Max Headroom Episode Guide [This is my own personal Max Headroom episode list that is cobbled together from a variety of internet sources including two old SF-LOVERS Max Headroom lists and other interesting tidbits of information from alt.tv.max-headroom.] Compiled and Edited by Joe Struss MAX HEADROOM PROGRAM GUIDE (U.S.) First Season 1. ** Blipverts ** 03/31/87 L Directed by: Rocky Morton & Annabel Jankel Teleplay: Steve Roberts Story: George Stone, Rocky Morton & Annabel Jankel Debut: In the near future, when TVs can't be shut off and ratings are all that matter, investigative reporter Edison Carter (Matt Frewer) and his computer- generated alter ego Max Headroom battle to keep the "blank" generation informed. In the opener, Carter stumbles across his own network's cover-up of a sometimes deadly new form of TV advertising called "blipverts". Chris Young (Bryce), Amanda Pays (Theora), Jeffrey Tambor (Murray), Charles Rocket (Grossberg), Ken Swofford (Gorrister), Billie Byrd (Florence), Virginia Kiser (Ms. Formby). 2. ** Raking ** 04/07/87 L,S Directed by: Farhad Mann Teleplay: Joe Gannon & Steve Roberts Story: Steve Roberts Theora may lose her job when she runs off to help her estranged brother, who's competing in a brutal sport that promoters want legalized and televised. Peter Cohl (Shawn), Wortham Krimmer (Jack Friday), JW Smith (Rik), Arsenio Trinidad (Ped Xing). [Though this is one of my least favorite episodes it is my favorite Max Headroom script.] 3. ** Body Banks ** 04/14/87 L,S Directed by: Francis DeLia Written by: Steve Roberts Carter races against time to save a woman who was shanghaied and sold to a "body bank" for experimentation. Meanwhile, Network 23's largest sponsor wants Max as spokesman. George Coe (Cheviot), Virginia Kiser (Formby), Morgan Sheppard (Blank Reg), Concetta Tomei (Dominique), Scott Kraft (Mel), John Winston (Plantaganet), JW Smith (Rik). 4. ** Security Systems ** 04/21/87 L Directed by: Tommy Lee Wallace Written by: Michael Cassutt Carter is accused of credit fraud and becomes a fugitive after delving into the hostile takeover of Security Systems, the world's most powerful corporation. George Coe (Cheviot), JW Smith (Rik), Concetta Tomei (Dominique), Morgan Sheppard (Blank Reg), Carol Mayo Jenkins (Valerie Towne), Sally Stevens ( Voice of A-7). 5. ** War ** 04/28/87 L,S Directed by: Thomas J. Wright Written by: Martin Pasko, Rebecca Parr, Michael Cassutt & Steve Roberts Network 23 finds that the fine line between news and entertainment may very well be the bottom line. Dancing on that line is Braddock, a double dealing program packager who offers to sell Network 23 the exclusive rights to cover an urban-guerilla group's terrorist activities during a crucial 24-hour global ratings-sweep period. The network turns Braddock's offer down, but a smaller rival accepts. Broadcasting from a terrorist bombing site, its ratings soar -- as Network 23's plummet. Barred from that site is Network 23 ace reporter Edison Carter, to the annoyance of some Network 23 board members. But network head Ben Cheviot knows Braddock's reputation and assigns Carter to investigate. Gary Swenson (Braddock), Robert O'Reilly ( Croyd Hauser), Lisa Niemi (Janie Crane), J Michael Flynn(Lucian). 6. ** The Blanks ** 05/05/87 L Directed by: Tommy Lee Wallace Written by: Steve Roberts As the "blanks" -- undesirables with no computer records -- are rounded up and arrested, the networks face permanent cancellation by hackers who threaten to crash the city's entire computer system if their companions aren't released. Howard Sherman (Peller), Peter Crook (Bruno), Hank Garret (Ashwell), Morgan Sheppard (Blank Reg), Concetta Tomei (Dominique). Second Season 7. ** Academy ** 09/18/87 Directed by: Victor Lobl Written by: David Brown Edison must challenge Bryce and his classmates at the Academy of Computer Sciences when they frame Blank Reg on a charge of zipping, interrupting a network satellite feed. 8. ** Deities ** 09/25/87 Directed by: Tom Wright Written by: Michael Cassutt A TV church, led by a college flame of Edison's, kidnaps Max. Edison must retrieve Max and uncover the church's phony electronic "soul storage" system, which claims to keep the personalities of the dead online -- for a price. [Alternate title: Resurrection Vanna] 9. ** Grossberg's Return ** 10/02/87 Directed by: Janet Greek Written by: Steve Roberts Rival Network 66 attempts to defeat Network 23 in a ratings-based election by introducing a "watch while you sleep" device into its programming to cause people to leave their TV sets on all night. 