Micro Men (BBC4) Drama

raigraphixs · 07-10-2009, 12:42 PM

Thurs 8th October - 9pm BBC4

Alexander Armstrong as Cliver Sinclair, and Martin Freeman as Chris Curry, co-founder of Acorn Computers.

Quote:

Affectionately comic drama about the British home computer boom of the early 1980s.

Legendary inventor Clive Sinclair battles it out with ex-employee Chris Curry, founder of Acorn Computers, for dominance in the fledgling market.
The rivalry comes to a head when the BBC announce their Computer Literacy Project, with the stated aim of putting a micro in every school in Britain. When Acorn wins the contract, Sinclair is furious, and determines to outsell the BBC Micro with his ZX Spectrum computer.

Home computing arrives in Britain in a big way, but is the country big enough for both men?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGiGrf2YyZE

mattrixdesign2 · 07-10-2009, 12:45 PM

Looking forward to this, any one catch Charlie Brookers Gameswipe - it took a rather fresh look on video games

krish · 07-10-2009, 5:11 PM

I wonder if they'll feature Robert Maxell and Alan Sugar too
Cap'n Bob was in the process of buying Sinclair Research, and then pulled out (bouncing check?

); Alan Sugar later acquired the Sinclair Research brand and the Spectrum for Amstrad

raigraphixs · 08-10-2009, 10:01 PM

Very enjoyable drama

even Sugar popped up in footage. Maybe Clive should off made a flying phone, the amount off times he threw one out off a window

Great to look back to those days when it was all new and exciting, and being a involved in some minor speccy and c64 games back then (below), bought back some fond memories.

Google is amazing!

Bugman114 · 08-10-2009, 10:06 PM

I really enjoyed the nostalgia trip but I'm thankful for the advances in technology!

raigraphixs · 08-10-2009, 10:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bugman114

I really enjoyed the nostalgia trip but I'm thankful for the advances in technology!

Yes but that was advance for that time and price

I used to loath the colour clash on the speccy

MoFoHo · 09-10-2009, 9:43 AM

Was it just me, or did anybody else really just want to give poor old Sir Clive a big hug! Poor fella, so defiant, even when being passed by those huge trucks at the end....
I had a Spectrum, and loved it.

krish · 09-10-2009, 10:29 AM

repeated on BBC4 at 10pm tomorrow and Monday, and on BBC HD at 9pm Wednesday

BBC - BBC Four Programmes - Micro Men
BBC iPlayer - Micro Men

Broadcasts
Sat 10 Oct 2009 22:00 BBC Four
Mon 12 Oct 2009 22:00 BBC Four
Wed 14 Oct 2009 21:00 BBC HD

orpheus · 09-10-2009, 10:35 AM

I really enjoyed that. Great nostalgia trip. I didn't have a ZX81 or Speccy, I had an Oric1 with all of 16K RAM. But it was exciting to have my own computer at the time.
I wonder how much of the drama was based on fact. Clive came across as such a control freak.

Kevo · 09-10-2009, 4:02 PM

Really enjoyed it, even if Clive's make up and wig was a bit dodgy.

dvdphile · 09-10-2009, 8:15 PM

I really enjoyed it too. It was a trip down memory lane. I had a zx81 and even bought the 16k ram pack. It was so funny to hear about the wobble problem. We used to hold it in place with an elastic band! It would also get very hot!

It was also great to see manic miner and JSW again!!

PoochJD · 10-10-2009, 11:50 AM

Hi,

Watched this yesterday evening, and absolutely loved it! All the memories of the big computer fight-out between my friends - those who were devout Electron fans, those who were Commodore 64 fans, and me on the side of the Sinclair Spectrum - came flooding back!

Was lovely to see the ZX81, the Speccy 48k (the little rubber-keyed chum), as well as seeing Clive being interviewed by a young journalist from "Sinclair User" magazine. (I was a regular purchaser of that, when I were a lad!

)

Loved the use of archive footage - Chris Serle, the old orange and brown WH Smiths logo (and uniform); and the giant shelves filled with cassette tapes of Spectrum computer games!

A genuinely great little drama. I just wish it had been a 2-parter, or at least a lot longer. It was great spending time in Clive and Chris's worlds again.

Pooch

pRot3us · 10-10-2009, 1:42 PM

Great program indeed, a nice nostalgia trip to the early days of home computing.

I didn't realise Clive was such a hothead, but in hindsight it he did look sometimes like his blood was boiling under the surface.

Amazing how far the technology has come when put into perspective, the early eighties really do look a long time ago now.

God I feel old

Kevo · 10-10-2009, 3:07 PM

Wasn't he also a bit of a 'ladies man'? Didn't he have an affair with his secretary or some blonde? Money talks! That or his attractive balding red hair!

fruitfly · 10-10-2009, 3:19 PM

I missed this the other night, but have set the timer to remind me for later tonight

I love a bit of nostalgia. Also before this tonight is the program, Electric Dreams 1 of 3, the 70's. Re-runs, I caught the 80's one a few nights back. great program.
I had a Speccy - 48k and then a 128+2. Great machines in the day, and you only had to wait five or ten minutes for a game to load

At least you had a hypnotic display to look at whilst you waited. I think I fried a few brain cells and gave my eyesight a bashing too with all the loading screens I sat through.
Jet Pac and Ghostbusters were my faves.

Dellboy · 10-10-2009, 5:16 PM

Fantastic blast from the past.

