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.[1] According to Hunkin, the show's creator, the programme was developed from his comic stripThe Rudiments of Wisdom, which he researched and drew for the Observer newspaper over a period of 14 years. Three separate groupings of the broadcast were produced and originally shown between 1988 and 1993 on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom, with the production subsequently broadcast on The Learning Channel and the Discovery Channel in the U.S.[2][3][4][5]
In 2021, Hunkin made "remastered" versions of all episodes available online, on his YouTube channel.[6][7] Each episode has a short reminiscence appended to it.
Contents
Each of the Secret Life's individual series covers a particular set of machines. The first addresses household appliances, while the second includes devices used outside the home, such as the car. The third series examines the contraptions and gadgets used in a modern office.
A typical example of the animation style used throughout the series
Each episode was given an individual title, such as The Secret Life of the Vacuum Cleaner. Although ostensibly about a specific appliance or piece of technology, the scope of each episode was often widened to cover related technologies as well. For example, the video recorder episode looked at magnetic recording from its origins, and featured Hunkin and Garrod recording their voices on a crude home-made "audio tape" consisting of rust-coated sticky tape.
Another aspect of the programmes was their use of humorous animations based on Hunkin's own drawings. These cartoons were often based around the historical figures involved in the development of a particular technology. Furthermore, the illustrations were an artistic commentary on modern society, including segments on lift fantasies (as shown in the episode "The Lift") and corporate disregard for individuals' rights (featured in many episodes, including "The Radio" and "The Car").
Each programme concluded with an epilogue consisting of an elaborate installation, which resembled an aspect of the machine or technology under discussion. One example was a giant statue resembling a robot, which had been built from scrap computer monitors, printers and other parts, which was blown up using pyrotechnics. Hunkin described the destruction as an allegorical point that computers are just a collection of transistors and lack "superhuman intelligence".
Production
All the series used a combination of mechanical models and 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.
Explores how a washing machine functions. Epilogue: A pyramid of washing machines is switched onto spin cycle whilst Hunkin talks about recent developments
Explores how a television functions. Epilogue: A mountain of television sets are burned in a massive bonfire whilst still switched on
Series 2 (1991)
In the second group of programmes, devices used outside the home are investigated. The first two episodes are closely related, both dealing with the car and similar vehicles.
No. overall
No. in series
Title
Original air date
7
1
"The Secret Life of the Car"
8 January 1991 (1991-01-08)
Explores how a car functions. This episode covers the body/chassis component only. Epilogue: The bodyshell of a Ford Cortina is cubed in a car crusher
8
2
"The Secret Life of the Internal Combustion Engine"
15 January 1991 (1991-01-15)
Explores how an internal combustion engine functions. Epilogue: A running Ford Kent engine is carried to the centre of a "carhenge"—a replica of Stonehenge made entirely of car bodies—by several men in white coveralls
9
3
"The Secret Life of the Quartz Watch"
22 January 1991 (1991-01-22)
Explores how a quartz watch functions. Historically also covers the history of time keeping, including early clocks, pocket watches and mechanical wristwatches. Epilogue: Tim Hunkin's closing narration is interrupted when an oven in the background bursts open, followed by a sped up and reversed recording of a watch in said oven baked to destruction
10
4
"The Secret Life of the Telephone"
29 January 1991 (1991-01-29)
Explores how a telephone functions. Historically also covers the telegraph. Epilogue: Stop motion animation of various novelty phones dancing across a stage
11
5
"The Secret Life of the Radio Set"
5 February 1991 (1991-02-05)
Explores how a radio functions and explains how radio waves can transmit signals and sound. Epilogue: Multiple radios (which have been converted into remote-control cars) are driven around, sometimes colliding into one another
12
6
"The Secret Life of the Video Recorder"
12 February 1991 (1991-02-12)
Explores how a video recorder functions. Historically also covers the functions and development of magnetic recording, including audio recorders. Epilogue: Scrap video recorders are arranged to spell out "THE END." The camera then zooms out, revealing Tim watching a recorded version of the epilogue.
