Max Headroom – the classic Talking Head
Some say, if you remember the 80’s, you didn’t have fun. But, if you do remember, hopefully you also remember one of the great television talking heads of all-time….Max Headroom.
For those that may have been absent in the 80’s, Max was born in Britain. He first appeared as the irreverent host of “The Max Headroom Show,” a music video series on Channel 4 in the UK, which was, at the time, a young, upstart network. The 
series starred Matt Frewer, of the great Doctor Doctor fame, and followed the mythical Network 23’s star reporter, Edison Carter.
Created by George Stone, Annabel Jankel and Rocky Morton, The Max Headroom Show started it all followed by Max Headroom: 20 Minutes Into the Future and then the ABC series which ran in the U.S. for two seasons. The character was created from the memories and personality of Edison, who lapsed into a coma after car accident. The name came from the last visual Edison saw….a traffic warning sign – MAX. HEADROOM: 2.3 M. The original British clip shows Max’s first moments on-air.
This New York Times article, besides having some great insights from the creators of the series, remembers one of the best episodes where Edison reports live from a seemingly curious relic from the past: the movie theater. “Years ago people came here for their pictures to share dreams and adventures together,” Edison says. “These were the days when people sat in groups and watched a single movie, sometimes hundreds of people at one time. Must have been a weird experience, watching the same screen, and the same program.”
Like Fawlty Towers, it seems like there are more episodes than actually exist. Only 14 episodes were created and broadcast in 1987-88. Why am I telling you all this? Well, Max Headroom was finally released TODAY on DVD. This is one you need to get. I’ve been waiting for this for some time.
In: Comedy,Odds & Sods
