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Horror of Fang Rock (TV story): Difference between revisions
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On [[22 November (releases)|22 November]] 1987, a rebroadcast of ''Horror of Fang Rock'' on [[PBS]] affiliate WTTW in [[Chicago]], Ill., was the target of a bizarre prank in which individuals managed to hijack WTTW's broadcast feed and, for nearly 90 seconds, the pranksters aired footage of two individuals, one wearing a {{w|Max Headroom}} mask, spouting gibberish and advertising catchphrases including those at the time associated with Max Headroom and Coca-Cola, and humming music. The two also engaged in mildly risqué behaviour near the end of the tape. The signal intrusion occurred twice that evening: first during highlights from an American Football game on a newscast on the then-independent commercial station WGN-TV, and later during the broadcast of ''Horror of Fang Rock'' on public television station WTTW. The first attempt appeared to be partially unsuccessful as those responsible were unable to properly broadcast sound, only managing to provide electronic buzzing and screeches in the signal's audio channels, and were quickly cut off by WGN-TV. The ''Doctor Who'' interruption had proper sound, albeit distorted, and ran in its entirety. | On [[22 November (releases)|22 November]] 1987, a rebroadcast of ''Horror of Fang Rock'' on [[PBS]] affiliate WTTW in [[Chicago]], Ill., was the target of a bizarre prank in which individuals managed to hijack WTTW's broadcast feed and, for nearly 90 seconds, the pranksters aired footage of two individuals, one wearing a {{w|Max Headroom}} mask, spouting gibberish and advertising catchphrases including those at the time associated with Max Headroom and Coca-Cola, and humming music. The two also engaged in mildly risqué behaviour near the end of the tape. The signal intrusion occurred twice that evening: first during highlights from an American Football game on a newscast on the then-independent commercial station WGN-TV, and later during the broadcast of ''Horror of Fang Rock'' on public television station WTTW. The first attempt appeared to be partially unsuccessful as those responsible were unable to properly broadcast sound, only managing to provide electronic buzzing and screeches in the signal's audio channels, and were quickly cut off by WGN-TV. The ''Doctor Who'' interruption had proper sound, albeit distorted, and ran in its entirety. | ||
The ''Doctor Who'' interruption appeared to have been pre-recorded, and was transmitted during the first part of ''Horror of Fang Rock''. The footage starts with a man disguised as television personality Max Headroom, referring to an unknown individual who the presenter describes as a "frickin' nerd" before mentioning Chuck Swirsky and laughing. The presenter proceeds to toss a Pepsi Cola can at the camera while saying "Catch the Wave" (referencing the actual Max Headroom, who used the slogan as part of a marketing campaign for Coca-Cola's then-current "New Coke") before raising his middle finger up to the camera (an obscene gesture in the United States, akin to the inverted V-sign in Britain) while wearing a rubber finger atop the former. The presenter then states that "your love is fading," a reference to the 1966 Temptations song "(I Know) I'm Losing You," and removes the rubber finger. He then sings the theme tune to the 1959 American synchro-vox cartoon ''Clutch Cargo'' and states, "I can still see the 'X'" midway (a reference to ''Clutch Cargo''{{'}}s final episode, "Big X"). Groaning, the presenter then moans, "My piles," referring to haemorrhoid pain, and gyrates while making flatulent noises, describing it as "a giant masterpiece for all the greatest world newspaper nerds" (an apparent insult at WGN). He proceeds to don a cloth glove on his left hand (stating that the other one is "dirty" and in his brother's possession) before taking it off in disgust after complaining that there are bloodstains on it. At this point, the tape cuts to another angle where a second individual is visible. The first individual's rear end is visible, yet his face is left off-camera. He holds his mask up to the camera with the rubber finger in its mouth, claiming that "they're coming to get me," before the second individual (dressed as a French maid) commands him to bend over. The second individual repeatedly spanks the first with a flyswatter while the latter pleads to "make it stop." The transmission cuts to black and then ''Doctor Who'' resumes at the scene where the Fourth Doctor surmises that Ben had died of electrocution. Representatives for WTTW later admitted that they were powerless to stop the broadcast because the engineers were not on duty at the Sears Tower transmitters. | The ''Doctor Who'' interruption appeared to have been pre-recorded, and was transmitted during the first part of ''Horror of Fang Rock'', just as Vince is offering to get Leela a hot drink. The footage starts with a man disguised as television personality Max Headroom, referring to an unknown individual who the presenter describes as a "frickin' nerd" before mentioning Chuck Swirsky and laughing. The presenter proceeds to toss a Pepsi Cola can at the camera while saying "Catch the Wave" (referencing the actual Max Headroom, who used the slogan as part of a marketing campaign for Coca-Cola's then-current "New Coke") before raising his middle finger up to the camera (an obscene gesture in the United States, akin to the inverted V-sign in Britain) while wearing a rubber finger atop the former. The presenter then states that "your love is fading," a reference to the 1966 Temptations song "(I Know) I'm Losing You," and removes the rubber finger. He then sings the theme tune to the 1959 American synchro-vox cartoon ''Clutch Cargo'' and states, "I can still see the 'X'" midway (a reference to ''Clutch Cargo''{{'}}s final episode, "Big X"). Groaning, the presenter then moans, "My piles," referring to haemorrhoid pain, and gyrates while making flatulent noises, describing it as "a giant masterpiece for all the greatest world newspaper nerds" (an apparent insult at WGN). He proceeds to don a cloth glove on his left hand (stating that the other one is "dirty" and in his brother's possession) before taking it off in disgust after complaining that there are bloodstains on it. At this point, the tape cuts to another angle where a second individual is visible. The first individual's rear end is visible, yet his face is left off-camera. He holds his mask up to the camera with the rubber finger in its mouth, claiming that "they're coming to get me," before the second individual (dressed as a French maid) commands him to bend over. The second individual repeatedly spanks the first with a flyswatter while the latter pleads to "make it stop." The transmission cuts to black and then ''Doctor Who'' resumes at the scene where the Fourth Doctor surmises that Ben had died of electrocution. Representatives for WTTW later admitted that they were powerless to stop the broadcast because the engineers were not on duty at the Sears Tower transmitters. | ||
In the days following, the scene from ''Horror of Fang Rock'' that had been interrupted was rebroadcast on local Chicago and national media. The individuals responsible for the illegal hijacking of the two broadcast signals have never been identified or apprehended; it is also a mystery as to whether the ''Doctor Who'' broadcast had been targeted specifically, or if the pranksters just happened to choose that moment to begin their hijack. | In the days following, the scene from ''Horror of Fang Rock'' that had been interrupted was rebroadcast on local Chicago and national media. The individuals responsible for the illegal hijacking of the two broadcast signals have never been identified or apprehended; it is also a mystery as to whether the ''Doctor Who'' broadcast had been targeted specifically, or if the pranksters just happened to choose that moment to begin their hijack. | ||
