I'm in the process of trying to figure out what is on all these videos I have. I taped pilot episodes of shows no longer on, ice-skating specials, things like the 1993 Oscars and all sorts of stuff since 1978 or so. It all seemed so terribly important at the time. My mother would do the same thing. She taped the entire Gulf War, I think. If she'd had a VCR in the early 70's she would have taped the entire Watergate hearings. A few years ago, they came out with 4 or 6 tape boxed set on Watergate which we gave her.
I would make cassettes for her, and she'd tape over them (debates, etc.)