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The Max Headroom Incident

The Max Headroom Incident

Update: 2025-08-06
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It was a Sunday night like any other. But for those living in Chicago, it would be a night they would not soon forget. For those tuning in to WGN-TV, their broadcast was interrupted by the most unlikely of people, one of the most popular characters of the 1980s: Max Headroom.

Why did Max Headroom, or what appeared to be Max Headroom, now appear on their screens? Just as soon as this TV hijacking had begun, the screen went blank and normal programming resumed.

But just two hours later--it happened again. This time it was WTTW. But during this broadcast interruption, things got much more disturbing...

Today, we look back at one of the most bizarre unsolved mysteries of the 1980s: The Max Headroom Incident.

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The Max Headroom Incident

The Max Headroom Incident

Jamie Logie | 1980s Pop Culture and Nostalgia