Transistors was just coming into television sets when I started into electronics. The only time we did not grab a tube with our bare finger was when it was hot. We then used a cloth, napkin, paper towel...
Couple funny story now. Wasn't then.
There were two tubes in the high voltage section in a tv that were in a metal cage/s. The Regulator tube sometimes had a gripper or holder at the base. We had to push down on the gripper to remove the tube. You could only get one hand into the cage. I remove the tube's anode cap. Reach in, push down on the grippers with fingers and wiggle the tube up and out. There is a point where the tube pins become exposed but are still connected. I think it was a Zenith. The picture tube anode was connected to the cathode of the regulator. My fingers took one for the cause. Yes, I did discharge the picture tube. But the voltage creeps back. On the larger 25, 27 inch tubes, they creep back with a vengeance.
The post above mentioned Halogen lamps. Well, I got into Copy Machines after tv repair. They used to use Halogen lamps. About 1/4 inch round, 12" long. 950 to 1250 watts. They fail in two ways. Filament breaks, not light. Or they get air in them, blackening the inside of the bulb. e.g., get light but not enough = dark copies. I could get to that lamp in a minute. Well, the lamp goes 1000 degrees in a second. Takes about 5 minutes to cool down to touch. Melting skin is like grease on that glass tube.