Supported by the McGarblin Group

October 14, 2015 9:41 AM

It's 1983, time to watch Computer Show. There are only a couple of episodes uploaded to Youtube, but the first one features custom art work site Lumi, and the second explores Reddit.

Computer Show is a product of Sandwich Video. They decided, if they could make anything they wanted, they wanted to make an 80's style computer show featuring modern products. Via mathowie.

posted by zabuni (23 comments total)

Not enough focus on racquetball-themed art, IMO.
posted by GamblingBlues at 10:09 AM on October 14, 2015

Why is the guy host Patrick Bateman?
posted by The Whelk at 10:11 AM on October 14, 2015 [2 favorites]

There is in fact a subreddit for cornbread.
posted by Fnarf at 10:12 AM on October 14, 2015 [2 favorites]

Petticoat 5 computer for women
posted by oliverburkeman at 10:20 AM on October 14, 2015 [3 favorites]

This was super ridiculously fun to make. Adam Lisagor has been my office mate for several years. Glad I was in the right place at the right time to be a part of it. (I'm the bald guy in the Lumi one)
posted by kepano at 10:27 AM on October 14, 2015 [22 favorites]

Why is the guy host Patrick Bateman?


Oft forgotten fact but 80% of straight white American men in the 1980s were Patrick Bateman. It's amazing any of us got out alive.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 10:37 AM on October 14, 2015 [5 favorites]

Thanks, Reddit.


Theddit.
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 11:04 AM on October 14, 2015 [11 favorites]

I managed to hold it together, but the speech synthesis at the end made me ROFL.
posted by infinitewindow at 11:57 AM on October 14, 2015 [1 favorite]

I missed this when it showed at XOXO, but I heard so many good things about it. Glad it's finally available!
posted by fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit at 11:57 AM on October 14, 2015

I can't watch this until the local shop repairs the UHF knob on my 13" TV.
posted by Sunburnt at 12:24 PM on October 14, 2015 [3 favorites]

Computer Chronicles was the BEST
posted by wemayfreeze at 12:41 PM on October 14, 2015 [6 favorites]

Youtube got screwy and I ended up watching through 3 minutes of the Lumi video before realizing that the 4-second audio lag wasn't intentional. It was a lot more disturbing with the delay, but somehow fitting.

Also that intro made me smile way more than it had any right to.
posted by xqwzts at 1:16 PM on October 14, 2015

Wait - Vaporwave is branching out into retro 80s parody shows?
posted by symbioid at 1:52 PM on October 14, 2015

Art imitates life. Computer Chronicles, indeed.
posted by SteveInMaine at 2:10 PM on October 14, 2015 [1 favorite]

I saw the Lumi show at XOXO and it was hilarious, and well received. Computer Chronicles was really quite good in its time, I like to think this is a loving parody.
posted by Nelson at 2:12 PM on October 14, 2015 [2 favorites]

Haven't gotten a chance to watch the entirety of these yet, but it's close enough to bring up Look Around You, which hits a sweet spot mixing absurd humor and 1980s educational videos just right. Here's the episode on Maths, for instance.
posted by msbrauer at 2:43 PM on October 14, 2015 [3 favorites]

There is in fact a subreddit for cornbread.

My favorite post is the Cornbread Movie Supercut.
posted by scalefree at 3:54 PM on October 14, 2015

"Look Around You," previously.
posted by Sunburnt at 4:18 PM on October 14, 2015 [1 favorite]

This is funny and great and exactly in my humor wheelhouse.

But to be honest, if there was anything with these opening credits like this airing in 1983, 9 year old me would have caught every possible episode.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 4:24 PM on October 14, 2015 [2 favorites]

Sheri is not the best cohost. Her blouse is excellent but she keeps on breaking character then catching herself. Other than that the whole thing was pitch perfect.
posted by scalefree at 4:29 PM on October 14, 2015

Sunburnt, yes! I immediately thought of Look Around You as well, which is one of my absolute favorite weird things the internet has produced. This is good too, but not as good. Nice touch on the SASE for transcripts of the show though.
posted by deludingmyself at 6:34 PM on October 14, 2015

This gave me a sudden olfactory memory of how personal computers smelled in 1983. So plastic and new, like our promised far-flung future had finally arrived.
posted by xigxag at 7:56 PM on October 14, 2015

Here in the UK we had Tomorrow's World, of which Look Around You was a wonderful parody.
posted by Happy Dave at 4:23 AM on October 17, 2015