MAX HEADROOM - THE COMPLETE SERIES (ABC 1987-1988) Matt Frewer, Amanda Pays, Jeffrey Tambor, Morgan Sheppard
In a chilling future where television networks rule the world, government exists only as their puppet—passing laws designed to protect the power of the media elite, including making it illegal to turn off your TV. Technology has advanced so far that television sets can now monitor viewers’ movements and even their thoughts, making privacy a thing of the past.
Nearly all non-television technology has been outlawed, destroyed, or left obsolete. Standing almost alone against this all-powerful media empire is Edison Carter, a relentless investigative journalist determined to expose the corruption and brutality of the very network that employs him. With help from a loyal group of allies both inside and outside the system, Carter risks everything to bring the truth to the airwaves.
As rival networks wage a ruthless battle for ratings, control of the screen means control of society itself. When Network 23’s star reporter Edison Carter (Matt Frewer) uncovers a shocking secret that could threaten the station’s grip on power, the decision is swift: silence him before the story can be broadcast.
But after a near-fatal “accident,” Carter’s consciousness is used to create the world’s first self-aware computer-generated television personality: Max Headroom. Clever, unpredictable, and impossible to control, Max may be the one force capable of helping his human counterpart strike back against a corrupt media superpower.
A sensation far beyond the series itself, Max Headroom became an international pop-culture phenomenon of the 1980s, spawning his own talk show, music videos, endorsements, and merchandise. This stylish, satirical, and suspenseful series remains one of the decade’s most imaginative visions of the future—and one of its sharpest commentaries on the power of television.
Also starring Amanda Pays, Jeffrey Tambor, and Morgan Sheppard.
