Instant colour TV via a nylon stocking - SVT hoax

APR 01 1962

On 1 April 1962, when Sveriges Television was Sweden's only channel and broadcast solely in black and white, technical expert Kjell Stensson appeared on 'Hänt i veckan' and explained that viewers could obtain colour by stretching a nylon stocking over the screen, invoking the prismatic nature of light. Stensson was a genuine technician and the broadcaster's technical chief, which lent authority. Many households cut up their stockings. Regular colour broadcasts did not begin in Sweden until 1 April 1970.