Original subtitles

People with characters who have imagination, confidence in

themselves, faith in the future, and a very

positive attitude to life, which means simply that

they never, ever, take no for an answer.

Like Joe Radley, driller of fine holes for

the electronics boom.

Like George Taylor, who has turned £15 of

holiday money into a £3 million business.

Like Clive Sinclair, electronics wizard, who can beat

the Japs and the Americans at their own

game.

I consider it very much my role to

foresee the future.

For example, I anticipate totally automatic personalised cars

powered by electricity drawn from internal batteries or

the mains.

That's a very real goal.

Starting in the early 1960s, Sinclair has introduced

the world to a series of remarkable technological

advances.

Miniature amplifiers, personal in-ear radios, and his

real breakthrough, the world's first slimline pocket calculator.

Sinclair went on to produce dozens of models

before foreign manufacturers flooded the market.

Undaunted, Sinclair moved on to the world's first

digital quartz watch.

But faulty components spelt disaster.

Faced with financial ruin, Sinclair had to turn

to the government for help, selling a share

of his company to the National Enterprise Board

in order to fund future projects.

What we've brought in is public investment and

business know-how.

And we're confident the portable television we've developed

together will be a great success.

This is claimed to be the world's first

truly commercial pocket television.

It's being launched by an English company in

London today, in America later this week.

This is one of the things we hope

will be making money for Britain this year

and in years to come.

Whether it does or not, you can at

least say that it works and that it

goes into your pocket.

The answer is no.

But why?

Have you even looked at these accounts?

We're in no position to throw away taxpayers'

money on concept products.

This is not a concept product.

It's Dreamland, Clive.

We're running a proper business here.

Not an amusement arcade.

There is no more research money for the

car.

I'm sorry.

Nothing personal, Clive.

Who are these people?

What do they think they're running here?

What's the point of funding an invention if

you can't stop at the inventor?

Clive.

Jesus Christ!

What the bloody hell's the matter with you?

I don't give a shit about components.

Just get it working!

What the bloody hell do you think I

pay you for?

For fuck's sake, I'm surrounded by incompetents.

At the top end I've got people who

don't know their art from their elbow.

At the bottom end I've got people who

can't even answer a fucking telephone!

Sorry about that.

Yes, maybe later.

Come on, pub.

Cheers, man.

I've had enough of these Bolshevik penny pinchers.

And bugger technical instruments.

We've taken technical instruments and hi-fi as

far as they can go.

I've watched the pocket calculator.

We invented the hijacked by the Japanese in

their ugly plastic grot.

I'll be damned if they take away my

car.

They don't have the first idea about Sinclair

Radionics.

Can't they see we exist to push barriers?

We won't be constrained like this.

What's that line from Browning?

A man's reach must exceed his grasp or

what's a heaven for?

Who's that for?

No grudges.

You know me.

As inventors we're obliged to dream.

To be unconstrained in our quest for progress.

Always to be pushing up the barriers.

But we must never forget that allied to

innovation is a clear Sinclair aesthetic.

Practicality, simplicity and elegance are the pillars of

my vision.

Remember that, boys.

Elegance above all.

Excuse me, Clive.

I'd like you to meet a friend of

mine, Herman Hauser.

Herman, this is Clive Sinclair.

Oh, a pleasure to meet you.

German?

I'm Austrian, a common error.

I was just talking about the importance of

elegance in innovative design.

Oh, as with your black watch?

Oh, yes.

But your watch didn't work properly.

Elegance and functionality, no?

Herman's doing a Ph.D. at the Cavendish.

It's on oxidisation.

Yes, well, some of us didn't go to

university, did we, Chris?

We prefer the cut and thrust of the

real world.

But I'm sure watching things rust has its

interest.

I'm sorry, you'll have to forgive him.

Chris, Clive here.

I'd like to have a word with you

in private.

Meet me in the Rolls in five minutes.

We've had six months of this state control,

and it's been even worse than I thought.

This interference in my business is intolerable.

I've asked you here because I trust you,

Chris.

I want you to consider yourself freed from

your employment at Sinclair Radionics.

What?

Don't worry, you'll still work for me.

I hold another company name.

Science of Cambridge is a shell, no more

than that.

But I want you to start operating it.

Right.

I've rented a property in King's Parade.

Probably start with a couple of small projects.

There are some of those calculated chips down

in the store.

Do help yourself to those.

Okay.

I mean, I have been speaking to Herman

about a basic microcomputing kit.

Yes, yes, what you'll be doing is preparing

the ground for me to move in when

this Stalinist shibboleth crumbles, as it surely will.

You, Chris, will be keeping the flame alive.

He'll drive you up the wall, but there

is something about him.

An absolute belief in what he's doing, and

he's loyal to his staff like nobody else.

You know he took me and Jim up

when we were just kids.

And this whole thing, starting this company, it's

been great.

A real chance to show what I can

do.

He's coming to see the new computing kit

tomorrow.

I think he's going to like it.

Now, whose move?

What is a pawn?

A piece whose only function is to protect

the king.