Series 3 - The Secret Life of the Office (1993)
The third and final series concentrated on office-related technology. It also introduced an animated set of fictional characters who worked in the offices of the fictional Utopia Services company.
No. overall
No. in series
Title
Original air date
13
1
"The Secret Life of the Lift/Elevator"
18 February 1993 (1993-02-18)
Explores how a lift functions and its history, beginning with the initial efforts by Elisha Otis. Epilogue: Hunkin is "blasted" into the sky in a lift car powered by rocket motors.
14
2
"The Secret Life of the Word Processor"
25 February 1993 (1993-02-25)
Explores how a word processor functions. This programme used its core subject as the basis for a look at many significant technologies surrounding modern computer systems, including how they evolved from the typewriter. Epilogue: A giant robot-shaped frame covered in computers bursts into flames sending the computers tumbling to the ground
15
3
"The Secret Life of the Electric Light"
4 March 1993 (1993-03-04)
Explores how an electric light functions and the history of its development. Detail is also given on the various versions of light bulbs. Epilogue: 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".
16
4
"The Secret Life of the Photocopier"
11 March 1993 (1993-03-11)
Explores how a photocopier functions, and explores early attempts in document duplication. Epilogue: 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.
17
5
"The Secret Life of the FAX Machine"
18 March 1993 (1993-03-18)
Explores how a fax machine functions, and covers the history of early pantelegraphs and telecopiers. Epilogue: While testing out his home built model of a Pantelegraph, it begins to smoke and finally explodes.
18
6
"The Secret Life of the Office"
25 March 1993 (1993-03-25)
Explores how an office functions. The final "Secret Life" programme broadcast, this episode covered not just physical technologies, but also the evolution of social engineering involved in the running of an office. Epilogue: An office goes haywire just after a holiday party, blowing paper everywhere, shaking binders and everything generally moving with a will of its own. After the chaos winds down, Tim Hunkin cautiously emerges from under a desk.
The Secret Life of Components
Coinciding with the release of the remastered original episodes of The Secret Life Of Machines (see below), Tim Hunkin began a self-produced spiritual successor called The Secret Life of Components.[8] It explored some of the individual parts that so often make up the appliances and machines that were the focus of the original series. The 8 weekly episodes included what Hunkin has learned through his experience with the component, along with many models for demonstration and examples from his amusement machines and other works. It premiered March 3, 2021 on Hunkin's YouTube channel[7] with an episode on chain and belts. In the last episode of series 1, Hunkin commented that he may make another series the following winter. A 5 episode second series then debuted in spring 2022. On March 27, 2023, a third series of four episodes was announced on Hunkin's YouTube channel.[9]
Series 1 (2021)
No. overall
No. in series
Title
Original air date
1
1
"Chain and Belts"
3 March 2021 (2021-03-03)
Explores chains and belts, including demonstrations of different types of roller chain, round and toothed belts
Demonstrations and uses of programmable logic controllers (PLCs)
Creative uses
Hunkin and Garrod used the series to show some of their devices they built from parts of machines featured on their programme. The creations, some of which were decorative, others functional, show the potential uses of broken machinery. An extreme example is the giant clock powered by steam.[11] In the epilogue for the remastered version of the episode, Hunkin mentions that the clock has been non functional for a long time.
Availability
In March 2021, Hunkin began posting remastered versions of the episodes to YouTube. These were upscaled from an analogue video source to improve the image quality and include a short, recently filmed reminiscence by Hunkin at the end of each episode. The first 6 remastered episodes, comprising the complete first series, were posted to YouTube on Saturday, March 13, 2021. Starting on Thursday, May 6, 2021, Tim started posting episodes from Series 2 at a rate of one a week (give or take a day). As of June 12, 2021, all 6 remastered episodes from this series have been posted on his channel. Series 3 followed a similar weekly schedule, with the Fax Machine episode being posted on June 18, 2021. All of the six episodes have been posted, with the final episode released on July 22, 2021.[12]
