Streaming Sci Fi TV: Tracking down sci fi and fantasy shows of interest available on the streaming services.
What Is It?
This series takes place in a dystopian, near-future setting where mega-corporations control the world and keep the public distracted with television shows that live or die by up-to-the-minute ratings results (wait, isn’t that our current reality?). While trying to uncover corporate corruption, investigative reporter Edison Carter—who works for a megacorp himself, Network 23—is involved in an accident that leads to the creation of his AI alter ego, Max Headroom. Together, the two team up and fight to expose the sinister undertakings of their corporate-dominated world.
Aired: ABC, 1987-88, Two Seasons Totaling 14 Episodes
Starring: Matt Frewer, Amanda Pays, W. Morgan Sheppard, Chris Young, Charles Rocket
Created By: George Stone, Rocky Morton, Annabel Jankel
Why Watch It?
The Max Headroom character started out in the 1980s as a clever attempt to create a “computer-generated” host for a show that would air music videos. But he took on a life of his own, appearing in commercials (“Catch the Wave!”) and also getting his own origin story. That would spin into a TV series picked up by ABC in 1987, giving United States television its first true cyberpunk series. It took place in a dystopian near future (“20 Minutes in the Future”) and dealt with themes like media manipulation, corporate control, technology run amok, consumer culture, and more, delivering a spot-on satire of that decade that actually still holds up today. The show is definitely over-the-top, and can look quite cheesy to the modern viewer, but Matt Frewer holds it together in his dual role as Edison Carter and Max Headroom, and he had a pretty good cast around him as well. (You can read more about the show at Cult-SciFi.com.)
Sadly, Max Headroom lasted only two short seasons, as it was a bit too smart for its own good, and it ultimately succumbed to the television culture it satirized. But it has developed a cult status, and the show is considered by many to be ahead of its time, possibly counting among the greatest sci fi TV shows. There have been talks of a reboot which would bring Matt Frewer back in the role of the title character, but nothing has come of that yet. The original series is certainly worth checking out, though, and it is a quick watch at only 14 episodes.
Where Is It Streaming?
Both seasons are currently available to stream for free (with ads) on Roku TV. That service is similar to Hulu when it first got started, and it actually has quite a large selection of sci fi and fantasy TV shows and movies. It is also streaming for free on Plex (also with ads), which is part of JustWatch.com. The series has also been released on DVD, and you can purchase it VOD from sellers like Amazon.com.
Read about more sci fi and fantasy TV shows available for streaming at this link.
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