Starting with the Panasonic TR-005 "Orbital." Beautiful little thing with a rotating base. Throw it on a coffee table when you want to watch a program and then pick it up and tuck it on the shelf afterwards. TVs used to be treated as (and designed to be) appliances, not wallpieces. Photos taken from this LA listing.
Up next, my fav here, the much-opined-for Dieter Rams FS 80
I love how utilitarian it looks (not surprising given where Rams was at, career-wise, in 1964). One of my biggest pet-peeves with modern televisions is how ugly the back side is, it's almost impossible to not position them against a wall. Not with the FS 80, that's a backside I could stare at just as often as the front, simple, inoffensive, yet also nice and tidy.
The iconic JVC videosphere up next. The "space helmet' TV. More red plastic please! Pics.
More red plastic, this time it's the Linea 1 by Autovox. Designed by Adolfo Bonetta in 1968. Pictured with the optional pedestal. I could see myself popping this bad boy on my kitchen table to watch while eating some cereal one morning.
Another Bonetta design, the T-1228 designed for Voxson, 1973. Collapsible, too (appliances! Tools!! Not wall art!!!!!).
Be cause people realized they’re only human want to watch shows and movies, not the TV itself.