In the post-apocalyptic future where television sets are more important than food, TV ratings are the all important currency of the nation. A new technique of preventing viewers from channel surfing proves somewhat detrimental to particularly sedentary couch potatoes. The top studio becomes concerned: dead viewers make for low ratings. Edison Carter, top news reporter, is sent to find out more. After a motorcycle accident, his mind is preserved by wizz-kid Bryce and becomes his wise cracking, computer generated alter-ego: Max Headroom, who manages to boost ratings above those of any live hosts to date. This made for TV movie was later remade (sanitized version) as the first episode of the series.
In the near future, when TVs can't be shut off and ratings are all that matter, investigative reporter Edison Carter and his computer-generated alter ego Max Headroom battle to keep the "blank" generation informed. In the opener, Carter stumbles across his own network's cover-up of a sometimes deadly new form of TV advertising called "blipverts".
Theora goes AWOL when she learns her estranged brother is involved in the brutal and dangerous ""sport"" of raking, which the promoters are trying to have legalized and televised.
Breughel and Mahler are stealing live bodies from the Fringes and selling them to Nightingales Body Bank. The wealthy Plantaganet wants pituitarys from the bodies for an operation which could save his aging mother. While Carter races to save a Fringer girl's life, Cheviot is more concerned that Max is offending Network 23's biggest sponsor, ZikZak, who have decided to buy him.
Carter is accused of credit fraud and becomes a fugitive after delving into the hostile takeover of Security Systems, the world's most powerful corporation.
In the middle of a global ratings sweep programmer packager Frank Braddock tries to sell Network 23 a package covering the activities of a terrorist group, the White Brigade. Edison and Murray become suspicious when Breakthru TV, who have bought the package, start broadcasting terrorist bombings as soon as they occur.
As the ""blanks"" -- undesirables with no computer records -- are rounded up and arrested, the networks face permanent cancellation by hackers who threaten to crash the city's entire computer system if their companions aren't released.
Network 23 becomes the victim of signal zipping - illegal interruption of their satellite feed. When Bryce tracks the zipping to Big Time Television, Reg is arrested and sent for trial by gameshow on ""You the Jury"". Meanwhile Edison and Theora trace the real zippers to the Academy of Computer Sciences, and Bryce's old schoolfriends.
The Vu-Age Church is running a phony resurrection service, claiming to be able to store cortical scans of its members and keep them on-line for the day when cloning is perfected and their personalities can be placed in new bodies. Edison is reluctant to pursue the story because Vu- Age's leading televangelist, Vanna Smith, is an old flame.
Rival Network 66 attempts to defeat Network 23 in a ratings-based election by introducing a ""watch while you sleep"" device into its programming to cause people to leave their TV sets on all night.
Some shady entrepreneurs are stealing people's dreams and selling them to the highest bidders. Edison goes undercover to expose their lethal business.
A video narcotic is causing people to leave their TVs tuned to Big Time Television twenty-four hours a day.
Zik-Zak introduces Neurostim, a device to directly stimulate the brain and bypass the need to use television for advertising.
Network 23 censors go a step too far when they try to shut own a secret school in the fringes, because it's using pirated Network 23 instructional programming.
Edison Carter is on the trail of some rather dark people who are stealing babies from the baby pods where they are grown while Bryce carefully considers working for Grossberg and channel 66.
The biography of Max Headroom, including interviews with creators George Stone, Annabel Jankel and Rocky Morton, executive producer Peter Wagg, producer Brian Frankish, and writers Steve Roberts and Michael Cassutt.
An intimate round-table discussion including cast members Amanda Pays, Jeffrey Tambor, Concetta Tomei, and Chris Young focusing on Max Headroom - the character, the series, and beyond!
Cast members Morgan Sheppard and Concetta Tomei reflect on Max Headroom and their lasting friendship over 20 years later.
Co-creator George Stone discusses real technology's place in the history of Max Headroom.
Steve Roberts and Michael Cassutt explain the process of writing for Max Headroom.
Brian Frankish recalls the trials and rewards of creating a world set 20 minutes into the future.
On July 17, 1986, American late-night host David Letterman interviewed Max on his show. This may have been the first time many in the general US audience saw Max as himself, since not everyone had cable, MTV (where the Paranoimia video was in regular rotation) or Cinemax. Most were probably familar with him through the Coke commercials that had begun earlier in the year, or general TV-culture influence, but many had never actually seen Max... be Max.
Promotional Video for upcoming Max Head Show
Sales Rally Video for Coca-Cola Employees
