It was first published in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction in 1977, then was included in DAW's The 1978 Annual World's Best SF in 1978 and Ellison's short story collection Shatterday two years later.
According to Ellison, it was partially inspired by a fragment of conversation that he misheard at a party at the home of actor Walter Koenig: "How is Jeff?"
His radio plays all-new episodes of long-canceled serial programs, broadcast by stations that no longer exist.
Jeffty can even watch films that are adaptations of old science fiction novels such as Alfred Bester's The Demolished Man.
The narrator takes Jeffty to a local movie house on a Saturday afternoon, but finds his TV store is swamped with customers.