We had a hand-me-down sonic remote tv without the remote. By dropping some silverware one evening, we discovered we could change the channels by clanking 2 spoons together!
We were in uptown hog heaven.
Related to that, and the OP, there is the story of people hacking the AT&T long distance system with a Captain Crunch whistle. Yes, a free item from a cereal box.
https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/capn-crunch-whistle
LOL...maybe if you picked up tv stations in your tooth fillings, you wouldn’t even need the remote.