Cockles may not be as wrong as he might jokingly think...
Hitting items like a tv on its side....
....can mibbe possibly make them work a wee bit for a little while.
This is cos sometimes the connecting solders have fractured due to heat/age/movement etc. and the hit on the side temporarily 'joins' the connection up again.
If you are bold and have a solder-iron (and solder) you could open the back up... UNPLUGGED/UNCONNECTED and check for fractured solders...
you can also lightly hoover and clean it, and ensure that any valves (this would be in the olden days) are firmly inserted(NSS could help with technique, here).
My TV is about 18 or 19 years old. So old it has run out of repeats to show.
Mind you, I haven't switched it on since March 2007.
I believe it still works.
I hope this helps?
But I'd be amazed, if it does.