TV on Tape: Max Headroom Movie Review

In 1984 Britain's Channel 4 wanted to create an innovative music video/interview program and came up with the idea of TV's first cyberpunk, with a computer-generated head-with-an-attitude as its host.

A pilot, “Rebus: The Max Headroom Story,” explained the character's background; although computer graphics were heavily featured, “Max” was not an actual computer image but heavily made-up actor Matt Frewer.

In 1987, Lorimar acquired the U.S. rights, redid the pilot, and premiered the series (for one season). The series’ tagline, “twenty minutes into the future,” found a world where TV ruled (in fact, it was illegal to turn it off) and ratings and advertisers were in control. The show's hero was intrepid Network 23 reporter Edison Carter (Matt Frewer), who exposed corruption thanks to a minicam and simultaneous live, global network coverage.

When Carter is seriously injured for getting too close to network secrets, his memories are downloaded by teenaged computer nerd/genius and network R&D head, Bryce Lynch (Chris Young), into a special program that has “people translated as data.” Naturally, Edison Carter survives and now has a computer alter ego. But Bryce only had enough memory to generate a head, and Max (who took his name from the last thing Carter saw – a sign reading “Max Headroom”) is born – complete with maniacal stutter and sarcasm to spare.

Max wanders, uncontrollable, throughout Network 23's vast computer system, popping up unexpectedly to insult advertisers, interrupt programming, and garner great ratings.

Unfortunately, the quirky series didn't do the same, and lasted but 14 episodes – although Max did became a successful huckster for Coca-Cola. Only the pilot episode is currently available on video.

1987-88/C Selected cast: Matt Frewer, Chris Lynch, Nickolas Grace, Hilary Tindall, Amanda Pays, Rocky Morton, Annabel Jankel. VHS, LV LHV, WAR