Micro Men - the Clive Sinclair story

[SiHart]

The Guardian has news of this forthcoming drama which may interest some Spectrum fans on PS!

Alexander Armstrong and Martin Freeman are to star in a new BBC4 factual-based comedy drama about the rise of the home computer market in the 1980s.

The show, which is currently in production with an expected broadcast date later this year, will focus on the rivalry between the maverick Sir Clive Sinclair, played by Armstrong, and his former colleague Chris Curry, portrayed by Freeman. It has the working title Syntax Era.

Made by Darlow Smithson, the independent producer behind Touching the Void and The Diary of Anne Frank, it is described as an "affectionately comic account" of the race for home computer supremacy, with Sinclair's ZX Spectrum and C5 battling Curry's BBC Micro.

Richard Klein, controller of BBC4, said: "Those of us who lived through the 1980s will remember the sense of excitement when gadgets and technology started to appear in our homes, but not many of us will know the fascinating stories behind their arrival.

"Alexander Armstrong and Martin Freeman are excellent choices to portray Sir Clive Sinclair and Chris Curry at a time when battling to have the UK's most-loved home computer was their number one priority."

Written by Tony Saint, the 90-minute drama will use archive footage to illustrate the buzz around Sinclair and Curry's inventions, with classic clips from programmes such as John Craven's Newsround.

Syntax Era will be directed by Saul Metzstein and produced by Andrea Cornwell, with Jamie Laurenson executive producing.

Si xx

[Rob McCow]

*groan* syntax era!

So, Martin Freeman is back (back!) from Hollywood. Despite my interest in the Sinclair Spectrum, I don't like Martin so I don't know if I'll enjoy this.

[Andrew Curnow]

If it's BBC4 it'll probably be one of those slightly odd 'fact-based' dramas, a la the Mary Whitehouse one last year. Good title though, if you like puns (I do)!

[Lord President]

I'm looking forward to this! ;-)

[SiHart]

It'll be fine as long as Martin Freeman doesn't play the usual twat he always plays. Honestly he is the only person who could have played Arthur Dent, one of the most likeable characters there is, in a twattish, unlikeable way.

Si xx

[WhiteCrowNZ]

This sounds really good. BBC4 has really taken over the mantle of "play for the day" from the mainstream channels. The recent plays on Laurel and Hardy and Kenneth Williams have been nothing short of superb ...

[Dino]

http://www.zxspecturm.net/

But then you all knew about that site right?
(It's only Dictator that doesn't seem to crash on me!)
Look forward to this...well... I'm slightly interested...

[Philipnet]

A film to be called Syntax Era, that will document the rivalry between Clive Sinclair and Acorn co-founder Chris Curry, will be screened by the BBC with the help of The Centre of Computing History. The programme will star Martin Freeman, from The Office, alongside Alexander Armstrong, of Armstrong and Miller sketch show fame, who will play Sinclair. It is likely to be aired in the autumn on BBC4, we're told. Filming starts on Monday, June 22 in London. It was written by Tony Saint. More to follow later.

Source: http://www.drobe.co.uk/article.php?id=2520&nc=14

[Rob McCow]

AND YOU COULD BE IN IT!!!

Extras are needed to feature in a new BBC documentary drama about the computer war of the 1980s.

BBC4 is producing a dramatisation of the rivalry between Clive Sinclair and Chris Currey as they attempt to launch the first home computers.

The two leads will be played by actors Martin Freeman and Alexander Armstrong.

The BBC are looking for extras to appear during filming, which will take place at Merchant Taylors' School, in Sandy Lodge, Northwood, on Wednesday, July 8.

Producers are looking for men, and some women, aged 18 to 60 with a late 70s/early 80s look, with “plenty of hair”.

The roles of extras will mainly be as science students and Mensa members.

Anyone interested in taking part should telephone Amy Clamp on 07931 662296 or email amyclamp61@hotmail.com.

http://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/new...extra_/?ref=mr

[WhiteCrowNZ]

Or in other words "nerds wanted" ... thinking of applying???

[Lord President]

Or in other words "nerds wanted" ... thinking of applying???

I would, but I don't have the hair!

[Philipnet]

The BBC have a uploaded a trailer on the BBC 4 website showing scenes from Micro Men, a drama that "provides an affectionately comic account of the race for home computer supremacy in the 1980s". It was previously titled Syntax Era, but the name was changed after executives feared non-geeks wouldn't get the pun. The programme charts the battle between Acorn and Sinclair, and stars Martin Freeman (The Office) as Acorn co-founder Chris Curry and Alexander Armstrong (Armstrong and Miller) as Sir Clive Sinclair.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pre...ewpoints.shtml

[Alex]

This aired sometime last week, though I missed it at the time due to the lack of publicity about it. Anyway, it's on the iplayer now, and tis very enjoyable stuff. I won't say too much about it, but it certainly made me very nostalgic for the old 8 bit computer days, it's genuinely funny and dramatic in places, and I learnt a lot from it - most surprisingly that Sir Clive could be a right snarky git sometimes.

The only negative thing I have to say about it is how bad Alexander Armstrongs bald wig is, they've clearly spent a lot of money on the film so it's weird it looks so rubbish.

[Perry Vale]

Me & a friend both really enjoyed this show, although I really have to say I think Armstrong was woefully miscast as Sinclair.....

[Alex]

I thought he was okay, but he played him far too confidently, whereas I always remember Sir Clive to be a tad on the geeky side (and watching some old youtube clips confirms this) - though it's difficult to say whether it was Armstrong or the director who is at fault for it.

[Dino]

I thought it joined best thing on BBC Four this year alongside "Gameswipe".
It's a drama documentary so there is probably a bit of salt pinching but I thought Armstrong was pretty good.
A BAFTA or am I being dafter?

[WhiteCrowNZ]

They so should have got the creator of the "Guinevere One" to play Clive - he's a good likeness.

[Paul Monk]

I finished watching it this morning too and like Alex it was a very nostalgic experience.
I agree about the bald wig though! Nice to see a certain icon of the 80's, Peter Davison, appear as the bank manager. Oh and Vila from Blakes 7.

[SiHart]

We turned off after the first few minutes. maybe the nostlagia wasn't enough to get over the Martin Freeman drag factor.

Nice to hear an arrangement of the Think Again theme as the theme for this though.

Si xx

[Rob McCow]

I thought it was snide, unpleasant and depressing from the start and I turned it off after 10 minutes.

From the moment they had Sinclair having a swearing outburst in his private office it seemed totally wrong. It set the tone at 'These people were a useless bunch of idiots' and I found that quite annoying; weren't they supposed to be celebrating Sir Clive Sinclair and his team? They should have just called it 'The 80's Office', because that's all that they seem to know how to do.

[Philipnet]

I liked it, although my recording missed the end of the episode .
I never had any affinity for Sinclair products - I was/am an Acorn man at heart - so I don't care how Sir Clive was portrayed

[Paul Monk]

I think perhaps they portrayed Sinclair as the 'baddie' but I don't think they showed him as stupid. In fact there were many cheeky remarks made that I think highlighted that he was way ahead of his time in some areas.
I liked the archive footage that they thew into the mix as well.

[WhiteCrowNZ]

I managed to watch about 30 minutes of it, the story isn't quite the best. That wig thing is just awful, and Armstrong's acting not much better. "I've gone from playing a computer to playing their creator ..."