The Secret Life of the Washing Machine

[danmantn]

I use to love this show...and watched in back in the 90s.

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[hotpoint9534]

Yes, from back in the days when Channel 4 in the UK was good and had original programming. Can you imagine anyone allowing Tim Hunkin to present his own show now, in these days of image and glossyness? A great pity that Channel 4 never sees sense to repeat it or anything from their rich past. Perhaps it would show up how rubbish and formulaic everything on their channel is now!

I have all three series on VHS. I watched the washing machine programme so much when I was young that I wore the tape out!

Tom.

 

[danmantn]

LOL. I use to have the one on Fax machines...I learned a lot from that one. I'm trying to locate it online.

 

[danmantn]

Yes, I love the way they actually worked to show you principles of the item of discussion - and that he had/has first hand knowledge of what he's talking about. Today most hosts are picked because they look like models and can read a script written with "technical guidance".

 

[alr2903]

What year was this filmed? I remember seeing it long ago. Thanks alr2903

 

[mark_wpduet]

So the name of the network is actually "Channel 4?" No letters at all?

 

[hotpoint9534]

The washing machines one was filmed in 1988, but the series ran from 1988 until 1993.

Yeah the five main channels (networks) on analogue here in the UK are BBC1, BBC2, ITV, Channel 4 and Five.

 

[bernina]

This is great!

Thanks very much for sharing it!

 

[danmantn]

We should all honor the Jukebox the next time we see one - thanking it for our wonderful clicky mechanical timers. It's easy to see the evolution of the topload agitator now that I have seen that.

 

[whirlcool]

I have seen this show many times on TV, but never this episode. I found it very interesting and fun to watch.

I especially like the end, where they are talking about the new models not lasting as long as the older ones.

Hmmm, maybe that's why I never saw this episode before?

 

[alr2903]

Wow, about 22 years then, thanks Hotpoint9534. I remember thinking at the time, wow the machines in the U.K. are very different than ours. Prior to the internet the only European washing machine I had ever seen, was in a French textbook. I always read the posts from folks across the pond and look at your pictures. I am still fascinated with the Hoover Keymatic. alr2903

 

[jasonl]

Tim Hunkin admits at the end about his "Enthusiasm" for those machines. You can tell he does love the machines. He didn't destroy them like he did all those televisions.

 

[danmantn]

Perhaps he should become a member here.

 

[bertrum]

strange he was smashing up loads of machines you guys think are classics!
I wonder what he thinks of the stuff out there now?

 

[danmantn]

I wish I could purchase all these old shows on DVD...really miss them.

 

[richardc1983]

You can download them through torrents:

http://isohunt.com/torrent_details/118512021/secret+life+of+machines?tab=summary

That is all 3 seasons.

 

[richardc1983]

You will need something like U torrent to download them though.

 

[jasonl]

Or if you don't want to mess with utorrent

Tim Hunkin has some links to video downloads as well. Full mpeg2 so they can be burned right to dvd.

http://www.timhunkin.com/44_secretlifeofmachines2.htm

 

[hotpoint95622]

hotpoint 95622

O M G,
he has cut in half the holy grail of UK machines, 18 series Hotpoint, not only that, he hits one and then puts another one to spin with out it weights, O M G.

Great show, never seen it before.

Thanks,

Lee.

 

[richardc1983]

I love secret life of machines, I liked the vacuum cleaner one too.

 

[danmantn]

It turns out that these ARE on YouTube. I was simply search for "The Secret Life of..." and that turns up nothing. Search "The Secret Life of Machines" and bingo! The fax, clock, and word processor episodes are very informative.