There was a poll that stated—Rowling’s opening line in the HP series is one of best in the world. Someone posted about how there are a bunch of other opening statements that are better.
Here’s one of my personal favorites, from Gabriel Garcia Marquez (English translated):
“It is inevitable. The scent of bitter almonds always reminded him of the fate of unrequited love.”
“the color of television, tuned to a dead channel” comes from using a analog television with an antenna and receiving broadcast channels. Turned to a “dead channel” produces a gray, undulating, pixelated-like screen, a screen that no longer exists in the digital world of cable and streaming. It’s not about the business model of streaming, it’s about the technology. Gibson was writing in 1984, years before our contemporary digital world.