I was in the BBC camp and spent hours playing Elite. I remember introducing one of my friends to Elite. He lasted about 15 minutes before he had to stop due to motion sickness.

j0hn · 10-10-2009, 6:28 PM

Missed it, did they say how much a boxed zx81 with memory pack and some games is worth these days?

in other words... am I a millionaire yet!!?? hahaha

PoochJD · 11-10-2009, 12:41 PM

Hi,

No references were made in the drama, to what a ZX81, Acorn Electron, BBC Micro or Spectrum 48k would now be worth. However, I'm sure if any of you out there have working versions of these old PC's, then they probably may be worth something reasonable, if you have plenty of software, and the kit is all in very good nick.

I was a Spectrum 48k-er, then upgraded to a Spectrum 128 +2A (with attached tape deck), before moving onto an Amiga A500 Plus (Lemmings Pack), Amiga A600 (with internal 40mb hard drive that I installed myself), and then onto various IBM PC's and/or Laptops.

What about the rest of you?

Pooch

**Garrett** · 11-10-2009, 1:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PoochJD

Hi,

No references were made in the drama, to what a ZX81, Acorn Electron, BBC Micro or Spectrum 48k would now be worth. Pooch

Not a lot.

I started of with a BBC Model B with 16k more memory the the Modle A that only had 16k memory.
Had a chip fitted to use a disc drive and fitted a chip myself to use the teletex feture and down load stuff. Went ot a Amiga 500 from ther and then on to PC's.

maverick177uk · 11-10-2009, 3:50 PM

Great programme brought back some memories I had a Dragon 32 with Chucky Egg but always wanted a Spectrum. I moved onto an Amiga then consoles until getting a PC in 2001 loved the shots of Knighlore etc in the programme.

krish · 11-10-2009, 5:37 PM

Most kids I knew with BBC Model Bs had them forced upon them by parents, convinced they were highly educational

I only ever had a 48K rubber key speccy, bought in 82, before getting my own first personal PC in 2000; probably stopped using it in 1990, boxed up in the loft now, keyboard fairly rogered by Hypersports

j0hn · 12-10-2009, 8:22 AM

was told i could have a sx spectrum if I passed my 11+ yep failed, well was on the reserve list so my mother told me. If someone dropped out I was in. Received a zx81 as consulation. House had a BBC computer and I loved playing Chucky Egg and that other game with the Lizard was it and the Eggs and stones (someone will know) Other friends had Amigas. Didnt really get into computers till much later, Windows 95 era

VinylHogger · 12-10-2009, 12:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by krish

Most kids I knew with BBC Model Bs had them forced upon them by parents, convinced they were highly educational

I only ever had a 48K rubber key speccy, bought in 82, before getting my own first personal PC in 2000; probably stopped using it in 1990, boxed up in the loft now, keyboard fairly rogered by Hypersports

Ha ha, me and my cousin were palying Hypersports on my ZX Spectrum + last night. Still a brilliant game though I did fear for my joytstick!

Talk about how far technology has advanced, as my tape recorder went a bit dodgey, I have discivered that by converting the spectrum .tzx and .tap files into wav, I can now plug my spectrum into my mobile phone's 3.5mm jack and I can load games from my phone!

I wonder if Sir Clive at the forsight to say 'One day, it will be possible to load games from a mobile phone that can fit in your pocket, without the need for tapes at all'.

Really it was hugely entertaining and have watched it twice so far. Really well done and love the black comedy elements, notably the 'creame rises to the top' scene.

It also had a really brilliant sound track. Anywhere I can get the tracklist?

Alexes · 12-10-2009, 5:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by j0hn

was told i could have a sx spectrum if I passed my 11+ yep failed, well was on the reserve list so my mother told me. If someone dropped out I was in. Received a zx81 as consulation. House had a BBC computer and I loved playing Chucky Egg and that other game with the Lizard was it and the Eggs and stones (someone will know) Other friends had Amigas. Didnt really get into computers till much later, Windows 95 era

I think you are talking about Repton.

j0hn · 12-10-2009, 10:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alexes

I think you are talking about Repton.

Yep thats the one. Spent hours on that when I was allowed. Thanks

Shady · 13-10-2009, 7:06 AM

...aaah, Dragon 32's, Port Talbot's finest...

Kelltic · 13-10-2009, 8:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by krish

Most kids I knew with BBC Model Bs had them forced upon them by parents, convinced they were highly educational

I didnt have a BBC Model, but my dad did get me a Commodore Vic 20 for christmas one year instead of the zx spectrum 48k that I wanted due to the fact it had a proper keyboard and hence was more educational

I can laugh now

krish · 13-10-2009, 9:09 AM

remember the 'warning' about the spectrum+?
- don't turn upside down as the keys will fall out

wasn't that a running joke, because of quality issues with early batches - the keys actually did fall out

raigraphixs · 13-10-2009, 9:53 AM

YouTube - ZX Spectrum 80's Advert
YouTube - Commodore Vic-20 commercial
YouTube - Commodore 64 commercial (1985)
YouTube - BBC Micro Live 1986 - Computer Animation

PoochJD · 13-10-2009, 12:29 PM

Hi,

Just had a look on eBay UK, and the following seems to be the average prices for various machines in working order:

Speccy 48k - £35-£45

Spectrum 128k +2/+2A - £50-£100

Spectrum 3A - £50-£70

BBC 32k Micro - £50-£300 (the top price being for a machine with practically everything that was ever made for this machine)

Acorn Electron - £60-£80

Commodore 64 - £100

Amiga 500/A500 Plus - £35-£100 (big price differences, depending on what's included)

Amiga A600 - £60

Pooch