Max Headroom: 20 Minutes into the Future

Edison Carter is a headstrong television reporter determined to uncover corruption even if his employer Network 23 is involved. Carter is investigating an apartment explosion when he is pulled from the story by the television station management. Carter's new producer Theora Jones agrees to help him investigate further despite pressure from upper management. The two discover Network 23 is covering up the fact that its new subliminal advertising called "blipverts" can be fatal to certain viewers, even causing them to explode. Carter recovers evidence of the cover-up at Network 23 headquarters but is discovered on security camera by Bryce Lynch, an amoral teenage computer genius who created blipverts and answers only to Network 23's chief executive Mr. Grossman. As Carter attempts to flee from Mr Breugal and Mr Mahler, two sociopathic thugs-for-hire, via the building's parking garage on a motorcycle, Lynch takes control of the security barriers. The rising barrier causes Carter to crash through a low-clearance sign labelled "Max. Headroom 2.3m", resulting in a serious head injury. Jones witnesses Carter's crash via security cameras but is unable to arrive in time before Lynch's hired goons remove him from the scene. Grossman is upset Lynch has attacked and possibly killed Carter, as the journalist's fame means his disappearance will be noticed and investigated. To delay any investigation and provide alibis, Lynch insists he can digitally copy Carter's mind and appearance. This way they can create a digital replacement and fake footage of the reporter being alive and well for days to come. But his efforts are flawed. The digital clone does not look identical to Carter and seems to develop its own personality after repeatedly saying "max headroom." Giving up on the plan, Bryce instructs Breugal and Mahler to dispose of both Carter and the "Max Headroom" digital personality. Instead, they decide to profit by selling Max Headroom to Blank Reg, the presenter of "Big Time", a pirate television station, and Carter to a "body bank" where he will be harvested for organs. After some guidance from Reg, Max Headroom quickly becomes a popular TV host on Blank Reg’s pirate station, delivering biting commentary and rapid-fire humour, particularly about Network 23, which gets the uneasy attention of a now panicked Grossman. Meanwhile, recovering from his injuries, Carter escapes the body bank and reunites with Jones. With her help, and the help of Breugal and Mahler, Carter eventually reveals he is still alive and exposes the corruption of Network 23, Lynch and Grossman. Max Headroom remains with Big Time. ==Cast==

• Matt Frewer as Edison Carter / Max Headroom • Nickolas Grace as Grossman • Amanda Pays as Theora Jones • W. Morgan Sheppard as Blank Reg • Roger Sloman as Murray • Hilary Tindall as Dominique • Paul Spurrier as Bryce Lynch • Hilton McRae as Breugal • George Rossi as Mahler == Conception and development ==

The character of Max Headroom and his nature as a computer-generated person was created by George Stone, The creators also appreciated that "Max Headroom" was comically ironic since the character acted as if he knew and understood everything, while the name indicated his mind was actually empty of true knowledge and wisdom. which Morton described as the "very sterile, arrogant, Western personification of the middle-class, male TV host". The background story provided for the Max Headroom character was rooted in a dystopian near-future dominated by television and large corporations, devised by George Stone and eventual script writer Steve Roberts. Canadian-American actor Matt Frewer tested for the role after a friend of his had already auditioned and then suggested him instead. The character of Max Headroom was advertised as the first "computer-generated" television presenter. The illusion of a computer-generated character who only exists in computers and TV broadcast signals was accomplished by having Matt Frewer wear prosthetic make-up, contact lenses, and a plastic molded suit while sitting in front of a blue screen. Harsh lighting and other editing and recording effects heightened the illusion of a CGI character. In discussing Max's fictional origin story, it was first proposed that he could be an AI created to stand-in for a human TV host who was late for his own show. The backstory would be revealed through different five-minute segments during the first season of The Max Headroom Show. On 6 April 1985, Channel 4 aired the first episode of The Max Headroom Show. ==Spin-off==

In 1987, American network ABC hired the creators of the Channel 4 film to adapt the story and world of Max Headroom: 20 Minutes into the Future into the dramatic series Max Headroom. Fourteen episodes were made and all but one were broadcast during the 1987–1988 television season. The pilot was a remake of the Channel 4 movie with minor changes, such as having Max and Carter actually acquainted, and making Max work with Network 23 rather than Big Time. The pilot recycled some of the digital footage from the original film. Cast members Matt Frewer, Amanda Pays and William Morgan Sheppard reprised their roles from the original film. Jeffrey Tambor was added to the cast as Edison's boss Murray. Pablo Cruise keyboardist Cory Lerios provided the theme. Each episode of the dramatic series began with the phrase "20 Minutes into the Future." ==Home media release==

Max Headroom: 20 Minutes into the Future was released on VHS in the US and UK in 1986. In 2006, it was released on DVD in Japan. ==References==