10. ** Dream Thieves ** 10/09/87 S Directed by: Todd Holland Teleplay: Steve Roberts Story: Charles Grant Craig Some shady entrepreneurs are stealing people's dreams and selling them to the highest bidders. Edison goes undercover to expose their lethal business. 11. ** Whacketts ** 10/16/87 Directed by: Victor Lobl Teleplay: Arthur Sellers Story: Dennis Rolfe A video narcotic is causing people to leave their TVs tuned to Big Time Television twenty-four hours a day. [Alternate title: The Addiction Game] 12. ** NeuroStim ** 04/28/88 Directed by: Maurice Phillips Written by: Arthur Sellers & Michael Cassutt Zik-Zak introduces Neurostim, a device to directly stimulate the brain and bypass the need to use television for advertising. 13. ** Lessons ** 05/05/88 Directed by: Victor Lobl Teleplay: Adrian Hein & Steve Roberts Story: Colman DeKay & Howard Brookner Network 23 censors go a step too far when they try to shut down a secret school in the fringes, because it's using pirated Network 23 instructional programming. 14. ** Baby Growbags ** (never aired in USA until Bravo showing) Directed by: Janet Greek Written by: Chris Ruppenthal Edison Carter is on the trail of some rather dark people who are stealing babies from the baby pods where they are grown while Bryce carefully considers working for Grossberg and channel 66. S - Script available from Script City (213)-871-0707. L - Produced on laserdisk and subtitled in Japanese. (Also produced on a limited video basis from CEL home video.(?)) V - Widely produced on video. Unproduced Episodes: A. ** Theora's Tale ** Unproduced S Teleplay: Steve Roberts Story: Eric Blakeney As a corporate shooting war breaks out in Antartica between ZikZak and Zlin, Theora is missing and Murray tries to calm Edison and get him aboard a special Air Corridor shuttle to cover the story. Theora has, in fact, been kidnapped by mercenaries of the Video Freedom Alliance who have found out about Theora's true identity and are demanding a huge ransom for her release. A longer synopsis of Theora's tale is also available here. [Script available from Script City (213)-871-0707.] B. ** The Trial ** Unproduced C. ** X-Max ** Unproduced Related: The Original Channel Four Special: 0. ** Max Headroom: 20 Minutes Into the Future ** 04/04/85 V Directed by: Rocky Morton & Annabel Jankel Teleplay: Steve Roberts Story: George Stone, Rocky Morton & Annabel Jankel Basically the same story as episode one of the American series but with a more gritty feel to it. Changes to the story include a darker Bryce with murderous intentions, a sharper-looking Max Headroom who eventually 'escapes' with Blank Reg aboard the big, pink bus and a possible blacker ending for Grossberg and Bryce. An Episode Pilot with Max Headroom style graphics/universe: -1. ** Timeslip: The Block ** (Cinemax 1985) In a dark future with high unemployment and massive street violence, a controller with a steady job on the night shift is having an illicit affair with a secretary in the same office block. He shuts down his own protocol program CANDY to get some privacy but is then identified and hunted by the building's security system. (I saw this on Cinemax. Some of the building graphics/shots created by Rod Lord are identical to those used in the Channel Four Max Headroom special. Rod Lord also went on do the animation for the BBC's "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" TV series. Also the background/plot of this one-shot with high unemployment, riots in the streets and extended use of personalized software and hardware gives it a very Max Headroom-like feeling.) Other Max Headroom Related Items: 1984: Max Headroom - a talk show on Britain's Channel Four 1985: Coca-Cola - the first of many advirtisements for Coke 1985: Paranoimia - a pop song by the British group 'Art of Noise' (from their album In Visible Silence) 1985:?The Max Headroom X-mas Turkey - Channel Four Max X-mas Special 1986: The Max Talking Headroom Show - a talk show on Cinemax cable network 1994-95: Max Headroom U.S. series - reshown on the Bravo cable network 1995-96: Max Headroom U.S. series - reshown on Sci-Fi channel ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Comments? Questions? Observations? Submissions? Mail comments about this page to Blank Joe. jastruss@iastate.edu (Joe Struss) ------------------------------------------------------------------------