Blipverts - Deadly subliminal
form of TV advertisement developed by 16-year-old computer genius
Bryce Lynch (Chris Young) Head of Research and Development for the
futuristic TV Network 23/XXIII on the sci-fi series MAX
HEADROOM/ABC/1987.
A Blipvert (a combination of "blip" and
"advertisement") compressed a 30-second commercial into only three
seconds. Designed to keep viewers from switching channels during
commercials, the futuristic Network 23 used Blipverts to maintain
its standing in a world gone mad over television where a TV set had
no off switch and the name of the game was ratings.
Unfortunately,
there was a terrible side-effect to this new form of advertisement. The Blipverts short-circuited the nervous system of inactive people,
causing an explosion from the built up electrical charges in their
sedentary bodies.
Network President, Mr. Grosberg (Charles Rocket)
fearing the lose of their major client, the Zik Zak Corporation (who
used the three second commercials), decided to continue with the
Blipverts. As one cold-hearted executive remarked "The only people
inactive are the pensioned, the sick and the unemployed. I mean, who
really cares?"
Award winning investigative reporter, Edison Carter
(Matt Frewer) "answering the questions other people are afraid to
ask" penetrated the secret 13th floor of Network 23 with the help of
his beautiful and talented controller, Theora Jones (Amanda Pays),
to discover what a Blipvert was and to reveal its side-effects to
his viewers. See also - COMPUTERS: "Max Headroom"
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