The film introduces Edison Carter, a television reporter trying to expose corruption and greed. Carter discovers that his employer, Network 23, has created a new form of subliminal advertising (called "blipverts") that can be fatal to certain viewers.

While attempting to flee the network headquarters with proof, Edison suffers a serious head injury, caused by striking a low-clearance sign labelled "Max. Headroom 2.3m".

Bryce Lynch, an adolescent genius working as a scientist for Network 23, suggests to the network's chief executive that they keep Carter sedated and generate a computerized version of him by digitally recording Carter's mind. It will be used as a temporary replacement for Carter in order to hide his disappearance.

Bryce's program is flawed. It burbles "max headroom" repeatedly. Bryce instructs his hired goons to dispose of both Carter and his virtual clone, but the thugs sell both of them — Carter to a body bank, and the machine copy to pirate television station owner Blank Reg.

After a bit of nurturing from Reg, the computer program achieves a somewhat eccentric life of its own. With a gift for rapid-fire gags, he hosts his own show, and sends Reg's ratings through the roof.

Meanwhile, a merely unconscious Carter escapes from becoming a premature organ donor, pursued by Bryce's goons, who quote Hamlet's Response to Corruption as they search ("'Tis now the very witching time of night, when churchyards yawn, and hell itself breathes contagion to this world.").

With the help of colleague Theora Jones, and the distraction provided by Max, Carter eventually defeats Network 23.

Comments:

tschak909

The prescience of this movie can not be overstated. "This is the future, people translated as data." -Bryce Lynch

zlac

Max Headroom had a Twitch account before it was mainstream!

nigel day

Wow this old i fell in love with amanda pays when this came out lol

Joseph Trunk

This show is more relevant today than it was when new! The future was predicted here in this production over 30 years ago. Love it. Favorite show! Long live Network 23 in our thoughts!

Fopenplop

HACKED THRU THE PLUMBING this is so great

Maldus Alver

With cellphones, social media, and fee2pay games they need to do a remake of this. Only change T.V. sets to smartphones.

Steeyuv

When I first saw this, aged 26 in 1985, I thought it was thirty years ahead of its time.  Now I’m 60 and I think it’s thirty years ago.

Emmanuel Dunk

This reminds me of Brazil which came out the same year and the mural in the men's toilets is the same as the one in Scarface.

Bill Kitson

This actually shows how corporate control owns the media

Stratos

Hands are rare and expensive items. Worth more than cameras.

Mister Quantum

I can still remember how much it blew my mind to see that car drive into the bedroom when I was a kid. Seems dangerous and stupid now that I'm older but I still want my house setup that way anyways.

Divergent Droid

Are you telling me Everyone was Smoking Cigarettes in the mid 80's In the Work Place.. God I Love the 80's!

Mark Young

Masterpiece obviously, only three years after Blade Runner...

number7gracestreet

Thanks so much! I loved this as a Kid and it means so much now!

Trevor Random

Definitely ahead of it's time to the max!