer to it! Wonderful!

  • @Rodelero
    @Rodelero Год назад +106

    I love that your editor just straight up put in Disney star wars footage when you talk about a big conglomerate buying a past product and the resulting quality downgrade, no clever joke or one liner, just straight footage that's all that's needed 😂 😂, shots fired shots fired 🚒 🏥 🔥 awesome video as always!!

    • @mipmipmipmipmip
      @mipmipmipmipmip Год назад +3

      Haaa I turned off the sound half way and wondered why there was star wars footage all of a sudden.

  • @marilynalvarez9951
    @marilynalvarez9951 Год назад +1

    Oh my gosh, so much nostalgia, I remember Libby Land, we used to fold up the cardboard box to get the scenic background it came with....so much fun. What a great video, thank you so much.

  • @marriagecapital101
    @marriagecapital101 Год назад +4

    I grew up with the fried chicken, mash potato, corn and a brownie...
    Loved it lol

  • @ryanr7423
    @ryanr7423 Год назад +7

    That sly book of boba fett reference 😂😂

  • @OhSoNasty
    @OhSoNasty Год назад +6

    Hey Og narrator....
    How about the history of lasagna 😮❤

  • @jchow5966
    @jchow5966 11 месяцев назад +2

    The old SWANSON TV dinner was really good. I wish they would reissue it as a classic!

  • @Kim-mz8co
    @Kim-mz8co 11 месяцев назад +3

    lol. I loved this one! I've eaten most of these (probably ALL) that were produced after 1960 and could taste them as they were being described. Appreciated the history, too. I remember all the Swanson, Hungry Man, and Banquet dinners, and remember getting excited about the Le Menu dinners I could get a great price on with coupons and multi-purchase discounts. THANKS!

  • @angeldeb82
    @angeldeb82 Год назад +10

    I remember having TV dinners with my brothers and my family when we were little. We would often have Tyson's TV dinner or Banquet, or even Kid Cuisine! And I think I remember seeing the Le Menu ads on TV too! So many memories! :)

  • @Yoongiwifie
    @Yoongiwifie Год назад +4

    That man who made this idea is the best man ever! And now is my new best friend. Thanks I love my frozen dinners so much so tysm ❤

  • @aaronwoodard1749
    @aaronwoodard1749 Год назад +3

    I remember the Swanson. TV dinners back in the late 70’s/early 80’s. The aluminum pan that you had to bake in the oven. It was nice.

  • @catcls9205
    @catcls9205 Год назад +2

    when i was growing up in the 70s, having a tv dinner was a treat , we loved them, and those Banquet cream pies you could get for a dollar- wish they still made those

  • @billmadison2032
    @billmadison2032 Год назад +14

    I remember my mom making me one of those TV dinners in the 70s. God Swanson was good back then, I think they tasted better than the new Swanson stuff. Stoffers is the closest thing to a real meal today.

  • @armorer94
    @armorer94 Год назад +4

    I was raised on TV dinners and pot pies. It certainly explains a lot.😜

  • @chilldaze7042
    @chilldaze7042 Год назад +5

    It’s so interesting learning how “tv dinners” came about. I eat lean cuisine occasionally. Banquet spaghetti & meatballs was awesome in the early 2000s

  • @mikehughes4969
    @mikehughes4969 Год назад +2

    I remember being ten years old with a Swanson's fried chicken TV dinner watching the Six Million Dollar Man. It didn't get much better than that.

  • @DaveTexas
    @DaveTexas Год назад +11

    Mmm. I remember the slight metallic taste of those old Swanson TV dinners. Yum!
    I loved the Le Menu dinners. Those were quite tasty. Those microwaveable plates were indestructible, too. I used those for years when I needed to microwave anything. I probably still have them in a box somewhere.

    • @Thomas-ky3rl
      @Thomas-ky3rl 11 месяцев назад

      Your imagination there's no matallic taste.

