The Computer Programme Episode 1: It's Happening Now (introduction to computing)

The Computer Programme was a TV series, produced by Paul Kriwaczek, originally broadcast by the BBC (on BBC2) in 1982. The idea behind the series was to introduce people to computers and show them what they were capable of. The BBC wanted to use their own computer, so the BBC Micro was developed as part of the BBC Computer Literacy Project, and was featured in this series. The series was successful enough for two series to follow it, namely Making the Most of the Micro in 1983 and Micro Live from 1984 until 1987.
The two studio presenters were Ian McNaught-Davis (known as 'Mac') and Chris Serle, the former showing the latter some of the rudimentary basics of computer operation and BASIC programming. The 'on location' reporter was Gill Nevill.
Each programme would normally start with either Serle or McNaught-Davis introducing a real life situation where computers are being (or could be) applied - examples included the office, a car factory and the British Library. This would form the theme which would underpin the demonstrations shown on the programme.

[@jimsimpson1006]

I love watching these old programmes, partly out of interest and partly pure nostalgia. Thanks for preserving and uploading them. In my opinion, it has to be one of the best uses of KZbin.

[@edetmmekut809]

Same here i think am weird

[@rafiqadarr6217]

I also love these old programmes and collect 1980s computer books, for nostalgia.

[@horder2344]

Watching this 39 years later that was an exciting time as a teenager in the early 80s. Love the Kraftwerk theme music too!

[@deanhall4064]

Me too, but i was only 9 years old at the time and in primary school, I love and still love the early 1980s computers like the BBC Micro, had my first home computer which was a ZX Spectrum 48K bought for me by my parents for Christmas 1984, I sent many happy hours typing in computer listings and playing games, I now have a modern apple Mac mini. It's amazing how far technology has come since the humble yet brilliant and still brilliant BBC Micro. The Kraftwerk theme music to 'The Computer Programme' series is 'Computer World' the title track from Kraftwerk's 1981 album of the same name, i have it here on the original LP pressing here.

[@thebadgamer1967]

I was 13 in 1980 it was my decade my first computer was a Commodore Vic20 for Christmas 1983 I've been hooked ever since

[@makara80]

The BBC really did hit the ground running with this show - especially the format. Indeed, it was shrewd to have the main presenter (Chris Searle), by his own admission, largely ignorant of computing (and by exstension the burgeoning micro home computer revolution) to act as pseudo 'interpreter' for the audience. Together with the far more technically proficient 'Mac', novice Chris could convey potentially impenetrable technical information to the audience in a more _digestible_ manner. Even better, Chris essentially _learned with the audience_ as the series progressed too. Informative yet accessible. Complex yet simplified (but crucially _not_ dumbed-down)....what more could a largely bewildered yet enthusiastic early 80's micro computer owner ask for?! Good stuff.

[@anterax4097]

It’s one of the best, and still weirdly relevant, documentaries I’ve ever seen, and I’d only just discovered it a few years ago (I rewatch it frequently). They predicted, so accurately, a lot of the current innovations we have now; what they didn’t foresee was the advent of the Smartphone.

[@Zooumberg]

RIP Ian McNaught-Davis. You got me into computers, from the beginning of consumer computers. So much has changed since the early 80's, some things have improved, some not so. I hate the dumbing down of computers for the people who can't be bothered to learn one of man's most important tools.

[@anterax4097]

He was an excellent host and individual. Super smart and classy.

[@andymerrett]

Ian Trackman also passed away in 2023.

[@willo300]

Happy memories, steered me onto my career path of systems analyst/developer. Technology has come a long way since 1981 but programming is still about logic and creativity. A great tv programme/program :-D

[@ColinHoad]

Such a well made series, and a superb introduction to both the concept and the potential of computers right in the very first episode. Chris and Mac are a perfect duo, and then the icing on the cake: that sublime Kraftwerk music 👌 BBC television programming at its very best.

[@chitpaul]

30 to 40 years later a little device called a mobile phone is millions of times faster than this.. how amazing. Had a BBC micro B.. bat & ball was the game to have.

[@ewaf88]

Tron blew me away in 1982 , so this series was very timely. Chris will be 80 in July. It looks like BA computers have gone backwards since this was made

[@robinromei]

Interesting, seems very impartial and well reasoned. A far cry from modern Television. Different Class

[@hedgehog1965uk]

4:04 If the Cray supercomputer ran at 50 MIPS, then the five year old i7 2600K CPU in my PC is *2,343* times more powerful than the Cray, and that doesn't even take into account the processing power of the GPU on my graphics card. That's the advancement of 30 years of technology.

[@derekrevell]

In relation to the piece on the Lady in the sweet shop in Bucklersbury, Hitchin, I would say that the young boy was related to Phylis, they have very similar features, both boys were pupils at Hitchin Boys Grammar school.

