Micro Men

An affectionate telling of the struggle for the home computer market in Britain in the 1980s. The drama is seen through the personalities of classic egghead Sir Clive Sinclair (Alexander Armstrong) and his one-time colleague and friend Chris Curry (Martin Freeman), who originally championed the idea of a micro computer but left Sinclair Radionics when Sinclair sneered at the concept. Sinclair soon realised that computers made more sense than the electric cars he was developing and so the two went head-to-head in the market, with Sinclair's Spectrum up against Curry's BBC Micro. Early on Sinclair says that "inventors are obliged to dream", but the film shows the business world is an unforgiving place.

Simon Horsford, The Telegraph, 8th October 2009

If you're British and over 30, try and watch Micro Men. It's the story of computers in the 80s, the days when Britain ruled the computing world, a nostalgia trip to make Siralan weep into the top of his game. Alexander Armstrong proves that he's way too good for daily quiz shows in the role of genius inventor and sort-of-idiot Clive Sinclair who ends up competing against his former colleague Chris Curry, a role that's perfectly programmed for the as-ever understated Martin Freeman, for the nascent home PC market. Period details are piled so high that they almost take detract from the main characters, but that's a minor quibble in a really good drama. Oh, and on top of all that it also features a cameo from extremely talented and lovely actress Nicola Harrison.

TV Bite, 8th October 2009

Micro Men brings Clive Sinclair's ZX Spectrum back

BBC4's new ROM-com recalls the rivalry that gave birth to mass home computing.

Sarah Dempster, The Guardian, 3rd October 2009