I'm feeling that wave of Max Headroom nostalgia again. Those 
Jun 25, 2008 07:20 PM
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Wed Feb 10
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I'm feeling that wave of Max Headroom nostalgia again. Those British commercials with an aged Max Headroom in them just didn't quench my thirst for a full revival of the cult TV series that popularized the faux-virtual British icon in the U.S. What I love about the mid-1980s U.S. show Max Headroom: 20 Minutes Into the Future was its unabashed complexity and truly cyberpunk feel. Just check out this clip of the first five minutes of the third episode, about organ jackers. There's an interlaced story of the brutal, crap life of the lower classes, the investigative journalism of Edison Carter, the life of Channel 23 (constantly worrying about ratings), and the strange behavior of A.I. Max Headroom. Of course a show this bizarre and complicated was doomed.
Max Headroom was created and first played by Matt Frewer — he made his first appearances on U.K. television as a talking head in a music video show called The Max Headroom Show. He was also a personality on an interview show in the U.S. Though I loved those Max Headrooms, my favorite will always be the anarchic alter-ego of investigative journalist Edison Carter. He was like the rebellious subconscious of media itself, the voice that refuses to shut up and questions everything even while also enjoying all pop culture indiscriminately.
Bring back Max! Give him a movie! Aw hell, at least give us a freakin DVD box set. Currently none is available. [Max Headroom via Wikipedia]
Send an email to Annalee Newitz, the author of this post, at annalee@io9.com.
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