[@andymerrett]

The irony now is that you'd need thousands of CRAYs to match even a single modern smartphone, tablet or laptop/desktop computer. Incredible power we have now and the kids most likely don't even realise.

[@stewartlynch1284]

Forty years later, I.T. is stronger than ever.

[@camelcase811]

I remember excitedly watching these programmes back when I was just starting secondary school. I learnt to code on a BBC model B. The games were fun but the coding gave me a massive dopamine hit. I've been programming for a living the last 30 years or so now.

[@RobertaTMS_]

❤ Kraftwerk

[@capri2673]

Loved this, "Making the Most of the Micro", "Micro Live" and "Database" (ITV). Computers were a lot of fun in those days, as primitive as they were.

[@Spookieham]

That Pet with twin disks was a serious investment for its time

[@makara80]

Yes, Phylis's setup was quite surprising as I was expecting her to own little more than a ZX81! As you say, her PET setup would'be been prohibitively expensive to most small business owners in 1981. That said, and as the segment implied, Phylis clearly didn't invest in a computer just for herself and was evidently planning to diversify by offering her computing services to other small businesses. Regardless, loved her sense of practicality and incorrigible enthusiasm for new tech!

[@antmorrow1]

watch this many time and love it, first time watching this with auto subtitles on.... WOW KZbin what a mess, funny but completely wired.

[@richy69ify]

IAN - "One day you'll have all the power of that mini/mainframe computer on a chip" - CHRIS - "riiiight"

[@andymerrett]

RIP Ian Trackman.

[@bobdinwiddy]

excellent 👌

[@Spookieham]

10p for a packet of fruit pastilles? Good old days!

[@PazBinv1]

Yes, the prices of sweets - and the choice available - dates the programme more than anything else!

[@kargaroc386]

ARM ultimately came from this

[@dara_1989]

complex as hell .. i admire d patience :D!

[@haroldfarthington7492]

Anyone know what ever happened to Phyllis?

[@blackcatcoffee4693]

Does anyone know where I can find the advert at 6:21? Can’t seem to find it

[@N64Guy]

look it's Devin miles

[@conscienceaginBlackadder]

10:35 "What use could I get out of it ?" EXACTLY. Having your own isolated computer, before the web, like the BBC Micro launched alongside this series, actually was not much use. It was hyped as doing "all sorts of things", but games and the fancy typing called word-processing were the only practical things it did. Neither of which you really needed at home. At 18:48, on the spot to show a serious use, he goes for the first rudiments of the web, getting the computer to phone a database - the cheaper home computers that your teachers pressured you to buy + expect great learning value from, could not do that. Or anything practical.

[@computerfis]

I have to disagree with you. Computer like that was used for all sorts of things. They were cheap, comparably. And they used computers for all sorts of things in the 80's. Just seen a guy on youtube restoring a computer that was probably used in a factory, it got oil all over it. You speak of word-processing, which was a very nice tool indeed. But you fail to mention all the other useful programs like excel like programs to do complicated math on all sorts of business related data. An old humouris series from 82 - 83 in my country denmark the show how working in a big company, and the change to computer which one guy rejected. Look my point is in 82. computers was used for much more ever. networking in big business internally, and small networking on the pc side bbs's and so on.

[@kargaroc386]

You wouldn't even want to word process on these, as they had very limited memory space for writing, and the way they drew the picture meant that you couldn't show fancier text, so you had to learn various style control codes that would determine what the printout would look like. Also many of them were 40 columns or less, so they couldn't show a full page worth of text at once. On the other hand, modems weren't that hard to get.

[@cowbutt6]

​​@@kargaroc386I used to use one of the more limited 80s micros - a 48K ZX Spectrum - for word processing: my school essays, letters, CVs for summer jobs, and so on. The word processor I used included a custom text rendering routine to squeeze 40 characters per line where normally only 32 would fit. It would certainly seem primitive to anyone used to modern WYSIWYG word processing software, but it was a big improvement for drafting and making corrections and revisions than writing longhand, or even using a typewriter. After the memory lost to the word processing software and that necessary for it to function, there was still enough memory left for about 15 full pages. And there was a separate program to combine multiple files into a single printed document (which I never had need to use).

[@michaelteasdill6410]

Forgive me but I thought KRAFTWERK - Computer World was the theme tune? kzbin.info/www/bejne/a6rFgop6a7NpkNE

[@mikel7509]

Sounds like it

[@capri2673]

I wonder what Rex would think about AI.

[@johnmiller0000]

I'd forgotten about Wekth Malik.

[@bobdinwiddy]

@11:30 : D I S C ! ! !

[@Question3verything]

Wont catch on these computer things… just a fad😊

[@bobdinwiddy]

a t a r i # f o r e v v â h . . . ! $ $ $