Image for Micro MenNot currently available on BBC iPlayer

Duration: 1 hour, 20 minutes

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?

Last on

Thu 24 Feb 2011 21:00 BBC Four

  • Photo: Sinclair C5

    Photo: Sinclair C5

    Inventor Clive Sinclair (Alexander Armstrong) takes a spin in the Sinclair C5.

  • Photo: Acorn Computers

    Photo: Acorn Computers

    Chris Curry (Tim Freeman) and the team at Acorn Computers show off their latest innovation the Acorn Atom - the precursor to the BBC Micro computer.

  • Electric Dreams: Time Tunnel

    Electric Dreams: Time Tunnel

    Reminisce about the games, gadgets and gizmos of the 70s, 80s and 90s in the Electric Dreams' Time Tunnel.

    Explore the Time Tunnel

  • Electric Revolution

    Electric Revolution

    This series was part of Electric Revolution - a BBC Four season that charted the rise of today's globally-linked, instantly-gratified digital culture.

    Find out what else was shown in Electric Revolution

  • Memoryshare: Share your memories of early personal computers

    Memoryshare: Share your memories of early personal computers

    BBC Memoryshare is a living archive of memories from 1900 to the present day. Why not contribute your memories of the early days of personal computing?

    Read about a Memoryshare contributor's first Acorn computer

Credits

Clive Sinclair
Alexander Armstrong
Chris Curry
Martin Freeman
Hermann Hauser
Edward Baker-Duly
Steve Furber
Sam Phillips
Roger Wilson
Stefan Butler
Jim Westwood
Colin Michael Carmichael
Nigel Searle
Derek Riddell
Valerie
Rhona Croker
Cynthia
Amy Beth Hayes
Ann Sinclair
Nicola Harrison
Director
Saul Metzstein
Producer
Andrea Cornwell
Writer
Tony Saint

Broadcasts

See all broadcasts of Micro Men (10)

BBC © 2013 The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read more.

This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets (CSS) enabled. While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets (CSS) if you are able to do so.