Bryan Greene

And I, a young, budding, mediocre comedy podcaster, was the master of this domain.

I knew every channel, every television show, every late-night talk show host and every late-night talk show guest.

I didn't miss a moment of Core TV or MTV.

But this night was different.

I saw her for the very first time.

This woman.

Talking to dead people in a fake Jamaican accent.

Her name was Miss Cleo.

She wasn't the first TV psychic, but she's one of the most notorious.

The company she worked for, PRN, they made millions and millions of dollars.

using the image of Ms.

Cleo to convince people to call and spend $3.99 a minute to get comforting words about their dead loved ones from an absolute stranger on the other end of a landline.

It all ended in ruin, people got defrauded, and she almost went to jail.

But Ms.

Cleo had laid the groundwork, bringing the ancient art of the psychic medium into the mainstream.

And this was just the beginning, because many followed, and today, psychics on TV are a billion-dollar business.

If you don't know about the booming world of TV psychics, either did I. I got back up this time.

I'm Brian Greene.

Let's find out together after the break.

Hi, I'm Brian Greene, creator and co-host of the Commercial Break podcast.