On November 22, 1987, two television stations in Chicago were hijacked by an unknown individual wearing a Max Headroom mask. The first intrusion briefly interrupted WGN-TV’s broadcast of the 9 PM news. The second, more infamous takeover occurred during a Doctor Who episode on WTTW Channel 11, lasting nearly 90 seconds. The masked figure delivered bizarre, incoherent monologues, referenced pop culture, and was eventually spanked with a flyswatter. The signal was abruptly cut before authorities could trace the source. Despite investigations by the FCC and FBI, the perpetrator was never identified. The event remains one of the most famous and mysterious cases of broadcast signal intrusion in television history.
the max headroom incident
