The Secret Life of Machines

Did You Know?

• All series used a combination of mechanical models and animation to explain how the subject devices function, with animation done by Hunkin himself in a uniquely recognisable format.
• The third series introduced an animated set of fictional characters who worked in the offices of the fictional Utopia Services company.

Contents

Each series of The Secret Life of Machines covers a particular set of machines: the first addresses household appliances, the second includes devices used outside the home such as the car, and the third examines contraptions and gadgets used in a modern office. The programmes feature humorous animations based on Hunkin's own drawings, often centred on historical figures involved in a technology's development. These illustrations also offer artistic commentary on modern society, including segments on lift fantasies and corporate disregard for individuals' rights. Each episode concludes with an epilogue consisting of an elaborate installation resembling an aspect of the machine discussed; one example is a giant robot-like statue built from scrap computer monitors and printers, which was blown up with pyrotechnics to illustrate that computers lack superhuman intelligence.

The Secret Life of Components

Tim Hunkin launched a self-made follow-up series, The Secret Life of Components, at the same time as the remastered original episodes came out. It looks at the individual pieces that often form the appliances and machines from the earlier show. Each of the eight weekly episodes shares what Hunkin has picked up from working with that part, using demonstration models and examples from his own amusement machines. The first episode, about chains and belts, aired on his YouTube channel on March 3, 2021. A second series of five episodes arrived in spring 2022, and a third series of four episodes was announced on March 27, 2023.

Availability

In March 2021, Hunkin began posting remastered versions of the episodes to YouTube, upscaled from an analogue video source to improve image quality and including a short, recently filmed reminiscence at the end of each episode. The complete first series of six remastered episodes was posted on March 13, 2021. Series 3 followed a similar weekly schedule, with the Fax Machine episode posted on June 18, 2021 and the final episode released on July 22, 2021.