MTMOTM Live Special
The massive interest after the first two series led the production team to produce Making the Most of the Micro - Live! - a two hour BBC1 special where viewers' questions were answered and demonstrations of new things were shown live on air. During the programme hackers broke into the live demonstration of electronic mail. There was also a demonstration of the BBC's Telesoftware Service.
Kenneth Baker, minister for Information Technology appeared to promote a national schools software completion.
The success of this initiative led to a second live special and the idea for a continuing series of live programmes - Micro Live, which ran for four years from 1983 to 1987.
View a copy of the original script (.pdf)
MTMOTM Live Special - Series 1
1. Two hour special
First broadcast: 2nd October 1983
Duration 01:54:46
In a live edition of Making the Most of the Micro, Ian McNaught-Davis is joined in the studio by an audience of micro users and a team of experts. There are demonstrations of hardware and software, including a live download of a program from the BBC's new Telesoftware service, and a look at how the micro can be used to subtitle home videos. Dave Ellis makes micros make music, John Coll demonstrates an electronic mail service, and three teams of programmers, working on different micros, write software against the clock. And a national software competition is launched by the Minister for Information Technology, Kenneth Baker. Whether you are expert or novice, you can take part in the programme by joining in the phone-in, and putting questions or comments to the experts. Producer DAVID ALLEN Director PATRICK TITLEY
MTMOTM Live Special - Series 2
1. One hour special
First broadcast: 24th June 1984
Duration 01:00:12
Ian McNaught-Davis risks the failure of both hardware and software as he introduces the second live programme of items about the world of microcomputers-among them: the computer 'hackers'-who are they? BBC Radio's Basicode explained; American reporter Freff attempts to send a computer program live from New York and also delves into the world of computer-generated art as he meets graphics artist Loretta Jones. Plus the announcement of the winners of the BBC's National Schools Software Competition - with 930,000 worth of prizes - which was launched in the first Micro Live last October. Technical adviser STEVE LOWRY Assistant producer TERRY MARSH Studio director PATRICK TITLEY Producer DAVID ALLEN