  • @blacklabel3980
    @blacklabel3980 Год назад +7

    I really hope this sub channel sticks around. One of my favorite YT food channels

  • @TKontent
    @TKontent Год назад +1

    I remember these. I used to have them all the time, and they are REALLY good.

  • @pattycake8272
    @pattycake8272 5 месяцев назад

    This was a great video!!! Thank you.

  • @amandaredd3057
    @amandaredd3057 Год назад +12

    People still eat frozen dinners even now which is pretty crazy. It's rare to find a gimmick like this that's so long lasting

    • @BeyondDaX
      @BeyondDaX Год назад +7

      Frozen dinners, Frozen Pizza, so many choices really

    • @kuchikopi4631
      @kuchikopi4631 Год назад +3

      Yep, whole supermarket aisles dedicated to ready meals. I personally have always hated the taste, but I understand its convenient for busy people.

  • @RockSplitter
    @RockSplitter Год назад +4

    Yes! The proper Dude!

  • @HPFangirl71
    @HPFangirl71 Год назад +1

    TV dinners as a kid were a treat!! I especially loved the fried chicken!! Nowadays I eat frozen meals at work cuz it's easier than bringing from home. My faves are the Marie Callander meals. They seem more home-made. There used to be a company that made Chicken a la King in a frozen pouch that I loved as a teenager but you can't find it anywhere now. You should continue this by showing the history of going from the frozen meals to the shelf stable ones that Hormel makes. Those are so good!! I get the beef & potato ones alot at work!!

  • @fated2pretend
    @fated2pretend 7 месяцев назад +1

    I miss the Great Starts breakfast meals. I used to have one every morning before school.
    Something about the fake eggs that always came out of the microwave still half cold, and the formed "hashbrown" patty... it still holds a special place in my heart. I wish they would bring them back lol.

  • @Amity-park
    @Amity-park Год назад +25

    A great video as always!
    Honestly, certain TV dinners feel like a comfort food to me.
    Can I suggest a history video about eggs? Eggs are so versatile, I’m sure it’s got plenty to talk about.

    • @ar2d21
      @ar2d21 Год назад +10

      Or should they do one about chicken first?

    • @fugueine
      @fugueine Год назад

      @@ar2d21 😆🤣

  • @fugueine
    @fugueine Год назад +8

    Came for the history, stayed for the snark. Love it. 😄

  • @makaylamattingly5415
    @makaylamattingly5415 Год назад +1

    I’m obsessed with these videos

  • @k9road
    @k9road Год назад

    ...this is so much fun.. thanx 4 putting it up...

  • @joanclare9788
    @joanclare9788 Год назад +4

    Nostalgia at its best!

  • @whispermcgaughy7251
    @whispermcgaughy7251 Год назад +7

    That was a true walk down memory lane.. Sitting in front of the console tv and eating real chicken tv dinners..
    Now tv dinners are just processed to death with no real flavor and full of preservatives..😑

  • @sheilahartney9777
    @sheilahartney9777 Год назад +3

    The notion that these were cheap is laughable. I was one of six children, and back in the 1950s it was significantly cheaper to cook from scratch. Actually, that's always been true come to think of it. Growing up, a TV dinner was a rare treat. Now, in 2022, I can make most of my meals for two dollars a meal, often less. People have been bamboozled into thinking cooking their own meals is expensive.

  • @gregt8638
    @gregt8638 Год назад +1

    I loved your video presentation! It brought me down memory lane and fully informed me! I know I date myself because I still call the frozen dinners "TV dinners"
    Thanks again!

  • @bossdamon
    @bossdamon Год назад +28

    My parents would leave me tv dinners in the fridge if they left to go somewhere. I still love that stuff from time to time especially the fried chicken ones it's kinda crazy how they get crispy in a microwave.

  • @Sparks29252
    @Sparks29252 Год назад +22

    Never had a lot of these as a kid, though they were an occasional treat. Specifically the kid ones with the penguin on them. But I did and do live as a bachelor, and there are days when I just cannot bring myself to cook. In these circumstances I find that turkey is the most reliable of all tv dinners. Beef varies wildly in quality and taste and the chicken is almost always fried and gets soggy easily. But slices of turkey? You always know what you are getting and can reasonably guess at how it will turn out.

