The Computer Programme -- pretitle and titles

[ryalman21]

Roy Kinnear makes a great computer salesman doesn't he?

And Chris Searle was just so unbelievably thick all through the series :-)

Great casting, guys at the BBC.

[jawbraeka]

The computer salesman is the guy from willy wonka and the chocolate factory... and he doesn't look that much older/younger.

[SegaMegadriveMic]

Kraftwerk - Computer World

[mistofoles]

How come Roy Kinnear only looks 3 foot tall in this??

[CraddockBrown]

@mistofoles Because Chris Searle is about 9 feet tall.

[InARoundaboutWay]

Excellent stuff. And Kraftwerk's 'Computer World' tune as the music. Wicked...

[1990chrism]

Isn't that the Post Office guy?

[willrs]

There were two version of this opening programme. The other one has Searle talking about "IT'82" in front of a plain black background, and warning us that "It's happening now"... hence the title of the first show. I'm not sure which was the original version and which went out on repeat broadcasts.

[dunebasher1971]

@willrs the original version is the "IT82" one. The very first edition of TCP went out on Monday 11th January 1982. The Searle-and-Kinnear intro was used for the repeats in 1983, and possibly for the ones in mid-to-late 1982 as well. TCP was on almost constant repeat throughout 1982 and 1983.

[willrs]

@dunebasher1971 Makes sense!  Thanks!

[mildlydiverting]

BITC VHS copy from the Windmill Road library? :)

[CraddockBrown]

For some reason the proper library copy is without opening titles.

[D4rrenCr4bb]

I was glued to the telly whenever this program came on! ... brings back great memories of phone couplers, logo turtles and BBC B computers! I was only 12 at the time but it still feels like 'just the other day' . I'm trying to find a clip of the 'breakdancing trees' that I believe was shown on this programme (or one of the following spin-off programmes) ... anyone remember that or know if any clips exist?

[MarkTheMorose]

I've never seen this clip before, though I do remember The Computer Programme. A boy at school mentioned this little clip once, never thought I'd see it, and didn't know it was associated with this programme. At the end of every show, some dry academic called Rex Malik (?) talked (with a speech impediment) about some profound aspect of what computers will mean for us in the future; only one springs to mind: him going on about 'Garbage In, Garbage Out'. Shame about the timecode at the bottom.

[alr532]

Me lo dijo Colossus :D.

[CastleDeacon]

Ohh, Roy Kinnear as the sales chappy, bless him. I remember watching these shows with techno lust, the BBC computer was too expensive for the likes of me. I built my first computer from a kit then took it to school. That was the first time my school ever saw a computer.

*sigh* those were the days.

I wish we could see all these programs again. Thanks for this clip.

[ukpete2006]

Excellent stuff! That's the first time I've seen this in 26 years - brings back memories.