Do you remember “leased access” cable television? The FCC mandated that cable operators must offer independent cable creators and producers rentable airtime. An example of a local cable access show was the fishing parody program Fishmasters, which aired from 1993 to 2004 at some ungodly hour. That’s basically what New York’s The Robin Byrd Show was, and it ran for something like 600 episodes.
Byrd—a sex-positive, LGBTQ-supporting, free-speech advocate, sex worker, and pornographic actress who notably appeared in Debbie Does Dallas—invited male and female strippers onto her show and took calls from her audience. Her standard outfit was a black crocheted bikini and white nail polish. Most episodes ended with guests dancing to Byrd’s recording of the naughty novelty tune “Baby, Let Me Bang Your Box.”
BANG MY BOX: THE ROBIN BYRD STORY
What’s it rated? TV-MA
When? 2026
Where’s it showing? HBO Max
Bang My Box, co-directed by Jyllian Gunther and Stephanie Schwam and produced by Sarah Jessica Parker, examines Byrd’s life and career through archival footage as well as contemporary interviews with Byrd and other celebrities such as Cheri Oteri, Annie Sprinkle, Sandra Bernhard, Porsche Lynn, Heather Hunter, and others, and it’s a fascinating look into an era where the limits of free speech were being explored. (79 min.) ∆
This article appears in 40th anniversary edition.
