The Secret Life of Machines (Series 3)
The Secret Life of Machines is an educational television series presented by Tim Hunkin and Rex Garrod, in which the two explain the inner workings and history of common household and office machinery.
The series consists of 18 episodes, each of which covers a particular set of machines. The series uses animation to help explain various aspect of how the subject devices function. The animation for the series was done
by Hunkin himself in a uniquely recognisable format.
How does a word processor work? And how about a lift, an electric light, a photocopier, a fax machine, and an office? The Secret Life of Machines (Series 3), consisting of the last six episodes of the series,
concentrates on office-related technology such as word processors, photocopiers and fax machines.
| Episode 1 - The Lift |
Episode 1 - The Lift
This episode explores how a lift functions. Hunkin is "blasted" into the sky in a lift car powered by rocket motors.
Episode 2 - The Word Processor
This episode explores how a word processor functions. A giant robot-shaped frame covered in computers bursts into flames sending the computers tumbling to the ground.
Episode 3 - The Electric Light
This episode explores how an electric light functions. As the camera is lifted into the sky on a crane, what seems at first to be randomly placed house lighting is gradually revealed to actually spell out "THE END".
Episode 4 - The Photocopier
This episode explores how a photocopier functions. Tim Hunkin is revealed to be sitting on top of a mountain of shredded paper at a recycling centre, followed by video of him using a bulldozer to drive through the pile.
Episode 5 - The Fax Machine
This episode explores how a fax machine functions. While testing out his home built model of a Pantelegraph, it begins to smoke and finally explodes.
Episode 6 - The Office
This episode explores how an office functions. It covers not just physical technologies, but also the evolution of social engineering involved in the running of an office.
| Related Links |
| The Secret Life of Machines - wikipedia The Secret Life of Machines is an educational television series presented by Tim Hunkin and Rex Garrod, in which the two explain the inner workings and history of common household and office machinery. |
| The Secret Life of Machines (Series 1) This explains the inner workings and history of six household appliances: vacuum cleaners, sewing machines, central heating systems, washing machines, refrigerators, and television sets. |
| The Secret Life of Machines (Series 2) This investigates six devices used outside the home: cars, internal combustion engines, quartz watches, telephones, radio sets, and video recorders. |
| The Machine that Changed the World This is a 1992 documentary series on the history of electronic digital computers, from the dawn of the computer in the 1800s to the early 1990s. |
| Inventions that Changed the World This is a BBC documentary series presented by Jeremy Clarkson, looking at some of the inventions that helped to shape the modern world. |