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IMDbPro

Max Headroom Pirating Incident

  • TV Short
  • 1987
  • 16+
  • 2m
IMDb RATING
8.4/10
354
YOUR RATING
Anonymous in Max Headroom Pirating Incident (1987)
ComedyCrimeHorrorMysterySci-FiShort

Illegal broadcast showing Max Headroom Impostor doing non-sense things and obscenities, shown over sports news and "Doctor Who" episode, which became cult phenomena as culprits were never ca... Read allIllegal broadcast showing Max Headroom Impostor doing non-sense things and obscenities, shown over sports news and "Doctor Who" episode, which became cult phenomena as culprits were never captured.Illegal broadcast showing Max Headroom Impostor doing non-sense things and obscenities, shown over sports news and "Doctor Who" episode, which became cult phenomena as culprits were never captured.

  • Stars
    • Anonymous
    • Eric Fournier
    • Max Headroom Hijacker
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    8.4/10
    354
    YOUR RATING
    • Stars
      • Anonymous
      • Eric Fournier
      • Max Headroom Hijacker
    • 6User reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Photos49

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    Top cast3

    Edit
    Anonymous
    • Max Headroom
    • (uncredited)
    Eric Fournier
    • Max Headroom
    • (uncredited)
    Max Headroom Hijacker
    • Max
    • (uncredited)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews6

    8.4354
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    Featured reviews

    9Progamersoph

    Damn... So interesting but creepy

    I know this review is a bit wayyyy late and I understand this is very old and that no one mentions this unknown hijacked broadcast anymore. But I just wanna say something about this Max Headroom Episode, I also remember the Matlock and "Captain Midnight" hijacking too. "The Birdman Of Jacksonville." Gosh that was horrible. I don't know too much about this, but I wanna review it saying who was behind the mask, and the ending, pretty sure I've seen this a couple of years ago. November 22, 1987, wow, such a long time. I think it was just creepy as hell, but still a little interesting at the same time, I agree... with the person hat said it was weird, like I said, I don't know much about this and I don't really know what to put, though everything is just a bit scary and wasn't really a thing you'd expect. TRACK EM DOWNN!
    10gibsonrickenbacker-229-388871

    freakin Weird

    The Max Headroom broadcast signal intrusion was a television signal hijacking that occurred in Chicago, Illinois, United States on the evening of November 22, 1987. It is an example of what is known in the television business as broadcast signal intrusion. The intruder was successful in interrupting two broadcast television stations within the course of three hours. The hijackers were never identified.

    the whole purpose of this illegal footage is all a bit of banter really and not to be taken seriously(of course) i found it a bit uncomfortable because its so weird but after watching it on you tube a few times it gets funnier, because its been 29 years now i think the pirate should turn himself in as long the FBI promise not to press charges
    10The_Light_Triton

    The mystery of the max headroom pirate

    The allure of a mystery can really bring out the interest in people, even more so when the case remains unsolved, and even better, the case is real.

    The idea for this 1 and a half-minute short to even get a page on the IMDb just goes to show how popular this mystery is.

    The bit begins with an unknown man in a max headroom mask. Throughout the video, he makes references to Clutch Cargo, and Coke & Pepsi, before ending with having his backside spanked by another unknown.

    And that's it. And for almost 30 years now, it has caused many internet geeks, myself included, to drive ourselves crazy begging for whoever did this to come forward and tell us how he or she did it.
    10defabbio-32087

    It's Piracy But I LOVE It

    This feels like the ultimate troll prank, as its a literal hijack of two TV stations were the pirates overtook the transmitter. While the first incident is not much special, the second incident which interrupted a Doctor Who episode is quite possibly, trolling at its purest form in the 80s. The jabs against WGN-TV, the Coke reference, the ending, the distorted audio and the effort put in to this!

    I assume that this could be the work of an ex-employer from WGN doing this as an inside job, and it really shows! Definitely the most fascinating interpretation ever produced for the public. Seriously this hijacking and the equivalent to make the film from the hijack must've been difficult work, but definitely worth it! Hopefully we will get to see the people responsible in the future...
    10animatronicdude

    Absolutely hilarious!

    This is clearly intended to be a big meme, and I think it works. It's ridiculous. Gets a 10 from me for the general s**tpost quality of this hack.

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Years later, a man surfaced on Reddit, claiming to have known the guy behind the incident. He stated that the man had a hijacked radio and was autistic. This man later said who he believed was behind the incident was not at all Max and had no involvement in the highjacking.
    • Goofs
      The actor's mouth can be seen briefly several times over the course of the video.
    • Quotes

      Max Headroom: [First Lines] That does it! He's a freakin' nerd!

      [Giggles]

      Max Headroom: Yeah, I think I'm better than Chuck Swirsky. Frickin' liberal!

    • Crazy credits
      There's no credits at all.
    • Alternate versions
      The first version shown was cut on 30 seconds, the second was 90 seconds. Bootleg version are more or less longer depending on amount of "Doctor Who" footage used.
    • Connections
      Featured in Blameitonjorge: Top 40 Lost or Banned Episodes of Kid Shows (2015)

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    FAQ2

    • Who is the man in the mask?
    • How did he manage to broadcast himself?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • November 22, 1987 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Max Headroom 1987 Pirating Incident
    • Filming locations
      • Chicago, Illinois, USA
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 2m
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.33 : 1

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