HackerTube.dev

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

Jesús Zafra (Lobogris) · 83.8K views · 2012-09-06 · 25:23

Open on YouTube ↗

If playback is restricted in your region, try opening the original video. Use Mark watched to add it to your marked videos.

Overview

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.

On Hacker News

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

Recommended by 1 HN people across 1 months · HN mentions 2014–2025

Topics

History of computingDemoscene & retrocomputing
Search by tags
bbc micro1980s computingtelevision seriespersonal computerscommodore pet

What people said

brudgers · 2015-12 · Recommendation

Episodes: 1. It's Happening Now: [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.

Read the original HN comment ↗
AlbertoGP · 2025-08 · Reference

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”: [VIDEO] Episode 4 - “It’s on the Computer”: [LINK] Episode 5 - “The New Media“: [LINK] Episode 10 - “Things to Come”: [LINK]

Read the original HN comment ↗
dtf · 2014-02 · Reference

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). [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?

Read the original HN comment ↗

Sources

Video by Jesús Zafra (Lobogris), played through YouTube.

Data and selection notes

HN summaries and labels may contain AI errors. HN dates refer to discussions, not video publication.

HN Library: HackerTube export (2026-10-31) and open-index/hacker-news. Upstream summaries and classifications may contain AI errors.

Views, duration and playback status refresh separately from the published catalog. When an update fails, existing data remains visible.

Selection checks
  • SaaS & AI candidates: Topic keywords do not match
  • Editor-approved picks: Editorial review is required

Rule matches identify candidates. They do not guarantee video quality or financial results.

About the library and its sources