Micro Men

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Micro Men
Micro Men.png
Micro Men title card.
Genre Documentary Drama
Written by Tony Saint
Directed by Saul Metzstein
Country of origin United Kingdom
Language(s) English
Production
Producer(s) Andrea Cornwell
Running time 84 mins
Broadcast
Original channel BBC Four
Original airing 8 October 2009[1]
External links
Website

Micro Men is a one-off BBC drama television show set in the late 1970s and 1980s, about the rise of the British home computer market. It focuses on the rivalry between Sir Clive Sinclair, who developed the ZX Spectrum, and Chris Curry, the man behind the BBC Micro; played by Alexander Armstrong and Martin Freeman respectively.

Contents

[edit] Plot

The drama is centred on two of the leading players and their respective companies in the home computer market of the late 1970s and early 80s focusing on the race to become the provider of a home computer for the BBC's programming for schools. Certain parts of the drama are based on historical fact whilst others are mere dramatisation and a version of events at the time.

[edit] Production and release

The programme was created by independent production company Darlow Smithson and was written by Tony Saint, directed by Saul Metzstein and produced by Andrea Cornwell. It was produced as a BBC Drama, shot in the UK, with some scenes shot in and around the colleges of Cambridge on 15 July 2009. The computers and technical props for the production, including the Sinclair C5, were supplied by The Centre for Computing History in Haverhill.

The programme's working title was Syntax Era.[2][3]

The programme's opening title theme is "Pulstar" from the 1976 album Albedo 0.39 by Vangelis.

It was first shown on the UK channel BBC Four on 8 October 2009.

[edit] Factual errors

In the pub at 5:20, it shows someone playing a Tempest arcade machine, which would not be released until 1981, 3 years after the scene is meant to be set in. At the computer show, where Curry is promoting the Acorn Atom and Clive Sinclair is promoting the ZX80, library footage at 27:04 shows visitors using Amstrad CPCs, embedded in a counter, with their distinctive coloured keyboards and integrated cassette decks. However, Amstrad had not entered the computer market at that time and the Amstrad CPC would not be introduced until 1984. Throughout the show, they call the Z80A processor the ZX80A processor. In the advert where Clive Sinclair announces the ZX Spectrum, it shows MIDI OUT port, the MIDI standard would not be published until 1983, one year after the Spectrum's release, however the MIDI OUT port would be part of the Sinclair Spectrum 128 model.

[edit] Cast

[edit] Cameo appearances

Sophie Wilson, part of the Acorn development team, played the part of the pub landlady calling time (around 1h 21m).

Jim Westwood can be seen reading a magazine behind Martin Freeman in WH Smith.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Teeman, Tim (2009-10-09). "Last Night's TV". The Times (The Times). http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/tv_and_radio/article6866534.ece. Retrieved 2011-05-16. 
  2. ^ "British Comedy Guide: Micro Men". British Comedy Guide. http://www.comedy.org.uk/guide/tv/micro_men/. Retrieved 2012-02-16. 
  3. ^ "Sir Clive Vs The BBC". Edge. Future Publishing. 2009-08-25. http://media.next-gen.biz/features/sir-clive-vs-bbc?page=show. Retrieved 2012-02-16. 

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Micro_Men&oldid=477220273"
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