To lay down his life, if necessary, as

part of a greater plan.

But the object of the game, this is

to kill the king.

Now, are you a pawn, Chris, or a

bigger piece on the board?

Checkmate.

No, it's not.

Well, maybe you're right.

I don't really know the rules.

CPU.

RAM chips.

Eight-digit LED display.

Five-volt regulator.

It's a basic microprocessing system.

It's a kit to make your own computer

at home.

Whatever for?

Right, well, you can find out how chips

work, how to programme using computer language.

Once they've got that, they'll want more powerful

computers, computers we can produce.

Hmm.

Hardly going to have IBM quaking in their

boots.

It's a bloody ugly thing.

But it's better than nothing.

Some people like putting these things together, I

suppose.

Is this the best furniture you could find?

Uh, well, uh, yes.

Well, it doesn't exactly smack of the Sinclair

brand.

Still, it won't be long before I'm out

of this NEB cage, then we can really

get cracking.

Start work on some serious products.

You've got to face facts.

Sales of the television have been disappointing.

I've had a little more time and further

investment.

What?

More money?

As I keep telling you, innovation is not

something you can pay for in Green Shield

stamps.

Excuse me.

We've pumped nearly eight million into Sinclair Radionics.

For what?

The taxpayer has to get something back for

their investment.

There are some areas of the business we

can salvage.

Salvage?

It's time to break this business up.

We're calling in the receivers.

It'll be wonderful to be running my own

company again.

Oh, it's marvellous.

It's been a terrible time for Clive.

So nice to see him happy and relaxed

again.

So a brave new future lies before us.

I've mapped out a number of new products

the company might set about developing.

Those communists at the NEB have got the

instruments and the calculators both dive held onto

the television.

And the car is still mine.

Yes, I was going to suggest that we

try developing a new, upgraded microcomputer.

Chris, it's an amusing little gizmo aimed at

a few hobbyists.

No, it's something I want to pursue.

Well, it's not exactly the Commodore PET.

No, it's not meant to be.

It's a brand.

Did your Prussian friend put you up to

this?

I don't know what you mean.

I don't wish to discuss it any further.

I wonder why that is.

I beg your pardon.

Look, I'm sorry, Clive, but I've always believed

in what you've been trying to do.

Now I'm asking for the chance to take

this forward.

I feel I can do something with this.

It's a worthwhile project.

It's pointless, amateurish, ugly.

All I am asking is that you allow

me the chance to develop the idea.

No.

But why?

Because we haven't got the funds to waste.

We have to concentrate on developing authentic Sinclair

products like the television, the electric car.

The car?

For Christ's sake, Clive, what car?

Get out of my bloody house.

Get out!

Is everything all right?

It's nothing.

He'll be back at work tomorrow morning.

I can't believe what I said.

You don't know what he thinks of that

car.

Christ, what have I done?

Freed yourself.

You've had a taste of being the boss

and you liked it.

There's no going back.

So what am I going to do?

My father wants to know if I'm coming

back to work in the family firm.

What are they in?

They make wine.

Really?

I didn't know that.

But I like Cambridge.

I've been thinking of starting a business here.

Computers interest me.

Maybe you could do with a partner.

Seriously?

You'd give all that up to go into

business with me?

Have you ever tried Austrian wine, Chris?

If you had, you might understand.

As the Americans would say, a golden handshake.

Good luck with your future endeavours.

Ten thousand pounds, you say.

What sort of business, did you say it

was?

Computers.

Oh, I see.

How interesting.

Very science fiction.

Well, we like to help new concerns where

we can.

Just need to check a few bona fides.

You know how it is.

Tell me again, which college were you at?

That one.

Jolly good.

Thought as much, just by looking at you.

A fresh start.

Better.

They say in business, the key to success

is to use the resources you have.

Well, here in Cambridge, we have one resource

in abundance.

Cambridge Processor Group.

They build computer systems for fun.

Our secret weapon.

Steve, Steve Furber.

Could we, could we have a word?

That's him.

Roger Wilson.

Spent the summer of it there, building and

programming a computerised cow feeding device for a

farm up in Harrogate.

The computer journals you asked for.

You said you wanted all of them.

Thank you, Nigel.

It was nearly 2,000 pounds.

Still too much.

They're so expensive.

But why so expensive?

You must

observe the British tea ritual.

Thank you.

So, we all know the MK14.

Sinclair.

I saved up for one of his hi

-fi kits when I was a kid.

Looked nice.

Matt Black, System 2000.

System 3000.

System 2000 was in silver, 20 watts, as

opposed to 40 watts in the System 3000.

Whatever it was called, never bloody worked.

Anyway, we all want to go with the

6502 processor.

Of course.

It's the only choice.

For the moment.

Plus a whole new look.

That's right.

We start with kits, but we want to

market it with a proper, ready-made, moulded

keyboard and built-in assembler.

The products we produce are going to be

led by you, the engineers.

So I'm pleased to announce that Nigel will

be heading the new computer division.

Not just a division, but an entirely new

company.

