History Trivia / MaxHeadroom

* ScrewedByTheNetwork: After a successful run as a mid-season replacement in 1986, it was pitted against ''Series/{{Dallas}}'' on CBS and ''Series/MiamiVice'' on NBC in the FridayNightDeathSlot in the fall. The show was cancelled after 11 episodes; of the remaining three, two were aired by ABC as filler during the [[UsefulNotes/TVStrikes 1988 WGA Strike]] and the last did not see the light of day until Bravo aired it in 1995. It's been alleged that the show was nothing more than [=ABC's=] sacrificial lamb against the two ratings juggernauts and that network executives and advertisers were very uncomfortable with the show's [[BitingTheHandHumor vicious portrayal of network television]].

* StarMakingRole: Subverted. Creator/MattFrewer would remain a character actor in a variety of scifi and fantasy roles for decades due to the show's influence, but he remains largely unknown to the general audience...unlike Max, who's still one of the more influential cyberpunk characters.

* WeirdAlEffect: Modern audiences, especially those into TrueCrime, may be more familiar with the infamous unsolved highjacking using the character's likeness.

* UnintentionalPeriodPiece: The series is set an unknown number of years into the future but based upon buildings and technology shown, most likely no earlier than the turn of the 21st century. While some aspects of the future are accurately predicted (a multi-channel TV universe, the move by some away from permanent physical media like printed books), other aspects betray the show's 1980s origins, from the depiction of Max himself to the lack of personal computer devices. The [=TVs=] are even shown to be analog 4:3 rather than the widescreen versions in standard use by the 2000s. Viewed in retrospect, these aspects cast a "period piece" feel on the series.
** In the TV movie, Bryce's birthday is October 7, 1988, and he's almost 18, setting the story around 2005.

* WeirdAlEffect: Modern audiences, especially those into True Crime, may be more familiar with the infamous unsolved highjacking using the character's likeness.

* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: The sequence from the US pilot showing the exploding blipverts viewer was ''very'' gruesome for 1980s network TV and those familiar with the UK version which used the same effects were surprised to see it included in the US version, virtually intact.

* RetroactiveRecognition: Yes, that is a young [[Series/ArrestedDevelopment George Bluth Sr.]] as Murray, the harried head of the newsroom.

** In the TV movie, Bryce's birthday is October 7, 1988, and he's almost 18, setting the story around 2005.

* UnintentionalPeriodPiece: The series is set an unknown number of years into the future but based upon buildings and technology shown, most likely no earlier than the turn of the 21st century. While some aspects of the future are accurately predicted (a multi-channel TV universe, the move by some away from permanent physical media like printed books), other aspects betray the show's 1980s origins, from the depiction of Max himself to the lack of personal computer devices. The [=TVs=] are even shown to be analog 4:3 rather than the widescreen versions in standard use by the 2000s. Viewed in retrospect, these aspects cast a "period piece" feel on the series.

* ScrewedByTheNetwork: Or rather, [[InvertedTrope Max screwed with the network.]]
** LifeImitatesArt: One episode followed hackers screwing with the network and then Max Headroom got cancelled after Max Headroom fan hackers screwed with its network.

** LifeImitatesArt

* HeyItsThatGuy: Once he was Max Headroom... he later become [[Film/HoneyIShrunkTheKids a next door neighbor]], [[Series/OrphanBlack an evil doctor]]... and then [[Series/TheLibrarians2014 just plain evil]].
** Breughel was a body collector... then he moved to New York and [[Series/DearJohn became quite the ladies man]]. Then he moved to Kentucky and became a [[Series/{{Justified}} middle man for the Dixie Mafia]]... while occasionally [[Series/BurnNotice moonlighting for the DIA.]]

* HeyItsThatGuy: Once he was Max Headroom... he later become [[Series/OrphanBlack an evil doctor]]... and then [[Series/TheLibrarians2014 just plain evil]].

* ScrewedByTheNetwork: LifeImitatesArt. ** Or rather, [[InvertedTrope he screwed with the network.]]

**Breughel was a body collector...then he moved to New York and [[Series/DearJohn became quite the ladies man]]..Then he moved to Kentucky and became a [[Series/Justified middle man for the Dixie Mafia]] .. while occasionally [[Series/BurnNotice moonlighting for the DIA.]]
* UnintentionalPeriodPiece: The series is set an unknown number of years into the future but based upon buildings and technology shown, most likely no earlier than the turn of the 21st century. While some aspects of the future are accurately predicted (a multi-channel TV universe, the move by some away from permanent physical media like printed books), other aspects betray the show's 1980s origins, from the depiction of Max himself to the lack of personal computer devices. The TVs are even shown to be analog 4:3 rather than the widescreen versions in standard use by the 2000s. Viewed in retrospect, these aspects cast a "period piece" feel on the series.

* Breughel was a body collector...then he moved to New York and [[Series/DearJohn became quite the ladies man]]..Then he moved to Kentucky and became a [[Main/Justified middle man for the Dixie Mafia]] while occasionally [[Series/BurnNotice moonlighting for the DIA.]]

* HeyItsThatGuy: Once he was Max Headroom... he later become [[Series/OrphanBlack an evil doctor]]... and then [[Series/TheLibrarians2014 just plain evil]].