Alexander Armstrong and Martin Freeman are to star in a new BBC4 factual-based comedy drama about the rise of the home computer market in the 1980s.

The show, which is currently in production with an expected broadcast date later this year, will focus on the rivalry between the maverick Sir Clive Sinclair, played by Armstrong, and his former colleague Chris Curry, portrayed by Freeman. It has the working title Syntax Era.

Made by Darlow Smithson, the independent producer behind Touching the Void and The Diary of Anne Frank, it is described as an "affectionately comic account" of the race for home computer supremacy, with Sinclair's ZX Spectrum and C5 battling Curry's BBC Micro.

Richard Klein, controller of BBC4, said: "Those of us who lived through the 1980s will remember the sense of excitement when gadgets and technology started to appear in our homes, but not many of us will know the fascinating stories behind their arrival.

"Alexander Armstrong and Martin Freeman are excellent choices to portray Sir Clive Sinclair and Chris Curry at a time when battling to have the UK's most-loved home computer was their number one priority."

Written by Tony Saint, the 90-minute drama will use archive footage to illustrate the buzz around Sinclair and Curry's inventions, with classic clips from programmes such as John Craven's Newsround.

Syntax Era will be directed by Saul Metzstein and produced by Andrea Cornwell, with Jamie Laurenson executive producing.

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