Sinclair Computers.

A new company, gentlemen.

A new beginning.

Perhaps we should remind ourselves of the secret

of the Sinclair success.

That is, being first to market.

Letting people know what they want before even

they know about it.

Now, the MK14 has been a modest success,

as I knew it would be, appealing to

a specialist interest.

And yes, there are companies making more advanced

computers, but these are affordable only for use

in offices or laboratories.

But is the personal computer not a desirable

notion?

Something every citizen would quietly crave if he

actually knew what it was?

This is my vision.

A computing device in every home in Britain.

Fair quote.

Personal computers will become steadily cheaper.

Prices could drop to around £100 within the

next five years.

Poppycock!

Because, gentlemen, we are going to achieve that

in a matter of months.

Price is the key.

Whatever happens, I want a computer that we

can sell for the magic sum of £99.

At that price, the man on the Clapham

Omnibus will want one even if he has

absolutely no idea what to do with it.

Beg, borrow, or steal components.

But one thing is clear in my mind.

It has to look like this.

Just imagine a future where anybody could go

and buy a computer kit to programme at

home.

We could sell, what, 8,000, maybe even

10,000 computers.

What programming language are you proposing?

Which one's the best?

They all have their limitations.

Then why don't you write us a better

one?

Look, I've heard Sinclair might be developing a

new computer of his own.

Is that true?

I don't know.

We don't speak.

Besides, with the team we've assembled, I'm 100

% certain that we're way ahead of Sinclair.

Good evening, and welcome to The Muddy Programme.

Tonight, we enter the world of the microchip

and report on a story of British perseverance

and invention.

And we ask, will the personal computer be

Clive Sinclair's ticket to a fortune?

It took Sinclair just nine months to develop

the ZX-80, and he began to sell

it by mail order in March this year.

It costs £99, measures 9 by 7 inches,

and weighs just 12 ounces.

All you have to do is add an

ordinary TV and a cheap cassette recorder.

Eventually, there'll be some 200 programmes available, mostly

educational, some technical, and many suitable for children.

Jesus, it's like trying to read braille through

a pair of gardening gloves.

Clumsy programming language.

Limited.

Z-80A processor.

Big ROM.

Nice bit of circuitry there.

Ah.

Well?

It's like we thought.

It's clever.

Done on the cheap, but clever.

So, we know what we're up against.

We produce something better.

Better keyboard.

Bigger memory.

Smarter chip.

And improved language.

I know, but the genie is out of

the bottle.

He's done it.

He's got there first.

It's a working computer for less than a

tonne.

It's brilliant.

It's a clear run on us.

Look at the positive.

Clive is playing his hand first.

If he is bluffing, we will know.

If he is holding the full house, we

will be able to look through the pack

and find the three aces with which to

beat him.

You don't play cards either, do you?

No.

So, it goes well.

We still need to push on.

Progress on the ZX81?

First specs are done, and we start work

on an initial prototype next week.

What about that bloody screen flicker?

Hopefully not.

Hm.

Jim.

I was wondering if you'd had any contact

with, um...

Chris.

I'm always in the lab.

I hear he might be going to market

with a new product.

Well, I have...

He hasn't, um...

I'm not really sure.

It seems a shame.

He's not still with us.

He'd have enjoyed this.

That's all.

2K of RAM, twice as much as the

ZX80.

8K of ROM, again double what the Sinclair

computer offers, and a proper integrated keyboard that

won't give you arthritis.

The Acorn Atom is the product that serious

computer users have been waiting for.

You seem intent on attacking Clyde Sinclair.

No, it's not personal.

It's a vastly superior product, that's all.

You're attacking him again.

It's about computers, that's all.

It pains me to say it, but many

of these companies won't survive this gold rush

in the personal computing market.

There may be many clever people in the

industry, but business acumen is thin on the

ground.

Far too much of what I call kite

-flying, that is to say, people announcing products

that just aren't ready.

But make no mistake, I welcome competition.

We are a market leader, but we don't

take our position for granted.

Um, great.

Okay, um, can I ask you about the

new RAMPAC attachment?

Yes, well, it was thought that we might

do something to boost the machine's memory.

Yes, right, because a lot of our readers

are saying that the connexion's not that good,

that they fall off.

We are aware of this issue.

Our engineers have looked into it, and I

am informed that the use of a piece

of Blu-Tack about the size of a

runner beam will resolve the problem.

Blu-Tack?

Quite so.

Well, that's genius.

See, our readers would love that.

Which magazine did you say?

Um, Sinclair user.

Ah, yes, yes, well, you have my blessing.

Huh.

Clive.

Chris.

Everything, uh, going well?

I've given up.

What's the progress on the new machine?

Well, the boys in the lab are doing

their best.

Well, they need to do better.

Getting it out quickly is vital.

It needs to trump the 80, but also

to obliterate the competition.

We need to keep our eggs simpler.

Take a memo to all staff.

In this competitive environment, we cannot afford information

to leak out about our new products.

Be hereby notified that work on the ZX81

is top secret.