    • @amak1131
      @amak1131 Год назад +6

      Ahhhh good ol kid cuisine. I remember those growing up....

    • @stuartmenziesfarrant
      @stuartmenziesfarrant Год назад +2

      For the lazy person with refined taste! Lol

  • @brandonhiggs88
    @brandonhiggs88 Год назад

    Growing up these were always a treat, may not be the best but always a great night we would all get in front of the tv and watch the hockey game

  • @pip6866
    @pip6866 Месяц назад

    In 1970 I moved from the UK to Toronto, Canada. I was a single guy and rented a room in a shared house. TV dinners were a staple for me. Loved them while watching Lets Make Deal. The things you remember!!

  • @lerneanlion
    @lerneanlion Год назад +5

    Never had TV Dinners before. But I think I am willing to give it a try.

    • @TheGelasiaBlythe
      @TheGelasiaBlythe Год назад +2

      Best of luck. May the odds be ever in your favor!

    • @JxT1957
      @JxT1957 Год назад +3

      Try Stouffer's brand they're the Best

    • @BeyondDaX
      @BeyondDaX Год назад +2

      Yeah Stouffer's arguably has the best french bread pizza

  • @talevita
    @talevita Год назад +9

    I enjoyed the chicken pot pies or fettuccini Alfredo dinners when I was growing up and my mom was away. I loved a frozen burrito or similar in college and I’m actually cooking now. My family isn’t dead yet so I guess I’m doing okay but I still appreciate the microwave help.

  • @VampasVisions
    @VampasVisions Год назад +1

    Love this channel! I would love to see a video on the history of string cheese!

  • @davids11131113
    @davids11131113 Год назад +1

    I always loved TV dinners, way back in 70’s there were some for kids I can’t remember the name of them, today I still get Hungry Man Once in a while I love them.

  • @NerdySatyr
    @NerdySatyr Год назад +7

    Idea for a new video: How Oreo are actually a knock off, and what other products like that where the copy actually became the more popular product!

  • @eggie1978
    @eggie1978 Год назад +4

    Growing up, I ate Stouffer's, and Banquet if money was tight. Today, I still eat Stouffer's sometimes, but now I prefer Marie Callender's.

    • @JxT1957
      @JxT1957 Год назад +1

      i like Stouffer's way better, especially the lasagna and the stuffed bell peppers

    • @jaimesmith2266
      @jaimesmith2266 Год назад +1

      @@JxT1957 Facts that lasagna is a hit.

  • @johnharris7191
    @johnharris7191 Год назад

    These informative entertaining videos make me hungry. I like the added humor in all of them.

  • @marcstevens8576
    @marcstevens8576 Год назад +2

    As we didn't live anywhere near a fast-food place, TV Dinners were just that. Something to get on the table fast that tasted a little different than Mom's home cooking. Really do miss that On Cor Veggie Lasagna.

  • @HuggieBear39
    @HuggieBear39 Год назад +3

    I used to LOVE those Swanson dinners. My favorite was the fried chicken dinner. Oh and the Patio enchilada meal was good too.

  • @hannahjordan9833
    @hannahjordan9833 Год назад +4

    I love how "gormet" meant "slightly foreign"

  • @RabittsGal
    @RabittsGal Год назад

    These were the best!!

  • @zenbear4149
    @zenbear4149 Год назад +3

    As a kid in the 70s, I loved getting the occasional TV dinner when my parents went out, sitting in the living room with the little folding TV tray table and watching whatever I wanted. Loved the turkey. Surprised to hear they only took 15 minutes to cook. It seemed like an hour, and of course the cobbler desert always wrecked your mouth it was so hot.

    • @LannieLord
      @LannieLord 10 месяцев назад +1

      Error on 15 minutes! Takes 45 minutes .