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In the 1980s, the Max Headroom TV signal hijacking took over the airwaves with a bizarre interruption that no one could explain. These 10 photos capture the haunting moments of a mystery that still has people scratching their heads. Imagine watching your favorite show, only to have the screen hijacked by a weird, masked figure and distorted visuals that left millions confused. Was it a prank? A secret message? The world may never know, but these pics keep the legend alive, offering an eerie glimpse into one of the most unsettling TV moments in history.
1. 3… 2… 1…
2. Here’s Headroom!
Long before he became the face of one of the most notorious hijackings in television history, Max Headroom was a UK television phenomenon. Dubbed the world’s first AI TV host, Headroom’s satirical presence first graced screens in 1985’s British cyberpunk television film, ‘Max Headroom: 20 Minutes into the Future’.
3. An (Almost) Overnight Sensation
4. Prime Time Ready
5. Take One
The first hijacking went down during WGN-TV’s ‘Nine O’Clock News,’ when at roughly 9:14 p.m., the hackers took over the news program’s sports segment. Donning a Headroom mask and a suit similar to the ones the AI presenter sported onscreen, the hacker silently rocked in front of a striped background for about 20 seconds before network engineers were able to regain control of the signal.
6. Laughing It Off
7. Take Two
8. Swatting Away
Lasting roughly 90 seconds this time around, the pirate broadcast was a whole lot more scandalous than its first iteration. The masked hacker mocked Headroom’s New Coke advertisements, flipped the bird to the camera, pulled out what some believed to be an adult toy, and most infamously, had their bare backside smacked with what appeared to be a fly swatter.
9. Control Room Chaos
10. A Lingering Mystery
Though an FCC investigation into the pirate broadcast was unsuccessful, several speculated that either a former WGN employee or a member of Chicago’s hacking scene was responsible for the incident. But even with these theories, as of 2025, the identities of the signal hijackers — and the actor behind this iteration of Headroom — remain a Windy City mystery.