Max Headroom: 20 Minutes into the Future | |
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Genre | Science fiction |
Written by | Steve Roberts |
Directed by | Rocky Morton Annabel Jankel |
Starring | Matt Frewer Nickolas Grace Amanda Pays W. Morgan Sheppard Roger Sloman Hilary Tindall |
Music by | Midge Ure Chris Cross |
Country of origin | United Kingdom |
Original language | English |
Production | |
Executive producer | Terry Ellis |
Producer | Peter Wagg |
Production locations | East Ham, London, England |
Cinematography | Phil Meheux |
Editor | Michael Bradsell |
Running time | 57 minutes |
Original release | |
Release | April 4, 1985 |
Infobox instructions (only shown in preview) |
Max Headroom: 20 Minutes into the Future is a 1985 cyberpunk television film created by British company Chrysalis Visual Programming Ltd. for Channel 4. Max Headroom was created by George Stone,[1] Annabel Jankel, and Rocky Morton, while the TV movie story was developed by Stone and screenwriter Steve Roberts.[2] The television film was created to provide a backstory and origin for the character Max before he started appearing regularly as host and veejay of a new music video programme on Channel 4, The Max Headroom Show.[2]
The story depicts a near-future where corrupt corporations control much of the world and manipulate the public for the sake of ratings and wealth. Events lead crusading journalist Edison Carter to crash a motorcycle and suffer head trauma from a parking lot safety sign reading "MAX. HEADROOM: 2.3 M" (an overhead clearance of 2.3 metres). While unconscious, Carter's mind and memories are used as the basis for a new artificial intelligence that adopts the name Max Headroom. While Carter recovers and exposes corporate corruption, his AI twin Max becomes popular as a witty TV host who criticizes society and media. Both Edison Carter and Max Headroom are portrayed by actor Matt Frewer.[2]
On 4 April 1985, Channel 4 transmitted the TV movie Max Headroom: 20 Minutes Into the Future, starring Matt Frewer, Amanda Pays, Paul Spurrier, Nickolas Grace, and W. Morgan Sheppard. Two days later, Max began appearing regularly as the veejay of The Max Headroom Show.[2][3] HBO (which owned another cable television provider Cinemax) provided some of the original funding and the series later ran on Cinemax for American audiences.[2] Following its cancellation, American network ABC commissioned Chrysalis to produce a new dramatic television series based on the characters, concepts, and world established in the film Max Headroom: 20 Minutes into the Future.[2] The new programme, entitled simply Max Headroom, featured Matt Frewer and Amanda Pays reprising their original roles. Each episode began with the phrase "20 Minutes into the Future."[2][4]
...I had never heard that I had anything to do with your creation of Max! I am deeply honored to play even a small roll in this! Would you mind greatly if I were allowed to make this fact known? – Scott Adams Good to hear from you. I hereby aknowledge [sic] your role in Max's Genesis and grant you full irrevocable rights to say exactly what you like.... – George Stone
Rocky Morton, George Stone and Annabel Jankel discuss the creation of the virtual character 'Max Headroom'.
George Stone is Max Headroom's creator in almost every respect. A marketing executive and science fiction writer who worked for Chrysalis Productions, he was tasked by Wagg, Morton and Jankel to write the overall back story of this new creation.
Stone came up with the idea for a character named Max Headroom, and Morton and Jankel fleshed it out a bit.
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