Remote controls that don’t work until you've pressed every button half a dozen times and sworn most vilely at them..
Failure modes in order of probability
1 - The computer in the TV is so underpowered it takes a geological epoch to cotton on to the fact it is being prodded with IR by the magic wand. Yes, Panasonic I *am* looking at you.
2 - The magic wand's battery is flat
3 - The thin conducting film of graphite/whatever they put on the back of the magic wand's cheap & nasty rubberised keypad to bridge the conductive fingers on the PCB has worn off.
In order of easiness, the following fixes may be applied.
A - Replace the battery
B - Use a butter knife (other tools are available) to prise the casing of the magic wand apart and either paint conductive silver paint (available from Maplins and all other good electronic component suppliers - whaddya mean Maplins is no more?) on the back of the cheap & nasty (did I mention that keypads these days are cheap & nasty rubberised rubbish?) keypad buttons. At a pinch a 2B pencil may be used instead.
C - Build a time machine (See Hobby Electronics Dec. 2431). Travel back in time. Find the pillock who *will* invent Digital TV and kill him utterly to DETH. Oh and while you're about it kick the father of the sod responsible for DAB as hard as you can in the goolies as well.