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The Computer Programme (1): It's Happening Now (Introduction to Computing)

Jesús Zafra (Lobogris)
Documentaries
YouTube
1 HN user recommended this documentary1 month2014–2025 score 1
Years with an HN recommendation, 2007–2026

Cited as nostalgic period documentation of the early UK microcomputer era, with commenters fondly remembering the series and the BBC Micro.

The first episode of the BBC's 1982 television series The Computer Programme, introducing home computing to a general audience. It surveys mainframes, early personal computers such as the BBC Micro and Commodore PET, and the changing computer market of the time.

“A very good look at changing markets.” (HN, 2015)

1 recommendations · 2 citations · Documentaries · partly dated

3 Hacker News comments

From the HN archive; up to 20 kept per video, favoring different commenters. Recommendations first.

@brudgers Dec 2015 Recommends
on HN thread The Computer Programme and Micro Live
Episodes: 1. It's Happening Now: [this video] 2. Getting Down to Basic: [link] 3. Micro Live [with visit to Alan Turing play]: [link] 4. Clive Sinclair and Alan Sugar: [link] A very good look at changing markets. 5. -- Compilation 6. Blocked by YouTube.
Episode list of the BBC Computer Programme; shows changing markets.

Citations, criticism and jokes

@dtf Feb 2014 Cites it
on HN thread Mac and the Micro – memories of Ian McNaught-Davis
I loved that programme and I loved my Model B. Serle & Mac were so easy to watch. It was on BBC2 (then so were a bunch of great early morning Open University programmes on subjects that were way over my young head). [this video] Wasn't there also a weekly Radio 4 computer programme where they'd transmit a program that you could record on tape and then load onto your computer?
@AlbertoGP Aug 2025 Cites it
on HN thread The man with a Home Computer (1967) [video]
That man, Rex Malik, participated in (among other things) the 1982 BBC series “The Computer Programme” ( [link] ), typically in a small section at the end on an episode but also as narrator in other parts and is credited as “Programme Adviser”: Episode 1 - “It’s Happening Now”: [this video] Episode 4 - “It’s on the Computer”: [link] Episode 5 - “The New Media“: [link] Episode 10 - “Things to Come”: [link]
Episode 1 of the 1982 BBC series.

Video list and Hacker News comment labels from HackerTube (prompted by @karpathy), released under ODC-By 1.0, built on the open-index/hacker-news archive. Hacker News data is provided by Y Combinator; comments remain the work of their authors. Video titles, channel names and thumbnails belong to their creators and are shown via YouTube. HackerTube Watch is an unofficial edition. Data export of 2026-10-31.

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